Fightful is reporting that sources within both WWE and Impact Wrestling expect her to return to the company, with some saying it could happen “sooner rather than later.”
One source noted there would have to be a major development for her not to be back in WWE soon.
Sources within WWE and IMPACT tell Fightful Select they expect Trinity Fatu aka Naomi to return to WWE, barring unforeseen circumstances.
WWE has long had major interest in bringing her back.
— FightfulSelect.com! Exclusive Pro Wrestling News (@FightfulSelect) January 2, 2024
As Trinity, she is the current Knockouts Champion in Impact Wrestling and is scheduled to defend her title against Jordynne Grace at TNA Hard to Kill on Saturday, January 13. Trinity debuted with the promotion in April and won the Knockouts title from Deonna Purrazzo at Slammiversary in July.
Naomi has been gone from WWE since walking out of the May 16, 2022 episode of Raw along with her then-tag team partner, Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks. Mone was also in talks with WWE for a return but the two sides were too far apart on money. She is now expected to debut somewhere other than WWE “imminently.”
Trinity made her Impact Wrestling debut this past April, eventually following up by winning the Knockouts title after defeating Deonna Purrazzo at Slammiversary.
Since then, the former Naomi in WWE has successfully defended her title against Purrazzo in a rematch, Mickie James, Alisha Edwards, and Emerson Jayne.
However, this January at TNA Hard To Kill in Las Vegas, she has perhaps her toughest challenge yet as she defends against former two-time Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.
In a recent conversation you can watch in full above, Trinity spoke about becoming champion, leading the Impact women’s division, her favorite career moments this year, and more.
Winning The Knockouts Championship
She explained that her goal coming into Impact was to win the Knockouts title, but she had no idea how long that journey could take.
“I was willing and ready to do whatever I had to do to accomplish this goal, and it’s just been an incredible journey, all of it, the whole the whole experience with Impact.”
Fatu said winning the championship felt “very, very surreal” and described feeling nervous in preparation for the big moment.
“I was so nervous and there was so much to prepare for — so much unexpected things that I stress about because I want every performance to be perfect and be my best. But you just have no control over that when you’re wrestling in front of a live crowd. You never know what’s going to happen. So I really didn’t have time to think or process the getting good in the wind. I was just so…just in it. And then when it was finally over, it was such a lot of surreal and relief and happiness and just an overwhelming flow of joy and tears and everything.”
She went on to credit Purrazzo for elevating her and being one of her favorite people to wrestle because she has learned so much from her.
“She’s one of the best, one of my favorite people to fight because she just elevates anybody she’s in there with. She’s such a phenomenal wrestler and I feel that I’ve grown and learned so much having to go against her more than once.”
Leading the “fierce” Knockouts division
As Knockouts Champion, Trinity is at the mountaintop of the women’s division. She explained that she does feel an “incredible amount of pressure” because the locker room is filled with so many women that are capable of being in her spot and leading the division.
“It’s an incredible amount of pressure because I feel that we have such an incredible roster, locker room, strong talent, and every woman is capable of leading and holding it down. So it definitely makes me want to just continue to be my best, because the second I’m not there, there’s going to be someone there to to fill that role.”
She went on to add that having that kind of division pushes her to be better in every way.
“They really push me to be better in every aspect of the division and wrestling. I want to represent our ladies the best way I possibly can. And, we’re fierce. The whole locker room is fierce.”
Challenges she has faced since joining Impact
Joining a new promotion can be challenging as you find your way and work with new people. Trinity described what the biggest challenges have been for her so far while working with Impact including wrestling longer, main event matches.
“I definitely think the the type of matches that I have been in that I have never experienced before. Also, getting more time, main eventing shows, it’s not easy. But I also feel that that’s what I needed to grow and also to believe in myself. And, to be put in those positions to prove to myself and everyone that I’m capable. I’m very thankful for Impact for giving me that space and opportunity to just show who I am without limitations.”
The best version of her
When Trinity had just signed with Impact, we had spoken about the big career change in her life, going from WWE to her new home. She had mentioned in our last interview that she didn’t know if she was going to actually return to pro wrestling.
I asked her about how she felt going from that period in her life to where she is now, both holding gold and main eventing.
Fatu agreed that this is the best version of herself so far, but that she is still “growing and evolving” and that she feels this isn’t the “last evolution” of her that fans will see.
“I think that the time away and that time off (between WWE and Impact) really helped me to navigate, to figure out what I really wanted and what I needed to do for myself and just as a performer and the impact I wanted to have on women’s wrestling. I was able to really think about all those things and process it all and really miss it.”
Fatu added that she had gotten to a point where she was just very “burned out mentally, physically and emotionally” and thought she might be done.
“But having that time away really helped me through to just see clearly that I wasn’t done. And there’s more of me to give in the wrestling business, and to my fans and to just come back and finish in a way that I feel is really respectable and good for me.”
She further explained that it didn’t feel right to her to just stop and end her career.
“It didn’t feel right to me, you know, stopping where I was. It just wasn’t sitting right in my spirit, and so it motivated me to come back and I’m here and I’m so happy that I did. But I also I’m happy for that experience.”
Hard To Kill
On January 13th, Trinity kicks off the year with one of her toughest challenges to date against Jordynne Grace at Hard to Kill.
Grace won the Call Your Shot gauntlet at Bound for Glory which earned her a championship opportunity of her choosing. Grace chose to come after Trinity and the Knockouts title.
She has never faced Grace before, but said she’s going to practice very hard so that’s she confident when she gets into the ring with her.
“Jordynne is definitely someone that I have never faced and never faced anyone like her. And I’m going to be training and practicing very hard so that I’m confident in myself when I step in that ring with her. I think she may be one of my toughest challengers so far, and I just want to make sure that I’m prepared. When I step in the ring with her in Vegas in January. I got a couple of months to get some new stuff down that I think I’m going to need for her because baby girl is strong and baby girl is one of the best.”
Trinity opened up about her friendship with Mercedes Mone and exit from WWE in a new interview.
The 35-year-old spoke to the NY Post ahead of her Knockouts title match at Slammiversary on Saturday. During the interview, she talked about the day she and Mone walked out on WWE and left a Raw taping on May 16, 2022.
“There was a lot that happened,” she said. ‘There was a lot that was said that ultimately led to me being put in a position and feeling like that was the best for me and what I needed to do. I still believe that. I still stand on that and that’s just what it is.”
“I just hope that through all of the drama and the rumors and the messiness that the one thing people do know about us is how much we care about women’s wrestling,” Fatu continued.
Trinity continued to say that it felt like she and Mone only had each other during that time.
“Me and her, we just had each other it felt like,” Fatu said. “Other than Tamina, Bayley checking in on us regularly, that was it. We just had each other going through that.
“Nobody understands the magnitude of what happened and what really went on and why we feel the way we feel and where we are but me and her and the people that were involved that day. It just goes to show how real our friendship is and how real all of this is.”
Since the pair left WWE, Mone has continued her wrestling career in NJPW and Stardom, while Trinity signed with Impact Wrestling. They’ve both traveled to watch the other perform but have not worked with each other in the ring since they were the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. However, Trinity said she’d love to work with Mone again sometime down the road.
“I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else other than her, whatever that is,” she said. “I’ll always do what’s best for her, what’s best for me, and what’s best for the business. And if it’s something that comes up that makes sense for the both of us, hell yeah!”
The Impact tapings this weekend will be Trinity’s fifth with the company. She debuted in April when the promotion was in Chicago. In May, she wrestled twice during a set of Impact TV tapings in London, ON, Canada. She took part in Impact’s tapings from Columbus, Ohio on June 9 & 10 as well and also traveled to Atlanta for a show from Center Stage on June 24. Trinity is undefeated in the promotion thus far, with a 4-0 record in singles matches and a 2-0 record in tag matches.
In a rare interview, Jimmy & Jey Uso opened up to Ariel Helwani ahead of their highly-anticipated match against Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa at Saturday’s WWE Money in the Bank, talking about Trinity Fatu leaving, Jimmy’s DUI arrest, and more.
While the two have made tag team wrestling their priority, Jey said his dream is to face Jimmy at WrestleMania “like back in the living room, uce.” He would want his family to be involved like their father, Rikishi, as referee.
Jimmy said they never pitched a split of their team, but would be supportive of each other if that was best for their careers as they could always come back to the team. Earlier in the interview, he said he was inspired by how Jey was performing during the pandemic era while he was recovering from his own injury.
The two agreed the injury was “a blessing in disguise” and weren’t sure where they would be today if that didn’t happen.
“We’re having the most fun in our careers. We have tapped into something different in our careers…revamped us and we’ve leveled up,” Jimmy said.
Trinity’s departure
Jimmy was asked about last year’s situation that saw his wife, Trinity Fatu, leave WWE along with Mercedes Money (Sasha Banks). He said “it’s been weird” after being on the road together for 12 years and that’s it been an adjustment, but they are making it work as she’s enjoying her time in Impact.
He said the night they left, he had a match and when he came to the back, she left and he knew something was happening. He would like for her to eventually come back in a perfect world so they could end their careers in the place they both started.
Jey joked he wants her back on the road so she can be the middleman between the two brothers so they don’t have to be around each other so much.
The DUI arrest
Asked about his DUI arrest last year, Jimmy said he wasn’t concerned about the situation.
“Everyone has their issues outside work, everyone’s human. everyone makes mistakes and go through it. As long as you face the noise, even if we got in trouble, we always stood right in front of our mess, our noise, we push through it, learn from it, keep it moving” he said.
Jey said they were initially against having Sami Zayn involved in The Bloodline angle as part of the family but was wrong. Jey joked that he needed to be more professional when he was legitimately cracking up during some of the live promos.
Asked about The Rock being involved, the two joked about it and said there are layers to his Bloodline storyline that they haven’t even got to yet.
The two also talked about Rikishi’s influence in their life, and how their own kids don’t know what’s going on in WWE and think they are “lame.”
After a year away from in-ring action, Trinity (the former Naomi in WWE) will make her Impact Wrestling debut on tonight’s AXS TV show.
She will face KiLynn King, one half of Knockouts Tag Team Champions The Coven along with Taylor Wilde. Trinity laid King out last Thursday as she came to the aid of Deonna Purrazzo and Jordynne Grace after The Coven attacked them.
In a preview of next Friday’s six-way no. 1 contender’s match at Under Siege, Moose, Eddie Edwards & Franke Kazarian will team up against Alex Shelley, Yuya Uemura & Jonathan Gresham.
X-Division Champion Trey Miguel will face Laredo Kid in a non-title match ahead of his title defense against Chris Sabin at Under Siege.
Ace Austin, one half of the Impact Tag Team Champions, will face Jason Hotch of The Good Hands in singles action.
The BTI pre-show will see The Design’s Kon & Deaner take on Zicky Dice & Johnny Swinger.
**********
Before the Impact:
George Iceman revealed that Dango and Joe Hendry narrowed down the culprit about who attacked Santino.
The Design (Deaner & Kon) (w/ Angels) defeated Johnny Swinger & Zicky Dice
Swinger was an excellent babyface in this match as Deaner and Kon got the heat on him. His selling was fantastic and the crowd actually really got into wanting them to make a comeback. Of course, Dice died after a power bomb from Kon and a DDT from Deaner for the win.
Main Show:
After recapping what happened last week, Impact went directly to Trey Miguel’s entrance.
Impact X-Division Champion Trey Miguel defeated Laredo Kid in a non-title match
This was a great opening match. Miguel and Laredo Kid are both fantastic wrestlers, and I hope we get to see more of these two in the future.
Kid and Miguel had a quick start to the match, with Miguel trying to run away on the floor, and Kid hitting a suicide dive through the ropes at the corner to hit Miguel. As they fought around the ring, Miguel hit a tiger feint kick around the apron onto Kid, who was standing, causing Kid’s legs to be swept out from under him. That was cool.
Miguel and Kid hat some fast exchanges, ending with Kid hitting a flipping DDT on Trey Miguel for a 2-count. Kid hit a few strikes and went for a Michinoku driver, but Miguel slipped out and hit an enziguri. Kid countered at lightning spiral but almost hit the referee. As he turned around, Miguel ripped off Kid’s mask and rolled him up for the pinfall. Excellent match.
Miguel grabbed a mic and trash talked Chicago, saying he was a generational talent, but no one respects him as much as they should. Miguel then said he was going to stay in the ring until everyone respected him. Chris Sabin came out to stop the protest.
Sabin said that Miguel only gets what he gives, and he disrespected the championship by spray painting it. Sabin said he disrespected everyone who held the title, from AJ Styles, to Josh Alexander. Sabin said he was going to show Miguel respect by saying to his face that he was going to beat him at Under Siege to become the first ever 9-time X-Division champion. Miguel walked away dejected. This was really good.
– Trinity was backstage warming up and Jai Vidal walked up, saying the picture he took with her last week got him in trouble with Gisele Shaw. Trinity said that if Shaw had a problem with it, there was an opening for a match at Under Siege. Vidal said that he would tell Shaw.
– A fantastic interview aired with Rich Swann and Sami Callihan talking about their history on the indies and how long they have been friends, and even when they fought, they had respect for each other. Their relationship is why Swann is standing with him now against The Design.
Jason Hotch (w/ John Skylar & Brian Myers) defeated Ace Austin (w/ Chris Bey)
Good match here, showing that if Jason Hotch was indeed a good hand, and if given time, he’ll use it to get over.
Hotch is a good worker, and kept up with Austin well. Both guys started fast, with Hotch starting to get heat after a blue thunder bomb for a 2-count. Austin responded with a forearm and a few strikes, ending with a knee and going for a spin kick that Hotch ducked. Austin did a head scissors into a side Russian leg sweep for a 2-count.
Austin squeezed Hotch’s head between his angles, jumped into the air, and drove it down into the mat. As Austin signaled for the fold, Myers got on the apron to distract the referee. John Skylar pulled Austin from the ring, leading to Chris Bey running over, launching himself off the back of Austin, and kicking Skylar. That was cool.
As Austin recovered and came back in the ring, he ran into a standing Spanish fly from Hotch for a 2-count. Austin slipped out of a torture rack and hit an O’Connor roll, but Hotch kicked out and as Austin went to the rope, Myers punched him, and Hotch rolled Austin up for the win.
– Steve Maclin was backstage and said Shera and Champagne Singh proved their worth last week, attacking Heath. They were back in his good graces, but needed to follow his orders. They agreed.
– Jordynne Grace was confronted backstage by Alisha Edwards, who mocked her for losing last week. Grace scared Edwards off by feinting a punch, and it looks like we’re going to get a match between the two soon.
Trinity defeated KiLynn King (w/ Taylor Wilde)
This was a great match for Trinity. King did a phenomenal job in this one helping Trinity look great. Trinity did very well working a non-WWE style match, as this was a bit more hard hitting than you would normally get, especially with King. Good stuff.
Trinity got a great reaction from the audience as the bell rang, Trinity was all over King in the early part of the match, dodging everything King tried, and hit a splitting leg drop on King for a 2-count. Trinity hit the ropes, but Wilde caught her foot, leading to King attacking from behind and then hitting a big boot that dropped Trinity hard.
King managed to keep Trinity from making comebacks, hitting hard strikes and chops. King did some sort of finger wagging pose at Wilde, and Wilde started swinging wildly at the air. I don’t know why Wilde flailed at the air around her, but it was funny. Wilde choked Trinity on the ropes behind the referee’s back. The referee finally caught them cheating and sent Wilde to the back, while Trinity fought King off as they were on the ropes. Trinity hit a nice crossbody on King for a 2-count.
Trinity hit a blockbuster off the top rope, which she should use as a finish as it looked awesome, but King kicked out. King fired up and hit some strikes in the corner and then a powerslam. Trinity low bridged King, and then hit a heatseaker as King was draped over the middle ropes for a 2-count. King fought through some forearms and punches before hitting a Death Valley Driver for a 2-count. King went for the Excalibuster, but Trinity flipped out and rolled into starstruck, getting the submission on King.
Jai Vidal came out and said Shaw accepted Trinity’s challenge before trying to hit a slap. Trinity blocked the slap, said that she would see Shaw at Under Siege, and then kicked Vidal in the head. I liked this.
– Maclin, Singh, and Shera ran into PCO backstage and they started brawling which resulted in Shera hitting a chokeslam onto the floor (covered lightly by cardboard boxes) before putting two blocks of concrete onto the back of PCO and breaking it with a sledgehammer. PCO screamed about the pain in his back.
– Jessicka was backstage with the hourglass Rosemary gave her. Wilde and King walked up and offered to open the door to the undead realm for her, but Jessicka noted that Rosemary said they were not powerful enough to open the door. King said Rosemary wasn’t always right. Jessicka pointed out Wilde wasn’t either, since she couldn’t foresee King losing the match against Trinity. They did not like this. Neither did I, to be honest. The segment, that is.
Jody Threat defeated Sierra
I just saw Sierra on NWA Power, which was also filmed in Chicago, and she showed her ability to bump well here too, as Threat squashed Sierra hitting a German suplex and a F416.
– Frankie Kazarian was backstage and Eddie Edwards walked up to him, saying that they had to get along tonight if they were going to win. Edwards suggested that Kazarian follow his lead, and Kazarian said that it wasn’t a problem, but he hoped it would go better than Honor No More did.
– Dango was backstage with Zicky Dice and Johnny Swinger. Dice was trying to hand a bottle full of urine to Dango for his drug test. Dango admitted after wrestling Swinger and Dice that they were totally incompetent, and completely incapable of attacking Santino. Swinger nodded and agreed.
Swinger & Dice accused Joe Hendry, who appeared as his name was said. Dango said that it had to be Joe Hendry because he tried to steal Dango’s spotlight. Hendry went to walk away, and Dango pulled him back, so they scuffled, and Dango’s shirt got ripped off, and he had a patch of hair missing on his chest, meaning Dango attacked Santino. Dango then drove Hendry into the wall as Swinger ran away and screamed, “Call the bossman, man!” The announcers claimed that no one saw this coming. I did.
Jonathan Gresham, Yuya Uemura & Alex Shelley defeated Moose, Frankie Kazarian & Eddie Edwards (w/ Alisha Edwards)
This was an awesome, non-stop action, main event. No pun intended on the old TNA name. Really fantastic stuff here. All six guys got to showcase what they can do, and every one of them looked like they could win at any moment, which is what you want out of these matches to setup their 6-way match at Under Siege.
Eddie Edwards was the victim of the babyface team in the opening parts of the match, as they showed solid teamwork, including Alex Shelley sending Moose into a front headlock on Edwards, and then clotheslining Edwards so he accidentally hit a DDT on Moose. That was fun. Moose decided he had enough and attacked Shelley on the floor, finally letting his team get some offence.
Edwards reluctantly tagged in Kazarian, who hit a few moves on Shelley before chopping Moose to tag in. Moose continued the assault on Shelley. Kazarian tried to keep his team honest, by asking for clean tags, but Edwards and Moose largely ignored him unless the referee is looking. Shelley almost got away from Edwards, but Edwards grabbed a sleeper. Shelley hit a knee breaker on Edwards to break it, but Edwards responded with a Boston knee party and chopped Kazarian hard to tag in.
Kazarian went for an unprettier, but Shelley hit a flatliner on Kazarian and tagged out to Uemura, who went wild, hitting uppercuts and throwing Moose and Edwards all over the ring. Uemura hit a back suplex and got a 2-count on Edwards. Edwards managed a blue thunder bomb and tagged out to Moose. Moose hit a backbreaker and a huge powerbomb on Uemura for a 2-count. Moose missed a spear and Gresham tagged in, hitting dropkicks to the knees of Moose, hyper extending the knee, forcing Moose to tag out to Kazarian.
Gresham went for a dropkick to the knee of Kazarian, and Kazarian jumped and hit a leg drop as he was in midair. That was awesome. Shelley and Kazarian got in the ring, and Kazarian put the chicken wing on Shelley, who drove Kazarian back to his corner. Edwards blind tagged in, breaking the submission. Edwards hit a backpack stunner on Shelley, but Uemura made the save.
Kazarian hit a backstabber on Uemura. Gresham hit a high angle German suplex on Kazarian. Moose tried to powerbomb Gresham on the floor, but he slipped out and was sent into a flying crossbody, Tanahashi style, from Uemura onto Moose. Edwards and Kazarian got into a fight in the ring, and Kazarian hit a lariat on Edwards, leading to Shelley hitting Shellshock on Edwards for the win.
Final Thoughts:
This was a really great episode of Impact tonight with very little that stood out as bad. Really good matches, solid angles, and a good build towards Under Siege. I couldn’t ask for more.
After getting physical on last Thursday’s Impact on AXS TV, Trinity will have her first match in her new home on this Thursday’s show.
The former Naomi will take on KiLynn King in her first in-ring action since last May in WWE. She and Sasha Banks walked out of the company due to a dispute over creative direction.
Trinity came out to aid Deonna Purrazzo and Jordynne Grace following their Thursday loss to Knockouts Tag Team Champions The Coven (King & Taylor Wilde). She hit King with the Rearview to help put this into motion.
Trinity will also compete at this month’s Under Siege streaming special in an open challenge.
King will be looking for her first singles win in Impact (0-3).
Here’s the current lineup for Thursday:
Trinity vs. KiLynn King
Moose, Eddie Edwards & Frankie Kazarian vs. Alex Shelley, Jonathan Gresham & Yuya Uemura
X-Division Champion Trey Miguel vs. Laredo Kid in a non-title match
Trinity will be in Impact Wrestling through at least July of this year.
The former WWE star, who made her debut on last Thursday’s Impact on AXS TV in a promo segment, shared her schedule on social media Tuesday, revealing dates through the post-Slammiversary TV taping in July.
To no surprise, she will be part of their monthly streaming specials which includes this month’s Under Siege, June’s Against All Odds, and July’s Slammiversary pay-per-view. Additionally, she will be at five TV tapings throughout the summer.
Trinity, the former Naomi in WWE, issued an open challenge for Under Siege on May 26th in London, Ontario, Canada.
It is still unknown how long her contract with Impact Wrestling is for as some wrestlers have shorter deals while others sign multi-year pacts. This, however, doesn’t confirm her deal only runs through late-July.
In last Thursday’s promo, she made her intentions known that she is coming for the Knockouts title. Current champion Deonna Purrazzo came out to confront her which also brought out former champion and Purrazzo’s next title challenger Jordynne Grace.
Trinity will have her debut match on Impact on AXS in the next few weeks.
Along with Mercedes Mone, Trinity Fatu was all over the wrestling headlines throughout the last year after both women walked out prior to an episode of WWE Raw in May 2022.
Since then, Mone has been part of the New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom rosters, even becoming the IWGP Women’s Champion. However, a lot of speculation still surrounded Fatu and what she would be doing next.
That was answered when she made her Impact Wrestling debut at the promotion’s TV tapings this past weekend in Chicago. Her debut promo from last Friday will air on tonight’s Impact on AXS.
I spoke with Trinity about the time she spent away from wrestling, her friendship with Mone, and how she’s feeling embarking on this new journey.
Making Her Impact debut
Trinity hasn’t been seen on wrestling television since May 2022. She explained that all the speculation about her future made the debut “nerve racking,” but that it also felt good to be a in a “new good home.”
However, she will never forget what she called her first home: WWE.
“WWE will always be my first home. My family is still there. My friends are still there. They are still my girls over there in that locker room, but I’m really looking forward to this space in this chapter, in this experience with Impact. I already I feel so welcomed and at home,” she said. “That’s been really cool. I just got so much love and support there. I know I’m going to be okay.”
She went on to say that joining Impact is only going to make her better at what she does.
“I think this is going to allow me to become even better at what I do at wrestling and just the just the connections already that I have made with people. There’s so much support that I have that I know I’m on the I’m on the right path. This is this is going to be a good experience: not just for me, but I just think for for women, women in wrestling period.
Being gone from wrestling
While we did see her walk in a fashion show and attend several movie premieres in Hollywood with Mone, she explained what a tough time it was for her to be away from wrestling.
“Initially, it was tough, really tough. You know, just feeling like my whole world, everything…it all kind of just being cut off, that was tough.”
She explained how she had to reflect on her life and see what the next chapter would look like.
“I asked myself, ‘What do I want in this next season of my life? What have I been missing? What led me or what made me feel this way? What is it going to take for me to to feel better?’ Being in a happier place and also to feel fulfilled, not just make money, not just be on TV, not just, you know, have this the fame and all that, but like really be fulfilled. ”
Because to me, if you’re not happy having doing all these things, then that doesn’t work for me. So just finding balance in my life and really tapping into to myself and what Trinity needs, what we want in this next this next phase. And it took me a little time to figure out if I still wanted to wrestle, because….the whole situation was just a lot.”
But once I had the time away and realize how much I missed it and how much the fans that were still supporting me, yeah. That was it. It was easy to make that decision to give it give it one more go.”
Wanting to have fun
She is stepping into a new environment with with Impact so I was curious if she felt any pressure to prove herself.
“Absolutely. I think there’s always a pressure when you’re in the ring wrestling. You take a risk every time you step into that ring. You just never know what could go wrong or if something’s going to go wrong, with what we do. And just the pressure of just being in a new company, in a new place and being able to pretty much just start all over and do well here and grow here and just showcase more of me.”
That’s pressure in itself. But I just want to make sure I have nonstop fun this time. I don’t feel like I have to, like, prove anything because I’ve had a great career in WWE. I really have. And I’m thankful for all of that and what I have done there and what they have been able to allow me to have there. I just I really just want to continue to grow and just have fun. I think that will happen organically. There’s not anything I got to prove and show and I don’t feel that way.”
“I just want to prove to myself that I can still go and that I can continue on with this wrestling career because I love it and I just want to have fun while I’m doing it. And I feel that right now with all that’s going on in the world of wrestling, women’s wrestling, I feel that it’s the place where I could be most useful.”
Intergender wrestling
Impact is known for not shying away from intergender wrestling and it turns out that is something she is interested in.
“I would love to get into some intergender matches. I know they have those matches. I’m excited for all of the possibilities.”
Friendship with Mercedes Mone
Both Trinity and Mone walked out of WWE together and appeared at many social events together. She explained the bond they both share with one another.
“That’s something that she and I both really bond over is just our dreams. We have kind of always had that and done that and talked about doing just all these things. Like, she wanted to have this dream of Japan and I had this dream of doing Broadway. But now we are like, ‘Okay. If we’re going to do it, now’s the time to do it.”
And just being able to support each other in that way, it’s been like the greatest, greatest gift to me, being able to go through it with my sister and also just sitting back watching her accomplish this dream, going all the way to Japan and being a success, it inspired me. It motivated me.”
Everyone is just watching us in real time live out these these dreams and try different things and explore different things and then find ourselves in a whole new way. We pretty much came into this wrestling business as kids almost. I was 21. I’m older now. So, the things you want and the things that you value change as you evolve through life.”
“I think that’s just where we where we are right now. And yeah, the last year has been life changing. I think it’s been good. And in the end, it was going to make us all stronger and better. She and I both I love that.”
You can see her debut Thursday at 8 PM Eastern on AXS TV.
Trinity has opened up about her departure from WWE last year.
The former Naomi appeared as a guest on Busted Open Radio and said that she chose to leave because of the way she was talked to and handled on her final day with the company. Trinity also mentioned that she signed with Impact recently because she feels that’s where she will be happiest.
Trinity said:
The doors are open for me everywhere, literally everywhere, but I truly feel that Impact is the best choice for me at this point in my life right now with what I want to do. To just be able to work with the talent there, I feel that it’s where I”ll be happiest and most utlizied and really get to grow in the ways that I feel I need to right now on this wrestling journey.
Trinity then spoke about her departure from WWE:
Ultimately, I left that day because of the way I was talked to and handled. Everything kind of just broke me that day. It had nothing to do with anything else, anybody else. That was just it, I had to.
To go through all the backlash and the negativity and the lies and the rumors and then to also just kind of feel lost, it broke me. It was probably the lowest I’ve ever felt in my life. But going through that, it made me reset and face it head on and figure out how to learn from this experience, grow from it, just find myself again in all of it.
Trinity made her Impact Wrestling debut at the promotion’s tapings this weekend in Chicago. Impact is advertising that a segment featuring Trinity with a live microphone will air on Thursday’s show.
Up until signing with Impact, Trinity had spent her entire career with WWE. She started in the promotion’s developmental program with FCW in 2009. During her WWE career, she was a former two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, one-time FCW Women’s Champion, and won the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles once along with Sasha Banks.
Trinity, the former Naomi in WWE, will officially make her debut on this Thursday’s Impact on AXS TV with an in-ring promo.
The promotion announced the news Friday night, shortly after she made her debut at their TV taping in Chicago. The promo segment she taped tonight will be what airs this Thursday.
They also wasted no time announcing her first match as she will take on KiLynn King, one half of the current Knockouts Tag Team Champions. That match will take place during Saturday’s taping and will likely air a week from this Thursday.
Earlier this week after Impact announced a major surprise for Friday’s TV taping, PWInsider reported that Trinity would make her debut this weekend.
The match will be Trinity’s first since May 2022 as she and Sasha Banks walked out of WWE prior to an episode of Raw due to creative differences. They never wrestled for the promotion again and eventually both became free agents.
Here’s the rest of what’s being taped Saturday:
Impact World Champion Steve Maclin vs. Rhino
Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo defends against Killer Kelly
Alex Shelley, Jonathan Gresham & Yuya Uemura vs. Eddie Edwards, Moose & Kazarian
While questions swirl as to Mercedes Mone’s contractual future with NJPW and Stardom, there has been some clarity given as to the reason her former tag team partner hasn’t joined her to this point.
According to Dave Meltzer in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Trinity Fatu (fka Naomi in WWE) is not in NJPW/Stardom yet due to pressure to keep spending down within Bushiroad’s wrestling division.
From the newsletter:
“The hard part about a longer commitment (to Mone) is that Bushiroad’s wrestling division, even though Stardom has grown greatly, has overall taken a major financial hit because of New Japan’s declines related to the pandemic, even with New Japan World up. Because of that, the wrestling division is under pressure to keep spending down. An example is that they were told they could bring in Trinity Fatu, but it was felt it would cost too much for the return and thus far hadn’t made that deal.”
Mone (then Sasha Banks) and Fatu famously walked out of WWE prior to a May 2022 episode of WWE Raw due to creative issues. Mone eventually became a free agent, signed a short-term deal with NJPW/Stardom, and is the reigning IWGP Women’s Champion.
Fatu is also a free agent, but has yet to wrestle for any other group since May 2022. Last month, she filed a trademark for the name Trinity Starr, perhaps a nod toward what her new name will be when she returns.
On the Mone contract situation, Meltzer said Bushiroad confirmed their original deal was to end with this weekend’s Stardom pay-per-view but that an extension has been discussed. Mone had also said in an SI interview that her contract wasn’t expiring which could indicate they have already come to a new deal.
A trademark filing may have revealed what former WWE wrestler Naomi plans to use as her new professional name.
Naomi (real name Trinity Fatu) applied to trademark “Trinity Starr” on March 20. The filing is related to merchandising purposes. Patent attorney Michael Dockins is listed as the attorney of record.
The filing can be seen below:
Word Mark TRINITY STARR
Goods and Services IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: Hats; Shirts; Sweatshirts; Hooded sweatshirts
IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainers; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing online interviews featuring a professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the field of professional wrestling and sports entertainment for entertainment purposes
Naomi last appeared for WWE since she and Sasha Banks walked out of an episode of Raw last May.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Naomi will be appearing at the WrestleCon convention on Saturday, April 1 and April 2. Billed under her real name, it’s Naomi’s first appearance related to pro wrestling since she walked out of WWE.
Naomi confirmed in an Instagram comment on Thursday that her being announced for WrestleCon means that she’s no longer with WWE. Naomi was a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion and a one-time Women’s Tag Team Champion during her WWE career. She and Banks were Women’s Tag Team Champions when they walked out of the company.
Former WWE women’s champion Naomi (real name Trinity Fatu) will be making a convention appearance during WrestleMania 39 weekend.
WrestleCon announced today that Fatu will appear at their convention in Los Angeles next month. Fatu will be at the convention on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2.
This will be Fatu’s first appearance related to pro wrestling since she and Mercedes Mone walked out of WWE last May. Fatu and Mone were the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time they walked out.
During a signing for Golden Ring Collectibles recently, Ariane Andrew (former WWE wrestler Cameron) was asked about Fatu’s pro wrestling future. Andrew said Fatu is recovering from shoulder surgery.
“She is recovering from shoulder surgery. I want her to answer the question for herself. I know she’s recovering from shoulder surgery,” Andrew said. “I’m super proud of her, that’s my sister from another mister. You’ll have to ask her for yourself how she’s feeling, see if her shoulder is feeling good because she’s recovering right now.”
Fatu and Andrew formerly teamed together as The Funkadactyls in WWE.
WrestleCon 2023 is taking place from March 31 to April 2.
Sasha Banks and Naomi will take part in Vulture Festival 2022.
In an event announced today, Banks (billed as Mercedes Varnado) and Naomi (billed as Trinity Fatu) will “just vibe for like an hour” at Vulture’s pop culture event in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 12.
Vulture writes:
Have you ever been in the presence of real legends? Well, lucky you because this is your opportunity to see Mercedes Varnado and Trinity Fatu (also known as Sasha Banks and Naomi of WWE Superstar fame) live and in person for one night only. We’ll look back on some of their favorite memories, play some games, and maybe even do a little dancing? No bad vibes and nothing out of pocket — just a fun night feeling the glow with two legit bosses we’ve missed a whole lot.
Vulture Festival is a pop culture spectacle where Vulture (the website, not the bird) comes to life right before your very eyes. Curated by our very own editors, it’s a weekend of live and in-person panels with some of your favorite stars and creators, where we can all obsess together over the culture we so love.
Vulture Festival will be held at The Hollywood Roosevelt. Tickets for Varnado and Fatu’s event are on sale, with prices ranging from $25 to $37. Jamie Lee Curtis, Kumail Nanjiani, and Henry Winkler are among other celebrities advertised for panels at the event.
Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE on May 16, vacating the Women’s Tag Team Championship in the process. The pair were suspended indefinitely by former WWE chairman Vince McMahon.
Reports later suggested that at least Banks had received her WWE release, reports that WWE has never confirmed nor denied. Still more reports would later suggest that Banks and Naomi had reached a deal to return to the company.
Though no return to WWE has officially been announced, WWE is mentioned by name in the Vulture announcement. Additionally, Banks is advertised for a season one episode of USA Network’s Barmageddon, which premieres on December 5. Additionally, Varnado posted photos from a training session at a wrestling school in Barcelona, Spain.
Varnado has also partnered with former WWE star Kalisto and his wife Abigail in the Kanndela Labs CBD company, which won Best Newcomer in the World CBD Awards last week in Barcelona.
