A current WWE play-by-play ace insists that Sasha Banks and Naomi legitimately walked out on the May 16 episode of Monday Night Raw.
WWE officials couldn’t have expected pivoting as much as they did on such short notice. The plan was set for Sasha and Naomi to participate in a number one contender match for Bianca Belair’s Raw Women’s Championship.
This was to be a six-pack challenge.
Instead, WWE found itself without its Women’s Tag Team Champions. PWInsider reported that following a disagreement over Vince McMahon’s creative direction, Sasha Banks made her exit mid-show and Naomi followed.
SEScoops had an exclusive interview with Ariane Andrew, formerly known as Cameron in WWE. She used to team with Naomi and expressed her belief that she was manipulated by Sasha into leaving the building.
WWE went as far as to issue a statement and even mentioned the situation on-air. While this reportedly is not a work, that hasn’t stopped some fans from compiling conspiracy theories.
“This Is Not A Work”
WWE Raw play-by-play commentator Jimmy Smith took to his Unlocking The Cage podcast to make it clear that the situation involving Sasha Banks and Naomi is as real as it gets.
“This is not a work. This really actually happened. From everything — I wasn’t there, I was calling the show — I’ve been told, everything the WWE is saying happened.
“Now obviously there are many sides to a story. I don’t know why Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out. I’ve heard rumors, but I’m not gonna repeat them just because it’s innuendo. I don’t know.
“But my point is, a lot of people when this was first released on Instagram, half the comments were, ‘Ah, this is a work.’ It’s not. This legitimately happened.
“One thing that you will see in the WWE, generally, in the time I’ve been there, is when they say this is our main event, something goofy may happen in that event, something goofy may change or there might be slight differences.
“They’re not going to say this is our main event and pull the rug out from under you. They will not advertise a main event and pull it out from under you. They want to know that you as an audience member will generally get the match that you thought you were gonna get.
“You stuck around till 10:45 to watch this match, that’s what you’re gonna see. What’s upsetting to the people behind the scenes on this one is they advertised the main event.
“I got up there on a microphone and Corey Graves to my left said, ‘Tonight, [women’s six-pack challenge],’ and then we sat down and we, meaning the WWE, all of us, couldn’t deliver that main event.
“Not happy about that.”
Naomi was reportedly set to win the six-pack challenge and face Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell on June 5. Sasha was expected to meet Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Title.
Both Sasha and Naomi were expected to lose those championship matches.
Quotes via Fightful
