Current WWE Women’s World Champion Naomi has opened up about her departure from WWE in 2022, revealing that at the time, she “thought I didn’t want to wrestle anymore” and “thought I was done” with the business. She detailed the emotional and mental journey she went on during her hiatus, a period she says that made her stronger.
In May 2022, Naomi, who was then one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, and her partner Sasha Banks (now Mercedes Moné in AEW) walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw over creative differences. The incident led to a long absence for both women, during which Naomi would eventually wrestle for TNA Wrestling before making her return to WWE at the 2024 Royal Rumble.
A Chance to Stop and Rethink
Speaking with Stephanie McMahon on the What’s Your Story podcast, Naomi explained that the walkout. She admitted that the initial period was a struggle and that she questioned her future in wrestling.
“I think when the walkout and all of that happened, I think that was the first time, honestly, in my adult life, where I had the chance to stop, rethink, redefine, and figure out what I really wanted next, how I wanted, you know, my life to move forward from this. And I really, like in the beginning, struggled trying to process that. I thought I didn’t want to wrestle anymore. I thought I was done.”
Relighting the Fire
Naomi detailed the difficulty of going through that period while her husband, Jimmy Uso, was in the midst of the biggest storyline of his career with The Bloodline.
“He did such a great job, but also I had to go through a lot emotionally and mentally on my own because he had his own stuff going on, sure, and that was the first time where I just had to do the work on myself. And it was, I think it was great. It made me stronger. It relit a fire in me. I became a lot more confident in myself, because I didn’t have him to reassure me, you know, things about work… I have never quit anything in my life. And I didn’t like the feeling of that, and also I wanted to make my parents proud. I have step kids, you know, I wanted, I wanted a better ending for them, for all the work I put in, for my story, for legacy, for everything… I think like the beautiful part of it was me fighting through that and pushing through that and wanting to prove that there’s there’s more for me to do and accomplish, not just in wrestling, but just as a woman and someone who’s growing and going through, like, a difficult time and a transition in life.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit What’s Your Story? With Steph McMahon with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
