They went home after taking their ball. This is not part of the scripted weekly television programming of the World Wrestling Entertainment. Two of Vince McMahon's most talented female performers walked out of Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va., and didn't return despite being booked in last evening's original main-event match.
Stone Cold Steve Austin and CM Punk took themselves off camera for displeasure with the company in the past. What is unique about Naomi and Banks is that they don't show up because of the incident that happened live on-air the same evening. The lack of involvement of Punk and Austin was mentioned weeks later. Naomi and Banks left the arena as part of the show, which was likely fed into his headset by McMahon.
The exact timing of Banks and Naomi leaving the arena is unclear, as is the legitimacy of the statement from the company, which appears to save face with fans as if this could be part of the show. It's not right. Multiple online reports state that the women's tag team champion left the venue hours before the show, causing the company to change the script. Naomi and Banks have not commented on social media since the walk out. It is easy to believe.
Thanks to McMahon and his friends, this is a storyline to get hype for the women's division. It is not a storyline. Banks and Naomi should be applauded for taking a stand against bad decisions. They have contracts that make them perform on a certain number of shows. Even if McMahon has final say on all creative decisions, that contract doesn't mean they have to go to the ring against their will.
Banks and Naomi are two of the three Black women on the main roster. One of the most marketed stars in the company is Bianca Belair, the current Raw women's champion. Belair joined the main roster two years ago and has seen a huge rise. Without Banks and Naomi the numbers are skewed. Only nine of the 24 women on the main roster are of color. That's more diverse than the NFL head coaching ranks, but how low of a bar should I set?
The company's main roster will not be cut if there is only one black female on it. The statement opens the door for turning a real-world problem into a storyline. McMahon needs to bring both into the fold and prevent another incident like this. This isn't the first time Banks has left the show. She took four months off from in-ring action and requested her release from the company, which McMahon declined, although the circumstances surrounding her disappearance haven't been publicly confirmed.
Naomi is one of the longest tenured women in the company, having signed a developmental deal in 2009, and this is the first known walk-off event from her. Naomi has to reject a WWE idea. She was a member of The Funkadactyls, but the alarms were never raised as a valet for Brodus Clay.
Punk and Austin's departure from the company was different from Banks and Naomi's because of the existence of All Elite Wrestling. If you think Tony Khan wouldn't try to sign both women if they were free agents, you're delusional. There could be many big-time matches with those two. Banks vs.Rosa? Naomi vs. Baker? Take my money!
The current women's tag team champions have some leverage. Unlike previously frustrated wrestlers, their absences don't mean they have nowhere else to go. Austin reconciled with World Wrestling Entertainment less than a year after he never went to New Japan or CMLL. Punk was stubborn and had no problem burning that bridge, and has found new fuel in the years since. Punk didn't appear on a show with actual matches for more than seven years after he tried MMA. He will likely be AEW's champion by the end of the month.
If McMahon is stupid enough not to see that, Naomi and Banks could get paid elsewhere, and maybe he doesn't deserve two wrestlers of their quality. They have other interests as well. Banks, whose real name is Mercedes Varnado, is credited as such for her role in Disney+ series The Mandalorian. It's not impossible, but it's heavily unlikely that Banks and Naomi leave the company. The modern era of social media has brought with it a high-profile public dispute. The situation of Punk was different. It took 10 months for him to say his piece on the show.
This will last a few weeks. A return to TV or a total split from the company is coming with the return of Bayley and the organic storyline about her history with Banks. The bubble has been burst on walking out of McMahon's domain. This won't be the last time. McMahon was left behind by professional wrestling. There have been plot holes in the last several years. If McMahon doesn't want to patch things up with Banks and Naomi, he should break the levee and let them walk permanently.
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