Backstage Update On Naomi's WWE Status
Latest on Naomi, who has been away from WWE television since May 2022.
A WWE higher-up has indicated that they are confident Naomi will end up back in the promotion at some point, reports Fightful Select.
The same source noted that there had been contact between the two parties since Naomi walked out of WWE during a Raw taping last May. The former SmackDown Women's Champion did so alongside Sasha Banks, resulting in WWE stripping the duo of their Women's Tag Team Championships - and suspending them indefinitely.
Banks ended up formally leaving the company at the end of 2022. She has since reinvented herself as Mercedes Moné and debuted for NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom 17, where she was supported by Naomi and current WWE star Bayley.
Naomi's contractual status isn't as certain. Fightful report that at the time of the walkout, Naomi's WWE deal was expiring, though there was mutual interest in a renewal. If it had happened, she would have likely landed the most lucrative contract of her career to date.
Ultimately, this was derailed by what happened in May. It had been reported a few months ago, too, that Naomi and WWE had maintained "positive contact", though Fightful wasn't able to verify this.