10 Wrestlers WWE Have Ruined Without Fans

4. Naomi

Naomi Bianca Belair
WWE.com

On the post-Hell In A Cell Monday Night Raw, Naomi bounced back from the wrong end of a rapid squash loss to then-unnamed Doudrop to qualify for Money In The Bank 2021 as result of that same wrestler turning babyface after a week.

"Encouraging" would thus be an overstatement, but at least WWE have looked to the past to try and inform a brighter future as the fans trickle back.

Naomi's return from hiatus at the 2020 Royal Rumble drew one of the biggest crowd responses of the year, and not just because audiences were booted out of the building by March. This was more than just a warm reception for a returning favourite - this was a loud-and-clear call to action from a fanbase that wanted to see a collective favourite get the recognition she deserved.

Regrettably, the abyss beckoned again.

Indifferent angles and loser tag team pairings defined her 2020, and looked to be doing exactly the same in 2021 until this unexpected victory. It was a pleasant surprise at the best possible time - will WWE rebound from this ruination by going all the way with her when the pay-per-view arrives?

 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett