The Evolution of Naomi – Part 2

A profile of the real diva’s revolutionary.  Check out Part 1 here.

Walking Out and Trinity Nonstop Action (TNA)

At WrestleMania 38, Naomi and Sasha Banks became WWE Women’s Tag Team champions in a fourway match. They were the first Black women to win the titles. This was a triumphant moment in several ways. Naomi had not been a champion in five years. Sasha had NEVER won a match on the grandest stage. For the most part, both women’s fanbases rejoiced as both were kind of just existing before this with no true direction.

As one of the people who advocated for a women’s tag title, Sasha was determined to make the most of the situation. The titles had not been booked well since their inception (and to this day are still booked inconsistently as you can see here). It was supposed to be a reason for all the meaningless tag matches that the women had to wrestle but the titles would often be an afterthought. With the combined star power of Naomi and Sasha, they wanted to revitalize the division.

Unfortunately for both women, the company did not agree. While the details are not clear, what is clear is that someone in management disrespected them before the May 16, 2022 taping of RAW, which caused both women to hand over the titles and walk out of the show. They were subsequently suspended and fired. I don’t want to speculate on what was said but I feel whatever was said to them wasn’t the real issue. It was merely the straw that broke the camel’s back of constant disrespect. A disrespect that neither could no longer ignore. 

I said then and stand by now that Naomi and Sasha walking out of WWE in 2022 was the best thing for both of their careers. But it sucked for the division. I am of the opinion that no woman in the company currently is able to pull the emotion in big matches that Sasha could. And no woman has the personality that Naomi has. For me as a viewer, it was bleak. Dry. Boring. For Naomi especially, the light was gone from the division.

WWE’s loss became TNA’s gain in the case of Naomi. Wrestling under the name of Trinity, she debuted in the spring of 2023 at a series of tapings. Tapings that saw a significant increase in ticket sales and viewers. She even had wrestling legend (he is, argue with the wall) CM Punk in attendance to show solidarity. 

Trinity in TNA proved that she was not only a star but a draw. The company themselves credited her for their resurgence. It can be argued that the partnership that have with WWE was only made possible because of her run. TNA was a joke in the wrestling world before she arrived, essentially a dead brand that no one was checking for. Trinity changed that. She also proved all the haters wrong about her in ring ability as she put on great matches with Mickie James, Deonna Purrazzo, and Jordynne Grace. Her run was TNA Knockouts champion was not very long but its impact (pun intended) is still being felt today.

Proceed with Caution

The 2024 Royal Rumble saw the return of Naomi to WWE. During her absence from the company, the person or people who had openly disrespected her were no longer in the company due to a sex trafficking scandal. So the road to reconciliation was made easier to digest. Initially, however, most of Naomi’s fans, myself included, were very skeptical of her opting to leave TNA, which held her in such high regard, to return to the company we witnessed waste her for years and years.

Good thing patience pays off. Naomi returned with the GLOW gimmick and continued to be the perennial babyface, forming a quick bond with Bianca Belair, who credits Naomi was a reason she got into wrestling, and Jade Cargill, another woman who looked up to her in the business. Fans dubbed the ladies The Big Three. While Bianca and Jade were the Women’s tag team champs, Naomi was in relentless pursuit of the World title. Although coming close, she was never able to get that win, making most of her fans feel it’s the same old shit, just a different booker.

Then Jade was attacked and Naomi had to step in and defend the tag titles with Bianca. The identity of the attacker was a mystery. In hindsight, it should have been obvious who Jade’s attacker was but the best suspect was so wholesome, so trustworthy. That hardly anyone, especially Bianca, were suspicious of her.

Then at the 2025 Elimination Chamber, Jade returned and attacked Naomi, revealing her as the attacker. In the aftermath of this being revealed, Naomi’s character began to shift from the GLOW to a more sinister demeanor. But it wasn’t a wildly uncharacteristic shift. No. It was a shift rooted in the frustration of going over a decade in a business that constantly overlooked her. 

The promo after the reveal that Naomi attacked Jade, where Bianca confronted her, was some of the best acting I have ever witnessed in wrestling. Now I know that might not be saying much, given most wrestlers act like failed actors, but it was captivating. The 2020s in wrestling, particularly WWE, have been more focused on storytelling and character development, spearheaded by Roman Reigns and the Bloodline story. The emphasis is on using real life situations but instead of doing a work-shoot, the shoot is the inspiration for the work. 

It is very obvious that Naomi used her past situations in the business, including her walkout and subsequent slander, to fuel a new character, more ruthless and a bit delusional about her actions. She was no longer waiting for opportunities to come her way, she would take them. And everyone should proceed with caution. No one hurts someone more than someone who has been hurt themselves. Naomi channeled that hurt into this character. 

And, unlike in the past when Naomi received enormous attention and it was never paid off, this was paid off in a major way. First, she won Money in the Bank and the next month cashed in during an Iyo Sky/Rhea Ripley match to become WWE Women’s World champion. And she also defeated for women in the Triple Threat at Summerslam. Despite being a heel, she was still getting cheered and became one of the top sellers for the women in merchandise.

It has been so rewarding watching someone you have been a fan of for over a decade finally get their flowers. It makes all the weeks and months of frustration worth it in the end. It means more knowing that you were right. This person is a special talent and finally others see what you saw all those years ago. 

Naomi had to relinquish the title soon after Summerslam, making it the second time she has had to do so. But unlike the last time, it was a happy time as she is pregnant. I can only be happy for her. I cannot imagine how it feels after being told you would never become a mother for it to finally happen. In a way, I’m happier for her in that aspect than I am for her career. She had nothing more to prove when she came back to WWE. This recent run was merely icing on the cake. Whenever she returns, she will do so as a legend in her own right; someone who was meant to just be a “diva” who has always met the moment she finds herself in with such grace and class. Trinity Fatu is one of one in the wrestling business and I will never forget her GLOW.