This WWE producer has shared his thoughts on Naomi’s controversial exit in 2022, claiming it was the wrong thing to do.
Naomi and Sasha Banks (aka Mercedes Moné) captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 38. However, their reign lasted less than a month when both women walked out ahead of a RAW taping.
Initial reports suggested the pair had creative differences that prompted their departure. WWE responded by stripping Naomi and Sasha Banks of the titles. The duo was suspended indefinitely before the company announced a tournament to determine new champions.
WWE held the quarterfinals on RAW and SmackDown broadcasts from August 8 to 19, with the semifinals taking place on the August 22 and 26 episodes of RAW and SmackDown. Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez won the final by defeating Dakota Kai and IYO SKY on the August 29 episode of RAW.
Michael Hayes recalls Naomi walking out of WWE
Naomi’s high-profile walkout was one of the talking points of season two of WWE: Unreal on Netflix. During the documentary, producer Michael Hayes said that Naomi (Trinity Fatu) should have stayed so she could cool down and see in hindsight that walking out would have been a mistake.
“I was very surprised and shocked that Trin decided to get up and walk out,” Hayes recalled. “That’s the wrong thing to do. That’s just the wrong thing to do. You work the show, and you work the show, not because you don’t want to then. It’s for down the line when things cool off and you go, ‘Phew, glad I really didn’t burn that bridge.’”
Triple H then said he wasn’t involved in the main roster at that point, but added that Naomi and Sasha Banks reached a breaking point and left.
Naomi is currently on maternal leave from WWE. She vacated the Women’s World Championship on the August 18, 2025, episode of RAW. The vacant title was later won by Stephanie Vaquer at WrestlePalooza 2025.
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