Why Current WWE Champion Almost Retired 3 Years Ago
Naomi’s journey to the top of WWE’s women’s division has been anything but simple.
Her latest triumph came at SummerSlam 2025, where she defended the WWE Women’s World Championship in a high-stakes triple-threat bout against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY. The match, held on August 3 at MetLife Stadium, saw Naomi roll up Ripley for the three-count and retain her title. But it could’ve never happened if Naomi didn’t return to the Stamford-based company.
Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out of WWE on May 16, 2022, just minutes before RAW aired, protesting the direction of the Women’s Tag Team Division. Frustrated with creative decisions and the treatment of the tag team titles, the two returned their belts and left, prompting on-air reactions and a strongly worded statement from the Stamford-based company calling out their “unprofessionalism”.
Almost Quitting Wrestling Helped Naomi to Rediscover Her Passion In WWE
On Thursday, August 14, Naomi reflected on this moment during her interview with Stephanie McMahon on her What’s Your Story? podcast. She revealed that the abrupt exit triggered months of soul-searching and uncertainty, with Naomi genuinely considering retirement as she processed the shock and upheaval in her personal and professional life.
What this really means is, stepping away gave Naomi time to heal, reflect, and eventually rediscover her passion for wrestling, shaping her identity as a performer and the champion she’s become.
When the walkout and all that happened, I think that was the first time, honestly in my adult life where, I had the chance to stop, rethink, redefine and figure out what I really wanted next, how I wanted my life to move forward from this and I really struggled in the beginning trying to process it. I didn’t wanna wrestle anymore, I thought I was done. (9:22 – 9:50)
Right now, Naomi is absent from WWE programming. She was scheduled for a title defense against IYO SKY on the August 11, 2025, episode of Monday Night RAW. But it was announced she was not medically cleared to compete, resulting in the match’s cancellation.
Details around her hiatus remain closely guarded; the prevailing rumor suggests Naomi could be sidelined for an extended period, with speculation swirling about possible health or pregnancy-related reasons.
The Stamford-based company has yet to officially confirm the cause of her absence. Naomi’s next scheduled title defense against Stephanie Vaquer at Clash in Paris on August 31 now hangs in the balance, leaving the WWE Universe anxiously awaiting a status update.
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