It has been almost five months since Sasha Banks (Mercedes Kaestner-Vernado) and Naomi (Trinity Fatu) walked out of the May 16th Monday Night Raw taping. With a huge shift in WWE’s landscape since then and Clash at the Castle this weekend, fans are asking “is Sasha Banks coming back to WWE?”, because now seems like as good a time as any…
Before we look at if Sasha Banks and Naomi are coming back to WWE, it’s important to go over the history of what led to their departure and why they might now be returning.
Back in May, Sasha Banks and Naomi were the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Fans were enjoying their reign despite a lack of valid contenders.
However, the two were scheduled to face each other in a six-pack challenge main event on 16th May. This was to determine who would challenge for the Raw and Smackdown Women’s titles at the upcoming Hell in a Cell show.
As planned, the six-pack challenge match was announced at the start of that evening’s Monday Night Raw. But it didn’t take place because Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out after a heated conversation with Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis.
Why Did Sasha Banks Leave WWE?
Why did Sasha Banks leave WWE? It turns out that both Sasha Banks and Naomi were not happy with the decision to have Naomi pin Banks in the six-pack challenge match advertised for May 16th’s Raw. They protested the decision and asked to defend their tag team titles at the Hell in a Cell PPV against Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. Vince McMahon rejected the idea. Sasha Banks and Naomi then packed their bags, handed their belts to John Laurinaitis, and left the building.
These details were reported in Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter and were widely corroborated by other outlets.
Ultimately, the reason Sasha Banks and Naomi left WWE was a disagreement with then-Head of Creative and CEO Vince McMahon about the direction of their characters and the Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Official WWE Response
WWE commentator Corey Graves announced the following during the Monday Night Raw broadcast:
“It was originally meant to be a six-pack challenge until WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi summarily and unprofessionally left the arena before this match could take place.”
Corey Graves
On Smackdown later that week, Michael Cole said the following (on behalf of WWE) regarding the situation:
I want to talk about what happened this past Monday night when Sasha Banks and Naomi let us all down. The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions walked off the show and walked out of the building during Monday Night Raw. They were supposed to take part in this: the main event, the six-pack challenge where the winner would be next in line to face Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship. However, Sasha and Naomi took the Tag Team Championships into the office of our Head of Talent Relations [Laurinaitis], left them there, and then promptly walked out of the arena. Their actions disappointed millions of WWE fans and their fellow Superstars. So, because of what Sasha and Naomi did this past Monday night, they have been suspended indefinitely…
Michael Cole on behalf of WWE – Smackdown, May 20th.
This statement drew derision online from fans who were on the side of Sasha Banks and Naomi. However, there were those who felt that the two wrestlers had acted selfishly and were simply refusing to do their jobs.
Ever since, fans have been asking “is Sasha Banks coming back to WWE?” or “is Sasha Banks going to AEW?”.
Is Sasha Banks Going To AEW?
With the creation of AEW back in 2019, WWE faced its first serious competition in decades.
As a result, many wrestlers who had left WWE (by choice or after being released) chose to go to AEW. Popular names included Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Brodie Lee – and even CM Punk. After all, it’s a great opportunity at a second chance on an international stage.
But is Sasha Banks going to AEW? While anything is possible, there has been no indication that Sasha Banks is headed to AEW. If she comes back to pro wrestling, it will almost certainly be in WWE.
While AEW’s product is arguably superior to WWE’s in a number of ways, their women’s division is not one. So, it makes sense that Banks would only want to be in the top women’s division in the world.
However, if she went there, Sasha Banks would undoubtedly be the biggest star in AEW’s women’s division. This means she could command a huge salary as well as a position as the company’s top female star.
Is Sasha Banks Coming Back To WWE?
Since their controversial departure back in May, the entire WWE landscape has changed dramatically.
In July, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal revealed that Vince McMahon had paid $12 million in hush money to four women over alleged affairs. After further revelations and an internal WWE investigation, McMahon announced his retirement.
While he didn’t publicly state that the controversy led to his retirement, there should be no doubt that it did.
Regardless, Vince’s departure led to his son-in-law Paul Levesque (Triple H) taking over as WWE’s Head of Creative. Finally, the company had the opportunity to address the extensive creative failings under McMahon. And Triple H was just the man to do it.
With Vince McMahon and Johnny Ace out of the picture, the question of Sasha Banks coming back to WWE became a huge area of speculation.
Is Sasha Banks coming back to WWE? While nothing is officially confirmed, Sasha Banks is expected to return to WWE imminently. Her tag team partner Naomi is likely to join her. This has been reported by numerous wrestling news outlets, including the reputable Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
In the August 8th edition of the WoN, Dave Meltzer reported that “the belief is that Naomi and Banks are returning”.
Are Sasha Banks and Naomi Returning at Clash at the Castle?
With the huge Clash at the Castle show coming up this weekend, fans believe Sasha Banks and Naomi will come back to WWE and appear on the show.
But is there any truth to the rumours? Well, things do seem to indicate that Sasha Banks and Naomi will be at Clash at the Castle.
On August 15th, Meltzer again mentioned that Sasha Banks and Naomi were expected back soon. He speculated that the idea was for them to “not to be in the tournament and have them surprise appear later”.
In the August 29th edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer again addressed the rumours. “One would figure Sky & Kai winning [the Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament] and then at some point doing a program with Banks & Naomi”.
Of course, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai didn’t win the Tag Team Championships. Aliyah and Raquel González did.
However, that makes more sense if the plan is for Sasha Banks and Naomi to return to WWE at Clash at the Castle as surprise challengers.
Sky and Kai are in a popular stable with Bayley – they’re getting pushed. It would make no sense to have them lose to a returning Banks and Naomi. Instead, have Banks and Naomi return, beat Aliyah and Raquel, and then go on to defend against Sky and Kai.
Are Sasha Banks and Naomi Returning at Clash at the Castle? Nothing has been officially confirmed. But all signs point to Banks and Naomi returning at the show in Cardiff.
Whether it is at Clash at the Castle or later, it’s safe to say Sasha Banks is coming back to WWE in the near future.
Do you think Sasha Banks is coming back to WWE? Let us know in the comment section below and check out our other Film & TV articles…
