Jimmy Smith Reveals Why He Thinks WWE Announced Sasha Banks & Naomi's Suspensions

In a somewhat unusual move for WWE, the company confirmed reports that Sasha Banks and Naomi had walked out of the May 16 edition of Monday Night Raw, leaving their Women's Tag Team Championships on the desk of Head Of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. It was then revealed on Friday Night SmackDown by Michael Cole that WWE had stripped Banks and Naomi of their titles and suspended them indefinitely.

Speaking about the situation on his Unlocking The Cage podcast, WWE Raw Announcer Jimmy Smith revealed he thinks the company issued a statement and announced the suspensions so they could "get ahead" of any potential statement from Banks and Naomi.

"The rumour I have heard is that in the days of social media, the performers themselves can spin their own narrative. Nowadays, if the Ultimate Warrior got cut, and people know the story at SummerSlam that he ran to the back and was immediately fired by Vince McMahon because he made all his demands, but, Ultimate Warrior would have picked up his phone and recorded something on Instagram and said 'F' Vince McMahon, whatever," Smith said.

"The superstars themselves are able to get their own story out and get their own narrative out in the public in ways they couldn't 20, 10, or 15 years ago. So what it feels like the WWE is doing, and I don't know, they haven't discussed it with me, is they're getting ahead of the ability of Sasha Banks and Naomi to put out their own narrative. If you don't say why, they'll say why. The WWE wants their perspective out there. They're going to go out and say something, so WWE wanted to get ahead of it and did it first. That's what it seems like to me."

Banks and Naomi are still listed on WWE's active roster although there are reportedly zero creative plans for the tag team to return. The former SmackDown Women's Champions' contracts are possibly set to expire within the next two months although WWE can choose to freeze their deals.

H/T to WrestlingNews.co