Report: Backstage Reaction To Sasha Banks & Naomi Walking Out Revealed

The backstage reaction to Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of Monday Night Raw earlier this week has come to light. 

The Women's Tag Team Champions left Raw during the show following a meeting with Vince McMahon over creative plans and a contract situation, with the tag titles and the division as a whole set to be de-emphasised in the coming weeks in favour of Naomi and Banks unsuccessfully challenging for the Raw and SmackDown Women's Titles. 

There was a range of reactions within WWE to Banks and Naomi walking out, with Fightful Select speaking to several talents. While previous reports had noted there was "zero sympathy" for The Boss within the company, Fightful noted numerous wrestlers inside and outside of WWE were supportive of the tag team, although a much larger contingent were in the 'not being happy with creative is fine, walking out is fine, but walking out during the show isn't fine' camp.

A longtime WWE wrestler also noted the situation wasn't the same as Steve Austin's walkout in 2002 as he had left before the show began, while another female talent said they didn't think there was anything worth leaving the show over although they understood the creative frustration. A different talent, meanwhile, noted they often see criticism of WWE's booking of the women's tag team division but that even more criticism emerges when talent make a stand against it. 

Sasha Banks has also reportedly been more outgoing since she returned to WWE TV and her being disliked backstage has 'eased up' in recent months.

Other reactions to the situation were somewhere between 'someone needed to do something like this to make a stand' and 'can't walk out during a show you're scheduled for.'

Banks and Naomi remain under contract with WWE and it was noted that WWE haven't fired the two talents because they don't want to provide All Elite Wrestling with the opening to sign either of them.