Sasha Banks & Naomi ‘suspended indefinitely’ by WWE, tag team titles vacated

After walking out of Raw this Monday, Sasha Banks and Naomi have been “suspended indefinitely” by WWE.

The indefinite suspension was announced during tonight’s episode of SmackDown. It was also revealed that the Women’s Tag Team titles have been vacated and there will be a tournament in the future to crown the new champions.

“Their actions disappointed millions of WWE fans and their fellow superstars,” Michael Cole said on commentary. “So because of what Sasha and Naomi did this past Monday night, they have been suspended indefinitely. And we will have a future tournament to crown the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.”

Cole also said that Banks and Naomi “let us all down” by walking out of Raw.

Banks and Naomi walked out of Monday’s show after taking issue with the planned creative direction. They were supposed to be part of a number one contender’s six-pack challenge in the main event of the episode. Becky Lynch, Asuka, Doudrop, and Nikki A.S.H. were going to be the other participants in the match.

Naomi was set to win the six-pack challenge and Banks was planned to start a feud with SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, with Naomi and Banks both going on to lose their respective title matches.

The six-pack challenge was instead changed to a singles match where Asuka defeated Lynch. Asuka will challenge for Bianca Belair’s Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell on Sunday, June 5.

WWE issued the following statement on Monday night:

When Sasha Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena this afternoon, they were informed of their participation in the main event of tonight’s Monday Night Raw.

During the broadcast, they walked into WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out.

They claimed they weren’t respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents even though they’d had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence. Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract.

We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight’s main event.

Banks and Naomi have yet to comment on the situation. They had been Women’s Tag Team Champions since winning the titles at night two of WrestleMania 38 last month.