WWE was possibly making plans for Sasha Banks to be defeated by Ronda Rousey at Hell in a Cell
As previously reported, women’s tag team champions Sasha Banks and Naomi reportedly walked out of WWE RAW due to creative issues with Vince McMahon. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com had additional details about the RAW plans that were canceled. Johnson confirmed that Naomi had been scheduled to win the six-pack challenge and noted the following…
“The conceived storyline idea was that Naomi would then go on to Hell In A Cell and lose to Bianca Belair. There are some who believe that at this week’s Smackdown, an angle would have also been shot for Sasha Banks to wrestle and lose to Ronda Rousey, likely also at HIAC.”
It’s believed that Sasha/Naomi would have been involved in two or three segments leading up the six-pack challenge and Sasha would have celebrated with Naomi when it was over.
It was said that at some point during the day, there was an alternative idea for Sasha and Naomi to have a short tag team match instead. However, once it was clear that plans were moving forward for Naomi to win the six-pack challenge, Sasha and Naomi reportedly informed John Laurinaitis that they were leaving and the tag-titles were left behind.
Around the time that RAW was going on the air, Vince McMahon was notified at the Gorilla position about Sasha and Naomi leaving. The Becky Lynch segment with Adam Pearce was quickly pitched (possibly by Becky) and Vince approved it.
Johnson also wrote the following…
“The belief among some is that the creative issue was not with Banks losing to Naomi but how the duo would have been portrayed over the next several weeks, especially after they had put so much time into building their team once Vince McMahon issued an edict that they would be teaming and winning the Women’s Tag Team titles at Wrestlemania 38 – and that after diving into building that team, they were going to wrestle each other and go off to put over other talents, leaving them, exactly where, which apparently was the crux of the issue.”