There's no question that Naomi deserves better booking
Believe it or not, but social media can actually be a wonderful tool used for good. At least that's what friends and fans of Naomi are attempting at the moment. A massive Twitter campaign kicked off last week after Naomi was defeated by Lacey Evans on SmackDown.
Fans were apparently fed up with how WWE has chosen to book her and as a result, #NaomiDeservesBetter was trending worldwide last Friday.
Naomi is without a doubt one of the most talented performers and gifted athletes in the company. I myself have spoken with multiple WWE Superstars who heaped nothing but high praise for her, both as a human being and as a worker. She also clearly has massive support from the fan base. This seems to be the perfect recipe for making a top star in a stacked women's division, yet Naomi hardly wins a match anymore.
Fans say she deserves better, but at least one WWE Hall of Famer says it doesn't matter what the fans think she deserves. Booker T made some bold statements about the fans and Naomi on an recent episode of his Hall Of Fame radio show:
“They can go to hell with all these hashtags as far as I’m concerned. Nobody deserves a chance, alright. First and foremost, you have to earn your chance and your spot on the roster. This is not some movement to just pull somebody up just because. I hate to sit here and say this and talk this way because I like Naomi. But, as far as the business goes, you get it on your merit alone. That’s it. It’s no buddy system. I know somebody is going to hear me and say, well such and such and that’ why they are doing it. Yes, that may be true. But life is not fair. Sometimes you have to make your own breaks."
It did not take long at all for Naomi to issue a rather sarcastic response on Twitter.
The two-time SmackDown Women's Champion did receive an outpouring of support from her other colleagues after last Friday's SmackDown. Several WWE Superstars took to Twitter to express their admiration both before and after Booker T's comments.
On-screen bad girl Sasha Banks, who might spar with Naomi on screen (if given the chance), showed nothing but love to her former Team Bad cohort on social media.
So who's in the right on this one? Does Naomi "deserve" better? Or has her body of work over the years not been enough to merit any kind of significant push in 2020? The answer to me is clear.
YES! Naomi deserves better.
I have the utmost respect for Booker T. The man is a two-time Hall of Famer who knows more about wrestling than I could ever hope to know. Yes, wrestlers have to put in the work. I know what he's trying to say. Also, I believe that, yees, wrestlers have to have talent. Yes, they have to be able to connect with the audience. Yes, they have to be marketable. Yes, they have to go out and perform at a high level.
But when someone checks all those boxes and the biggest thing they've won over the last two years is a karaoke contest, there is absolutely nothing wrong with friends and colleagues getting fed up and demanding better booking.
After taking a lengthy hiatus from WWE over the back half of 2019, Naomi made a surprise return at the Royal Rumble and received one heck of an ovation from the sold-out crowd.
Since then, however, the company has decided not to use her in a meaningful way. She has had two opportunities at the SmackDown Women's Championship, at both Super Showdown and WrestleMania 36. However since that Fatal 5 Way match was filmed for night two of the Showcase of the Immortals, Naomi has only been booked in four matches, losing all four. In fact, she has only won six matches dating back to WrestleMania 35.
It's hard to go out and "make your own breaks" when the company seemingly has no interest in showcasing you. I equate where Naomi is now, to where Becky Lynch was around this time in 2018: An extremely talented former Champion who has fan support, but for whatever reason, the company just doesn't want to fully get behind. When WWE finally decided to give Lynch something meaningful to do, she slapped the face off Charlotte Flair and was off and running.
That SummerSlam "heel turn" was exactly the catalyst that Lynch needed to launch herself into superstardom. Make no mistake about it though, without the overwhelming support from the fans, she likely never would have reached the heights that she did. This is why I cannot get behind Booker T scoffing at #NaomiDeservesBetter. How soon we forget that the entire Women's Evolution was launched because of a hashtag.
Overwhelming fan support can equal real change
Can anyone tell me what Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston and Becky Lynch have in common? That's right. None of them were ever supposed to be "the guy" (or The Man). Despite it all, they all became just that because the fans would not be denied.
If it wasn't for a flood of support from the WWE Universe Daniel Bryan never would have even been in the main event of WrestleMania XXX, let alone walked away with all the gold. The same can be said for Becky Lynch and Kofi Kingston, who both walked out of WrestleMania 35 as World Champions. Heck, KofiMania was a highly successful social media campaign, which is why I don't understand why Booker T has an issue with fans showing their support, especially when they can't do it in person.
We are all living with the COVID-19 Pandemic, which means we can't do some of the things we love most right now, including going to wrestling shows. So social media is all the fans have to showcase their support for their favorite stars. Overwhelming support can change anyone's trajectory — just ask Drake Maverick.
Also, let's not act like people are calling for Naomi to knock off Bayley for the SmackDown Women's Championship this Friday. They just want to see something different for her, something better. Judging by said booking over the last two years, that's really not asking a whole lot. There are myriad options they could go with, both with her as singles competitor and possibly even in the tag team division.
So yes, Naomi deserves better and you can help make that happen. Just keep making your voices heard — #NaomiDeservesBetter