Less than six hours before the August 11th episode of WWE Raw was to be shot, Women World Champion Naomi was all of a sudden not physically able to compete on the show against IYO SKY, with a title change happening. WWE made the announcement through social media without any explanations and it encouraged fans to tune in to the channels to get further details. It did not indicate any problems with travel since Naomi has been confirmed to be backstage during the tapings.
Long time away?
Insiders in the industry, especially Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, alluded that there was a big underlying problem, and that Naomi could be out of action, “a long, long time away” should the reports be true. With the event Clash in Paris already approaching by weeks, this serious implication makes fans worried as to whether she will take part in the upcoming PLE or not.
WWE swiftly shifted gears of Naomi being on the sidelines. The focus fell on IYO SKY who was placed in a new dimension. A backstage segment was interrupted by Roxanne P dorez and Raquel Rodrguesz leading to a surprise impromptu match. Pez leaped to pin IYO in a disorganized fashion; unfortunately there was interference by The Kabuki Warriors members. The twist of events appears to hasten the heel turn of Asuka even more as women division has further gotten boosted by the unexpected shake up.
Who is replacing Naomi?
Backstage sources stress the close hold that WWE has given it. According to reports, other talent were mostly left in the dark concerning the condition of Naomi leading to greater uncertainty backstage. In the meantime, Stephanie Vaquer was next to show up, and she reminded IYO that she also had a title match coming up at Clash in Paris, a further indication of the feeling of contingency planning.
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