The World Wrestling Entertainment suspended women’s tag team champions Sasha Banks and Naomi after the two walked out during a match at “Monday Night Raw.”
The company said the suspension is indefinite and Banks and Naomi were stripped of their titles.
During Friday night’s broadcast of “Smackdown,” the suspensions were announced with plans to hold a tournament to name new champions.
Banks and Naomi initially refused to participate because of their role in the six-pack challenge. The winner would have taken on Bianca Belair for the “Raw” Women’s Championship.
In the middle of the taping, both women left the arena, but not before leaving their belts in the office of John Laurinaitis, who is the WWE head of talent relations.
During the taping of “Smackdown” announcer Michael Cole gave his thoughts on the incident.
“Sasha Banks and Naomi let us all down,” Cole said. “Their actions disappointed millions of WWE fans, and their fellow superstars. So because of what Sasha and Naomi did this past Monday night, they have been suspended indefinitely.”
Cole claimed the two left their championships belts with head of talent relations John Laurinaitis before leaving.
“Their actions disappointed millions of WWE fans and their fellow superstars,” Cole said before announcing the suspension.
Banks and Naomi left Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, where they were scheduled to be part of match with Becky Lynch, Asuka, Doudrop and Niki A.S.H. to determine the No. 1 contender for Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on June 5.
Sasha Banks and Naomi have not yet commented on the situation but according to speculations, the duo left the arena because they felt that the women’s tag team division wasn’t getting the same attention like that of the men.
Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE as a member of the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sasha Banks. Banks previously wrestled on the independent circuit, most notably for Chaotic Wrestling, where she won the Chaotic Wrestling Women’s Championship
