Let’s Talk Naomi

Rob discusses one wrestler that set Twitter ablaze with her performance!

The 2020 Royal Rumble is in the books, and on the women’s side the most talked about thing is Naomi’s return to the ring after taking a few months off.  Between the 30 seconds after she hit the ring and the spot where she used to lid for the announce table as a ramp to get back in the ring the work she put in electrified the crowd and went viral, reaching beyond the wrestling bubble that we all get trapped in way too much.  And as I write this she just made her return to SmackDown to confront Bayley and stake her claim to the SmackDown Women’s title that she last held in 2017.  Naomi is a breath of fresh air and should do wonders on SmackDown; her ring gear, moveset, and just her overall persona fit in perfect for the more family friendly SmackDown and should be a big hit with the kids.

And from the looks of things on this week’s post-Rumble episode of SmackDown she has a big showdown coming with SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.  I’m here to proclaim that: she should be in the title match at WrestleMania one way or another, be it as defending champion if she wins it earlier or as the challenger.  I know a lot of y’all still want Bayley vs Sasha to happen but you can’t stick Naomi back in the battle royal after all the buzz she’s getting right now.  You can always make it a three way, or a four way or whatever.  But come hell or high water she should get to perform on the biggest stage of the year and she should walk out as champion.  Yes I know she won it at WrestleMania 33 already but the reign she had afterwards was not booked well at all (only two title defenses on pay per views when there were four chances to do so) and a still inexplicable loss at SummerSlam that year.  Time to make up for that.

But that’s not the only thing that needs to made up for.  For years black women have been a loyal section of the pro wrestling fanbase that has gone tragically undeserved, and it’s long past time to fix that.  Look, I’m not saying give all the belts to black people (not complaining if it ever happens, don’t get me wrong) but more of a presence in bigger matches and yeah some more wins in said matches.  But also some better positioning so that when it’s time for say, Money in the Bank, that the likes of not just Naomi but Sasha Banks or Ember Moon will actually be a favorite to win and not just be there to do cool stuff while someone else gets the briefcase and the almost certain title win that comes with it.  Can one of them be in a storyline that puts them in place to get and use it for once?  Wining the big match is cool and all but being in the mix on a regular basis so that your name is the one that gets pulled sometimes is even more important.

And then there’s the merchandise deficit.  Back in 2017 when Naomi was champion and was wearing her customized glow title belt, it was conspicuously absent from the sales catalog.  Come on people we got every other custom title that’s ever been made but that was a bridge too far?  Nobody’s saying you had to make a tricked out LED laden version but a glow in the dark replica was more than doable.  Yeah, the ball has been dropped in a major way here and literal money has been left on the table.  So it’s high time to get your heads out of your asses, make up for some lost time, and right the shape before you make the same mistake with Bianca Belair.  It would be a damn shame to miss out on some real opportunities here while you keep chasing the same crowd that literally finds things to complain about no matter what and is obsessed with guys whose best and only trait is that they can do a lot of moves in the ring.

Now me being me, I can’t end this without taking some gratuitous shots at some of my fellow wrestling fans.  Those of you who have already been trying to throw cold water on this moment can go find a lake full of cold water and jump in it for real.  Or better yet, go play in traffic.  Now I’m not talking about people who just aren’t fans of hers.  Hey, that happens with everyone.  But those of you who go above and beyond and get loud and proud about just how much you think she shouldn’t get any bigger opportunities, well I am talking to you.  Because as much as y’all like to talk about earning this and deserving that, it sure only seems to apply to certain people and not anyone who doesn’t meet your criteria.  And that looks real funny to me.

Are you calling me racist, Rob?  

I don’t know, are you?  I’m not saying that everyone opposed to what I’m saying here is, but if that’s the first thing that came to your mind, well………..hit dogs holler and all.

But anyhow, now’s the time to capitalize on this thing.  No it doesn’t make past missteps and mistakes go away but it’s a great step in the right direction.  So do it you cowards!!