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WWE's Naomi will team with Sasha Banks tonight, challenging for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship as part of Wrestlemania 38 Night Two. This past Friday, Naomi sat with PWInsider.com to discuss the crazy weekend, her recent run on Smackdown, whether she misses being under the reality TV cameras and much more.
Mike Johnson: All right. It's WrestleMania weekend. Very happy to be speaking to Naomi, one of the challengers for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship this weekend. First of all, obviously you've done these weekends before, but it's always crazy for everyone involved. So do you feel like you're treading water yet? Do you feel like you're overwhelmed yer, because they pull you in a million different directions. There's signings, Smackdown, Hall of Fame, there's community outreach events, and by the way, you have to wrestle too. How are you doing this weekend?
Naomi: It's definitely a lot going on, but definitely not overwhelmed, more grateful and thankful than anything. I feel like I've been in the game a while long enough. Yeah. These moments and these times don't overwhelm me. I take them head on, full force. But nervous? Hell yeah.
Mike Johnson: There's been a little bit of a renaissance for you in the last couple of months, the Charlotte Flair stuff, which everybody across the board seemed to unanimously love. But the storyline with Sonya, which played out for so many months, and that was their first real chance that they gave you to really dive into a deep storyline. So what I want to ask is, when you have that exposition and that backstory, how different is it in terms of preparing for the match that eventually is going to come out of this or seeing the reaction of the audience when they have a chance to take a breath? There's a difference between, "Okay, have a great wrestling match, which we know you can do" and, "Here's a great wrestling match with all this emotional backstory to it." How different was it for you going through that experience where they're going to give you this opportunity? You obviously hit it out of the park, and out of it comes more and more. How does that change how you approach the matches and how you feel the matches are received?
Naomi: It changes everything because I had never experienced that yet through my career, being able to be involved in a storyline that long. By the time you get to that point, it's so easy at that point because people are so invested and now it's just time to act it out. The hard work is laying the groundwork in the story and just making it last and stick, which I've never experienced all these years until this story with Sonya came along. And I feel like I was able to peel back some layers and show just for my character to go through something. We haven't really seen the glow have any opposition.
Mike Johnson: Some obstacles to overcome.
Naomi: Yeah, Obstacles to overcome. Yeah. So I was really happy that I had the opportunity to show that, and having such a great heel to work with, it just came off naturally.
Mike Johnson: The Charlotte Flair match on SmackDown, when did you know that was something special? And when did you realize the reaction for that? I feel some like people are like, "Where did that come from?" and in my mind, I'm like, "She was always that great. She just didn't have the time or the moment." It seemed like that was the ripple effect, it was a moment where everything exploded and everything rippled out of that in terms of fan response. So, when did you realize that this was something a little different from your average SmackDown match or even a great pay-per-view match?
Naomi: I think a lot of it is the build up up to that moment, definitely the story. Also, just my chemistry with Charlotte. I respect and admire her so much. She's so intense and furious in there. And I think when I'm in there with her, she brings something out of me that I feel like that always makes me want to elevate and be better and do more and go harder. So I think it's just a combination of all those things and the timing.
Mike Johnson: You and Sasha Banks are teaming this weekend at WrestleMania. What's it been like perfecting that chemistry and also throwing it back to the initial days where Sasha was with the main roster?
Naomi: It's just been fun and it's easy. We've worked together before in the past, so it's just been refreshing to be back together again at this point in our careers, me definitely being a lot more sure of myself and coming into my character that I think is my shtick. And her just being at this level of success that she is now, it's a completely different dynamic and it's just easy, it's just natural.
Mike Johnson: You talked about the entrance. We got to see you and Cameron again for just a little millisecond at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, but you guys had such a great entrance back in the day with Brodus Clay. Obviously you have the great entrance now. WrestleMania is built around so much hype and pomp and circumstance, so Is there that dream entrance that you would like to get on a major pay-per-view that maybe we haven't seen yet out of Naomi?
Naomi: Oh, absolutely. Definitely got some ideas and stuff up my sleeve that I want to do, but we'll see. Hopefully this ain't the last.
Mike Johnson: You were part of an early incarnation of NXT. I remember going to a live event at an armory in Orlando. It was the first time I ever saw you in those early days of NXT. Now, you've seen it evolve and you've seen different generations come after you. What's it like being the veteran seeing the young women come up who have gone through the same life experiences and path that you have, but you get to see it from a different set of eyes now?
Naomi: Mm-hmm (affirmative). For me, I think it's rewarding to see where the division, where it was when I started, to see where it is now. And definitely feeling like I've been a part of that, I know that I'm here for a reason. I think it gives me a lot of purpose. I know that I'm doing something right along this journey because I've seen the change and I've been a part of the change, and it's just really inspiring to see the women that are coming in now, they're getting better and better. And that motivates me. That inspires me and I hope it continues. And I hope when I'm gone, I've left the vision in a better situation than what it started out.
Mike Johnson: One of the things I think is underrated by some fans over the last decade was the importance of Total Divas in terms of opening up the door for female fans. That whole process of being filmed has to have been at times, the most annoying, antagonizing process ever, but do you miss the show? Do you miss the process?
Naomi: I miss it so much. What's crazy at the time because we're just moving so fast, we're traveling, we're on the road, we're working, we're filming, you're not really thinking about your life is being filmed and so many people are watching it. Now when the younger, the newer generation of this new era is coming, they were like, "Yeah, I used to watch you on Total Divas. And you made me want to do this." And I'm like, "What? That is insane." So you definitely don't realize the impact when it's happening, but I'm so glad I was a part of it. I wish we still had it. I think it definitely changed how the world and people just in general view women and wrestling.
Mike Johnson: Well, the good thing about WWE is something can always be resurrected at a moment's notice.
Naomi: I hope so.
Mike Johnson: You might not even know until the cameras knock on the door the way this world works! One last question. Obviously, the Women's Tag Team Championship match this weekend. You got so many talents in there, Rhea Ripley, Zelina, Carmella. What's that anticipation like for a big match like this, when you have so many moving parts and so many personalities involved?
Naomi: It's definitely going to be challenging. We got some great competition in there, but Sasha and I have been working hard. I think we are the best team and hopefully we walk out of there with the titles.
Mike Johnson: Well, we will see very soon. I thank you so much for the time. I hope you have a great WrestleMani and that it's everything that you personally want it to be.
Naomi: Thank you so much.
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