Raw announcer Corey Graves left little doubt as to his thoughts regarding Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of the show as he called the pair “unprofessional.”
On Monday night it was reported by PWInsider that the main event of Monday Night Raw had to be changed when Sasha Banks and Naomi left the arena ahead of the show due to Banks’ frustration over creative plans. The match in question was meant to be a six-pack challenge to determine the next contender for Bianca Belair’s Raw Women’s Championship and was set to feature Sasha Banks, Naomi, Becky Lynch, Nikki ASH, Doudrop, and the recently-returned Asuka.
According to the report, Banks met with Vince McMahon to express her creative concerns, but the WWE Chairman refused to change plans and she made the decision to walk out instead of participating in the match. Her tag team partner Naomi went with her, leading to a segment on the show where Becky Lynch confronted Adam Pearce and the main event was changed to Becky Lynch vs. Asuka, which Asuka eventually won.
WWE took the unusual step of releasing a statement confirming that Sasha Banks and Naomi had indeed walked out after handing their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship belts to Head of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis.
Raw announcer Corey Graves appeared to give his thoughts on the goings-on when he said live on the show as part of a link to introduce the main event:
“It was originally meant to be a six-pack challenge until WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi summarily and unprofessionally left the arena before this match could take place.”
Sheesh, Corey. #WWERawpic.twitter.com/htkf4oPZcg
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) May 17, 2022
While Graves stopped short of saying the pair had taken their ball and gone home – the infamous line used when Steve Austin walked out of the company in 2002 – it could well be Graves was told to make the comment by someone producing the announcers.