Naomi hasn't been seen in WWE since she and Sasha Banks walked out of a live Raw taping last May. Banks and Naomi were the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions at the time, and their exit caused them to be stripped of the belts and suspended indefinitely.
In December 2022, it was reported that Sasha's contract with WWE expired at the end of the year – and on January 4, she made her first post-WWE appearance at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 17, under the name Mercedes Moné.
Mercedes is said to be on a per-appearance deal with NJPW, with some fans expecting her to one day land in AEW and others hoping she could even return to WWE in the future.
But what about Naomi?
Naomi signed with WWE back in 2009, starting out in its developmental territory FCW. In 2010, she competed on the all-female third season of NXT (when it was a reality show, not WWE's third brand).
She then moved to the main roster, becoming a Funkadactyl alongside Cameron and eventually joining E! reality series Total Divas. Naomi later found singles success, winning the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship twice before her tag team run with Sasha.
Compared to her former tag team partner, Naomi has stayed relatively quiet since May. However, when Mercedes was debuting for NJPW on January 4, Naomi was there to support her, having flown to Tokyo, Japan with Mercedes and WWE's Bayley.
Naomi has also been seen at red-carpet events with Mercedes, attending the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever last October, the launch of Andor in September, and that of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law in August.
In December, Naomi teased fans by sharing photos on Instagram of her and AEW's Jade Cargill sitting together at an Atlanta Hawks NBA game.
The most recent update on Naomi's WWE status came from Fightful Select, who reported on January 19 that WWE was "confident" Naomi will be back in the company at some point. The report also noted that Naomi's contract was close to expiring, and she was likely on the way to the biggest money contract of her career before the walkout.
It's no surprise that Naomi could return to WWE. She's spent her entire career there and they've afforded her huge opportunities outside of wrestling, such as her role in Total Divas.
Naomi is also married to WWE Tag Team champion Jimmy Uso, who is part of the biggest storyline on television at the minute, The Bloodline and Roman Reigns.
Fans will no doubt be delighted to see Naomi whenever she returns to WWE but with January 28 fast approaching, there'd be no better time to 'feel the glow' again than during the Royal Rumble, where Naomi has always shone brightest.
Catch up on Raw, Smackdown, NXT and all the big WWE action via the WWE Network or BT Sport. US viewers can access the WWE Network via Peacock.
![WWE: Undertaker - The Last Ride [Blu-ray]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1606221392-41TwUv7nM5L.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=320%3A%2A "WWE: Undertaker - The Last Ride [Blu-ray]")
![WWE: WrestleMania 36 [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1593768224-51tV0j3hBSL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=320%3A%2A "WWE: WrestleMania 36 [DVD]")
![WWE: Finn Bálor - For Everyone (Hand Signed Alternative Sleeve) [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1593767922-51iAp6CNiNL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=320%3A%2A "WWE: Finn Bálor - For Everyone (Hand Signed Alternative Sleeve) [DVD]")
