Report: WWE's Plan for Sasha Banks at Hell in a Cell

Numerous reports have dropped regarding what prompted Sasha Banks and Naomi to walk out of Monday Night Raw this week despite being booked for the main event of the show. Fightful Select's most recent report noted that Naomi was originally going to win the match and challenge Bianca Belair at Hell in a Cell next month for the Raw Women's Championship and that the pair's frustration had to do with how poorly the Women's Tag Team Division had been booked and how their pitch for a tag title defense against Nikki ASH and Doudrop (which would've been the first time in over a year that the titles had been defended on a non-WrestleMania pay-per-view) had fallen on deaf ears. 

PWInsider has also dropped a report on the situation, adding that sources believe Banks was going to challenge (and likely lose against) Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women's Championship at Hell in a Cell. Mike Johnson wrote, "We are told that at some point during the day, likely after the initial concerns about creative were raised, there was an alternative idea that would have been Banks and Naomi have a short tag team match instead and be beat down after to set up a different program. One source cited their opponents would have been Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop but we have not 100% confirmed that to be the case."

Vince McMahon reportedly didn't know that the pair had walked out until right before Raw started, prompting the main event change to happen via a spur-of-the-moment segment between Becky Lynch and Adam Pearce. WWE then released a statement on the situation before Raw ended —  "When Sasha Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena this afternoon, they were informed of their participation in the main event of tonight's Monday Night Raw. During the broadcast, they walked into WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis' office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out.

"They claimed they weren't respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents — even though they had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence. Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract. We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight's main event," it continued.