WWE: After being cleared, How should Naomi make her return?

Naomi can give WWE Raw the boost it needs.

There are very few people who could say that 2020 was their year.

Chloe x Halle, that’s about it.

For just about everyone else like WWE superstar Naomi, it’s been trash. This is the same woman who started this year off with a bang.

I know it’s been easy for things to slip your mind in 2020 with some kind of drama happening just about everyday. But, the 2020 Royal Rumble wasn’t that long ago. That was January.

Remember when Naomi made her iconic return to WWE after her hiatus at the 2020 Royal Rumble?

The same return that went viral on social media (particularly Twitter) on multiple occasions this year?! That same return.

We all know what happened with that.

Fans had to literally drag the company by their dirty toes to get Naomi some type of push right before the rug got snatched from under her due to unexpected emergency surgery.

Now Naomi did state in a recent virtual meet & greet that she’s been cleared and she’s ready to get back in the ring. She’s just waiting on WWE.

Great! Now what?

The good news is that it’s pretty much a fresh start in either direction.

The bad news is one particular women’s division is already stacked with talent as it is and that’s the brand fans really needs to be on the most — SmackDown.

With Monday Night Raw, she should obviously challenge Asuka for the Raw women’s championship. You know, give the women’s champion a singles feud! Yeah!

Now, unfortunately, it’s very possible that Naomi would end up in the same position as Asuka. Very few credible challengers and two extra sides: carrying matches and micro-aggressive tone-deaf storylines. Mmm. Goody goody gum drop.

Did you sense the sarcasm there?

Anyway, there’s not much real competition for Naomi on that roster that could give her a good fight in the ring. Let alone, memorable feuds. Shayna Baszler, Asuka, Nikki Cross, and Mia Yim. That’s about it.

Another problem? If you’ve been paying attention, WWE isn’t even giving that women’s division energy. Especially when it comes to storylines. They’re being paid dust.

She could give the people some kind of reason to watch. And everyone knows her fanbase (me included) are going to watch for her, if nothing else.

But, there’s a slight difference between giving the people a reason to watch and giving the people a reason to care and invest. Especially on a brand that WWE already cares little about.

Monday Night Raw is definitely riskier for Naomi.

Now with SmackDown, I’m worried she might end up getting lost in the shuffle or not used much at all.  Let’s say, for example, they traded Carmella for Naomi.

Between Bayley, Bianca Belair, Sasha Banks, and WWE acting like there can only be one women’s match and maybe a segment on a two-hour show, it’s very possible that Naomi moving back to the blue brand might be a worse move.

Brand Verdict: Naomi should remain on Monday Night Raw. 

Regardless of when she gets back to Monday Night Raw, which might be soon, she really does need to go heel. I literally don’t see any other way around it.

No shade to Nia Jax or Shayna Baszler, but fans don’t take them seriously as heels together and WWE just dampened Mia Yim by having her lose to Dana Brooke (of all people) in her Monday Night Raw debut match.

Naomi could fill that void. Now, about that return…

I think Naomi should go ahead and join The Hurt Business. It’s the best route. Hopefully, she won’t have to change or abandon her glow gimmick. It should definitely be tweaked a little bit though.

Now the company and the fans have had a very nasty habit of always wanting to place her in a team or a group in the past. However, in this case, I do get it.

You have a very promising, dominant wrestling stable full of blackness that Naomi could do nothing but benefit from.

They could use one more person, particularly a female, to complete and further certify the stable. So, once again, I get it. It makes sense.

Now I know I’ve probably already said this before, but she really does need to attack and drag everybody when she officially returns. Even before she officially returns. That’s before, during, and after Monday Night Raw.

She needs to make sure she’s what everyone is talking about. She’ll be the topic of conversations just for returning. But, she needs to turn heads.

She needs to start with the WWE Champion (whoever that may be post-TLC). She really needs to make a point! Stop the whole brand! Stop the brand!

She needs to be brutal and not hold back one bit!

Just attack, say nothing, and leave. She doesn’t need to wear anything that will identify her. I’m talking black from top to bottom, full robe (boxing style), nothing glowing, no face showing, none of that. Then, when she returns, that’s when she should pull her L.E.D out (or maybe a Glow robe?) and boom!

After all that, she should do a blazing promo roasting and dragging that entire [active] women’s roster for filth (cause they definitely need it), the men’s roster too, and then officially join The Hurt Business later on.

Now, overall, the brand is weak. So, Naomi has plenty of material to work with. She’ll basically be the show (especially when it comes to the women’s division). Even after becoming a member of The Hurt Business.

Afterwards, she can feud with whoever she wants. She could even have multiple feuds if she wants, too, since whoever the rest of the stable feuds with, she’ll end up being involved as well by association.

So, it all leads to The Hurt Business. It’s definitely her best choice. If she could win the 2021 Royal Rumble and go after that Raw Women’s Championship, that’ll be even better.