Remember how thrilling it was when Naomi made her return to WWE after standing on business and betting on herself? The fandom watched happily as she fought with fellow stars she rose to fame with in the 2024 Women's Royal Rumble. She even reunited with former TNA Knockout rival Jordynne Grace before throwing blows with her! After her stunning performance, Naomi's passionate fanbase felt assured that she would be back on top as a champion in the company where she became a star. The reality has been a little dim.
The decorated champion has been in multiple singles title matches against Bayley and Nia Jax and has come up short due to circumstances beyond her control or being outmaneuvered. Naomi also had stunning performances in last year's Money in the Bank and Elimination Chamber matches, only to come up short. The Glow Queen might have gotten her groove back as a Women's Tag Team Champion with Bianca Belair, but she recently took the pin in the main event of Monday Night Raw as Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez captured them.
Because she has fallen short so many times, but yet has so much more to give, Naomi needs to win the Women's Elimination Chamber the most to stand as the star she knows she can be. Let's explore the possibilities of her coming out on top in Toronto this weekend.
Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley: A New Rivalry
If Toronto feels the glow at Elimination Chamber, it will set Naomi against a new foe in Rhea Ripley. Both women are stars and mainstays for their generations. Before she made her main roster debut as a Funkadactyl, Naomi made history as the first-ever Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) Divas Champion, which laid the foundation for the NXT Women's Championship as we know it. She would go on to navigate a Divas division that was not taken as seriously as the men, and it would be years before the fandom would take notice of her athletic gifts.
Rhea Ripley had a different journey as a beneficiary of the foundation that Naomi helped build for the newer generation of women wrestlers. Ripley has held gold throughout NXT, Raw and SmackDown multiple times over with no question as to how she would show up physically and mentally in the ring.
Interestingly enough with all that they have accomplished, Rhea and Naomi have only had one singles match against each other in the context of a tag team feud in 2022. They both have grown a lot since then. If the former Orlando Magic dancer were to win the Elimination Chamber, it would set the stage for a clash of generations. One can only imagine the chip that a veteran Naomi could have on her shoulder against a younger and more decorated Ripley. Their rivalry has the potential to be fierce and memorable.
Capturing Another WrestleMania Moment
Naomi is no stranger to big victories at the Show of Shows. One cannot forget her moment of glory at Wrestlemania in 2017 when she recaptured the SmackDown Women's Championship in her hometown of Orlando, Florida from Alexa Bliss.
The shining star would also go on to make history as the first-ever Wrestlemania Women's Battle Royale winner the next year. But the most noteworthy victory she gained was with Mercedes Moné (FKA Sasha Banks) as the Women's Tag Team Champions, becoming the first Black woman team to do so in WWE. But as time would go on, that Mania moment would be soured by the disrespect backstage that led to both ladies walking out and vacating the titles. Though she went on to define herself for herself in TNA as a Knockout, Naomi has not had a big moment in her second WWE act that further solidifies her status as a legend.
If Naomi were to win this year's Elimination Chamber match, she could put a level of her past behind and create a new moment with Rhea Ripley on a grander scale. Her illuminating athleticism and personality deserves a strong opportunity to show the fandom that she is worthy of making headlines. No one has ever questioned the legitimacy of a wrestler after they prove their ability to rise to the occasion. If Naomi has done it three times before, she can do it again.
Proving Her Doubters Wrong
In the year since Naomi returned to WWE, her fanbase has been vocal of their support. From loving her themed gears to pointing out improvements in her arsenal, the Glow Mob has shown up in numbers for their girl. But with every tweet and post praising her performances, there are always those who seek to tear the former TNA Knockouts Champion down. There are podcasters who claim that her style of wrestling is not "up to par" with the current women's wrestling product. There are detractors who try to relegate her to a "Divas era" wrestler and there are others who try to undermine her impact due to their inability to understand who her character is. Through no fault of her own, Naomi is a target of constant criticism.
The wrestler formerly known as Trinity needs this Women's Elimination Chamber win to silence those who seek to deem her unworthy. She would stand as a triumphant winner on a brand-new road towards a championship that she has never held before. Naomi would stand face to face with a powerful opponent and give her all in order to stand at the edge of glory. She has shown and proven that she can be the face of a women's division and make them step up their game in order to face her. If Naomi wins the Elimination Chamber, she will outshine any doubt and illuminate Wrestlemania. And that is amazing.