Naomi Responds to Booker T’s #NaomiDeservesBetter Criticism, Sasha Banks Weighs In

Booker T is not a fan of the #NaomiDeservesBetter hashtag, and his comments prompted responses from Naomi and Sasha Banks. As previously reported, the hashtag began trending on Twitter on Friday after she lost to Lacey Evans on Smackdown. Charlotte, Big Swole, and others posted to show support for the movement.

Booker T, however…not so much. Booker talked about how having a movement like that is trying to push for something that she needs to earn in the ring. He noted that “If it happened tomorrow, someone blessed Naomi with the World Championship, trust me. It would not feel like she did it on her own. It would have to be a movement for something like that to happen. I would have never wanted the World Title if it was given to me that way.” You can see his full comments below, which include Booker saying that if he “had my hands on her for one month. Naomi would look at this business in a totally different way”:

“They can go to hell with all these hashtags as far as I’m concerned. But I’m tired of hearing about them, as far as — don’t nobody ‘deserve’ a chance, all right? First and foremost, you gotta earn your chance, your spot on the roster. This is not some kind of movement to just pull somebody up just because. And I hate to sit here and say this, you know what I mean, and talk this way. Because I like Naomi. But as far as the business goes, you get it on your merit alone. That’s it. It’s no buddy system. And I know someone’s gonna hear me and say, ‘Well, such and such has a buddy and that’s why they’re doing it.’ Yeah, yeah, that might be true. But life is not fair. Sometimes, you have to make your own breaks. Sometimes you gotta go out there and rise to the occasion when no one else thought you could. And the thing is, it may not happen overnight. It’s a consistency thing that goes with that. No one expected me, including myself, to become six-time champ. But my persistence of going out there and performing better than all them suckas in the locker room. And the suckas in the locker room, they knew it. And the fans saw something different, and the signs were there for Booker T on a nightly basis.

“That’s why I say the hashtag #NaomiDeservesBetter, I don’t think that serves her any purpose. People advocating for her in that way. The way that needs to be put out there from an advocating perspective is her advocating for herself and performing at a high level, and the world sees it. And that right there, when you do that Naomi, you cannot be denied. No one will ever say someone gave you anything. If it happened tomorrow, someone blessed Naomi with the World Championship, trust me. It would not feel like she did it on her own. It would have to be a movement for something like that to happen. I would have never wanted the World Title if it was given to me that way. And Naomi, I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Naomi is perhaps more athletic than every female in that locker room, and perhaps 99% of the females in this business. But psychology and working are two different things. And I just hope and wish that I had my hands on her for one month. Naomi would look at this business in a totally different way.”

Naomi had her own response, a sharing of a GIF from Jim Carrey’s Yes Man. Banks then retweeted that with some pointed words about Booker T’s comments:

Will do @BookerT5x 👍 pic.twitter.com/7XXC4uJk9w

— Trinity Fatu (@NaomiWWE) July 22, 2020

Don't feed into useless opinions, no matter who they come from. Keep glowing and shining like you always do. You aint got nothing to prove to anyone ❤️⭐️✊🏿 #teambad https://t.co/J1R8rKMWla

— $asha Banks (@SashaBanksWWE) July 22, 2020

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Hall of Fame with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.