Proceed With Recklessness: Naomi’s Chaotic Rise

Over the Spring and Summer, Len Archibald will be a 411Mania guest columnist analyzing the state of women’s professional wrestling in North America.

“Who’s got the upper hand now, BITCHES!!!”

If someone had told me two years ago that Naomi would enter SummerSlam 2025 as WWE Women’s World Champ in a triple threat against IYO Sky and Rhea Ripley and all three would be treated as equal threats, I would have laughed heartily. Heartily. And not because of Rhea Ripley’s or IYO Sky’s involvement – those two even then were considered the most popular and most in-ring skilled of the WWE women’s division – but because I would never, ever believe that WWE would unleash Naomi in a way that would make her credible.

And man, it is so good to be wrong – and Naomi gets all the credit for that. At the conclusion of the critically acclaimed WWE Evolution PLE, where IYO Sky and Rhea Ripley delivered my new personal favorite match of 2025 – it was the former Queen of the Glow who stood tall as WWE Women’s World Champ to a stunned, yet elated Atlanta crowd after cashing her Money in the Bank contract to win the title.

Her catchphrase, “Proceed with caution…” reached its natural conclusion. And Naomi, flanked by a new aura and new confidence has earned every bit of her success.

HER? THE FUNKADACTYL?

Image Credit: WWE

Trained at WWE’s then-developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, Trinity Fatu was a former Orlando Magic dancer with elite-level athleticism. She is not unfamiliar to making history as she was crowned as the first-ever FCW Divas Champion in 2010 and a finalist on NXT Season 3 that Kaitlin won—an underrated spark in a largely forgettable season. Naomi had “it”, even if WWE wasn’t even sure what “it” was.

Naomi would debut on WWE television in 2012 alongside Cameron as the Funkadactyls, backup dancers for Brodus Clay. To younger fans, it’s a footnote. To those who lived through it, it was an embarrassing piece of an era where women’s wrestling struggled to be more than glitter and gimmick. Somebody Call My Momma, indeed.

In a period dominated by a divisive “Divas Division,” Naomi brought an exciting in-ring style that foreshadowed the evolution to come: innovative offense, legitimate speed, and charisma that made fans look twice. She was a diamond in the rough—never given the polish, but always shining through the cracks.

Naomi’s career has felt like one long audition for respect. While peers like Paige and AJ Lee were earmarked as standard-bearers for WWE’s transition toward more serious women’s wrestling, Naomi was often left circling the midcard, a victim of stop-start pushes and questionable creative despite the fact that of the two Funkadactyls, Naomi was clearly the one who was making true strides to improve and become more than a personality – but a good professional wrestler. She would endure storylines involving her husband, Jimmy Uso and The Miz, and kept showing up. Kept glowing up.

Image Credit: WWE

The push that came with the Women’s Revolution could not have come at a better time for Naomi, and it also introduced one of her most significant relationships: her friendship that would develop with Sasha Banks/Mercedes Moné as they would form Team B.A.D. alongside Tamina. The faction was short-lived, but once again showed that Naomi had flashes of brilliance when given opportunities.

After her face turn and the introduction of her “Glow” gimmick, she would capture her first SmackDown Women’s Championship at the 2017 Elimination Chamber, defeating Alexa Bliss. She would be be forced to relinquish the title due to injury. Her triumphant return to win the title at WrestleMania 33 in her hometown of Orlando brought the crowd to its feet, a true underrated WrestleMania moment. And once again, Naomi made history as she became the first Black woman to win a title at WrestleMania. In an era still struggling to center women of color, that moment stood as a beacon. Naomi didn’t just win, but she arrived with style, substance, and soul. But once again, creative failed her. Naomi’s custom glowing title belt should have been HOT sellers as replicas.

It took 33 WrestleManias for that. Wow.

A year later, Naomi would win the inaugural Women’s WrestleMania Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34, but again, creative stalled. Naomi was often underutilized while less experienced talents leapfrogged her. Despite her charisma and in-ring ability, Naomi was labeled as style over substance.

History would prove otherwise.

TNA: TRINITY’S NEW ATTITUDE

Image Credit: WWE

Naomi would find herself in a team with Sasha Banks that had some of the best chemistry in the company, male or female. On Night 2 of WrestleMania 38, the duo would push back against Liv Morgan & Rhea Ripley, Natalya & Shayna Baszler, and Carmella & Queen Zelina to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Once again Naomi found herself in a peak position, as a champion and once again frustration from a lack of creative in WWE would rear its ugly head.

In one of the most controversial and still debated decisions in modern wrestling, On May 16, 2022, Naomi, still as WWE Women’s Tag Champ along with Sasha Banks would walk out of WWE over a creative dispute after a meeting with CEO Vince McMahon. This protest over the company’s lack of direction over the women’s tag team division has split the opinions of the fanbase, but it is undeniable that was the moment was when Trinity stopped being part of the system and began defining her own path. In March 2023, Naomi stated that she was no longer with WWE.

One month later, she emerged in TNA Wrestling under her real name, Trinity, where she captured the Knockouts World Championship at Slammiversary 2023, defeating Deonna Purrazzo. The match is lauded as one of TNA’s best women’s bouts in history, earning praise for Trinity’s sharper ring psychology and matured presence.

This wasn’t just a career resurgence, but a reintroduction. Trinity proved she could headline a women’s division, defending her title in great match after great match – including an all-time banger with Mickie James. Most importantly, Trinity was done asking for permission. Her TNA run didn’t just cement her credibility—it echoed the legacy of Black women in pro wrestling who had to travel off the beaten path to get their flowers. Like Jazz, Awesome Kong and Athena.

PROCEED…

Image Credit: WWE

Returning to WWE at the 2024 Royal Rumble to a massive ovation- bringing back the GLOW persona, Naomi entered the company with a fire fans hadn’t seen before. Entering at number 2, Naomi lasted in the 2024 Rumble for an hour and two minutes before being eliminated…by Jade Cargill. Hmmm… She also participated in one of the bigger moments of the match as she shared the ring with TNA Knockout alumni Jordynne Grace as she made her WWE debut.

The slow-burn storyline involving Naomi, Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair—a three-way tension built on respect, rivalry, and betrayal was truly brilliant looking back in retrospect. The three women, known as 3B would team up to face Damage CTRL at WrestleMania 40 and defeat them soundly. From there, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill would find success as WWE Women’s Tag Champs while Naomi would try and fail on multiple occasions to capture any gold of her own. When Jade Cargill was found assaulted at the top of a car on the December 20th, 2024 episode of Smackdown, allowing Nick Aldis to name Naomi as a replacement therefore making her co-tag champ with Bianca Belair, everyone and their mother predicted The Glow had a hand in it. Some even questioned if Bianca Belair may have been involved. Things would only intensify after the duo would lose their titles to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodrguez in February of this year.

We would get our answers in Toronto at Elimination Chamber 2025 to solve the mystery of who attacked Jade Cargill. In one of my favorite openings to an EC match, Jade would interrupt and storm the ring – sidestepping a terrified Liv Morgan, accused of attacking Jade – only to bring the ultimate hurt to Naomi, revealing her as the culprit. It was a vicious beatdown that eliminated Naomi from the match without her even having the opportunity to compete.

On the March 7th episode of SmackDown, Naomi popped a fiery promo confessing to being Cargill’s attacker, officially turning heel for first time since 2016. Between Bianca Belair reaching the top of the mountain as a WrestleMania main eventer and WWE seemingly strapping the rocket to Jade Cargill, it seemed as if Naomi was about to be lost in the shuffle – again…but the heel turn and subsequent character change where she went all Owen Hart with the caution tape and making it her own was desperately needed. And surprisingly (or not, depending on your POV), she knocked it out of the park. Her taped promos knocking Jade Cargill were unhinged. Her in ring promos improved as it appears WWE has taken the shackles off and allowed the performer to be herself.

The feud between Jade and Naomi boiled over to the point that Smackdown GM Nick Aldis would announce a match between the two at WrestleMania 41, the first non-title women’s singles match at a WrestleMania event since 2006 and the first without a stipulation – once again, Naomi very quietly being a trailblazer.

Then at Night 1 of WrestleMania 41…no one saw it coming.

Large yellow text on the LED tron reading her name. Heavy metal riffs. The confusion in Las Vegas was palpable. I certainly was confused at first. We expected Naomi, but the woman who busted out of a stream of caution tape and bouncing around like she was ready to dive head first into a mosh pit was a far removal from the glow-wielding underdog fans had grown to know. There was a darker, controlled menace, a changed aura and fans felt it.

IMO, that night, Naomi didn’t just arrive—she made a declaration. So much so, that even though Naomi lost the match between her and Jade, the consensus of fans believed she walked away the bigger winner with one of the more inspired and dramatic character shifts we have seen in a while. At this point, some were starting to murmur: “You know what? Naomi is kind of awesome…”

She was not done making them recognize.

WHO’S GOT THE UPPER HAND, NOW…?

Image Credit: WWE

In a shocker, Naomi would best Rhea Ripley, Stephanie Vaquer, Roxanne Perez, Alexa Bliss, and Giulia to win the 2025 Money in the Bank briefcase to a pretty raucous ovation. Despite the star power in that match, there was not much dispute over Naomi winning the case as there seemed to be a very real fan swell to have Naomi be appreciated for her consistency. This set the stage for one of the most iconic cash-ins in recent memory.

At WWE Evolution 2025—a landmark all-women’s PLE returning for the first time since 2018—the main event between Women’s World Champion IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley was already a five-star classic. After 25 minutes of pure wrestling brilliance – once Rhea Ripley hit that Spanish Fly, the crowd hit a fever pitch.

Then Naomi’s music hit. In a brilliant bit of heel character work, Naomi cashed in during the match turning it to a triple threat similar to Seth Rollins’ “Heist of the Century” at WrestleMania 31. Turning the match into a triple threat while Rhea and IYO lay exhausted allowed Naomi to get the upper hand as now there were no disqualifications. One case shot to IYO’s skull, a shoulder post to Rhea and a split-legged moonsault later – once again, Naomi found herself in a position that most didn’t expect her to be in.

But for someone who had already held titles before, this felt like the first time. Evolution ended on the image of her as World Champion. And now, Naomi who was underestimated, undervalued and pigeonholed into different shades of fan perceptions and projections, is no longer a placeholder. She is the real deal in the division. Recognize.

Naomi now heads into SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium this weekend as the defending champ in a triple threat match against former champions IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley—pitting arguably three of the most well-rounded female talents in North America today in one ring. The significance isn’t lost on anyone: similar to the earlier WrestleMania 41 triple threat that had Bianca Belair, we have three women of different ethnic backgrounds, all representing different styles and legacies, battling for a main women’s title at WWE’s biggest summer show…And Naomi is the one with the target on her back.

EDITOR’S NOTE: If this match ends up becoming an all time banger as well, I have another article to write…

ALWAYS GLOWING

Despite being a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, Naomi’s influence is often overlooked in mainstream female wrestling discourse. But her fingerprints are everywhere: from her inventive in-ring style that clearly inspire wrestlers like Kelani Jordan, to perseverance that paved the way for Lash Legend and Jaida Parker, to her friendship and rivalry with Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill that elevated all.

Across AEW, Ring of Honor and indie promotions, Naomi’s win was celebrated by Mercedes Moné, Queen Aminata, Willow Nightingale, and record-breaking ROH Women’s Champion Athena—Black women who see Naomi not just as a peer, but a pillar. In an industry that at times in the past gave the impression that even the most talented Black women had to work twice as hard for half the spotlight, Naomi kept showing up, kept shining, kept innovating until she became undeniable.

Naomi’s story is not one of sudden greatness. It’s one of consistency, resilience, and evolution. It’s about turning doubt into dominance and disrespect into determination. If one goes back and examines her career, Naomi has always found a way to reach the pinnacle despite all the odds against her. She survived gimmicks, creative black holes, injuries, walkouts, and fan suspicion and doubt. She thrived in different companies, adapted her character, and found a way to remain relevant—and eventually dominant—over 13 years in professional wrestling. Most of us don’t even remember – or even know she started out as a dancer for Flo Rida.

No, Naomi is a bonafide goddamn pro wrestler. And a great one at that.

Now, as WWE Women’s World Champion in her third world title reigno, Naomi stands not just as a deserving champion, but as a made woman. The main event isn’t a dream. It’s now her home. For years, people overlooked Naomi. But as we head into SummerSlam 2025, there is no overlooking the current WWE Women’s World Champion anymore. She told us exactly what to do: “Proceed with caution.”

The Queen of Glow has finally become the Queen of the Mountain.

Image Credit: WWE

…And as always, Fuck Cancer. 🧬🩻🏥🩸

As someone who lives with Bipolar-1, I want to make everyone aware that July is Disability Pride Month. We are not defined by our disabilities: We Belong Here, and We’re Here to Stay✊🏾

Agree or disagree? Think I am insane? Leave a comment!

Follow me on Instagram!
Follow me on Bluesky!
Follow me on Threads!
Follow me on TikTok!
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

Subscribe to 411Mania’s own Kat Bourn’s Substack!

SUPPORT THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY
SUPPORT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
SUPPORT CANCER RESEARCH UK