logo
Naomi on WWE Money in the Bank, Her Hatred For Jade Cargill and Dream Stipulation Matches: ‘I Just Want To Use My Razor Blades'

Naomi on WWE Money in the Bank, Her Hatred For Jade Cargill and Dream Stipulation Matches: ‘I Just Want To Use My Razor Blades'

Yahoo6 hours ago

As a four-time qualifier for the career-changing ladder match, there are few women on WWE's roster more qualified (or overdue) to win Money in the Bank than Naomi.
An uber-athletic, high-flying veteran who's spent more than 12 years wrestling for WWE, the longtime fan-favorite shocked viewers back in March by turning heel and revealing she'd attacked former friend Jade Cargill.
Advertisement
More from Variety
The latest stop on Naomi's reign of terror across WWE's women's division is Los Angeles, where she'll compete against five other women in the Money in the Bank ladder match for a guaranteed title opportunity. Ahead of Money in the Bank 2025, Naomi spoke to Variety about turning heel, dream world title feuds, and which stipulation would be the perfect end to her feud with Jade.
Though for the better part of a decade, fans have known her as the energetic, infectious personality with an affinity for neon, Naomi says her decision to reinvent herself was a long time coming.
'I'd been thinking about this for a while, about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do if I was going to change,' she explains. 'I wanted to do something completely opposite and outside of the box, from the bright, the glow, the neon colors and the bright, bubbly stuff.'
Advertisement
'With what I did to Jade, and leaving a crime scene, it popped into my head – oh man, this is perfect. Caution tape is universal. Everybody knows what that means when they see it.'
Naomi's new 'Proceed With Caution' mantra also meant new entrance music, swapping her bass-heavy 'GLOW' theme song for an alt-rock track with furious, screaming vocals. 'That was crazy,' she says of hearing her new music for the first time.
'I loved it. Again, I wanted to go with something different, more of an edge. I do love alternative rock, and when I requested new music, I was able to have a little input. I definitely wanted to be rock instead of the EDM that I had done before, or the hip-hop vibes I had with other music. I'm very happy with it.'
Though Naomi was happy with her new, edgier look and persona, she admits she was initially nervous about how fans would receive such a drastic shift in character. 'It's everything that I wanted it to be,' she gushes. 'It feels good to be able to change the audience perspective of me in such a quick period of time.'
Advertisement
'That's something I was definitely nervous about, because they've seen me as a good character and a 'good girl' for so long. To just completely switch it up – you never know how or if it's going to work, or whether or not fans are going to buy it. That was a big challenge for me.'
Sure enough, fans did buy Naomi's heel turn, and her clash with Jade has blossomed into one of the hottest, longest-running WWE feuds of 2025. Whether trading barbs on social media or interfering in each other's matches, Jade and Naomi's feud has ignited a debate among fans as to which member of the now-defunct 'big three' is in the right.
'To see the reaction and the live response, that's what I care most about. The fans are engaging with me and interacting with me during the show, that's the key. I definitely feel the energy, so I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing, which is being absolutely nasty.'
Though being 'absolutely nasty' has gotten the new-and-improved Naomi a slot in the 2025 Money in the Bank Ladder match, it's going to take more than nastiness to clear a field that includes former WWE, NXT, CMLL, NJPW, Stardom and ROH Women's World Champions.
Advertisement
Asked to describe her fellow Money in the Bank competitors in a few words, Naomi assigns 'jacked' and 'Big mama' to Rhea Ripley, while recent call-up Stephanie Vaquer is 'demonic.'
Former Money in the Bank Winner Alexa Bliss is 'fury,' according to Naomi, while she thinks of Giulia as 'beautiful madness,' like her moniker. Rounding out the field is 23-year-old prodigy Roxanne Perez, who Naomi describes as '[a] baby, straight out of the womb.'
If Naomi can outwit, outlast, or simply out-climb her five fellow competitors, she'll earn the Money in the Bank contract – a briefcase containing paperwork for a guaranteed title shot any time, any place in the next 365 days. A Money in the Bank winner can attempt to cash in on any champion of their choosing, and Naomi has her sights set on current WWE Women's Champion, Tiffany Stratton.
'I want the big championship, especially because Tiffany has made it so difficult for me,' she says.
'When I was going after the championship, she made my life hell, and I haven't forgotten about that.'
Advertisement
Though cashing in on Stratton would be long-overdue payback for Naomi, it would also be her first time hold a singles title in WWE since 2017.
'I've really only held a championship every five to six years throughout my career,' she reflects. 'This time, I think it's been seven or eight, if I do win a championship again. To me, it's always about the journey, about getting there and earning it. I never want it if it's not deserved or earned. Time will tell this go around, if I can continue to keep up this momentum as the Caution Queen.'
Cashing in and taking Stratton's title would make Naomi one of three champions in her family: she's married to fellow wrestler Jimmy Uso, whose twin brother Jey Uso currently holds the WWE World Championship, while her cousin-in-law Jacob Fatu is the current WWE United States Champion.
'It's really a blessing,' she says. 'I get so much of my fuel and motivation from them, being married into this family and being surrounded by such amazing wrestlers who know so much about this business.'
Advertisement
'It makes me want to be good – and I don't want to be the loser in the family! I don't want to be the only one who ain't bringing home no gold. They definitely inspired me to work as hard as they do, to be as good as they are, to represent the family dynasty I'm a part of.'
As for what a Naomi Women's World Championship reign would look like in 2025, she says she's not picky regarding challengers.
'Everybody can get it. We have so much new talent out there, there are so many new matchups for me. I would love to get in there with Rhea [Rhipley] at this level, with Iyo [Sky] at this level. Becky [Lynch], as long as she and I have been here, me and Becky ain't ever really had to square up in a championship-level match, and she's definitely still one of the top-tier women in our division.'
'Bayley is one of my best friends,' she continues. 'I haven't really gotten to talk to her much and explain the situation, but we'll see where Bayley lies and hopefully I can get her on my side. There's so many – Roxanne, Giulia, all of these new women. I wouldn't mind going down to NXT and giving the girls down there a whooping and maybe helping a little.'
Advertisement
Vaquer, Perez and Giulia are all recent NXT call-ups, but Naomi says there are still plenty of women in WWE's developmental brand she has her eye on, including former NXT North American Champion Kelani Jordan.
'There's quite a few I love. What I really love are the girls that everyone thinks are so nice and sweet, because they get taken advantage of. Kelani [Jordan] is a perfect example. I'd like to take a couple of those girls under my wing and show them what happens when they flip the script and release the beast.'
In October of 2024, Jordan teamed with then-tag-team champions Cargill and Belair, who visited NXT to compete in a six-woman tag match. Naomi, who was an active roster member at the time, says she didn't appreciate being swapped out of 'the big three,' the informal trio of herself, Cargill, and Belair.
'They've been shading me and doing little things like that the whole time, and when I finally did something about it, they couldn't handle it. They've been playing with me, they've been pushing me aside, they've been acting like I was replaceable in this dynamic, in this group. But now we see how the real star of the 'big three' is.'
Advertisement
Though she came up short against Cargill at WrestleMania, Naomi says their feud is far from over, and that she's eager to put their issues to bed in a stipulation match – the more violent, the better. 'Absolutely I want a stipulation match for Jade,' she says.
'[Falls count anywhere? Last woman standing?] I'll take any of the above. What do you think she would get the most hurt in? What's the most brutal? Maybe a coffin match. I just want to be able to use my razor blades.'
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan's Shirt on Saturday
Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan's Shirt on Saturday

Yahoo

time44 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan's Shirt on Saturday

Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan's Shirt on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Since her arrival on the women's basketball scene, going back to her time at Iowa, even before she was the No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft in 2024, Caitlin Clark understood the value of connecting with fans. She struggled to get her head around her job as a role model, but she was diligent about seeing to that duty. Advertisement As she said early last year, "It's hard for myself to wrap my head around (being a role model). It's crazy the way people scream my name and really support us. I try to make time for as many of them as I can. That's something that never gets old.' Clark has always seen bringing people together, on and off the floor, as part of her role. 'This isn't an individual sport," she said. "I have four other people on the court with me at the same time, I have 10 other girls on the bench. ... I don't have to score a million points every single night and I think I find peace in that. When I'm having fun and just being Caitlin, that's when things are really successful.' Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) applauds her teammates during the first half of a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images But while Clark remains known for being big-hearted, she does have some boundaries. She has been out for the past two weeks because of a quad injury--the first missed time because of injury in her career--but she has still been showing up at Fever games as she rehabs. Advertisement She was on hand at the United Center on Saturday night for the Fever's victory over the Chicago Sky, and spent considerable time before the game signing autographs and taking photos with fans who had come to watch her play. But she drew the line on one thing: She was not about to autograph Sky materials. That was shown in a video on X from Saturday in which Clark signed a string of autographs only to smile and pass on signing what appeared to be a Chicago Sky-colored shirt. A post from the account, "The Indiana Fever," noted, "Caitlin Clark refused to sign the Chicago Sky merch." The fan who had tried to get her to do so, it should be pointed out, laughed it off. Advertisement Clark is hopeful of returning to the court this week, with the Fever's next game coming Tuesday in Atlanta. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Australia's Pixel Zoo Animation Studios Launches L.A.-Based Original IP Unit Pixel Labs (EXCLUSIVE)
Australia's Pixel Zoo Animation Studios Launches L.A.-Based Original IP Unit Pixel Labs (EXCLUSIVE)

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Australia's Pixel Zoo Animation Studios Launches L.A.-Based Original IP Unit Pixel Labs (EXCLUSIVE)

Australia's Pixel Zoo Animation Studios, which has done service work for leading global brands such as Bratz and L.O.L. – Surprise!, is moving into original content production with the launch of a new division, Pixel Labs, and has tapped Emmy Award-winning kids TV veteran Josh Fisher to lead its development efforts. Fisher will oversee Pixel Labs from a new Los Angeles office, marking the Brisbane-based studio's first expansion into the U.S. The announcement was shared with Variety by Pixel Zoo founder and CEO Paul Gillett and head of studio Sebastian Gonzalez. More from Variety Adult Animation, Anime's Rising Influence Lead Women in Animation's 2025 Annecy World Summit Lineup (EXCLUSIVE) Dandelooo Cinéma Acquires Global Rights to 'My Life in Versailles - The Movie' Ahead of Annecy Premiere Live-Action 'How To Train Your Dragon' Among Additions to Annecy Lineup Known for its high-quality animation services for global clients, including Hasbro, MGA Entertainment, Spin Master, eOne and Moonbug Entertainment, Pixel Zoo is part of MGA Studios. The launch of Pixel Labs signals a shift toward creating its own intellectual property across film, television and digital platforms. 'We're excited to broaden our client business with the launch of Pixel Labs,' said Gillett. 'The new division, which encourages artists and storytellers to push creative boundaries to bring new original worlds and stories to life, furthers MGA Studios' vision of creating bold, global franchises that spark young kids' imaginations both on and off the screen.' Fisher brings more than two decades of experience in children's content. He previously worked at Netflix as Senior Manager, Kids and Family, where he oversaw series like 'Go, Dog, Go,' 'Daniel Spellbound,' 'Action Pack' and 'Super Monsters.' He has also held executive roles at WildBrain, Spin Master and Brandissimo!, where he led the NFL's global youth strategy. 'I'm thrilled to be partnering with Paul, Seb and the incredibly talented and nimble team at Pixel Zoo,' said Fisher. 'We're excited to be working with a variety of talent around the globe on a strong slate of film, television and digital/YouTube projects designed to reach young audiences wherever they engage.' Gonzalez added, 'We are delighted to be working with Josh, whose creativity and vision have been central to this new venture. We already have a handful of co-productions in the works which are a mix of our IP and projects that have come to us from other creators around the world.' Pixel Labs currently has several projects in development: 'The Secret Explorers,' A CG-animated action-adventure series for kids aged 4–7 based on the bestselling book series, co-produced with Spain's Liquid Rock. The show follows a global team of young heroes who use teamwork and tech to solve real-world problems. MGA Entertainment is developing a toy line and YouTube strategy. 'You Wish,' Based on Jeff Victor's IDW-published graphic novel, this story follows a girl who discovers she's half-genie and sets off on a magical journey to rescue her mother. Victor is consulting on the film and TV adaptations. 'Fixie Pixies,' Created by Corey Powell ('Do Re & Mi') and Aaron Simpson ('L'il Stompers'), this animated series follows three magical pixies who renovate miniature fantasy homes while solving quirky household dilemmas. 'Kitty Witch,' An original show from Australian creator Samuel Keene about a girl whose kitten turns out to be part of a secret coven of cat witches. Pixel Labs aims to grow its original slate through co-productions, content partnerships and adaptations of books and comics into screen formats. Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?

Former Tennis Star Pete Sampras Spotted in L.A. During Rare Public Appearance After Retirement Over 2 Decades Ago
Former Tennis Star Pete Sampras Spotted in L.A. During Rare Public Appearance After Retirement Over 2 Decades Ago

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Former Tennis Star Pete Sampras Spotted in L.A. During Rare Public Appearance After Retirement Over 2 Decades Ago

NEED TO KNOW Pete Sampras, the former tennis star known as "Pistol Pete," was spotted during a rare public appearance on June 3 The athlete was seen while he made a coffee run in Beverly Hills Sampras, who retired over two decades ago in 2002, is well-known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time Pete Sampras was seen out and about during a rare public appearance. The former tennis star, 53, was spotted making a coffee run in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, June 3. Sampras wore a dark gray Nike T-shirt and gray shorts while he carried two drinks in a beverage holder in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. Advertisement The athlete was last seen publicly in December 2024. Before that, he made a rare public appearance at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open, where he played with Novak Djokovic in an exhibition match. London Entertainment / SplashNews Pete Sampras on June 3. Pete Sampras on June 3. Sampras — also referred to as 'Pistol Pete' for his serve — is well-known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He began his professional tennis career in 1988, when he was 16 years old. Sampras retired in 2002 after winning a then-record 14 Grand Slam titles and ending the year ranked as the ATP No. 1 player in the world from 1993 to 1998. The Hall-of-Famer, inducted in 2007, famously won seven Wimbledon titles, five U.S. Open championships and two Australian Opens over the course of his illustrious career. Advertisement Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Dimitri Iundt/Corbis/VCG via Getty Pete Sampras in 1990 Pete Sampras in 1990 In recent years, Sampras has remained largely away from the public eye. Back in October 2023, he revealed that his wife Bridgette Wilson-Sampras had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In a statement released via the AP Tour on X, Sampras said, "As most have come to know, I am a pretty quiet and private person. However, this past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family, and I have decided to share what's been going on." Advertisement "Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer," Sampras continued at the time. "Since then, she has had major surgery, pushed through chemotherapy and continues with targeted maintenance therapy." CAROL NEWSOM/AFP via Getty Pete Sampras after defeating Andre Agassi on Sept. 9, 1990 Pete Sampras after defeating Andre Agassi on Sept. 9, 1990 The tennis star further opened up about how "hard" it was to "watch someone you love go through a challenge like this," and praised the couple's sons, Christian and Ryan, for "stepping up" and being "such strong supporters" for their parents. Sampras also shared praise for Wilson-Sampras in his statement, calling her an "incredible mom and wife through it all." Advertisement Sampras has been with his wife, a former actress who starred in movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Wedding Planner, since 1999. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! The couple was introduced by former Los Angeles Lakers Vice President of Public Relations John Black. Sampras asked Black to connect him with Bridgette after seeing her in a film, which he shared in his 2008 book, A Champion's Mind. 'There was a bright spot to that otherwise terrible late summer — my injury was directly responsible for my wife and me meeting,' Sampras wrote. 'While I was hurt, I was watching this movie, Love Stinks, with a friend, John Black. Bridgette Wilson, an actress in the film, caught my eye. Actually, she blew me away when I saw her. I thought she was stunning.' Read the original article on People

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store