Backstage Details On Naomi’s Injury – Is It Legit?

At Elimination Chamber, Naomi secured a surprising win over Alexa Bliss and claimed the SmackDown Women’s Championship–her first ever title with WWE. Then, less than two weeks later, she was forced to vacate the title due to injury.

The question, of course, is whether or not that injury is legitimate, or if it’s a tool to further the story of the top prize for the women of SmackDown. After all, Alexa Bliss stealing the title back under suspicious circumstances would give Naomi a wonderful story going into a WrestleMania arena in her hometown.

Unfortunately, it seems there’s more here than just a wrestling story.

According to this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), the injury is legitimate, and her being stripped of the title isn’t just part of the story. She was expected to be 100% by the most recent episode of SmackDown, but her recovery has taken longer than expected.

Naomi is forced to relinquish the SmackDown Women's Championship: SmackDown LIVE, Feb. 21, 2017

The injury was to her knee, and seems to have been suffered during the moonsault finisher which saw her win the title in the first place. Officials have described the injury similar to the one Seth Rollins suffered during the Samoa Joe segment, but not quite the same.

In any case, Naomi’s recovery isn’t expected to take long, but her status for WrestleMania is up in the air.