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Naomi has been one of the longest tenured WWE superstars in the women's division, debuting during the all-female third season of NXT in 2010. Despite coming in second and losing that season to Kaitlyn, Naomi has gone on to greater success and a longer run with the company than any other contestant.
Debuting as part of Brodus Clay's Funkadactyls on the main roster, humble beginnings have led to popularity and championship gold. Her unique look and presence has made her a fan favorite throughout her career. Whether it be Total Divas or the brand split, Naomi has truly made the most of every opportunity that has been presented by the company.
With Naomi's recent departure from social media amidst deplorable negativity after her husband Jimmy Uso's DUI arrest, now seems like an ideal time to look back on and celebrate the career of the former two-time SmackDown Women's Champion. In this article, let's take a look at the five most memorable Naomi moments.
#5 The return - Naomi becomes viral with her return at Royal Rumble 2020
Naomi has often been overlooked throughout her run with WWE. Coming in to the company prior to the Women's Revolution, her talents did not always get highlighted the way that it should have. She started off being used for her incredible dancing ability as a member of the Funkadactyls with Cameron, but she would later get some spotlight.
After a several month long hiatus in 2019, Naomi made a triumphant return at the 2020 Royal Rumble in the Women's Royal Rumble Match. With her glorious hair in an afro, the buzz around her entrance into the match was almost instant. She had fans and pundits alike praising her and showing how much they missed the former SmackDown Women's Champion.
Actress Keke Palmer was among the mainstream stars that drew attention to how beautiful Naomi looked at the Royal Rumble. She even went as far as to ask to play Naomi in a movie. WWE always wants their superstars to be larger than life characters and that is what Naomi seemed like with this entrance that went viral around the world.
Unfortunately, WWE never truly capitalized on how popular Naomi seemed upon her return to the company. Whether it be down to the global pandemic that followed or creative not having anything for her, it felt as if a ton of potential was left on the table for what should have been a star-making moment for the woman who feels the GLOW.
#4 Finally - Naomi wins her first SmackDown Women's Championship
Going into 2017, Naomi was one of the most talented WWE Superstars to never win gold in the women's division. She has had many title shots at the Divas Championship against the likes of Paige and Nikki Bella in the past, but Naomi always seemed to come up short. After seven years on the roster, it seemed like she possibly would never hold a title.
Alexa Bliss was in the midst of a successful run as SmackDown Women's Champion when Naomi finally set her sights on reaching the mountaintop after several months of being off television. With Alexa feeling that she had beaten the best that SmackDown had to offer, Naomi made a challenge for the gold. Bliss was none too pleased with the challenge though.
Alexa Bliss dismissed Naomi as a challenger, feeling that she was not worthy of being champion. This set the stage for Elimination Chamber 2017 where the two ladies met with the title on the line. WrestleMania 33 was on the horizon and Bliss was riding high, so the WWE Universe felt that this would be one last hurdle for the SmackDown Women's Champion to overcome.
The Elimination Chamber 2017 matchup was one of three women's contests on the night. It was arguably the best of the lot with the challenger bringing her A game here. Naomi hit a beautiful split legged moonsault to defeat Bliss in a competitive contest to win the SmackDown Women's Championship for the first time and become the first African American woman to hold that title.
This was truly magical and felt like a defining moment in Naomi's career. Emotions poured out following the win. Her post-match speech resonated and showed the connection that she has been able to build with the WWE Universe. After years of coming up short, Naomi was given a chance to complete her story and win the big one.
#3 Miss WrestleMania - Naomi wins the inaugural WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
Naomi didn't have a ton of momentum heading into WrestleMania 34. She saw herself on the outside looking in for the SmackDown Women's Championship, but the Showcase of Immortals presented a new opportunity for the women on the roster at the SuperDome in 2018. The new matchup had its own strange road heading into the Show of Shows.
Before WrestleMania 34, WWE announced that there would a special women's battle royal entitled "The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal". It was named in honor of WWE Hall of Famer The Fabulous Moolah. However, fan backlash rose online due to the controversy surrounding Moolah's past. It was then renamed to the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal.
The contest became the female counterpart to the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, with both matches to be featured on the WrestleMania 34 Kickoff Show. Naomi found herself in there with the best ladies of the main roster in Bayley, Sasha Banks and Natalya, as well as NXT standouts Bianca Belair and Dakota Kai.
Despite the fierce competition, Naomi was able to eliminate Bayley to win the inaugural WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal. The former SmackDown Women's Champion was rewarded with a trophy as her prize for winning. It marked back-to-back years of huge victories for Naomi at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
#2 The Glow Title - Naomi gets her own variation of the SmackDown Women's Championship
2017 was a banner year for Naomi's career. The title win at Elimination Chamber 2017 kicked off a remarkable run for the veteran. She was proving a lot of naysayers wrong and became the top babyface for the women on SmackDown. Her second SmackDown Women's Championship run was off to a good start after injury halted the first, but the company gave her an extra boost.
After regaining the gold at WrestleMania 33, WWE looked to add even more to the presentation for their lead babyface. The promotion has given signature titles to top male stars of the past. Stone Cold Steve Austin had the Smoking Skull Title, while John Cena introduced the Spinner WWE Championship. However, never before had a woman gotten the same treatment until Naomi.
In June 2017, Naomi debuted a glow in the light SmackDown Women's Championship with LED lights that further enhanced her "Feel The Glow" persona and fit so well with her distinct entrance. The title showed a lot of confidence that the company had in the champ and elevated her run significantly.
Naomi would defeat Lana on several occasions after introducing her Glow Title. She would hold the championship until Summerslam 2017 where she eventually lost to Natalya after 140 days as champion. Naomi left her mark on the women's division, but a lot of fans felt it was too soon.
The Glow Title never even became available for fans to buy, which begs the question of when Naomi will regain gold to bring it back. WWE has to know that they left a lot of money on the table by not releasing it for fans to purchase.
#1 Hometown Hero - Naomi wins the SmackDown Women's Championship in her hometown at WrestleMania 33
Naomi's maiden reign with the SmackDown Women's Championship was cut immediately short when she had to relinquish the title after a freak injury sustained during the match at Elimination Chamber 2017. Former champ Alexa Bliss would defeat Becky Lynch to reclaim the gold. This set the stage for WrestleMania 33 where Bliss would defend in a six-pack challenge.
To the surprise of the Orlando crowd at WrestleMania 33, Naomi made her in-ring return as one of the participants in the SmackDown Women's Championship six-pack challenge. Her opposition at the Showcase of Immortals was Bliss, Carmella, Mickie James, Natalya and Becky Lynch. With this star studded lineup, victory would not be easy.
Naomi's resilience led her back quicker than anyone could have imagined and this trait would help her in this contest to regain the gold that she never lost. The action was fast and non-stop with all the ladies looking to win.
Every woman had the ability to utilize themselves in an attempt to walk out the SmackDown Women's Champion. However, one woman had the hometown advantage.
Not only was this Naomi's return after a month out with injury, WrestleMania 33 was in her hometown of Orlando. With her family and friends looking on, the crowd was definitively in her favor, rooting for her the entire way. The matchup came down to Naomi and Alexa Bliss in the ring alone at the end.
Bliss looked to attack her weakened opponent, but Naomi used her resilience and determination to overcome the assault of the champion. She transitioned a sunset flip pin into a submission that trapped Bliss with nowhere to go. The champion had no other alternative than to submit to give Naomi the win.
This was a signature victory for Naomi in every way possible. She regained the SmackDown Women's Championship after having to relinquish the title after winning it for the first time.
She also got her first win at WrestleMania and got to do it in her hometown of Orlando, Florida. After scratching and clawing her way to the top for nearly a decade, Naomi hit a new plateau in her career.
Naomi's time in WWE has been filled with ups and downs. The WWE Universe has always felt like she has never been given her just due. She is one of the most underrated competitors, male or female.
That is why Naomi's SmackDown Women's Championship win at WrestleMania 33 in her hometown of Orlando has to be considered the most memorable moment of her career.
