Naomi steals the show and the Women's World Title: WWE Evolution Recap

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Naomi Steals the Show and the Women's World Title: WWE Evolution Recap"

Introduction

In this engaging episode of "Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant," hosted by WWE x Fanatics Podcasts, Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, along with special guest Natalya Neidhart, delve into the highlights and pivotal moments of the WWE Evolution event held on July 14, 2025, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. This episode offers listeners a comprehensive breakdown of key matches, standout performances, character developments, and the overarching impact on WWE's women's division.

Evolution Event Highlights

The discussion kicks off with an enthusiastic recap of the night's events. Sam Roberts expresses his astonishment at the unexpected developments, particularly Naomi's stunning victory:

Sam Roberts [00:56]: "Naomi just won. This is nuts."

Naomi's Championship Win

A central focus of the episode is Naomi’s dramatic cash-in victory, which culminates in her winning the Women's World Title. Sam Roberts likens Naomi's cash-in moment to historic WWE events, underscoring its significance:

Sam Roberts [02:00]: "A cash in that I think has to go down with the seth Rollins WrestleMania 31 cash in as right there in the top two. Best biggest cash ins ever."

Natalya Neidhart praises Naomi's character evolution, highlighting the organic and realistic progression of her persona:

Natalya Neidhart [05:03]: "She leveled up, and she's really taken her character in, like, in a very organic, realistic way."

Naomi reflects on her journey and the powerful reaction from the crowd, emphasizing her resilience and continual fight:

Naomi [05:30]: "I'm just gonna keep fighting, much like you are. I'm gonna keep fighting."

Character Development in the Women's Division

The hosts explore the broader landscape of the women's division, discussing the developments of stars like Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch. Natalya underscores the division's growth and the importance of veteran wrestlers adapting to stay relevant:

Natalya Neidhart [09:02]: "You know, how hard a lot of everybody's working hard, but a lot of specifically how hard the women are working."

Charlotte Flair's transformation is a key topic, with Natalya highlighting her departure from the need to be perfect and fostering a genuine connection with the audience:

Natalya Neidhart [24:45]: "We saw a different side of Charlotte Flair. I think that part of it is that is the audience and part of it is Alexa Bliss."

Social Media and Fan Engagement

Natalya and Naomi emphasize the critical role of social media in amplifying the women's division's presence and engaging with fans beyond television broadcasts. Natalya commends the wrestlers' adept use of social platforms to maintain momentum:

Natalya Neidhart [13:00]: "The girls, the women's division, we really do an extraordinary job of maximizing our social media in a way that it's like, hey, if we're not getting time on Raw or Smackdown or NXT or wherever it may be, we can still go to our social media and blow it up."

Supporting Each Other and Legacy

A significant portion of the conversation centers on the camaraderie and mutual support within the women's roster. Natalya highlights the mentorship and collaborative efforts that strengthen the division, showcasing the legacy and ongoing contributions of both veterans and rising stars:

Natalya Neidhart [28:37]: "We saw Ivory and Jazz and Jacqueline and Tori and, you know, how about Leilani Kai? Leilani Kai. And just, it was such a cool night."

Future Implications

Looking ahead, the hosts discuss potential future matchups and the direction of the women's division following Evolution. Speculations include upcoming rivalries and title challenges involving stars like Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton, as well as the ongoing quests of Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky:

Natalya Neidhart [65:00]: "This is what inspires us to move the division forward we saw tonight."

Sam Roberts touches upon the unpredictability and continual evolution required in wrestling, relating it to Naomi's ability to adapt and remain at the forefront:

Sam Roberts [47:00]: "Find your fu. And like, I get it. And I think I found it."

Notable Quotes

• Naomi [00:56]: "Naomi just won. This is nuts."
• Sam Roberts [02:00]: "Best biggest cash ins ever."
• Natalya Neidhart [05:03]: "She leveled up, and she's really taken her character in, like, in a very organic, realistic way."
• Naomi [05:30]: "I'm just gonna keep fighting, much like you are. I'm gonna keep fighting."
• Natalya Neidhart [09:02]: "How hard a lot of everybody's working hard, but a lot of specifically how hard the women are working."
• Natalya Neidhart [24:45]: "We saw a different side of Charlotte Flair."
• Natalya Neidhart [13:00]: "We really do an extraordinary job of maximizing our social media."
• Natalya Neidhart [28:37]: "We saw Ivory and Jazz and Jacqueline and Tori... such a cool night."
• Sam Roberts [47:00]: "Find your fu. And like, I get it. And I think I found it."

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with reflections on the night's achievements and anticipation for future events. Naomi's victory serves as a testament to the evolution and resilience of WWE's women's division, promising continued growth, compelling storylines, and electrifying performances in the months to come.

For those who haven't tuned into the podcast, this summary captures the essence of the lively and insightful discussion, celebrating Naomi's triumphant moment and the dynamic progression of women's wrestling in WWE.

Transcript

[Natalya Neidhart]

On WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat, or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Megan Morant]

With the Venmo debit card, you can Venmo everything. Your favorite band's merch. You can Venmo this or their next show.

[Natalya Neidhart]

You can Venmo that.

[Megan Morant]

Visit Venmo Me Debit to learn more. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license.

[Megan Morant]

By MasterCard International Incorporated Card may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply.

[Natalya Neidhart]

What?

[Megan Morant]

Oh, my God.

[Naomi]

Oh, baby. No, no, no, no, no way. No, no, no, no, no way. Oh, my God.

[Megan Morant]

Naomi's the champ.

[Sam Roberts]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Naomi]

Naomi just won. This is nuts. Okay, Evolution just went off the air. Rhea Ripley has still not beaten Iyo sky. But Iyo sky is not the world champion. Thanks to that briefcase, Stephanie Vicair is going to Paris. I saw Charlotte take a Soul Snatcher. Much to recap. Luckily, this is the evolution recap. It's a fanatics and WWE original production. We are here in Atlanta, Georgia, in the State Farm Arena. Backstage, Megan and I just left the floor where we witness pure and utter first madness, then absolute history. A cash in that I think has to go down with the seth Rollins WrestleMania 31 cash in as right there in the top two. Best biggest cash ins ever. Because for a few reasons, number one, this was a big show. Number two, Rhea Ripley versus Iyo sky was a huge match. And number three, no one saw it coming. When you had this conversation, it was all about, this is gonna be the main event of the show. It's gonna be Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. And the whole story was that Rhea Ripley can't beat Iyo Sky. You were talking about that. I heard you on the Countdown show. And the idea for me was, well, perfect evolution comes around and we'll get the big heroes ending. Rhea Ripley wins the title and finally beats the one person she could never beat. But that all goes out the window when these two women absolutely physically dismantle one another. And then out of nowhere, as soon as the referee wakes up again, Naomi's music plays. And I mean, no one saw it coming. Nobody even discussed the idea of Naomi being women's World champion. It was always centered around that.

[Megan Morant]

That's right. That's right. Women's especially, because we're all focused on Naomi and Jade Cargill. Of course, we're all focused on the fact that Jade Cargill has a championship opportunity at SummerSlam.

[Naomi]

Yes.

[Megan Morant]

And Naomi had a brutal match with Jade Cargill earlier in the night that she lost.

[Naomi]

It was brutal enough that she didn't win it.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, she came out to cash in. She was beat up.

[Naomi]

Yeah. But guess what? She had been beat up like, an hour, hour and a half ago. These two women were actively beat up. I mean, the referee had gone down, and that's where. And that's what I always say about this money in the bank briefcase, that it complicates every single championship match, even the ones that you don't think it complicates. Like I said, it was written in advance that this would be one of those things where Ria stands strong. But once that referee gets knocked out, once these two women go out into the audience and Iyo sky is jumping off crates.

[Megan Morant]

He's doing genius of the sky things out in the crowd.

[Naomi]

And Rhea Ripley is headbutting all the live long day. And both of them are just, like, trying to figure out the one thing that's gonna keep the other one down to the count of three. And Naomi coming. And I'll tell you why. It was a genius cash in. It was a genius cash in. But because Naomi recognized the rules of a triple threat. No dq. Oh.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, look who's here.

[Naomi]

Perfect. Perfect.

[Megan Morant]

I'm so excited to talk to you about Natty.

[Naomi]

Oh, no. Oh, no.

[Megan Morant]

Put Sam in a sharpshooter right now.

[Sam Roberts]

This is how.

[Natalya Neidhart]

This is how Natalia rolls. I mean. I mean, Natty. I mean, Natalia.

[Naomi]

That felt a little more like Natty.

[Megan Morant]

I'm so happy to have you.

[Naomi]

That was a Natty figuring out who's.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Natty and who's Natalia.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Am I sitting here?

[Naomi]

Yeah, please sit down. My collarbone feels like that was probably.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Natty just had to choke Sam. Sorry. I'm back.

[Naomi]

And you did that for the listeners. I think a lot of people have felt that way.

[Megan Morant]

Night. So Natty Sam is saying this is right up there with greatest cash ins in WWE history. This is up there with the heist of the century.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Disagree with that. Tonight was just magical. And here's the thing, okay? I know Naomi is in the role of a. Of the ultimate bad girl, but I've always been on team Naomi. I've always, like, from our. From our days just starting. Together in WWE and fcw. And then, of course, total divas. And then you saw this. You know, you saw her return to WWE a couple years ago and really just come into her own. And so tonight, I think she found her. F. You really. I don't want to say the F word in wwe, but she. She found her.

[Naomi]

Yeah, that's right. That's right. You can. You can read the lips on the YouTube version. I mean, you're not wrong. Because I was looking at the crowd, and I was looking at the crowd during the Jade Cargill Naomi match, and I was, like, zeroing in on specific female fans that were sad that Naomi lost because they had been on that journey with Naomi. Naomi is that person that. It's like, nope, I'm just gonna keep fighting, much like you are. I'm gonna keep fighting. I'm gonna keep fighting, and I'm gonna keep fighting. I think that's why you got the reaction that you got when you came out for the battle royal. I'm sure you heard that instant reaction when your name popped up there. And then to see those people who were. That they want victory for Naomi, to see those people on this night, to watch her, because I think there were a lot of people that thought that the days of Naomi being a world champion were over.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah.

[Naomi]

And to see it actually happen and to see it happen on that platform where it's IO and it's Rhea in the ring, like, that's tippity, tippity top, like rare air. And for Naomi to come in and own that spotlight to the extent that people were, like, not going, oh, this is nonsense. They were going, oh, my God. We just saw something amazing.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And it felt right. Like, it just felt like everything in the universe came together for her to have this moment. And of course, like, there has been a great story all the way up until now, and I've been saying that to the girls. I actually told Jade tonight backstage, I was like, I really enjoyed your match with Naomi because the match can't be excellent without the story. And we think about the great stories in wwe, we think about Bret Hart versus Shawn Michaels or, you know, Shawn Michaels versus the Undertaker or, you know, Triple H versus the Undertaker or Eddie Guerrero versus Rey Mysterio. We there all about the story. So we tonight just felt like a magical, very iconic night because the story was there. And I told Jade, I was like, this is the first night that I really felt, like, a visceral vibe from you where she was, like, coming into her own. Even seeing her do I call it the Glam Slam. But seeing her do the Glam slam off the top, little shout out to Beth Phoenix. Yes, but, like, seeing her do that off the top and seeing, like, just. Just. Just the physicality and the way that she was, you know, processing all the pain and on the inside, it's called selling. But, like. But it was just so good. Like, she really came into her own tonight doing that. I thought Jade killed it, and I think people were just ready to see Naomi have that moment. What. What a night to do that at, like. I mean, there's no other night, no better night to do that at than at Evolution.

[Megan Morant]

You're right.

[Natalya Neidhart]

You know what I mean?

[Megan Morant]

You're absolutely right. And this story is something that we've all been following since before WrestleMania. I mean, we loved the big three. And then what happened? Jade Cargill was taken out. Who was Jade Cargill taken out by? Naomi. And we've been waiting. We've seen the backstages. We've seen Naomi hit Jade with the briefcase and telling her to proceed with caution. And Jade really reached that breaking point, and tonight we got to see that. And Naomi prevailed. I mean, after. We were all feeling the glow for so long. But I think each. Every week that Naomi has been on television since she's been proceeding with caution.

[Natalya Neidhart]

She'S leveled up, and she's really taken her character in, like, in a very organic, realistic way, helped it evolve. It wasn't. I didn't feel like it was contrived.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Natalya Neidhart]

You know, and sometimes we talk about character development, and, like, it's like we. We've seen the layers of Naomi and what I've loved about her in that. In the sense that she's been in WWE for a long time. I think she might be the second most tenured woman here besides myself. Like, I might. Yeah, she was a bunkadactyl. And so we saw her through all these different phases. But what I loved about it is that Naomi proved to the entire world, but especially to people, you know, to upper management in wwe, that old dogs can learn new tricks and they can be better than they've ever been, ever. And so she. She literally is just such an inspiration where it's like, you know, you think about, like, Bret Hart, you know, of course, I know him a little bit. He said, like, in his. In his early 40s, he's like, I didn't really start to hit my stride until my early 40s. And he said, I did the best work of my career in my early 40s. And I love hearing that. Because tonight we celebrated women from every different ethnicity, shape, size, color, race, religion, all the. You know, we just really fully embraced it. And Naomi is proof that, yeah, she might have been here for a minute, but she took. She took all of her power back, reinvented herself and literally did her homework and did what brought her. Brought her to the dance and killed it tonight, like, literally, she went out there and not only elevated herself, but elevated every single person that she worked with.

[Megan Morant]

And I think that's really been a theme kind of of the week. I mean, I was reading Charlotte Flair's Players Tribune article, and she was talking about how she feels like just in the last couple years, she's doing her best work. And we talk about the men's division, and no one's saying, like, oh, the men are aging out. But for some reason, we look at the women's division and we say, oh, you know, the future is bright. Oh, they had their time. They had their time. But to your point, with Naomi, we're watching this play out, and these veterans in the locker room, they still have a place. They still belong, and they still can be champions and make history.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And I really do think that, like, you know, of course, Triple H is all about storytelling. I feel like he. He wants to make sure that the right stories are there for the matches. But he, in a huge way, isn't saying, hey, she's too old, or, he's too old. Like, I don't feel. I feel now more than ever, age is not as much of an issue as it has been before in sports in general. Like, when I look at the Rock, I'm like, he's in his early 50s, and this guy is in the best shape of his life. I saw Serena Williams. She posted a selfie, a gym selfie, And I was like, she's in her early 40s. She's in the best shape of her life. I saw Tori Wilson backstage tonight, and I was like, okay, Tori, I gotta. You are my girl crush. I was like, I see you. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, she is so sexy. She looks amazing.

[Naomi]

Like, I mean, about Trish Stratus going.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Like, move for move with Tiffany Stratton. And so that's what I feel like. Triple H is looking at it and going, I don't care how old you are or where your background is, I just want you to do great work. And so we saw people tonight. This is why I loved tonight so much. We saw people tonight from the past, the present and, of course, the future all come Together. But nobody was like, all, oh, you know, she did good for her age. When I watched Trish Stratus, Tiffany gave her this crazy, like, backbreaker. It was like a vertical suplex standing back. I was like, holy shit. She's gonna be feeling that the next day. But Trish can go. And that's the thing, is that if you can go, you're good to go. And we saw that tonight. And there's no, you know, hey, we're not gonna bring these girls in because they're over 21. You know what I mean? Like, everybody is looked at. We just gotta keep Dominik Mysterio away from all the girls is the big thing.

[Naomi]

That's right. That's what happened. He's a magnet. I mean, they go, right? But I think you're right. I'm glad you brought up Brett, actually, because I think it's such a good example. I do. I have Sean and Brett socks.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Oh, my God. You have to.

[Naomi]

Wait.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Hold on. You got to show everybody these socks.

[Naomi]

All right. These are my WrestleMania 12.

[Megan Morant]

Thank you for keeping your shoes on.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Epic.

[Naomi]

There's Brett and Sean.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Can we see them?

[Naomi]

If you're watching on YouTube, you can see the Brett. Sean, did you get them? Okay, we got him.

[Natalya Neidhart]

But that's the thing.

[Naomi]

But, But. But I was going to say, I mean, even then, right? Brett And Sean, that's 96. Brett was already having Match of the Night by WrestleMania 8. He was main eventing WrestleMania by WrestleMania 9, but it was 97.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Brett was completely untouchable, and he was not 21.

[Naomi]

Exactly. Right. He was. And then. And I feel the same way. We've talked about this before. We talked about this after Money in the bank about Naomi, who. It's like, she's always been good. Yeah, we all love the glow. She's always been good, but she's untouchable now.

[Natalya Neidhart]

But she also had an incredible story. And not only.

[Naomi]

That's exactly right.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And so it takes a lot of things to come together to build that story. It takes a lot of people Al Aligning to make that story happen. It's not just Naomi woke up one day and thought of a great story. It's everything aligning. It's the universe aligning. It's the company getting behind her and saying, hey, when we present you with this opportunity, all these little building blocks came together for her to go. She nailed it. So any opportunity that she was given, she kept on gaining momentum. And so that allows more momentum and more opportunities to come for her to come to her and so with that momentum, she was able to continue to grow this story. And I can't say it enough, but girl, the girls, the women's division, we really do an extraordinary job of maximizing our social media in a way that it's like, hey, if we're not getting time on Raw or Smackdown or NXT or wherever it may be, we can still go to our social media and blow it up. And Chelsea Green is a great example of that. You give Chelsea Green 20 seconds on TV, she'll blow it up into a six minute freaking mini documentary.

[Sam Roberts]

She will.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And I even say that to Maxine because we, Maxine and I, we haven't actually had a match on Raw. We haven't really done anything like, as far as, like an actual match on Raw. We did a match on Smackdown, but people don't know that because we are doing everything in our power to try to condition the audience that we're together with social media. The girls do a phenomenal job with that. I can't give the girls enough credit because, listen, we're constantly on our selfie game, we're constantly taking pictures. I had Scarlet tonight doing a whole photo shoot with me and Maxine. Yes.

[Naomi]

And I think also, I mean, in terms of social media, it's helped that people see how hard a lot of everybody's working hard, but a lot of specifically how hard the women are working. There's a reason why B Fab is night and day better in a very short period of time. And people see what's going on at the dungeon and people see what's going on. Television is a weekly experience, right? Like, I turn on smackdown, I turn on Raw. When you look at what you guys are posting on social and going like, oh, while we're like just doing, living the rest of our lives waiting for the next episode to come on, you guys are working, are in the dungeon, working reps, matches, promos, just going, going.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And really putting ourselves out there. And that's the one thing, and I say this to the girls all the time because it's advice that I actually need for myself. The thing is, is that when you're in the public eye, we all fought very hard for this position, to make it to the main roster, to work for wwe, to work for the largest global juggernaut. This is the biggest entertainment company in the world. When you put yourself out there, especially as much as we do to, to do what we love, but we also want to entertain the fans, you also put yourself out there for scrutiny. And I will say It's. I said this earlier. I was talking about this in an interview, but I want to say it again. There was this, like, little study that was done, and it was like, the top 15 most harassed people on social. On, like, top 15.

[Naomi]

WWE saw that.

[Natalya Neidhart]

You saw that. Like, the list of, you know, pro wrestlers. Basically, the top 15 most harassed. And I was laughing with TJ because I was like, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I'm almost, like, slightly flattered that people give a rat's ass about me. They literally. I was. I was top 15 with Nikki Bella, and I gave Nikki Bell a high five today. I was like, did you see that we made that list? I was like, people, whether they like us or whether they hate us, they are engaging with us. She came out tonight, and she got a massive reaction. So while people.

[Megan Morant]

Especially from Sam. Sam is out of his big.

[Naomi]

Nicky Bell.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, he's very.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And the audience loves her. She looks great. She's on. On a roll.

[Megan Morant]

She, you know, she told Sam Roberts that he looked like he got a glow up.

[Naomi]

She did say that. Can you believe that?

[Natalya Neidhart]

Stop my life. Wow.

[Naomi]

Like, she wasn't being sarcastic.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Well, you do look very handsome.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, we need to listen, Natty.

[Naomi]

It's about the women today.

[Megan Morant]

This is about the women. We don't need to put Tam over.

[Natalya Neidhart]

That's why I put you in a sleeper when I came out here. We got to get you in the dungeon. I've got to get you in the D. I want to get. Like, I told Jelly Roll. I saw Jelly Roll a couple days ago. He was at smackdown.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And I said to him, I was like, jelly Roll, I want to get you in the dungeon. I want to get. I want to work with you on some, like, submissions. Anyway, he was so excited. He's like, I love this shit.

[Megan Morant]

We need to get some sort of, you know, RK Roll. Jelly Roll. Like, some.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Something I want to put. I want to work with him on the sharpshooter, and I wouldn't mind working with him on some sort of, like, I don't know, just like, maybe a mandible claw or Perfect form.

[Naomi]

That'd be perfect.

[Megan Morant]

I love this.

[Naomi]

I want to go back to what about stories, because I think that there is this level. I think tonight's evolution was so much different than 2018's evolution, and that's because, really, the story of evolution in 2018 was, man, do you think we can pull this off? Man, look at what we can do. And I felt like tonight this happened to be a Premium live event of all women's matches. But every single match had investment from the audience that were invested in the outcomes because every single match had a story to tell. And when there were, when there were matches with multiple people, like the battle royale or the four way tag match, there were multiple stories within those matches where every participant had something to do.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And, you know, even when we're structuring these matches, like, everybody's really thinking about what's the story and how can we tell the story and what can we do to tell how can we make it better? And that's why I think the audience tonight was so entertained from the very first match with the girls Triple threat, which I thought the girls triple threat killed it.

[Naomi]

Amazing.

[Natalya Neidhart]

As much as I know Becky lynch is a badass heel and she leans into that role of being like, you know, she's holding people back and she's holding people down. Let me. I'm going to ruin Becky's whole.

[Naomi]

Becky Hogan doesn't exist.

[Natalya Neidhart]

So Becky is like, she's just so. She wants. She really, really cares about the girls. I've been trying to tell you.

[Megan Morant]

And so for a really long time, I've been trying.

[Natalya Neidhart]

So I loved watching her really lean into that heel character tonight, knowing that she backstage is fighting for more for the women. And I love that because if we, if nobody fights, then we don't move forward. Everything is about moving forward, even 1%. So tonight, walking out through that curtain and seeing this, like just seeing this arena full of people screaming and they're so passionate about women's wrestling. There wasn't a man on the show.

[Naomi]

Right.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Even as far as referees, it was all women. And so I just. It was. So was. Was it all women?

[Naomi]

Yeah, I think the referees, yeah, I'm.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Pretty sure I saw, I saw one. I saw one guy, referee wandering tonight, so I thought maybe he was out there, but it was, it was all women. And then seeing Stephanie McMahon, I saw her coming backstage and I was with some friends tonight, my guest, I brought in the very first woman I ever wrestled in wwe. Her name is Cherry. She was with Deuce and Domino, of course. And so Cherry is my. Wearing roller skates. Yes, she was my. She was my guest. And everybody was running up to her going, cherry, Cherry. Like I said to Cherry a couple weeks ago, I said to her, I said, I have a question for you. Would you like to be my guest at Evolution? Because you were the very first woman I wrestled in wwe.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, my gosh, that's amazing.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And all these years later, 18 years later, you're my best friend. She lives five minutes from me. We spend every weekend together. And I was like, I would love to have you as my guest. And so Stephanie McMahon was walking by, and I was with this large group of people. Stephanie was on her way to go open the show, and she took the time to talk to all of my friends, talk to Cherry, and talk to, like, the people that I had brought backstage. And I was thinking, that's why this company and that's why the girls, and that's why all of us women, it's why we're doing so well, it's why we're moving ahead, because we pay attention to the details. Stephanie talking to Cherry, Stephanie talking to all my friends. She was on her way to the ring to open the show. She had a lot of shit to do, but she still made the time. The girls in the locker room, they all take the time to take photos and talk about our gear and talk about what inspires us and watch each other's matches. And everybody was watching the opening match. Everybody was watching Naomi cash in. All the girls were all, like, in gorilla or outside of gorilla, watching and supporting each other. Even if we're in storylines where we hate each other, it's just a cool feeling that we really step up for each other. From Stephanie all the way down to people from the past like Cherry.

[Naomi]

I will tell you that every time, and I won't say who it was, but every time I went from the floor to backstage today, every single time while a match was happening, there was somebody there on the roster with their phone up, videoing. They were watching.

[Megan Morant]

Love it.

[Naomi]

A friend watching. Like, they were looking at the screen. They were just watching to support and. And because they were happy for their friend.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And I was like, I. I was like, because, you know, my girl crush is Tori Wilson. I was hoping Tori didn't see me do the worm, because I was like, maxine, okay, can I talk about that? Maxine Dupree, she screams at me in the middle of a ring in front of a basic. I'm pretty sure tonight was sold out. I looked sold out. To me. It was packed big. So pretty. I mean, yeah, a sold out crowd. Maxine Dupree screams at me and she goes, do the worm. And I was like, maxine, for sake. Sorry, guys. I said the F word again. Maxine, for the love of God, I don't do the worm. And she goes, do the worm. Like she thought she was Bubba Dudley saying, get the tables. And so I did the worm. It was the absolute shits. I'm sorry. And. And. And I was like, I'm never doing that again because you cost me me in elimination, you little brat. So, yeah, I was. Tori said. I asked Tori if she saw it, and she's like, it was fine. It looked okay. You did great. Oh, I was like, she thought it was awful.

[Naomi]

Well, yeah, I feel like you got to. While you were doing the worm, you got to the bodies much quicker than you had anticipated.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Well, and I was.

[Naomi]

Now you're doing the worm on top of them.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah. And so the thing is, is that I need to tell Maxine that I don't actually know how to do the worm.

[Megan Morant]

You guys can work on that. You've been teaching her, you know.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah. I mean, I'm not gonna do the worm again. I mean, it's literally not gonna happen. So if I. To do it again. I was so mad at her after. I was like, don't you ever. I blame the elimination on her, too. She's going to make up with. You know, she's going to. Tomorrow, she's going to have a tray of cupcakes for me, and she's going to come in with a cute little pink dress and tell me to put it on. We're going to look really sexy. We're going to take photos, we're. Put it on Instagram.

[Naomi]

That's great.

[Natalya Neidhart]

She'll make up for it. But, yeah, Natty, she's not doing the worm ever, ever, ever again.

[Naomi]

But what about the confidence that you have instilled in Maxine, who has come in and is. Came in learning this business?

[Megan Morant]

And she's been very open about that, too. I'm so humble that she's. She's in this position where she's learning each and every step of the way.

[Naomi]

Now she's got that confidence. She call out worms.

[Natalya Neidhart]

She came to the dungeon with Nikki Bella. We trained all week. We trained Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And we had some really intense training sessions in the dungeon because we don't have air conditioning. We don't really want it. We want it to be hot. We want it to feel like.

[Megan Morant]

And you're in Florida.

[Natalya Neidhart]

We were in Florida during the middle of summer, and we want it to feel like the original dungeon. So they both Nikki and Maxine were training, and TJ was watching Maxine train with me and Nikki, and he's like, this is the first time that I really believed in you and Maxine being a team. He's like, she has it. And TJ's a tough critic. He's like, at first, I didn't really see you guys as a team. He's like, I didn't see you and Maxine as a team. He's like, I didn't really think, like, it was gonna go anywhere. He's like, I really see you together with her now because she's gotten so much better.

[Naomi]

And I have to. And I'm sorry to interrupt you. No, I do have to say that, like, while I was watching, something clicked in, because I looked up at the big screen during the battle royal, and I saw her face. And it was her face that I was like, there's something different about, like, her face. It believed what was happening, and then I believed what was happening, and all of a sudden I'm like, I'm rooting for Maxine Dupri here.

[Natalya Neidhart]

She did amazing. I was just so proud of her. I was like, she just really, like, owned it. So she just. That the thing is, is that no matter what your background is, you know, you look at Bianca, she didn't come from an indie background. And you look at Jade, she didn't come from. Come from an indie background. Even Naomi didn't come where, you know, she was like, grew up in a big wrestling family. But if you did grow up in a wrestling family, like myself or Charlotte or Ava at nxt, like, doesn't matter what your background is, as long as you're always trying to progress and move forward and grow and entertain and tell the story and really bring a great attitude to the table. So I was also impressed with Kalani, Jordan, Jada Parker, Lash Legend, of course, Stephanie, Julia, a lot of the newer talent that came to the ring tonight. I'm just trying to think, who did I leave out? Who did I leave out? Oh, Tatum and Izzy, Like, I thought they all did great. I really would love to feud with Kalani. I would love to feud with Jada. I would love to beat Lash Legend's ass.

[Megan Morant]

It was a big night for Lash Legend.

[Natalya Neidhart]

She did amazing.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. Her and Stephanie, you know, teaming up to eliminate Nya. And anytime you're in a battle royal or Royal Rumble or whatever, it's like, how is anybody gonna get Nia Jax eliminated from whatever?

[Natalya Neidhart]

Well, and Nya is really the biggest monster on any of our shows on Raw, smackdown, nxt, any of our shows, she's really the biggest monster. So she was a dragon that everybody had to slay in that match. And it's great because as much as we know, Nya is a force, truly an unstoppable Force. Lash really proved herself. She really stepped up, and that's what the division is all about. Literally, the word evolution is about us continuing to pay it forward and build the division. If we don't build the division, nobody's gonna have anyone to wrestle, and that means that my dungeon's gonna be empty.

[Naomi]

What was more rewarding for you? Like, just personally, you felt it. Was it when you got the reaction that you got coming out and your name come and everybody just instantly reacts? Or was it when you looked across the ring and saw that the crowd was fully on Maxine's side with her.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Forcing me to do a worm that.

[Naomi]

I wasn't comfortable doing?

[Natalya Neidhart]

No, but I'm just joking. But just to see people believe in Maxine, like, there is something really cool about watching that light bulb go off for her. And so while I. Like, here's the thing, when I come out through the curtain, I always. And this has just been the way it's been throughout, from the very beginning of my career. I never assume that anybody's gonna know who I am or even like me, because, I mean, I just don't. I don't jump to conclusions. But when I see the work that we've been putting in in the dungeon, and I see Maxine and I see the light bulb start to go off for her, and I see her growing, I know that it's gonna come back to me. You know what I mean? And. And that's the thing, is that because we're working together in a team, seeing her really get it tonight, yeah, it was just like, she's such a good person, you know, she. She, like. She's the one that came up with the name the Dungeon Dolls. The merch shirt that we have. She's the one that designed it. She's the one that went to the merch department was like, the we need to make shirts. I mean, we hadn't even been told that we were going to be called the Dungeon Dolls. Maxine walked into a creative meeting with all of our writers from raw, and she goes, by the way, Natty and I are going to be called the Dungeon Dolls. And they were like, we need to get that, like, approved through legal. And she's like, well, too bad we've already got shirts being made. I'm. I'm adding a little extra tea onto that. But yeah, she. Oh, here we go.

[Naomi]

Oh, look at this.

[Natalya Neidhart]

She did great.

[Naomi]

The Dungeon Dolls merge.

[Megan Morant]

Holding up the Dungeon doll shirt for all of our.

[Natalya Neidhart]

It's so cute. I love it. I love it.

[Megan Morant]

You Know, you hit on something. You, Nikki Bella and Maxine were all training this week in the dungeon. I mean, we all got a front row seat to you and Nikki Bella. I mean, on Total Divas way back in the day and how much you helped Nikki and Nikki helped you and Bree in the mix as well. And now it's Bree's coming back and all three of you are working together. And so it's one of those things where it's, you know, Nikki, she hasn't been here every week for a long time, but she's never done with it. And now still helping the next generation. What does that say? Just about. I don't know if it's cliche to call it a sisterhood, but just this group of women that are still coming back to pay it forward.

[Natalya Neidhart]

I love it. I just loved seeing tonight. We saw Ivory and Jazz and Jacqueline and Tori and, you know, how about Leilani Kai? Leilani Kai. And just, it was such a cool night. And like, seeing Trish and, you know, I, it never gets old. And like, there's so many more women that I do want to see. You know, of course I really want to. You know, there's like, I, I, I miss seeing Lita. Of course we want to see Bri. And I'd love, absolutely love to see a huge, total Divas reunion. You know, I wouldn't be against seeing Eva Marie back in WWE or, you know, just. I'm just trying to think of some of the girls that I want to beat up again.

[Naomi]

Slap Summer Ray.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Slap. I would love to slap Summer Ray again. But, like, it was so cool seeing the Legends and, you know, like, Victoria. I would love to see Victoria back and, But I mean, there's, Listen, I'm manifesting another evolution is what I'm trying to say. So there will be an Evolution 3 and I'm setting it up and let's just plan it for the same day next year this time.

[Megan Morant]

I love it. The crowd wanted to be there too. I mean, there's a lot going on in Atlanta. There is Beyonce. There's a lot of wrestling this year.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And people showed up for us and it meant the absolute world.

[Megan Morant]

Not only did they fill the seats, but they made their verses, voices heard all throughout the show.

[Natalya Neidhart]

It was so. Everything was so entertaining. And I love that about the Battle Royale was like seeing Nikki and Lola Vice do their booty shake together and, like, seeing, like, Stephanie. Like, the thing is, is that there was entertainment. Whether it was like, it was, it made you feel something. You, you felt something when you watched every single girl have their moment, even from Tatum and Izzy getting eliminated, like, that was shocking. People were like, oh, right, you know, like, that's what I'm. That's what I'm saying about that. That list of. The list of most online harassed people, whether they like you, whether they hate you, they're making noise, they're. They're getting involved, they're engaging, they're cheering, they're booing, they're yelling, they're screaming, they're laughing, but they're watching. And so we saw that tonight. We saw boos, we saw cheers, we saw mostly cheers. And we saw people literally making noise.

[Naomi]

For the women's division, I did notice before we let you go, because I know you're a busy, busy woman, but I did notice that when you talk about, like, like, sort of, you know, the women can still. There are a lot of women that can still go, yes.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah.

[Naomi]

And I feel like even as you're talking about the people in that battle royal that you want to face, it feels like when you can still go, you get almost inspired by that younger crop that's coming in. It's like, no, no, no, this crop isn't here to replace me. This crop is here for another group of women that now I can work with. And I felt that strongly not only in, like, those moments where you saw, like, Lola Weiss and Nikki Bella together, but in the tag match, I felt. And probably it was because there was a positive reaction coming from the audience, which I think is something that Charlotte Flair has been trying to achieve and hasn't gotten there and hasn't gotten there. And tonight it clicked in, But I felt like we. It felt like we got the old Charlotte back tonight. And I think that part of it is that is the audience and part of it is Alexa Bliss, but I also think part of it is having, like, Sol Ruka in there with her and realizing, like, okay, it's time to, like, click into phase two.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah, of course. And also I think it comes down to, like. And this is what I love about this different version of Charlotte is, like, not being afraid to fail. And so I think so much of me. Like, Ashley and I both. I call her Ashley, but we both have grown up around the business where we felt like the. I remember the first time I met Charlotte, we both felt the pressure to be great. And she. The first time I met her, she's like, I just feel like I'm not good enough. And I think that we put them. Charlotte and I have put the most Pressure on ourselves. Because when your dad is Ric Flair or your uncle was Bret Hart or the British Bulldogs, or, you know, my grandfather, my dad, like, I have put so much pressure on myself, and I've spent a lot of my career in this tightly woven ball of like, I gotta be perfect. I gotta be perfect. I gotta be perfect. When Charlotte let the guard. Let her guard down, and you know her, she wrote this really cool Players Tribune article about, like, hey, I'm not perfect. None of us are. It made. It really helped, I think, her connect in a way that she needed to. To the audience where it's like, even, like, again, go back to that shitty worm that I did. But TJ goes. The audience loved it.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And the thing is, is that none of us are perfect. So when you can kind of let your guard down and go, like, I can be great. I can be like, some days I'm awesome. Some days I struggle. Some days I've. You know, she. She said in her article, she's like, I've gained friends, I've lost friends. I've screwed up. I've made mistakes, I've failed. I'm human. And so I think tonight people really, like, were behind her and they were rooting for her because none of us are perfect. And that's so relatable. It's so relatable. And I think Alexa Bliss has brought that out in her. But I also think Charlotte's getting excited about the women that she can work with in the future, like Sol and, like, you know, Zaria. Like, I mean, even just the girls that were in our match, like I said earlier, I'm getting excited about working with Kehlani, Jordan and Jada, Parker and Lash, Legend and Lola, Vice and Izzy and Tatum and all these different women, Stephanie and Julia. People say to me, natty, you've done pretty much everything in WWE. I've wrestled over 65 women I've been in. I got six world records for working my ass off. But here's the thing. I just have so much more I want to do. I want to work with all these different women. And I. I know they're. It's not always going to be easy to get there, but again, this is what inspires us to move the division forward we saw tonight. I do feel like Charlotte was firing on all cylinders, and it was nice to see that scene sparkle in her eye again where she's just let. She doesn't feel like she has to be perfect. The Queen. The Queen. Charlotte had to be perfect. She couldn't Falter. Everything had to be perfect. And I think sometimes getting injured is often it's the best thing to happen to us because it really reminds us of what is important and, and it kind of makes you go, hey, slow down a little bit, stop and smell the roses and realize that like there's layers to this stuff, you know? So tonight was just awesome.

[Naomi]

Awesome.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Rhea and IO by the way, crushed it.

[Naomi]

What a match.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah.

[Naomi]

I mean, and also like before the cash in and everything, I'm just watching. It was a true main event.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yes.

[Naomi]

You know what I mean? It felt like a main event.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah.

[Naomi]

Well, Natty, we appreciate you giving us your time. By the way, you know, Manny is my channel mate. She's my co worker at SiriusXI.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Serious. Yeah.

[Naomi]

Yes. Yes.

[Natalya Neidhart]

I'm turning into a very. I'm turning into like a like Tony Little. I'm selling all sorts of things and I'm talking and I'm getting into it. I like love, I just love doing the show. And like when they asked me to do this tonight, I was like, I cannot wait to jump on. Of course. I've missed you so much. I saw your beautiful little girl. She's adorable. I gotta choke Sam. I gotta see Sam's cool socks. And you guys are both such students of the game. So I love you both. I appreciate you guys. And now I'm getting on a party bus with Bailey and she's brought champagne.

[Naomi]

Oh, don't miss that bus. Don't miss that.

[Natalya Neidhart]

By the way, pictures will be posted on Instagram, so check out my stories.

[Naomi]

Thank you so much for that. Thank you. Natty, you are the best.

[Megan Morant]

You're the best.

[Naomi]

Yes.

[Megan Morant]

Evolution does not happen without superstars like Natalia.

[Natalya Neidhart]

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[Naomi]

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[Natalya Neidhart]

Close your eyes.

[Sam Roberts]

Exhale.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Feel your body relax. And let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh. They're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, sorry.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-contacts.

[Megan Morant]

You know that one friend who somehow knows everything about money?

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Now imagine they live in your phone. Say hey to Experian, your big financial friend. It's the app that helps you check your FICO score, find ways to save, and basically feel like a financial genius.

[Natalya Neidhart]

And guess what?

[Megan Morant]

It's totally free. So go on, download the Experian app. Trust me, having a BFF like this is a total game changer.

[Naomi]

No. And I gotta tell you more about these shirts. You know, we saw the dungeon doll shirt was on display. Don't forget commemorative and amazing. Or you can commemorate an amazing Evolution event with new T shirts right now at WWE Shop and at Fanatics. Whether you're celebrating your favorite legend, like, as we mentioned, Leilani Kai, Jacqueline supporting current stars, whether it's Tatum Paxley, Candice Lerae, the Dungeon Dolls, WWE Shop and Fanatics have you completely covered? And of course, you know, we were just talking about the Naomi match. We're just talking about Naomi cashing in. Mrs. Money in the Bank. Naomi has a new replica Money in the bank briefcase available at WWE Shop and Fanatics that are both signed and unsigned versions for your collection with the caution tape. It's completely customized for Naomi.

[Megan Morant]

I love it.

[Naomi]

And the fact that you can get it signed, it's like, this is again, I'm talking about like it as one of the top. It's one of my favorite cash hands ever. And the idea that you can have that kind of commemorated now with the briefcase is great. So go to WWE Shop or go to Fanatics and check all that out. I really. And we'll talk more. We'll have another guest who's gonna be here on the way, and I don't think that you'll want to miss that guest. She's just slightly unpredictable, so we don't know when she's Gonna come in, but what?

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, we're getting who I think we're getting?

[Naomi]

Well, I don't know. I don't know. It could get unpredictable soon. We'll just proceed with caution in the meantime. But I will tell you this, by the way, that's how this podcast works. I don't tell Megan anything.

[Megan Morant]

Nothing.

[Naomi]

Not one thing. But that's. It's the best.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, I mean, I'm in the dark sometimes, but.

[Naomi]

And you should. And it's fun. Becky Lynch.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, you're putting some respect on her name.

[Naomi]

Becky Lynch. I'll tell you this. Becky lynch successfully defends the Intercontinental Championship against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, who, even though you gotta give Lyra Valkyria a lot of credit, even though the aisle way was specifically slim, she still managed to get them wangs out on a Sunday night.

[Megan Morant]

She did. She had the black wangs.

[Naomi]

She got them wangs out. It wasn't enough, though, and I'll tell you why. I mean, it was a. First of all, it was a great match. It had like three or four different Justified, by the way, this is awesome chance going. It had the whole crowd going crazy for it. There was, you know, so many counters. It felt like as you're watching this match, you're watching the story of three women who have gotten to know each other so well from. From Bailey and Becky, as to the original four horsewomen, to Lyra, who's been a student really, of both Bailey and Becky Lynch. But ultimately, man, Bailey hitting that move and then Becky coming in with the backslide. I respect people who have a psychological strategy for a specific match type. That is a perfect finish for a triple threat match. If the story that you're telling is of a champion who has simply come to an arena to keep their title.

[Megan Morant]

And that's exactly what Becky lynch does. I mean, she's evolving and getting even better, which is hard to believe because she's already the best to ever do it, but she's finding new transitions to. To getting into these pinning combinations or just like, to.

[Naomi]

To realize, like, okay, what I need to know in a triple threat, if this one has knocked out that one, that means that one's knocked out. So all I have to do is knock out this one for 3 seconds. By the way. I didn't need them unconscious.

[Megan Morant]

And you know what I love about watching? I mean, I love watching everything about Becky lynch wrestle.

[Naomi]

Oh, are you a Becky fan?

[Megan Morant]

Huge.

[Naomi]

Oh, okay.

[Megan Morant]

A massive Becky lynch fan. But I love the way that Becky never seems to get flustered. She hits a big move in the match, it's in your fall. That's okay. Throw a disarmer. She never seems to get rattled. She's always moving on to the next thing.

[Naomi]

You're right. What's funny, though, is, like, when you look at this story that has run so. I mean, it goes all the way back to WrestleMania. Becky filling in for Bailey, whom she also attacked, and then also attacking Lyra because Lyra.

[Megan Morant]

Well, because Lyra left.

[Naomi]

Lyra did get pinned and let her down. Lost the tag Team championship. But, I mean, speaking of. Speaking of champions, I told you to proceed with caution.

[Sam Roberts]

You better watch y' all take how.

[Natalya Neidhart]

My voice is gone.

[Naomi]

I mean, your voice can be gone because you are the women's World champion. Naomi is here.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Tell him about it.

[Sam Roberts]

You better tell him about it, baby.

[Naomi]

The champion of the world. There is no briefcase. You don't have to carry it anymore because instead, you have a giant gold belt that says world champion on it. The last time we talked to you at a table like this, you had just won the briefcase. And I don't feel like that was that long ago.

[Sam Roberts]

It wasn't, but I had to strike while the arm was high.

[Naomi]

You did.

[Sam Roberts]

The girl had to do her big one. I had to do what needed to be done.

[Naomi]

And I was telling Megan that. One of the things that I thought made this so amazing was that there wasn't. I'm not talking about Rhea Ripley. I'm not talking about EO Sky. I'm talking about fans. I'm talking about us. I'm talking about the people in that building. They did. Or this building. We're still in it. They did not for a second think, oh, there'll be a Naomi cash in. No, nobody brought it up. I don't even think that anybody associated you and that briefcase with that championship. Everybody was focused over here at the WWE Women's Championship, and all of a.

[Sam Roberts]

Sudden, that's why I'm a genius.

[Naomi]

You're sitting there. The world champion. I mean, how. How does it feel? I mean, for those of you listening, you have a bandage on your nose, and there. There's blood on it.

[Sam Roberts]

That girl tried to end me.

[Naomi]

Shoulder.

[Sam Roberts]

She tried to end me. I'm hurt. I'm banged up. I'm tired.

[Natalya Neidhart]

The.

[Sam Roberts]

The adrenaline is wearing off. So I'm not feeling as good as I did a couple minutes ago. But it was all worth it. It's all worth it to have this sitting on my shoulder.

[Naomi]

I mean, that should probably kick up the adrenaline just Looking at that title again.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, man, it do. I keep going, like, up and down, and then I look at it and I go up.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. I think even the last time we talked to you, I asked you specifically, you know, who are you focused on? And it was Tiffany. The answer was Tiffany, when at that.

[Sam Roberts]

Time it was her. But then, you know, after I learned a little something after the first two you failed Cash ins, I was like, you can't keep doing the same thing expecting a different result. And I think that's the difference in me. I'm paying attention to what ain't working. And if it ain't working, I switch it up. That's why they don't know what to do with me right now, because I keep switching it up.

[Naomi]

Yeah, that's very true. I mean, I don't know I'm even surprised you got the contract out of that briefcase. I saw what appeared to be explosives and firearms being put into that briefcase on social media. I'm sure they found the contract, though, in time to cash it in. I mean, listen, you also have to keep in mind, what you did was you took a show, evolution. There was a show to celebrate the entire women's division. And to me, and I'm sitting there on all these podcasts that I do and the radio show, and I'm going, well, what's going to be great is at the end of evolution, this is what I said. I was ignorant. I said, at the end of evolution, Rhea Ripley will be able to hold up the championship and she'll be back on top of this division. What I didn't realize was that we were gonna have the same vision, but it was going to be somebody else. That evolution of all times is the time that you stand up.

[Sam Roberts]

I am.

[Naomi]

And you're back on top of this division.

[Sam Roberts]

I am the evolution.

[Naomi]

You are the evolution.

[Sam Roberts]

I am.

[Naomi]

I agree.

[Sam Roberts]

My whole journey, everything, I have evolved and adapted and adjusted for 6 years, 16 years. I am the epitome of evolution. And when you look up evolution in the dictionary, I want a picture of me next to that bitch like this.

[Megan Morant]

Better laugh.

[Naomi]

Ride that level. Yeah. I mean, listen, Naomi, we were just having a conversation with Natalia, and she was talking about people finding themselves, people coming into their own, and sometimes, like years in and years in the same way. We were talking about Brett the Hitman hard that it was. I mean, he was in for well over a decade until he found that. That real groove where it's like, oh, this guy is the number one guy in the industry. And Megan and I were talking about it with you the last time that I think a lot of people have said, you're doing your best work right now, and you're doing your best work now as the Women's World champion. At what point did it. Do you feel like this. This clicked in for you?

[Sam Roberts]

Me and Natty talk all. And I learned and got this from Natty. She always says, find your fu.

[Megan Morant]

That's what she said.

[Sam Roberts]

She said, find your fu. And like, I get it. I get it. And I think I found it. It's not like fu as in like, you don't care or it don't matter, but it's just like, find that. Whatever that string is or that thing that fires you up, and that just makes you not give a crap to get to your goals and dreams and where you want to go. I think it's very hard now with social media. When I started, there wasn't even Instagram. So to now be in the time where there's so much criticism and we're already, as performers, hard on ourselves, it can really get to you. It can affect your confidence. It can make you not even want to do this anymore. And you just gotta find. You gotta find your fu. Cut out all the noise and push through and just keep going. If you stop, which that may be good for some in certain situations. Situations. But also on the other side of that, which I. Which I learned during my time away, if you just keep going and see it through, you don't know what could happen, what could change, where you could be, like, wrestling is so amazing and incredible and beautiful in that way. And I think that's what keeps us coming back. Those who understand it and connect in that way. You never know what you can be, what can happen, what can be done. It could be tomorrow, it could be next year. For me, it could be 16 years later. And you don't know. And I think that's what for some. Some of us, I think that's what drives us, that's what fuels us. And I just. I love that saying from Natty, find your fu.

[Naomi]

And I think that it's. It's also worth mentioning that. And I don't know if it goes along with finding your fu, but like this. This version of Naomi, if somebody else were doing the things that you're doing on television, we could look at them as a cartoon character. We could look at them like, and say, this is ridiculous. What is this person who's doing crazy stuff for some reason with you. Not only do we believe it, but everybody's buying in.

[Sam Roberts]

I think we all got a little unhinged in us. Like we're all human. Like, some days shit ain't cool.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And I want to snap. And I think most of the times we contain it and we hold it in and we just push through and we fight another day. But I think that's what I love the most about this character. Because I can release all of that pent up feelings, frustration, stresses anything into this character. Sometimes I'm messing around, but sometimes.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Y'.

[Sam Roberts]

All got the right one today. And sometimes it's very much real. And I think that's what people are.

[Naomi]

People can't figure out the difference.

[Sam Roberts]

But that's the art and the beauty of it. Cause you don't know. You don't know, and you don't need to know.

[Naomi]

That's right.

[Megan Morant]

And we were all.

[Sam Roberts]

But sometimes it is. I'm mad and I'm crazy.

[Naomi]

I want you to remember that. Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Naomi, we were all feeling the glow for such a long time. And the glow was an incredible era of Naomi. But, you know, Sam and I were at Fanatics Fest not too long ago, and there were so many fans cosplayed as Naomi with caution tape wrapped all around them. We were out in the crowd today during your entrance, your music hits. We saw fans completely losing their minds. Now, the glow always got a reaction, but this is something different. You talk about social media and how whenever you try something new, whenever you put something out there, there is feedback, some of it good, some of it bad. When you switched up to this Naomi, what allowed you to really lean in and go there? Because I'm scrolling through my phone every night looking at the tweets you're putting up. And not only are you going there, you're buying property.

[Sam Roberts]

Twitter right now.

[Megan Morant]

So what allowed you to just lean fully in?

[Sam Roberts]

I think I felt I did. And tried my best to do everything so right, so good, so polished. Because that was me. Like, the glow, really, to be honest, the glow is like really me.

[Natalya Neidhart]

It was.

[Naomi]

But what happens when the glow crashes out?

[Sam Roberts]

But in wrestling and in real life, you know, sometimes you gotta. You gotta change. You gotta grow, you know, and succumb to your environment and your circumstances. And I just think through the evolution of that and everything that I've gone through through life and everything just. I started this when I was 21 and just going through life, losing family, losing friends, losing my job at one point, it just changed you. You change as you go through life. And I just got to a point not just in real life, but also in wrestling, where I was like, I can't be glow no more like that. It's just. I love her. She's still in there. But right now, this chapter of life where I'm at, somebody else got to show up.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And cut up and handle business, and that's where we at now. And I. And I think it's. I think it's cool because that's also a part of me as well now at this stage in this age and then this part of my career. And, you know, that's just y' all on the ride with me, and I appreciate it.

[Naomi]

Does this title feel different from when you've been. You've been smackdown Women's Champion? Does this women's World Championship feel different than those did?

[Sam Roberts]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Even though it feels similar. Because even the first championship, even that first ring, it took a lot of work. It took me, like, six years to get there, and that was cool, and I appreciate it. And I. And I love that journey as well. But this one just. Just hits different because.

[Natalya Neidhart]

I just.

[Sam Roberts]

Nobody saw it coming. Not even myself.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

You know, returning, I knew I wanted to be better and do things and grow and. But it wasn't like I have to be, you know, like, I just. I was finding it and enjoying that process and journey, and I know I knew I wanted to give my all and be my best. If that meant becoming a champion again, which we all want, that's you. You should want that, you know. Hell, yeah. But if not, I was also happy with being here and starting back from the bottom, working my way to the top and just being surrounded by so many great athletes. And, man, the newer and younger talent are just on a whole nother whole. Nother level. It's a whole nother wave. It's a whole nother era. And so just to still be here, be in the mix, to have this and be. And be trusted with that, with that role.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Sheesh.

[Sam Roberts]

It's. That's what makes it better than the first time.

[Naomi]

It makes sense. And I'm sure you're feeling that same way when you realize. Right. And I don't know if you took the moment to realize it or not, but when you're standing in the ring and you've won the World championship and the match that you interrupted and the people that you took that title from, It's Ripley.

[Sam Roberts]

Jeez.

[Naomi]

And it's EO Sky. These are, like, you know, tippity top of the industry, and there you are standing above both of them.

[Sam Roberts]

Clock it.

[Naomi]

There it is.

[Sam Roberts]

Hey, y'.

[Naomi]

All.

[Sam Roberts]

Proceed with caution. Ain't no gimmick. Gotta watch out.

[Naomi]

What do you. And this is an experience that most of us will never have, but you have had. When you're lying on the ground, there's a big metal toolbox falling from the sky about to hit you. Well, I mean, what do you. I mean, is that. Is that fight or flight that kicks in? Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Pure terror. The hell it's. I don't know, 60 pounds coming down on your head.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Any. Any second delay, I'm out of there.

[Naomi]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

[Sam Roberts]

Your girl gonna be healed.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

That's terrifying.

[Naomi]

I mean, can you imagine that? These are the options.

[Sam Roberts]

And y' all think I'm nasty, right? Y' all think I'm crazy. Y' all think I'm bad. I ain't trying to drop no toolbox on nobody head.

[Megan Morant]

Well, you did put her through a windshield on a car.

[Sam Roberts]

It's just a little push. She all right.

[Naomi]

That's true. That's true. No, no, no. And she'll be okay. Now you're. Now you're.

[Megan Morant]

Go ahead.

[Naomi]

I mean, if you're thirsty. If you're thirsty, crack that open. Just wrap it up. Are you. I mean, I guess you're now on the Raw roster. Is that right?

[Sam Roberts]

I'm where I need to be.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, yeah, obviously. Cause I gotta. You know, I'm saying.

[Naomi]

Yeah, that's a. That's.

[Sam Roberts]

I'm about to create pure hell and havoc over there. I can't wait. Cuz I always feel like Raw did me dirty. I ain't never had no success over there on Raw, so. Yeah, I want to. I want to turn that around. I got some stuff I need to.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Go do over there.

[Naomi]

Yeah. Yeah. And I feel like you haven't been in the conversation with the women that have been over there.

[Megan Morant]

Nah.

[Sam Roberts]

And they.

[Naomi]

They.

[Sam Roberts]

We about to have some good conversations.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

It's a new big mama in town.

[Megan Morant]

Oh.

[Naomi]

And you would have thought that the whole thing here be like, oh, what's next with Jade Cargill? What about you and Bianca Belair at this point?

[Sam Roberts]

Dang. Bianca did me dirty tonight. She's. Yeah, I'm done with her. We're done.

[Megan Morant]

Done.

[Sam Roberts]

Nasty work. Yeah, we. That's another com. That's another podcast.

[Naomi]

You're mad.

[Sam Roberts]

Give me. Give me another session so I can talk about her.

[Naomi]

Okay.

[Sam Roberts]

Cuz, why was she counting so slow?

[Naomi]

You thought she was?

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yes.

[Naomi]

Yeah, because I saw even like you were at the. The beginning of the Match being like, hey, it's good.

[Sam Roberts]

That was inho.

[Megan Morant]

I saw you were in her social media comments, too, tagging her a bunch. Really?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. I don't want to talk about her right now.

[Naomi]

Okay, well, you won't have to anymore. You're gonna be busy on Mondays now.

[Sam Roberts]

I am. I love that. For me, you're the champion.

[Naomi]

You're the champion. Congratulations. Congratulations. Naomi, I want you to go. I want you to celebrate.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, yeah.

[Naomi]

We appreciate you giving us some of your time.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Thank you.

[Naomi]

You have had the night of all nights. But all's well that ends well.

[Sam Roberts]

Thank you.

[Naomi]

And there you are, the world champion.

[Sam Roberts]

I got a couple parties. I'm throwing a party at the Waffle House. I'm going to Bulldogs. And I think Quo got something jumping later on. I'm about to run up over there. Oh, wow. So say you got my number. I'mma text you.

[Megan Morant]

You going to pull up. I might have now you, girl.

[Natalya Neidhart]

You.

[Sam Roberts]

You stop. Bald face.

[Natalya Neidhart]

Like, you ain't coming, girl.

[Sam Roberts]

Bye. Don't play me all that well.

[Megan Morant]

I do love Waffle House, so, you know, maybe I get you a little.

[Sam Roberts]

All Star special now. I could afford a little All Star. I. I can afford a little more.

[Naomi]

I got the.

[Sam Roberts]

The title now.

[Naomi]

Oh, yeah. It's the champion's purse.

[Megan Morant]

That's right.

[Naomi]

Get the All Star special.

[Sam Roberts]

I'mma text you.

[Megan Morant]

All right.

[Naomi]

Thank you.

[Megan Morant]

Congrats, Naomi.

[Naomi]

Naomi, you are the best.

[Megan Morant]

Love you. Bye.

[Naomi]

Congratulations. There goes the champ. I mean, what a night. Megan. Unbelievable. You can hear her jingling as she leaves the room. But that's the jingling of razor blades. Razor blades. Many, many razor blades connected to her gear that she's wearing.

[Megan Morant]

Well, that's this version of Naomi.

[Naomi]

Yeah, I think it really is the.

[Megan Morant]

Gear always delivered, even in the GLOW era. But I do love the intensity of this gear.

[Naomi]

Yeah, it really, really is a special thing.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, she's coming back.

[Naomi]

You all right? Oh, she's lost.

[Megan Morant]

Okay.

[Naomi]

She's a little lost, but. Well. No, you got it, Naomi. Thank you. I've got to imagine. I hope. I hope we'll find out tomorrow on Raw Recap, where Tops now lands with evolution. I got my fingers crossed for Naomi cashing in the briefcase successfully. The first Naomi is world Champion card. Maybe we'll get it. I tell you, you know, because tops down, we talk about all the time, all the time here on the show. They capture all these. All these amazing milestones and moments that happen on the. On the biggest shows, you know, they did. I show speed getting speared By Braun Breaker. I got the Dominic Mysterio winning the Intercontinental Championship. I got that one.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, I'm sure you'll get a title defense one any, any time now.

[Naomi]

They did a Logan Paul John Cena card. They did a. There's a. There's a ton. A CM Punk John Cena card. I got that one too. Cause who knows, some of them, if you're lucky, you order them, they're available for like three days sometimes. If you order them, you get them. If not, they'll never be printed again. They're printed in the amount that is ordered. And then of course, they make the parallels, different colors, numbered editions, autographed editions, all kinds of stuff. But Topps now is announcing that they're releasing a Goldberg card, celebrating his retirement during Saturday night's main event. And Stephanie is getting a card after winning tonight's Evolution Battle Royal. Stephanie Vacair will have a card from Topps now. You can also grab the Evolution poster card, which you can get until Monday at 3pm Eastern. Just make sure that you're following ops on social and sign up for notifications so you don't miss out on any big moment cards that are coming in because you never know when they're going to drop another one. Tune in on Monday or Monday night, Tuesday morning to Raw recap, where we're going to have more details and images of all the cards coming out from this weekend's events. Saturday night's main event, Evolution. I mean, who. What? I think that there is so much to talk about with, with the performance that Trish Stratus put in, even though it was Tiffany Stratton that ended up getting the victory.

[Megan Morant]

We're still on Tiffy time.

[Naomi]

Yeah, we are still on tiffy time. I mean, and now it's like, I guess it'll be Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton at SummerSlam. Is that where we're headed to next? That's a wild. Yeah, that's a wild match. Not one that I would have like penciled in. But yeah, now that Jade Cargill's got Naomi, I mean, out of the way, or Naomi has Jade Cargill out of the way. Jade beat Naomi, but Naomi's the champion, so I don't know who ends up.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, I mean, Bianca Belair, Jimmy. She doesn't have the opportunity at SummerSlam, but Bianca Belair is back in the.

[Naomi]

Mix maybe, right 100 if Bianca Belair is on the active roster, Bianca Belair is in the conversation for world title matches.

[Megan Morant]

I think so.

[Naomi]

But as long as Bianca's on smackdown. I don't know if she'll get a crack at Naomi's new World Championship. As a matter of fact, I would imagine that both IYO sky and Rhea Ripley are going to be looking at Naomi as a potential match, but I'm sure a lot of people are. It's fairly unpredictable. I did very much enjoy the four way tag match. I thought, like I was talking to Natalia about. I really thought we saw a different side of Charlotte. I thought those gears kicked in. I don't know if it's Alexa Bliss. I don't know if it's that Players Tribune article. I don't know if it's the people she's in the ring with. I don't know if it's a combination of everything.

[Megan Morant]

Well, you talked about how she's been trying to get a reaction from the crowd. She's been trying to get the crowd to cheer for her. And when she was.

[Naomi]

Charlotte thinks she's a babyface.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Naomi]

And the crowd said, I don't think you're a babyface. We're gonna boo you.

[Megan Morant]

That's right.

[Naomi]

But tonight, tonight, tonight at Evolution to get tagged in, bro, Charlotte's a babyface.

[Megan Morant]

And the entire crowd is chanting, we want Charlotte. And we did. We wanted Charlotte. And finally, when she gets tagged in by Alexa Bliss, in case you forgot, right, that Charlotte Flair is one of the best to ever do it, you are quickly reminded tonight, everybody's coming at.

[Naomi]

Her and she's going, boom, boom, boom. Ate a Soul Snatcher, which was amazing. I still don't understand the physics of that move. I don't like. I sit there, every Soul Snatcher I see, I'm going like, frame by frame, like this is a pruder film trying to figure out exactly how a human body does this. I have not figured it out yet, but it wasn't enough. How about Charlotte saving Alexa Bliss?

[Megan Morant]

That for me was. I mean, I was sitting next to you on the floor and I said, I really want Charlotte and Alexa to win. So when they didn't win the match.

[Naomi]

Part of me was blind. I said this. I said, nah, it's a judgment day, baby.

[Megan Morant]

Of course you did, because you're trying to join the Judgment Day.

[Naomi]

Yeah, that's right.

[Megan Morant]

And so when the Judgment Day retains, I said, oh, I love the match, but I really wanted to see Charlotte and Alexa. But Sam, I know they say they're.

[Naomi]

Not friends, they felt a little friendy.

[Megan Morant]

But Charlotte saved Alexa and friends save their friends. So I think that they're trending upward and I'm excited to see what comes next for them.

[Naomi]

How about the level to which Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez were working together? It was like they had been teaming for years tonight.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. That's interesting, too, because Raquel has been a little bit reluctant to totally let Roxanne in.

[Naomi]

Yeah. And Liv Morgan hasn't been thrilled about it either.

[Megan Morant]

No. They've had a whole shrine for her in the Judgment Day.

[Naomi]

Cats away, the mice will play.

[Megan Morant]

Is that what Dominic says?

[Naomi]

Bro, I've seen some pictures of Dominic. I was talking to Nikki Bell about Dominic. I was talking.

[Megan Morant]

You were talking to Nikki Bell a lot. Wow.

[Naomi]

Nikki Bell and I have a lot to talk about.

[Megan Morant]

Do you?

[Naomi]

Yeah. We both love wrestling.

[Megan Morant]

That's what it's about.

[Naomi]

Big wrestling people.

[Megan Morant]

Okay.

[Naomi]

That's all that is. Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

I'm happy for you.

[Naomi]

Yeah. Thank you. I love having wrestling friends. Jordan Grace, not only the muscle muffin, the muscle. I can't call her that. I don't know her like that. But not only.

[Megan Morant]

She'd call Nikki Bella that.

[Naomi]

That's not her name. Her name's Nikki Bella. Regardless, Jordan Grace not only tastes that cold sting of defeat, and again, I feel like everybody came in doubting J.C. jane. It was a mistake. I did. J.C. jane not only wins the match, but Jordyn Grace lost the match and more importantly, lost a friend, Blake Monroe, with the turn of the cinch.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And, you know, you talked about the main event. It was like, oh, at the end of Evolution, we're going to see Rhea Ripley hoisting the title. Because this is really what we've been waiting for. Ria to be back on top, Mommy to be back on top. Ever since Jordan Grace joined the NXT roster, we've been waiting for Jordan Grace to become a champion. And I assumed that this was going to happen. At Evolution, we saw Jordan Grace go through glamour training. I thought, like, you know, this partnership with Blake Monroe is going to be really great for Jordan Grace, because I haven't really. We know Blake Monroe does some tremendous character work, and I wanted to see what she would bring out in Jordan Grace. And I was just so excited for this friendship moving forward. Did not see the losing of a friend coming, especially after all the glamour training.

[Naomi]

You gotta. You gotta look at the tapes. You gotta do your tape study and realize that Blake Monroe, in another life, has always been somebody that, you know, you don't want to put your full trust in. We'll just put it that way, man. Evolution was a once in a lifetime mega event. But you know, that's not to say there aren't once in a lifetime mega events happening this year still to come. For instance, we're here. How about the end of the summer? How about. How about Saturday, September 13th? You know what's happening on Saturday, September 13th? Of course you do. It's the undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez facing undefeated three division king Terrance Bud Crawford in a historic clash that transcends titles. It goes down again on Saturday, September 13th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Much like evolution, Canelo Crawford is going to be a once in a lifetime event that marks the beginning of a bold new era in boxing. The best news about all of it is you can register for access to pre sale tickets before they go on sale to the general [e-mail] boxing. That's WWE. There is so much exciting stuff happening right now, but I wanted to make sure that we shouted out all the legends that we saw in attendance tonight. By the way, I guess somebody must have got the word out that Evolution was ladies night because Mark Henry was in the house. You know, I couldn't. Mark Henry was here?

[Natalya Neidhart]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

I was kind of wondering, what is Mark Henry doing here?

[Naomi]

Oh, we know what Mark Henry is doing here.

[Megan Morant]

Okay.

[Naomi]

Mark Henry was in the house. Always good to see Mark Henry, but I mean, I mean, Vickie Guerrero, not only Vickie Guerrero, but Vickie Guerrero drop in and excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. Seeing Jazz, seeing Ivory, Jacqueline, Maryse, Torrie, Wilson, Molina, Molly Holly, Alundra Blaze, Leilani Kai. If there's anybody that I haven't mentioned, I apologize. Cherry was back stage with Natalia. I mean, it was an absolutely epic, amazing, legendary night where we see these superstars who paved the way from the past. We see these superstars that have been working tirelessly for years now to really lay the foundation of this division. We see the present superstars that have made such a huge impact and elevated this division to places where we never thought it would go. And we saw the future that will continue to clearly elevate this division to places that it has absolutely never been. Megan, what was your. Because you were all over the place. One of the many women in the WWE that wear many hats that are invaluable to the way everything gets done here. What was. What were your takeaways? What was your big takeaway from getting to not only see but be a part of Evolution?

[Megan Morant]

I loved the video package that played right at the top of the show. It displayed a lot of what you're talking about the superstars that paved the way and how we got here. And, you know, women's wrestling is at such a high level right now, but all of wrestling is. And you look at a lot of these shows, and sometimes there's not a whole lot of time to tell all of these stories for all of these women to find their way on the card. Tonight, there was that time. And, you know, as we're watching it, it wasn't like, oh, this is great for women. This was great for wrestling. These were. This was a great show from top to bottom. I mean, they were great matches. They weren't just great women's matches.

[Naomi]

They were an awesome wrestling show.

[Megan Morant]

That's right.

[Naomi]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

And that's the biggest takeaway for me.

[Naomi]

I love that. That's a perfect takeaway. Megan, you're the best. You guys are the best. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast feed everywhere. You get podcasts across all audio platforms. Apple, Spotify. Watch the podcast if you'd like. On the WWE's YouTube channel, hit like, leave a comment. We will see you tomorrow when we're back to recap yet another show. This time, it's Monday Night Raw. See you then.