During an appearance on What’s Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon, WWE Superstar Naomi opened up about the evolution of women’s wrestling and how the current generation of female stars who are also mothers has inspired her and reshaped the perception of what is possible for women in the industry.
Naomi, a 16-year WWE veteran, reflected on how different the landscape was when she started her career.
She admitted that taking time off to start a family and then returning to the ring was not seen as a viable option at the time. “The women, I always felt like I had this time crunch on me,” Naomi said. “But now the women are showing and I really feel like, if I wanted to stop and go have a baby, we can do it… 16 years ago, you didn’t feel like you could do that. That’s for sure. I feel like it was a wrap. Yeah, baby, you’re done.”
Naomi credited legends like Trish Stratus and current stars such as Becky Lynch for proving that women can have both a family and a successful wrestling career. “She inspires me, yeah, especially now Becky,” Naomi said. “They’re doing it so gracefully… and it is hard, it is, it’s not easy. I see the lows, but they get through it, and they’re better for it, and they’re inspiring so many women, and I think that’s just incredible.”
She revealed that these examples have influenced her and her husband, Jimmy Uso, to consider starting a family—something they seriously discussed during her recent time away from WWE. “Because when she stepped away… it was family talk. We was thinking about starting,” Jimmy shared. “Because when she left, it was like, ‘All right, I think I’m done wrestling.’ But then, like, she said, something lit up in, ‘I’m not done yet.’”
Stephanie McMahon praised Naomi for being a role model herself. “I hope you understand you are that too,” McMahon said. “I mean, you are beyond a shadow of a doubt. Setting that example, you are inspiring future generations right now.”
The full interview can be viewed below.
