Steve Carrier on January 20, 2026
Michael Hayes found himself at the center of a social media firestorm after comments he made about Naomi’s controversial 2022 WWE walkout aired during the January 20, 2026 episode of WWE Unreal Season 2.
What was meant to be a reflective moment for Naomi quickly shifted into online outrage when Hayes, a longtime WWE producer, criticized her decision to leave the company while still holding the Women’s Tag Team Championships alongside then-partner Mercedes Moné (formerly Sasha Banks).
“I was very surprised and shocked that Trin decided to get up and walk out. That’s the wrong thing to do. That’s just the wrong thing to do. You work the show and you work the show not because you don’t want to then. It’s for down the line when things cool off.”
That one quote was enough to ignite intense backlash, and by the start of the day, Michael Hayes was trending on Twitter. Fans were quick to push back against what many viewed as a tone-deaf response to a deeply personal decision.
Naomi had explained her perspective earlier in the same episode, saying the walkout was about reclaiming her voice—not just her booking.
“I’m not going to go too much into detail, but in 2022 my tag team partner Sasha Banks and I were the tag team champions at the time. A lot happened that day at work that led us to leave—literally walk out.”
She added that the decision wasn’t made as her on-screen persona but as a woman taking control of her future.
“I needed to stand up for myself, not as Naomi, but as Trinity. And that was the first time in my life and my career that I wasn’t employed and didn’t know what to do next or where to go next.”
But Hayes’ remarks seemingly dismissed that journey—and fans were not having it. One user fired back by pointing to Hayes’ own history:
“Hayes missed a lot of shows when he called Mark Henry the n-word. He should probably zip his mouth up on this topic.”
Another user didn’t hold back:
“Saying the N word to your Black colleagues and still keeping your job was the wrong thing to do, Michael.”
The anger only grew from there, with fans accusing Hayes of upholding the same power dynamics Naomi was trying to escape:
“Racist, old white guy mentioned in a sex trafficking lawsuit trying to tell a Black woman, who stood up for herself, what’s right and wrong.”
“How dare our talent refuse to be disrespected?! They should take the disrespect, put their bodies on the line for us, do what we want them to do and then move on with no apology!”
Several fans felt WWE used the docuseries not to support Naomi and Moné, but to rewrite the narrative and justify the company’s stance:
“This whole episode pissed me off because all it was is them trying to make Truth look like a liar with the contract thing… and him chastising Naomi’s walk out decision. WWE did them dirty and wanted them to be ok with it.”
By night’s end, Michael Hayes was the target of a widespread callout campaign, with posts like:
“Wish he could shut his old ass up.”
“Shut the f*ck up, Michael.”
“Hey so, fu*k Michael Hayes actually.”
What began as a look back at a pivotal WWE moment has now reopened old wounds, especially regarding how Black talent—and Black women in particular—are treated when they push back.
Do you think Michael Hayes crossed a line with his comments? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
1 hour ago
Disqus Comments Loading...