Naomi Set for WWE Raw Return After Mysterious Absence from Title Defense

Naomi’s sudden removal from her WWE Women’s World Title defense on the August 11 episode of Raw left fans scratching their heads — but she’s not staying silent for long. WWE has confirmed that Naomi will appear on the August 18 episode of Monday Night Raw, and it’s expected she’ll finally address her absence.

The announcement came during the August 15 broadcast of SmackDown, ending a week-long mystery that fueled speculation both inside and outside the WWE locker room.

Naomi was originally slated to defend her title against IYO SKY, but just hours before showtime, WWE pulled her from the match and issued a statement saying she was “not medically cleared.” That vague explanation raised plenty of eyebrows, especially since Naomi had been actively promoting the match over the weekend.

Natalya offered a glimpse behind the curtain during her appearance on Busted Open Radio, though even she didn’t have all the details.

“Especially for the locker room, it’s one of those things that — well, somebody will know what’s going on,” Natalya said. “In this situation, like, Naomi is a really close friend of mine but I just feel like it’s a time right now where she needs space.”

Nattie kept things respectful and stopped short of revealing too much, but she suggested it wasn’t a negative issue — just a deeply personal one.

“So usually when something crazy is going on, I don’t think it’s crazy in a bad way — but I think that obviously, it’s private. It’s personal. I feel like she will talk about it when she’s ready to talk about it, but I know she would have loved to have wrestled IYO.”

In Naomi’s absence, IYO SKY faced Lyra Valkyria in a non-title match. Still, fans have been waiting for some kind of explanation — and now it looks like Naomi herself may be ready to speak.

As of now, Naomi is still scheduled to defend her title against Stephanie Vaquer at WWE Clash in Paris, and her Raw appearance this Monday could give fans the clarity they’ve been waiting for.

Whatever’s going on behind the scenes, Naomi’s return to Raw signals she’s ready to get back in the spotlight — and maybe even tell her side of the story.

Do you think Naomi will reveal the truth on Raw, or is WWE keeping tight control of the narrative? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below.