After being off television for six months, Naomi returned at WWE Royal Rumble to much fan support and a new look.
Instead of her usual straight hair, Naomi showed off her natural hair at the Royal Rumble, a decision that she didn't take lightly and something she had been wanting to do for a long time.
"It was a conscious decision," Naomi said on New Day: Feel The Power. "That's something I've always been proud of and have always been aware of, to represent women like me, our culture, and our people. Not just being a feminist or being a woman, but also because I am black and I look the way I look and talk the way I talk, there are people who connect with me differently and identify with me because of those things. I remember when I first came in and I wanted to wear my natural hair and they were like, 'We want you to look this way.' I showed them an old picture and I had long, straight hair, and that's the look they were wanting me to go with. I was like, 'That's fine, to get in the door and to get where I need to go, I'll look the part and be the part, but once I make it, I'm going to be me.' I finally feel like I got to that point of, 'I don't care, like it or don't like it, I'm rocking my hair like this.' With everything going on, that's something I wanted to do, not just for myself, but for the culture, to show we're beautiful. It was something that needed to be seen and done, a lot was said without being said."
Fans have been clamoring to see more Naomi on SmackDown, even starting a #NaomiDeservesBetter hashtag following the July 17 WWE SmackDown after Naomi lost to Lacey.
When discussing the fan support, Naomi said, "I'm really grateful for the career I've had and the moments. The beautiful thing about this job is you can never stop growing. If you really love it and are into it, you will always want more and want to elevate and continue to get better. That's where I'm at now. I feel like there is more to show and more to prove and more to do. That lets me know that I'm not done yet and I still love it and I'm still here."
The hashtag caused some controversy online, with Booker T saying Naomi doesn't "deserve" chance and instead needs to earn it on merit. You can view his full comments, and Naomi's response, by clicking here.
Naomi competed in the Tri-Brand battle royal on Friday's SmackDown, but was eliminated by Lacey Evans.
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