WWE Armchair Booking: How to Maximize Naomi's Heel Turn

Vexation inspired Naomi to join the heel ranks. WWE can ride that emotion for months, allowing fans to watch a warrior unwind.

Even as sudden and out of nowhere as Naomi's turn was, it will work. She has a clear goal and is already shining with a darker persona.

To make this move as effective as it can be, WWE Creative needs to rile her up even more. Naomi has to fail more and have that failure drive her off the edge. That's how to most compel with this story.

Giving her the title right away would do the narrative a disservice.

A heel-heavy Divas division forces her to challenge another heel, but the company also needs to find babyfaces to oppose her—especially if Paige is out of action for a significant stretch.

Climb to Contention

Naomi's desire to get a title shot made her attack Paige on Monday's Raw. That ambush has left the No. 1 challenger sidelined with storyline injuries.

WWE announced on its website that Paige suffered internal injuries and "Paige's doctors have advised her not to compete until further notice." Many assume that is a way to allow Paige to go shoot Santa's Little Helper with The Miz.

In theory, that should just put Naomi into the title match at Extreme Rules automatically. However, making her work for that opportunity, making her anger more apparent is the more exciting option.

On Raw, Natalya, Emma, Alicia Fox and Cameron face off in a Fatal 4-Way elimination match. The announcers talk about how big of a win this would be for these women. They hint at a future title shot coming the victor's way.

Fox takes out Cameron right away. Emma uses a schoolboy pin to get a cheap fall over Fox. She then upsets Natalya to walk way the winner.

Just as she starts her trademark dance to celebrate, Naomi comes storming in.

Credit: WWE.com

She peppers Emma with right hands and then flings her out of the ring. Fox approaches her, trying to calm her down. Naomi floors her with a dropkick. The former Funkadactyl then attacks everyone in sight. She screams into a microphone that she's tired of being left out.

"Why wasn't I in this match? Why am I being left out?" she says.

WWE later announces that Paige is too injured to compete at Extreme Rules. It will have another Battle Royal to decide the No. 1 contender, this time on SmackDown.

Naomi is livid. She storms around backstage, demanding to get that crack at Nikki Bella without this Battle Royal.

When SmackDown arrives, the ring announcer introduces Summer Rae. Summer's music comes on, but no one comes out. After a moment of confusion, the announcer moves on to Cameron. She doesn't come out to the ring either.

The cameras cut to backstage. Several Divas are out cold on the floor in the dressing room.

Renee Young reports that Naomi went on a rampage and left all these women in her wake.

Only Emma and Naomi are left to fight the Battle Royal. They clash in the ring, with Naomi dominating. Emma has a flurry of offense but eventually finds herself flying over the top rope.

Naomi is set for her showdown with Nikki.

A Chance Slips Away 

Naomi knocks Nikki around for much of the match. She dictates the pace. She shows off a nastier, more aggressive side.

Nikki, meanwhile, plays the coward, trying to slip out of the ring several times over. The champion is in retreat for the most part but manages to cheat her way to brief control of the match.

Credit: WWE.com

The fight eventually spills outside.

This is where Naomi looks her best. Her new attitude has her focused, seething and willing to do anything to win. She hurls Nikki into the barricade and leaps off the announce table to dropkick the champ in the sternum.

After nailing the headscissors driver on Nikki, Naomi looks destined to win. She lifts a limp Nikki and tosses her into the ring.

The trouble is, she does so just as the referee counts to 10. And just like Batista against Edge at Vengeance: Night of Champions, she causes her own defeat.

While Brie Bella attends to her sister, Naomi is throwing a hissy fit of massive proportions. She clangs a steel chair against the ring post and throws a video monitor into the ring steps.

The roster's babyfaces are going to suffer her wrath as a result.

Continued Frustration

An enraged Naomi then sets out to put a hurting on the rest of the division. Whenever another woman is in position to gain any momentum toward title contention, Naomi is right there, ready to strike.

Tamina Snuka makes her return and is closing in on a non-title win over Nikki when Naomi attacks her. Summer and Cameron prepare to do battle one night, and Naomi chases them out of the ring with a chair.

Naomi continues to wreak havoc. She refuses to have any more official matches because she feels she has already proved herself. She makes it mighty difficult for her peers to step in the ring as well.

"No one should be allowed to climb this division until I get a fair shot. Nikki escaped at Extreme Rules. I deserve another shot," she barks.

She is in the midst of assaulting Emma one night when Paige returns. Done with filming the WWE Studios movie, the former Divas champ saves her former NXT cohort. There is plenty of fire to build on between Paige and Naomi at this point.

Credit: WWE.com

Naomi put Paige on the shelf. Paige threatens to step in front of Naomi in the line to take on Nikki. A feud ensues, one that overlaps with a story involving the champ.

A Triple Threat match for the belt awaits the next pay-per-view, with Naomi challenging to be the division's top heel at this point. Have Paige win and make Naomi chase her or let Naomi take home the crown and have her fend off the company's babyfaces—including a promoted Charlotte.

Either way, Naomi's rage gets turned into added spotlight.