# Naomi Opens Up About Her 2022 WWE Departure: \"I Thought I Was Done\"
**Current WWE Women\'s World Champion reflects on walking away, finding herself, and returning stronger than ever**
WWE Women\'s World Champion Naomi has revealed the raw emotions behind her controversial 2022 departure from WWE, admitting she genuinely believed her wrestling career was over.
\"I thought I didn\'t want to wrestle anymore… I thought I was done,\" Naomi confessed during a recent appearance on Stephanie McMahon\'s \"What\'s Your Story?\" podcast alongside her husband, Jimmy Uso.
## A Time for Self-Reflection
The champion described her time away as a crucial period of self-reflection that ultimately transformed her approach to the business. \"It was the first time… I had the chance to stop, rethink, redefine, and figure out what I really wanted next,\" she explained.
Naomi\'s journey included a successful run in TNA Wrestling, which Jimmy Uso praised as showcasing \"the most authentic we\'ve ever seen Trinity.\" The experience outside WWE proved pivotal in rebuilding her confidence and purpose.
## Finding Her Purpose
\"I have never quit anything in my life… I wanted a better ending—for my parents, my stepkids, for legacy,\" Naomi stated, revealing the deeper motivations driving her return.
The champion also addressed overcoming self-doubt, a battle that previously hindered her career. \"I let [the self-doubt voice] win before—now I fight it,\" she declared.
## An Intentional Return
Her intentional approach to her current run has paid dividends. \"When I came back, I was ready… refreshed… intentional on what I wanted this time to be like.\"
Naomi\'s story reflects a broader evolution in how female wrestlers navigate their careers, with the champion noting that \"women are showing if I wanted to stop and have a baby, we can do it—gracefully.\"
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*Source: What\'s Your Story? With Steph McMahon*
