Straight Fire – Are WWE Overlooking Becky Lynch? – by Mike Sanchez
I’ve said on many occasion that one of the highlights of the current WWE product for me is the Women’s Division. I’ve waxed lyrical about it here, and make no apologies for doing so. It’s awesome. But for me, I want to see more Becky Lynch. Lots more.
Last week I wrote a column on Paige and her impact in WWE during her short time as an active member of the roster. In that piece, I noted that the transition from Divas Division to Women’s Division wasn’t all on her shoulders, though she played a major part in it. I referenced the Four Horsewomen of WWE who rose through NXT and became the leaders of the new breed of women’s wrestlers on the main roster. The four women (Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch) have each made their mark on WWE, and three still are, but I get the feeling Becky has become a bit of an afterthought and I’m not happy about it.
No disrespect to Charlotte Flair, who has deservedly held the Women’s Title on multiple occasions, or Bayley and Sasha (who came to WWE from NXT with a bang, yet find themselves in an awkward feud that hasn’t really culminated in anything as of right now), but Becky is in the shadows and WWE haven’t moved on with her. Granted, she was the inaugural Smackdown Women’s Champion, but since dropping the belt, she’s dropped down the rankings and I can’t understand why. Her mini-feud with James Ellsworth was great at the time, and proved she’s one of the most adaptable stars on the roster.
This past week saw the Superstar Shakeup. I followed with interest and find the trades and returning stars a good move in ‘freshening up’ the main roster. When Asuka switched over to Smackdown Live, it meant we get to see her feud with Charlotte continue at a later time, and that made sense to me. With Ronda Rousey on Raw, it’s fair to say WWE needed to spread out their top tier women’s wrestlers, so naturally, I, like many others, expected the underused Becky to be traded to Raw and feud with the women over there. But it didn’t happen.
Why should it have happened, you ask? Because Becky Lynch is awesome. That’s’ why. Smackdown Live is top-heavy with Charlotte and Asuka on the show. The introduction of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, though a surprise, doesn’t fill me with excitement. Charlotte could tear both girls apart, and their bully tactics are quickly becoming tiresome. If Becky was going to stay on the blue brand, would it not make sense to have her help out her good friend Charlotte – only with a heel turn down the line, or have Becky herself come out and begin a feud with the former champ? Anything just to get her on the show and back in the spotlight.
I’m not out to criticise Royce or Kay – they’re just starting out on Smackdown Live, so I’m willing to give them every opportunity – but I can’t shake the feeling that WWE doesn’t know what to do with Becky. I can’t understand why; she’s popular with the crowd and fans, her music is different, her look is unique (nobody else rocks Steampunk like that) and she has a tremendous wrestling pedigree. Perhaps this is just going to be a quiet period for her for a few months, but her staying on Smackdown only leads me to believe she’ll be lost in the large shadows being cast by Charlotte and Asuka. Couple that with Carmella now holding the Women’s Title, plus the addition of the new blood in Royce and Kay, and Becky really has a ladder to climb to get back on top. In fact, only three women were drafted to Smackdown Live from Raw; Asuka, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville – the latter two would be new opponents, but surely just fodder for Becky?
Had she been drafted to Raw, I doubt Becky would’ve gone straight into a feud with Rousey, but there would’ve been plenty of fresh opportunities both for her to take advantage of and for us to see. Becky Lynch vs Ember Moon? Sasha Banks? Nia Jaxx? Bayley? Mickie James? How about a few matches with Rousey? Becky as one of the more experienced wrestlers on the roster would do great there. A tough, hard-hitting style match that would be a real crowd pleaser.
Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself and there are plans down the line to have Becky top of the tree again and a major player on the blue brand. She’s with arguably two of the best women’s wrestlers in the last 10-15 years in Asuka and Charlotte, so perhaps WWE will see sense and throw Becky into the mix. Does that mean turning heel? I hope not – purely because I much prefer Charlotte as the heel, she’s incredible in that role. A heel Charlotte vs a face Becky is always a great show. Whatever the plans, I just hope WWE keep Becky Lynch on our TVs and on the PPVs. She‘s far too good of a talent to be sidelined. She’s a fantastic athlete, a popular figure and straight fire when it comes to passion. Best of luck Becky. Go get ’em.