Let’s Steal the Show

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka

TLC match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship

The road to TLC.

After being sidelined for Survivor Series thanks to a sloppy punch, Becky..ahem..The Man made her return to SD Live. Becky went toe-to-toe with Charlotte, accusing her of stealing her gimmick and coming for her title.

“You just went from copying your old man, to copying THE Man. You’re a bootleg Becky trying to take what’s mine again and I won’t have it.”

The Queen punched back and it was clear (thank god) that their one awkward hug before Survivor Series wasn’t going to derail their epic feud. Now, it wouldn’t be a WWE women’s segment if they aren’t making history, so Paige (greatest general manager of all time. Fight me!) booked Charlotte vs. Becky in the first ever women’s TLC match for the championship.

But “Hold up. Wait a minute. Put a little Glow in it.” the other women of SDLive did not like being told by Paige that they had “no desire” for the championship. Paige, again being an incredible GM, took those words to heart and booked a battle royal to name a third contender in the TLC match.

Spoiler: Asuka won. Obviously.

Asuka was added into the match making it a triple threat TLC match for the SmackDown women’s championship (say that three times fast).

The following week they signed their contracts, complete with a menacing AF promo from Asuka and on the go home show she took it to Charlotte Flair in the ring. Apparently heel Charlotte’s thing now is grabbing a kendo stick when she thinks she’s losing (and she totally was), so the match was thrown out. Unfortunately for Charlotte and Becky, the only thing scarier than Asuka is Asuka with a kendo stick.

Our final image heading into TLC was Asuka on the announce table, kendo stick in hand, standing over the beaten and destroyed bodies of her competitors.

What’s at stake?

So much!

First, who will be walking out of TLC the champion? Honestly, I have no clue. There are compelling arguments to make for all three competitors. Becky is at the tippy-top of her game, Charlotte is Charlotte and she kinda always wins and and an Asuka win would re-solidify her as a force to be reckoned with.

Second, whatever happens it’ll set the stage for the next phase of Charlotte and Becky’s feud. Will they cool it down for a little bit to keep it fresh? Do they have something new up their sleeves? How many more insults does Becky have for Charlotte? I truly think this could be a forever feud and one that goes down in the history books as one of the best feuds in WWE.

Third, let’s talk about the Ronda in the room. Both Becky and Charlotte have MAJOR beef with the Raw women’s champion. There are rumors swirling all around the internet that there are plans for one of them to face -and potentially headline- WrestleMania in a match with her. If she’s in the same building, will she get involved in this match? After all, the road to Mania starts soon.

Lastly, I make fun of WWE all the time for patting themselves on the back when they treat their female competitors with a modicum of respect, and the phrase “make history” has been officially killed by Stephanie McMahon, but god dammit, I am EXCITED that this is the first ever women’s TLC match. All three competitors have been in “first ever” matches before and have always risen to the challenge.

At first, I was a little disappointed about the triple threat because I am so invested in Becky and Charlotte’s feud, but upon further analysis I think it’s an excellent choice. Asuka needs this push and the feud needed a new angle, especially with Charlotte’s heel turn.

They have the potential to have an incredible match! Let’s just hope WWE gives them the time and space to make it happen.