Becky Lynch attacks Charlotte Flair from behind at Atlantic City house show, gets cheered for it

The heel turn debate started at SummerSlam will almost certainly be settled when Becky Lynch explains her actions on SmackDown tonight (Aug. 21) in Brooklyn.

We got some more clues about the direction WWE is taking on the blue brand’s house show pit stop in Atlantic City on Monday night, though.

As SmackDown Women’s Champ Charlotte Flair was celebrating a win over Carmella, Lynch attacked her (former?) friend from behind.

As Kim (who has a bunch of great shots of the whole show in her timeline here) says, reports indicate Bex was cheered by a large percentage of the New Jersey audience. The run-in assault is pretty textbook heel, and the Lasskicker’s post-beatdown promo can be read that way too:

“You want to know why I did this? Well, Charlotte you have taken my opportunities for the last time. That’s my title and I’m coming...”

It’s more “I’m jealous” than “This is complicated”, but there’s still not enough to know definitively if they’re going to give the Irishwoman’s character some gray shades. There is enough there that people who feel like Lynch is righteous, or Flair is entitled, or who just like Becky better, can cheer for her. Which is what a lot of them did.

Even when Charlotte made the typical babyface comeback and her Tea Time pal scurried away from a fair fight.

Here’s the most complete video I was able to find:

We’ll find out more tonight when Becky explains herself in more detail, maybe even as part of a back and forth conversation with the champ.