SmackDown Women’s championship match
Asuka (c) vs. Becky Lynch
What’s The Man to do when you lose your title in a Triple Threat without getting pinned and contractual rematches are no longer guaranteed?
You do it the hard way.
The Road to Royal Rumble
Becky Lynch was defeated for her SmackDown Women’s Championship at TLC in a match where she never suffered a submission or a pin fall. It was the worst time to suffer such a loss, too; the night after her defeat, the McMahon family decided to shake things up amongst their brands which included doing away with contractually-obligated rematches.
So despite losing her title without ever suffering a pin fall, Lynch was back to square one. And if she wanted her title back, she’d have to do it by securing #1 Contendership for the title. She, along with Charlotte Flair and Carmella, argued their case to the McMahons and were eventually told to settle it in the ring.
Lynch caught several finishers in that match and was still resourceful enough to get the submission she needed to secure the victory and her title match at the Royal Rumble. With her confidence through the roof, Lynch has spent the last few weeks talking trash to the Champion – and it’s all revolved around being “The Man.”
After TLC, Asuka declared herself the new Man. Lynch snapped back that there’s more to being The Man than being champion, and the fact that Asuka isn’t sick over the fact that she’s never beaten Lynch head-to-head tells Lynch all she needs to know about the current champion.
Asuka’s response? Talk less. Smile Fight more.
What’s at stake?
A lot.
The winner of title matches at the Royal Rumble generally walk into WrestleMania as the champion. So whoever wins this match has a good chance to represent their brand on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
But that’s almost a secondary stake in this one. Becky Lynch has been a walking inferno on SmackDown Live, generating the most buzz of any Superstar in WWE over the past few months. Her brash and bold personality has taken over the show, and she’s challenging Asuka with this match to get on her level.
Lynch is right, after all. Asuka has never defeated her one-on-one. And if the current champion can’t make that happen? Well, she doesn’t deserve to be the champion at all, does she?
This feud’s gotten violent in a hurry, so I’d expect a similar match. It seems like the sort of match that should go on early, too, considering the fireworks that are bound to happen.