Well, this helps explain the booking of her SummerSlam return. Whether or not it’s the right call, or if it will even work, is still to be determined.
PWInsider has confirmed with multiple WWE sources that Becky Lynch is now a heel. She’ll be the big bad of SmackDown’s women’s division, initially in a feud with Bianca Belair. That program started on Saturday night (Aug. 21) in Las Vegas when Lynch squashed Belair in seconds to take her title.
Opting to swim against the tide of fans who’ve been waiting to cheer The Man since she announced her pregnancy in May of last years is a curious decision. But if that’s what they want to do, casting her opposite The EST is a good way to do. Bianca’s real life story, natural charisma, and on-screen story have positioned her as one of the company’s best babyfaces. Neither the crowd in Vegas or fans watching at home were happy to see the way she was treated at SummerSlam. Ill will from that could finally get Becky the heat WWE wanted when she first turned on Charlotte Flair three years ago.
In light of this report, you can see the seeds of the heel turn in Saturday night’s booking. Lynch did bait Belair by offering her hand before cheap shotting her with a forearm. Even Becky’s brief backstage interview can now be seen as arrogantly dismissive.
At last night’s house show in Denver, fans were still in Belair’s corner when she cut a face promo about losing her title.
Bianca Belair addressing the outcome of #summerslam at #wwedenver pic.twitter.com/rbnYI4wcaP
— CM Rey (@Superstar_Rey) August 23, 2021
We’ll see how this plays out on Friday’s SmackDown. There’s definitely a chance audiences see The Man as someone cool they want to cheer even if she’s doing villainous things. And the chances of that go up if Belair looks like she’s making excuses (she said in an interview with Denise Salcedo at the SummerSlam after-party she was prepared for Sasha Banks, not Lynch) instead of calling out Lynch for dirty tricks.
It will also be interesting to see how this impacts the entire SmackDown women’s division. Does this mean Banks will be out for a while, or eventually move to Raw in the Draft rumored for early October? Bigger pushes for people like Liv Morgan, Toni Storm, Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart when Becky needs babyface opponents?
Right now, all we have is questions. Let us know what you think about WWE pushing The Man as a heel.