5 reasons why WWE should build around Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch has had a rollercoaster year. This summer, she got a push that saw her move toward the front of the pack of the SmackDown women’s roster, and a heel turn against Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam garnered her a huge face pop. Lynch only continued to gain momentum opposite Flair and then Ronda Rousey to quite suddenly emerge as--to say the least—one of the top five stars in WWE. When she won the Royal Rumble and punched her ticket for WrestleMania (despite her kayfabe injuries and suspensions threatening her spot), it signaled that WWE was giving her a real opportunity roll on top.
But is this a momentary push that we’ll have mostly forgotten about in another year’s time, as WWE moves on to other big things? Or will Lynch become not only a big star but the face of WWE? There are certainly points in between these extremes, but in a recent edition of the 83 Weeks podcast, former WCW head Eric Bischoff went so far as to suggest WWE should build around The Man. This article looks at five reasons why Bischoff was right.
#5 Taking the torch from Ronda Rousey
There are a number of wrestlers who can take credit for what WWE has termed the Women’s Revolution. Certainly, workers like Paige and AJ Lee with more advanced in-ring skills helped push WWE towards recognizing the possibility of taking women’s wrestling more seriously. The rivalry between Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks helped push things on the main roster, including a PPV main event and a variety of gimmick matches. Prior to that, Flair, Banks, Bayley, and a cast of others worked excellent matches on the NXT level.
Ronda Rousey has escalated the division, though, via her star power, real-life credibility, and ability to transition to sports entertainment. While she’s not necessarily the darling of hardcore fans, she’s far more famous to non-wrestling fans than any other woman on the WWE roster and there’s little denying that she has put in the work to justify being featured by the company.
Rumors abound that Rousey may not hang around WWE forever, and may be eyeing an exit as soon as this spring. If that’s the case, WWE ought to be working on its transition plan so that, even if the women’s division loses its most recognizable star, it doesn’t skip a beat on the whole. Becky Lynch’s popularity, not to mention her hot issue with Rousey, situates her as the natural choice to take up the torch and carry on as the face of at least women’s wrestling in WWE, and quite arguably WWE on the whole.