Who Should Becky Lynch’s New Rival Be Post WWE Backlash?
By Sarah Hirsch
Now that Backlash is over, who will challenge Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women’s Championship?
Backlash started off Sunday night with the Six Pack Challenge for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. The match was a perfect start to Backlash in a hot opener. Each woman fought tooth and nail in efforts to claim the new prize. By the time the match simmered down at the end, fans saw Becky Lynch catching Carmella in a Disarm Her to become the inaugural Smackdown Women’s Champion.
Lynch is celebrating now but come Tuesday night, it will be back to business as she is currently at the top of the food chain. The question is, who exactly will step up to Lynch in a one on one bout? The first feud for the SmackDown Women’s Championship will indeed be one of the top storylines on SmackDown. Carmella and Nikki Bella have unfinished business that is far from over. That leaves Naomi, Natalya, and Alexa Bliss as potential first opponents for Lynch.
Naomi
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Naomi is a fan favorite, and thus seem the least likely case to challenge Lynch. At Backlash, the athletic Superstar found herself tapping out of the Sharpshooter courtesy of Natalya. Naomi took the biggest risks in the match; the springboard to the outside on top of the other women was one of the highlights. She and Natalya also had exchanges during the match, so there is possibility that we may see the two have a small feud. One thing for sure is that we saw Naomi had tried some new moves at Backlash, citing her preparedness. Her quest for the Championship may have taken a detour, but is not over by a long shot.
Natalya
Natalya is the opponent that has past beef with Lynch. She and Lynch have history dating back to before Money in the Bank. She turned on Lynch, attacking her after their loss to Charlotte and Dana Brooke. Arguably, Natalya may come for Lynch now that she is the SmackDown Women’s Champion. Their history and Natalya’s frustration of reclaiming any gold should serve as a catalyst for the
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feud should WWE take that route. Natalya was a sleeper in the match, so maybe she will not take the loss quietly come Tuesday. Natalya was pinned by Bella at Backlash after making Naomi submit to the Sharpshooter.
Alexa Bliss
At Backlash, Bliss was eliminated first. But before the elimination, Bliss had an impressive showing and was on top of the match. Bliss sought opportunities every time she turned around as she went after anyone who was in the ring. This was the biggest thing I noticed during the match, as Bliss tried time and time again to eliminate a woman. Her frustration grew as her attempts to eliminate anyone failed. Bliss told the biggest story in the ring. With WWE’s trend of keeping new faces in the Championship pictures, I think Bliss could very well be on the top of the list for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Related Story: WWE Backlash 2016 Results: Women's Championship Match Highlights
Regardless of who comes for Lynch first, business will indeed pick up on Tuesday night when Smackdown airs post-Backlash. Its full speed ahead for Smackdown and the brand should remain on their hot trail coming off of a successful PPV.