This past Tuesday Becky Lynch on SmackDown Live was placed in an inter-gender match on with James Ellsworth. She may have beaten Ellsworth, but she didn’t really win.
We’re in the build-up to Survivor Series. We’re getting psyched for the Raw vs. SmackDown Live 5-man elimination matches. In fact, one of these matches is a 5-woman elimination match. With Becky Lynch as captain of the SmackDown Live crew, Lynch’s booking has to establish her as a strong, confident leader who can inspire her team to victory over the Raw women.
Gentle reader, I thought the idea of having her thrown into a match with James Ellsworth was a great idea. After all, Ellsworth’s a joke. He’s not a credible wrestler, he’s booked as a toady and an underling who can’t hang in the men’s division. Having Becky demolish Ellsworth would make her look strong and keep Ellsworth in his role.
What I was not expecting was to see the two of them having an actual match. They traded holds, Ellsworth got some offense in, it came across as a competitive. I am stunned that the Internet Wrestling Community Outrage™ wasn’t firing on all cylinders after this fight. Why, do you ask, gentle reader?
By having Becky actually have to fight to put Ellsworth away, this match did nothing for Becky Lynch. WWE had an opportunity to make her and team SmackDown Live look strong, but they failed miserably.
The Problems
There are two main problems to this match ending with any other outcome than a Becky Lynch squash.
The first issue, as I mentioned above, is that Ellsworth is a joke. He’s not to be taken seriously. The days of his underdog “If you have two fists” gimmick are long gone. He’s a miserable sycophant who is, at best, a pest. For the love of juicy double bacon cheeseburgers with a slice of avocado so I can feel fancy, he’s been trotted around with a chain and collar for the past few weeks. James Ellsworth is not a serious competitor.
The second problem was the promo he cut before the match. It was an overtly misogynistic promo that was not only meant to fire Becky Lynch up, but also to make us hope that he gets his comeuppance in the match. Being the joke that he is, we, as the audience, couldn’t take him seriously. This snivelling moron trying to justify men’s superiority was absurd in itself and he deserved to be put in his place.
How Did Becky Not Crush Him?
The set-up was so perfect for Becky Lynch to come in and destroy Ellsworth. Not fight him, destroy him. She could have toyed a little with him, but the pop she would have received would have been massive. Her Survivor Series teammates at ringside would have been inspired. It would have been an enormous shot of credibility for the SmackDown Live women. But somehow it was decided that it would be a match where Ellsworth would try to outwrestle her. That he would shove her out of the ring. That he would put up a fight.
In the end the match served nobody. It didn’t make Ellsworth any more credible, and it didn’t make Becky Lynch look any stronger. If anything, she looked either like she underestimated Ellsworth or that she could barely handle him. In the end, it was a terribly missed opportunity for generating some real momentum.
Here’s How I Would Have Booked It
Gentle reader, I bet you are saying “Well then, Mr. Warren Smart-Guy, how would you and your perfect hair have booked this match?”
I know you are. Thanks for asking. Here’s the outline of how I would have booked this match:
- Keep the original backstage segment that aired on SmackDown Live. Ellsworth cut a great heat magnet promo and Becky was great. Air it a little earlier in the evening.
- Before the match, air another backstage segment where the Survivor Series women are talking amongst themselves. Ellsworth arrives and cuts a similar sexist promo. Carmella is there, of course, and tries to reign him in, but he smugly walks away.
- Match starts. Ellsworth stalls. A lot. He does in-ring push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, any number of calisthenics. They go for a lock-up, but he rolls out of the ring. He struts.
- Ellsworth rolls back into the ring and removes his shirt and hat. He does some stretches. They go for another lock-up, but Ellsworth rolls out of the ring once more. He brushes himself off, jaws at the crowd. Lynch is annoyed.
- Ellsworth eventually gets back into the ring. He and Lynch trade words. He challenges Lynch to a test of strength. They lock hands. As Lynch quickly gets the upper hand and Ellsworth goes down on one knee, he squirms out of the lock and back out of the ring.
- However, this time, the rest of the women’s Survivor Series team come down to ringside. They threaten Ellsworth to get back into the ring, which he does.
- As he gets back in, Becky surprises Ellsworth with a sequence of punches that send him flying down on his back. 3, 4, 5 punches and Ellsworth rolls out of the ring again.
- The women at ringside act like lumberjacks and send him back into the ring by powerlifting him and tossing him between the top and second rope. He stumbles back up, Lynch his the Bexploder. She floats over and locks in the Dis-Arm-Her. Ellsworth taps immediately.
- Lynch wins and celebrates. Survivor Series team congratulates her enthusiastically from the outside.
- Carmella jumps into the ring. As we saw on SmackDown Live she jaws with Lynch as Ellsworth stumbles back to his feet. Carmella then superkicks him back down. She high fives Lynch and barges out.
Next: Who Is The Greatest Superstar To Never Be World Champion?
That, people, is how strong Becky Lynch should have been booked against James Ellsworth. Everyone involved would have won. Fight me.
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