WWE Money in the Bank 2018 Profile: Becky Lynch

It’s been well over a year since Becky Lynch last held the SmackDown Women’s Championship, but could WWE Money in the Bank 2018 be the starting point to her journey to reclaiming the title that is currently held by her old nemesis Carmella?

Becky Lynch is one of the most beloved superstars in the WWE, and it’s quite easy to see why. Lynch cuts some of the most impassioned promos in the company, with few babyfaces rivaling her ability to add gut-wrenching emotion to everything she says. After Carmella blatantly cheated her way into winning the Money in the Bank briefcase last year, Lynch pleaded her case to Daniel Bryan, and her segments with Alexa Bliss in 2016 were exquisite.

At WWE Money in the Bank 2018, Lynch will, as usual, assume the role of the underdog. Alexa Bliss, Natalya, Sasha Banks, Naomi and Charlotte Flair are all among those participating in this ladder match, and those are opponents Lynch knows all too well. Out of all of those rivals, Lynch has been screwed over the most by Bliss, who cheated relentlessly to ensure Lynch would never take back the SmackDown Women’s Championship from her.

But now that Bliss is on Raw and Lynch remains on SmackDown Live for the second straight Superstar Shakeup, her friend may be her worst enemy in this match. Last week on SmackDown Live, Lynch and Charlotte had a friendly argument backstage about which one of them needed the Money in the Bank briefcase more. Any impartial observer with at least a modicum of wrestling knowledge would unequivocally agree with Lynch’s case. She was the first SmackDown Women’s Champion, damn it, and she’s never been in a legitimate title feud since then.

Meanwhile, Charlotte has prospered. Ever since coming to SmackDown Live, Charlotte has been the center of attention, and she’s pretty much dominated the roster. Charlotte won the SmackDown Women’s Championship in her hometown against Natalya, defended it at Clash of Champions, turned aside the Riott Squad by defeating Ruby Riott at Fastlane, and then broke Asuka’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania 34. The only person who had her number was Carmella, who defeated Charlotte for the title via cash-in and then flukily retained the title against Flair at Backlash.

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During that time span, Charlotte faced Becky Lynch once. The result? A win for Becky, who submitted Charlotte with the Dis-Arm-Her – a move that has humbled so many opponents over the years.

Charlotte and Becky will face off tonight, and regardless of who wins, I wonder if WWE will finally pull the trigger of continuing their story. Remember, it was Charlotte who viciously turned on Becky at the beginning of 2016, and the story that unfolded remains one of the best stories in the history of WWE’s women’s division.

There’s room for this story to grow if Lynch wins the Money in the Bank briefcase. Some wonder if the lovable Lynch could finally turn heel, shocking WWE fans to the extent that Sami Zayn’s heel turn at Hell in a Cell would be a mere footnote in comparison. Others wonder if Lynch will remain a babyface, but will use the briefcase as a means of taking matters into her own hands after being passed over for opportunities by SmackDown management (in kayfabe).

Ever since Charlotte joined SmackDown Live in 2017, fans have been hoping for an actual program between these two. There have been chances for WWE to make this happen, but they’ve decided to move in other directions. That’s understandable, but it is disappointing to fans who have wanted more storylines in the SmackDown Women’s Division, particularly stories that include the first ever SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Lynch hasn’t won a big match in quite some time, so it’s risky to get your hopes up that she will suddenly win the Money in the Bank briefcase. But she is a more than credible option, and perhaps only Sasha Banks would create more interesting future storylines as the briefcase winner. Last year, Money in the Bank was a SmackDown-exclusive event, so most fans are guessing that a Raw superstar will win the second Women’s Money in the Bank Briefcase in 2018.

Of course, guesses have to be taken with a grain of salt. While the field of Raw superstars contains more likely winners, out of all of the SmackDown superstars in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, I’d have to say that Lynch is not only the best option, but also the most likely option.

Next: WWE 205 Live Power Rankings

Whether or not WWE feels Lynch fits into their plans as a briefcase winner and two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion via cash-in remains unclear, but I do know that it will be fun as hell to watch her in the ladder match. Lynch’s work in 2018 has been brilliant, if not underrated (check out her match against Ruby Riott, for example), and the MITB Ladder Match in two weeks should be no exception.