WWE SummerSlam 2019: Don’t be surprised if Becky Lynch vs. Natalya is awesome

Against the odds, Natalya won a Fatal Four-Way match to become the new No. 1 contender to Becky Lynch’s Raw Women’s Championship, meaning that this will be the title match at WWE SummerSlam 2019 in Toronto.

I don’t think anyone saw that coming. Alexa Bliss and Naomi were the clear favorites in an amped-up Fatal Four-Way match that also featured Carmella and Natalya and if I were betting odds, Natalya would’ve been the last person I expected to win that match and become Becky Lynch’s challenger at WWE SummerSlam 2019.

But Nattie pulled off the unlikely win, tapping out Alexa to the Sharpshooter just when the WWE Universe seemed to think Alexa would grab yet another Raw Women’s Championship opportunity. Instead of getting a renewed rivalry between Bliss and Lynch on the Raw side of things three years later, we’re getting something completely unexpected in Becky vs. Nattie.

I know that Natalya isn’t the most popular figure among wrestling fans online, because it seems as if most fans find her to be boring. But you know what? I like this match. Actually, I kind of love it.

First of all, I love surprises. Natalya getting her second title match at SummerSlam in three years? Surprise! And in the ring, Natalya is still one of the best in the business. Her matches are smooth as hell and she is the definition of a ring general. She’s also one of the strongest wrestlers in WWE, which goes well with her technical prowess.

In some ways, Becky and Natalya are similar wrestlers. They’re both as strong as they are fast and they both wrestle a technical style while displaying a lot of toughness. Oh yeah, and they happen to have two of the best finishers in WWE. Don’t be surprised if Toronto witnesses a technical masterpiece in the form of a Submission match between these two.

But while Natalya and Becky Lynch have in-ring similarities, the two couldn’t be more different as characters. Nattie is the sweet, cat-loving, supportive mother of the WWE women’s division, whereas Becky is the loud, outspoken, swashbuckling superstar who takes arms and names before spitting them back out in the form of fireballs disguised as words.

This difference was exemplified post-match. Natalya attempted to give a gracious interview and Becky cut her off, forcing a fire out of the veteran performer. Becky called her out, noting that Natalya needs a rivalry with Becky to keep her career relevant, insinuating that Nattie is, well, a little on the drier side as a character.

Nobody should be surprised if this match ends up being an instant classic. Natalya in a SummerSlam title match in Toronto against a technical wrestler who has a submission finisher? That sounds like a great set-up to me, especially if Nattie can play to her “A” game on the mic. And if her past reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion is any indication, she is capable of stronger character work than many WWE fans seem to think.

Becky vs. Natalya didn’t seem to be anyone’s predicted match for WWE SummerSlam 2019, but keep an open mind. These are two great wrestlers, and Becky can bring the best out of Nattie on the mic. Don’t be surprised if this ends up being one of the strongest matches on a loaded SummerSlam card.

Oh, and don’t be surprised if Natalya ends up being just a little bit less boring on the microphone than you thought.