WWE: Why we need Becky Lynch vs. Stephanie McMahon in 2020

Does the talent make WWE or does WWE make the talent? That is the never ending debate between pro wrestling fans.

There is no clear cut answer, which keeps fans feeding at the trough. Did Hulk Hogan help the WWE explode in the mid-1980s, or vice versa? Was it Vince McMahon’s vision that helped launch Stone Cold Steve Austin as one of the greatest pro wrestlers ever?

Fans lament WWE programming for being too contrived. They rarely miss the actual wrestling of the Attitude Era, but they often miss the verbal freedom that characters had in that era. Becky Lynch’s character embodies that freedom.

In an overproduced era of WWE television, Becky Lynch has been the most organically popular babyface in the past five years. Becky’s rise to super stardom has felt like the fan’s choice for main event talent.

One factor that helped Becky rise to the main event was her promos. When Becky has something to say, whether it be on social media or a WWE ring, it has a certain realism to it. She take shots at anyone on Twitter. It could be Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, Chris Jericho, or Edge. Those spats endeared her to fans and wrestlers alike. The Man is the lone wolf in an era of safe PG dialogue.

From a public relations standpoint, Stephanie McMahon is one of WWE’s more recognizable non-wrestlers. She has done a masterful job being the forefront of the WWE brand as both an onscreen heel and offscreen ambassador. She represents the “E” in entertainment.

Is Stephanie McMahon a great wrestler? It will be hard to find a group of fans who say yes to that. Is Stephanie McMahon a believable villain on camera? She has been an excellent antagonist in multiple feuds.

There is potential for a creative feud between The Man Becky Lynch vs “The Brand” Stephanie McMahon leading to a match at the 2020 Royal Rumble.

WWE has a tendency recycle the “rebellious babyface vs the evil authority” feud more times than fans would like to remember. When it works you get the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin or Daniel Bryan. When it sputters you get the marginalizing of CM Punk or the unrealistic story of Roman Reigns.

As she has done for years, Stephanie embodies the evil authority figure character coming down to address Becky Lynch’s “massive ego.” Stephanie has always been able to verbally neuter who she opposes with a blend of passive aggressive applause and authentic disdain.

If WWE focuses the feud around Stephanie reminding Becky that WWE created “The Man” character by showcasing Becky at WrestleMania 35, ESPN, Make A Wish, etc, there is the seed of contention.

Let this feud grow over time. There could be spots where, promotional events that previously were booked for Becky Lynch are now offered to “more polished” talent (i.e. Charlotte Flair).

Fans enjoy feeling they can spot the sense of where a character is going and when it blurs the lines between reality and fiction. That is why the story heading into WrestleMania 35 worked. Fans believed that Charlotte was the “company’s choice” to main event WrestleMania 35. Becky was for the fans, Charlotte was for “the brand.”

When that story is done with respect to the fans, fans get behind the character they feel that is getting held down. Stephanie is the perfect foil for Becky because of that fact.

The 2020 Royal Rumble at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX. The WWE brand is strong enough where it can place whoever they choose at the top of a PPV card and have it yield success. The Royal Rumble commands a different level of build due to the attendance needed to sell out a baseball stadium. This is where the end to the The Man vs The Brand storyline needs to end, with Becky Lynch having her hand raised in victory.