WWE: Why Becky Lynch’s Return Has Lost It’s Shine
By Max Everett
SummerSlam 2021 delivered a WrestleMania level spectacle as WWE looked to make their summer party a night never to forget. Huge names like Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and Becky Lynch were present, with Lesnar and Lynch making their long-awaited returns to the company in front of a stadium full of fans.
Cena and Lesnar were used in the Universal Championship picture, Cena in a losing effort to the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns and Lesnar returning to the dismay of the Tribal Chief’s Special Counsel and former advocate of the Beast Incarnate, Paul Heyman.
Becky Lynch however returned to confront at-the-time SmackDown Women’s Champion and EST of WWE, Bianca Belair; she also delivered a beat-down to Carmella who, to very audible fan displeasure, was set to replace the absent challenger Sasha Banks. What transpired was a dream match with a nightmare delivery.
Going into the match, Bianca Belair and Erick Rowan had almost nothing in common with each other. Now, however, they have both been at the receiving end of a Rock Bottom/Book End/Manhandle Slam and an embarrassingly quick defeat to returning superstars.
Becky Lynch returning in itself was a highlight for the show, you could argue that the WWE Women’s division has long needed her star power and presence. But the way in which her return come at the expense of a star that WWE had done a fairly solid job of building from the Royal Rumble, has well and truly rubbed the shine away.
What has to be asked is why did he have to win in such a fashion, if WWE were looking for the shock return and title win angle, then why didn’t they proceed with the title defense against Carmella before Lynch returns and challenges Belair? It could have been an angle that played on the hunger and rashness of Belair, but instead, fans watched as someone who has been built up as a credible champion was made to look a fool.
It makes sense that WWE didn’t want to replicate what they would do later with Lesnar as he only returned to confront Reigns to promote their clash further down the line. But going down this route has only instead taken the shine away from an otherwise exciting return, and severely halted the momentum of someone who was in the main event this year’s WrestleMania.
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Inputting the completely wrong foot forward, WWE now has to be extremely careful when booking Belair and Lynch as to limit the damage that is done to their characters. It is genuinely concerning that such an immense return for the women’s division has taken such a sharp turn for the worse, and it doesn’t bode well for the future of women’s wrestling in WWE that this is a recurring behavior within the company’s creative department.