Six months. That’s the standard length of a championship run in professional wrestling before the fans tire and turn on the champion. It’s practically clockwork and many promotions set it as their timetable for their champion’s storyline to play out like Kofi Kingston proving himself and so on. Now, it’s Becky Lynch’s stalled championship arc the WWE is dealing with.
There are many reasons, but the main one is most likely size and reach, meaning a promotion as large as the WWE has saturated the market and their fans. That often leads to overload for the most dedicated fans and we get tired of different superstars and storylines sooner rather than later. It’s a normal reaction, and sometimes, a championship run can last longer it should, and that’s part of the reason Becky Lynch’s championship has gone stale.
Nothing lasts forever
Let’s face it, when she was booed (before WWE edited the televised footage. Plenty of fans that were there spoke about this) in the UK leading up to this year’s Survivor Series, it was surprising given she was expected to be the fan favorite. Those same rumblings had started here in the US prior to that, but the UK boos really drove the point home.
It usually helps shake things up when the champion loses in non-title matches occasionally by pinfall. The falls don’t have to be clean, but it helps ramp up the feud and helps us gain more appreciation for them. Even losing the title rises their stock as they need to chase after it again. Of course, that would mean McMahon isn’t looking to make history he controls, but more on that later.
With the boos increasing, WWE creative switched tactics and moved Lynch into tag team competition with Charlotte Flair and a subsequent feud with the Kabuki Warriors. While the feud has had its moments, it’s pretty boring and predictable as Flair and Lynch are challenging for the tag team championship. But it takes attention off her stagnant character growth, so calls for her to lose the championship are minor.
An additional problem has arisen from this as Lynch has reportedly stated her frustration at not defending her Raw women’s championship more.
Here’s the thing. The WWE built her up to where no one on the roster is capable of beating her. The closest, and better wrestler in my opinion, is Charlotte Flair. This means it’s highly unlikely she’ll lose the championship anytime soon, especially as she’s currently the longest reigning Raw women’s champion.
Making history to maintain good public relations
The WWE is also intent on setting records and proving itself among the leader among having women among their elite, which is an interesting side note considering Vince McMahon’s history on the topic. It’s great public relations.
To that end, it’s likely Lynch will keep her championship until WrestleMania 36.
At which time she’ll be lauded as being so dominant and conquering all in her path in defense of her title. It also opens the door for a big time money making match at WrestleMania and possibly with Ronda Rousey.
When making history, does Becky Lynch’s stalled championship arc really matter?