By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Becky Lynch’s return at WWE SummerSlam was meant to be a heel turn. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reports that Lynch is positioned as the top heel in the women’s division on Smackdown and will feud with Bianca Belair.
Powell’s POV: Lynch’s actions with Belair were heelish, but I think most of us just assumed that WWE would never be crazy enough to turn the company’s most popular babyface. So now we have heels Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair all slotted as the top singles champions of their respective brands and divisions. Wow.
And Brock and MVP’s cane are babyfaces!
Isn’t everyone in AEW heel champions as well? Kenny Omega, heel; Brit Baker, heel; (even though she got a baby face reaction in her hometown), Young Bucks, heel; Miro, heel. I think you have to be fair if you are calling one company out for having all heel champions, you have to call out the other. Damien Priest and Shin are both face champions.
My lord, does everything have to be “what about (the other company)?” Do I really have to think of AEW every single time I write something about WWE and vice versa? Does it end there or do I also have to consider what Impact, MLW, ROH, NJPW, NXT, and Bob’s Discount Wrestling are doing if I point out something about WWE or AEW? I really wish everyone would figure out that those of us who write for the site are not consumed with WWE vs. AEW and we’re never going to pick sides. I cover both. I enjoy both. I dislike aspects of both. I praise both. I am critical of both. Enough already.
I specifically wrote “top singles champions” for a reason. In other words, I don’t consider the IC or US to be top singles champions. They are called secondary titles for a reason. But I really don’t have the same concerns about AEW having heel champions because they have plenty of strong babyfaces waiting in the wings, whereas WWE is thin in that area, especially on the men’s side, in part because they’ve already fed most that matter to Reigns and Lashley.
Okay… so I was right there with you until you knocked Bob’s Discount Wrestling. I mean, come on! Where else in the world am I going to be able to see the stars of the local strip mall duke it out for $5 and a free sweet tea? Sure, their squared circle looks more like a scribbled parallelogram, which I’m certain is actually a trampoline in disguise, and their “stars” promos… exist… but if Grandma’s happy I’m happy.
And Bob’s an absolute sweetheart!
BDW 4 Life!
Britt Baker and Miro fall more into the category of tweeners to me. Not fully heel but definitely not complete babyfaces either. It doesn’t really seem in general like AEW has a lot of clearly defined heels and faces, many people fall into gray areas where some fans love and adore them and others despise them. Even with their actions some of their actions are seen as “justified” or even “noble” where as others are seen as “deplorable.”
This article has NOTHING to do with AEW. Get a life, dude.
I also enjoy both companies and I think they both have their positives and negatives. I actually don’t think it had to have all heels as champions because I enjoy having the good guys chase for the titles and winning them at the big events. I do know that you are pretty straight forward in all of your reviews even if I don’t agree with them. I think you do a good job overall and just thought that it was ironic that one was called out and not the other because you usually do state that for those companies. Lots of sites point out the flaws of one and seem to favor the other just because it is the “cool” thing to do. I strive away from them and go to the ones like yours that seem impartial. Thank you all for doing what you do.
Thanks, Chris. I appreciate it. And I’m sorry if you got more than you deserved with my rant. I’m just so tired of everything coming down to WWE vs. AEW. I feel like I can’t offer criticism of one or the other without someone playing the “what about” game. This has become as polarizing as politics for some. In all my years of fandom, I never watched wrestling that way, and I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I ever took that approach while covering the business. It’s all pro wrestling regardless of the banner (or Vince’s sports entertainment slogan). It’s not a team sport. We don’t have to choose sides. Of course, people can watch how they want and if they choose sides, that’s their business, but I wish they would stop assuming that the rest of us have.
Becky did it for the Ernesto!! Yeah she wants me. Can’t blame her. Sorry Rollins.
No worries Jason. It’s all good! Wrestling is fun, sometimes even the really silly stuff. Other times it does make you angry that you are watching something that doesn’t make sense or the storyline doesn’t end at all. We all know that feeling too well, lol.
Did they turn Becky heel because she picked motherhood over being a corporate stooge?
It would honestly make more sense to turn Belair after what happened to her. She was expecting Banks, got Carmella and ended up facing and losing to Lynch in an impromptu match. Carmella would be an insult, especially with no prior notice until match time when you anticipated facing someone of a much higher caliber who you haven’t beaten so many times that you lost count. Why this woman keeps getting title opportunities when she does nothing but lose makes her look like some kind of a whore whose sleeping with a member of WWE management in order to get these endless opportunities in spite of crapping out time after time. All of these things combined would be enough to make Belair’s character rage quit or at least transform into an angry and bitter heel whose out for revenge and blood.