WWE struggles with storytelling. The most recent example is Becky Lynch. This story was months in the making; Becky Lynch’s character set out to reclaim the WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Championship belt.
Becky was the belt’s inaugural title holder. Since losing the belt, she has been fighting for opportunities to reclaim it. Her journey led to matches that culminated with a non-title victory over the champion, Carmella; the victory earned Becky a title match at Summer Slam 2018 against Carmella.
Now, the plot twist. Charlotte Flair returned from hiatus and negotiated an opportunity for a championship match against Carmella. The problem, this opportunity put her against Becky Lynch. Why is this important? Becky and Charlotte are best friends in this story and best friends don’t screw each other. This is the problem introduced to the story. Becky’s character can either remain steadfast or change based on this problem.
The championship match at Summer Slam introduces the turning point. Becky, Charlotte, and Carmella fight for the title. Carmella, the villain, utilizes tactics to provoke a fight between Becky and Charlotte. Given that Becky’s character is annoyed with Charlotte these tactics are effective and the two engage in combat. By the end of the fight, Becky is in position to win however, Charlotte ends up pinning Becky and wins the title.
This is the reason that Becky’s character changes. Charlotte snatched a victory away from Becky, her best friend. The motivating factor for Becky now is “Betrayal”. Becky turns heel and establishes Charlotte as her enemy.
So, why do i think WWE missed the mark on this story and Becky’s character? Her motivation for change is wrong. WWE scripted Becky’s promo towards her frustrations and change at the fans. She indicated that the fans betrayed her, which made absolutely no sense. Becky’s promo should have been directed at Charlotte with a clear vendetta.
Let Becky’s tactics drive fan reaction instead of forcing it through bad scripting.
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