5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (9 Aug)
5. Loser: Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch looked set to become the figurehead of SmackDown’s women’s division after the Draft. Positioned alongside Eva Marie, Naomi, Natalya, and two NXT call-ups, Becky was separated from the only two women who can rival her popularity (Sasha Banks & Charlotte), and finally looked set to ascend.
This has yet to happen. After last week’s non-match with Eva Marie, Becky looked set to clash with All Red Everything once again, only for Eva to suffer an ill-timed wardrobe malfunction. Becky laid down an open challenge, Alexa Bliss answered, and a few minutes later, Lynch’s shoulders were pinned down for the 1, 2, 3. There was a further distraction when Eva’s music played close to the end, and while that’s a convenient asterisk to place next to Bliss’ win, it doesn’t change the fact that Becky lost to debutante.
Becky plays the “plucky underdog” role to perfection, so this isn’t necessarily a bad spot to be in. It’s clear she’s going to have to work against some serious Eva Marie horseplay if she’s to reach the top of the division, and she’s going to have to work harder than every other woman on the roster to get there. Still, Becky hasn’t won since defeating Natalya a few weeks ago. Her momentum is slipping, it continued last night, and that paints her as the show’s first big loser.