WWE Remove Ric Flair Becky Lynch Kiss From Royal Rumble
Were accusations of sexism too much?
Ric Flair's grab and kiss on Becky Lynch at the Royal Rumble has been edited out of the WWE Network replay. WWE likely took the step after a swathe of criticism from fans who felt the move was sexist and inappropriate. Instead of seeing the kiss, the camera just cuts to Flair wooing in Becky's face. At the event he actually forcibly grabbed her, then pressed his lips hard against hers. The distraction was key to the match, allowing Charlotte to get back some control. Whether WWE originally booked the kiss, or if it was just Flair's idea on the fly, isn't known. However, it is a spot that's happened a lot in wrestling history, it isn't like it is an unusual way for a heel to get heat. Indeed, Flair's character is the "kiss stealing" bad guy; he made a lot of money and created some fantastic narratives as that character. Some fans defended the kiss, saying criticism is an example of a politically correct world gone mad. It isn't like WWE is real life, Ric Flair is just a television character, he does bad things just like a character in a drama show would do. Taking the kiss down is maybe an over reaction, there's a lot of other content on the Network (see the Attitude Era or ECW) which could be considered way more inappropriate.