10 Expectations Vs. Reality For WWE WrestleMania 38

7. Bianca Belair Vs. Becky Lynch

Steve Austin Expectation Reality
WWE

Expectation:

It's the story WWE elegantly planted at SummerSlam, and will finally be brought to a euphoric, cathartic close: after being wrong-footed and humiliated by Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair will at last exact her revenge at the culmination of a long-term story arc. The crowd will go wild as Belair powers out of the Disarm Her, slams Lynch to the mat, and recaptures the RAW Women's Title. The scene will act as evidence that, despite being written off by many, Vince McMahon doesn't just book TV at random. He knows what he's doing, even if the cynics can't see it.

Don't doubt his genius. This man took wrestling away from smoky bingo halls!

Reality:

Despite Lynch claiming on RAW this week that the fans turned their backs on her, they've never once had the heart to jeer her. She either gets cheered in defiance or loses audiences entirely with her acting reel. Also, WWE hasn't exactly preserved this story; Lynch and Belair have worked together extensively, people mostly got over it, and what is effectively a B-tier rivalry will sadly receive a B-tier reception until the fans are worked into caring about it in the last five minutes.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!