6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (23 March - Results & Review)

3. Women’s IC Title Match Takes Shape

A WrestleMania 42 match between Becky Lynch and AJ Lee seemed inevitable as far back as Wrestlepalooza last fall, but WWE finally made it official Monday night with the Women’s Intercontinental Championship on the line.

Lynch came out to blast the fans for booing her for her success while cheering someone who left them for more than a decade. Becky noted that she did leave too – for 10 months, not 10 years – but that was only because fans had gotten tired of seeing her win. When she returned, she focused on the IC Title rather than the World Title and made that new championship special, which was why AJ capturing it was so personal to her.

That alone would have made for enough of a basis for a title fight, but Lynch then pointed out that her young daughter was dancing around and singing AJ’s theme, pouring salt on the wound.

Cue Lee, who reminded Becky that she’s “walked [her] like a dog” every time they’ve wrestled. AJ challenged Lynch to a title match at 'Mania, which Becky accepted and promised to retire her.

You’d think that a six-month, one-sided feud where the face has dominated would feel stale and heatless, but it was quite the opposite. The little personal touches – Becky cherishing the IC Title because of her very real accomplishment of getting it over, her daughter favoring her rival – gave it some extra juice at a time when the feud needed it.

Lynch getting away from her hyperventilating, histrionic persona has been a boon to this rivalry. The personal notes helped reinvigorate it a bit. The fans giving a damn also gave it a bit of a jolt. The question is whether they stip-up the rematch since the first wasn’t exactly a classic.