Reports have contradicted one another about exactly who was at the heart of the decision to turn Becky Lynch heel upon her return to WWE at SummerSlam 2021.
By December, that question was replaced by a far simpler one - why have WWE persisted with it?
Becky Lynch might be a better promo now than she was during the electrifying rise of 'The Man' in 2018, but the differences between the end destinations are stark. Then, she was assembling a star-making run with tangible friction and frisson. Now, she's adept in elite-tier turd-polishing in front of crowds that cheer the lines she's teed up for boos.
Her in-ring's the best it's ever been too. Elegant, thoughtful and artistic, she's proffering some strong stuff, against the backdrop of a permanently weak bigger picture.
A welcome return to the shows, it'd be nice if she was permitted to simply give punters what they want, as well as what they need.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
