8 Ups And 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (July 17)
4. Champ Loses… Again
WWE loves building up challengers by having them beat champions in nontitle matches, only for the heel champ to win by chicanery. And they wonder why no one is ever truly “over” with fans?
Alexa Bliss has improved substantially since her call-up to the main roster last year. She’s become an invaluable performer who has used strong promos to boost her standing. But is WWE’s formula of having the champ lose to set up new challengers hurting her – or could it?
Bayley pinned Bliss in a tag match last week, and pinned her again in a singles bout Monday after Sasha Banks attacked Nia Jax outside the ring, distracting Alexa. Bliss won her first six televised matches after winning the Raw Women’s Championship, but she has lost her last five bouts, including a championship match at Great Balls of Fire – by countout.
Losing is infectious. Even if the intent isn’t to have the champ lose his or her title, if s/he keeps losing, then fans will perceive the wrestler as a loser. That’s OK if you’re going for a Honky Tonk Man gimmick, but otherwise, it’s a risky proposition.