Backstage Notes On Becky Lynch's WWE Return
New details on Becky Lynch's SummerSlam 2021 comeback, Vince McMahons involvement, and more.
Becky Lynch's WWE return at SummerSlam 2021 came several weeks ahead of schedule.
PWInsider's Mike Johnson writes that the promotion was forced to rewrite its SmackDown Women's Championship plans when it became clear that Sasha Banks wasn't going to be able to wrestle. They came up with the idea of Carmella replacing Banks as a swerve to get the fans riled up, before pulling the trigger on Becky's comeback, which drew a massive pop.
WWE wanted to give the audience a big name (and a big pop) in the absence of Banks. In came Lynch, who defeated Belair to become Women's Champion in a quick squash.
Per Johnson, Vince McMahon made the call to put the belt on Becky. He did this in order to make the moment feel even bigger on the night, despite several people within the company expressing concerns over potentially taking the wind out of Bianca's sails by having her eat such a one-sided defeat.
As far as Belair goes, the SummerSlam loss doesn't necessarily mean she is being sent down the card. The thought process was centred on finding an acceptable substitute for one of the year's biggest pay-per-views rather than demoting the former champion.