Backstage Update On Bianca Belair's WWE "Injury"

The latest on Bianca Belair, who missed this week's WWE Raw, leaving Becky Lynch to rant alone.

Becky Lynch Bianca Belair
WWE.com

Bianca Belair's WWE "injury" is a work.

Beaten down by Becky Lynch on Raw's 14 March episode, the former SmackDown Women's Champion was absent from this week's show, on which Lynch cut a promo speculating that her WrestleMania 38 opponent might not make it to the 2 April event.

This was a work of fiction crafted to heighten the feud's drama. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports that the injury is "100% storyline," with Belair missing out on Raw in order to sell the previous week's beatdown.

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The 14 March angle came after Belair had reportedly dealt Lynch a "fractured voice box" while competing on a 6 March house show. The Raw Women's Champion used a steel chair and Bianca's hair to put her on the kayfabe shelf, with one particularly brutal spot featuring Lynch using Belair's braid to pull her into the ring post with a chair around her neck.

Becky referenced this in a well-received promo this week, saying that while Belair had hurt her accidentally, Lynch injured her number one contender on purpose.

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The Lynch vs. Belair rivalry effectively started at SummerSlam 2021 seven months ago, when a returning Lynch squashed Bianca to take the SmackDown Women's Title in 26 seconds.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.