'The Man' - Becky Lynch Thread

[LK3185]

No, that opens the debate.

Overpushing occurs with wrestlers who are getting a connection and crowd response. It's why Reigns was pushed so heavily - he'd connected to the crowd in The Shield, and initially that response continued. Think of that Rumble where Roman was in the final two with Batista, 2014, and the crowd was going insane for Roman. Think through that Shield run and the crowd popped for him consistently, particularly in those matches with Evolution and the Wyatt's.

Then, WWE committed to his push - within six months of the disintegration of The Shield he was being booed by every corner of the arena for winning the Rumble.

Go back through time - Cena people loved before WWE really committed to him. 2003/2004 Cena had people clamouring for his push. They follow through and it works initially, but within six months (as with Reigns) the crowd are booing him against Jericho and Angle.

Stone Cold, history would tell you, never got booed as a babyface, but come 1999 there were audible boos for him at times from certain crowds which, you'd assume, were for similar reasons too.

And of course, Hogan, everybody ended up turning on due to him being overpushed, but that push only started with him getting good positive reactions from crowds.

Any push only really starts because of a crowd reaction. It will always end with an overpush and the crowd starting to recognise all those points and turn on them.

Eventually a crowd will turn but it took Hogan for example about 6 years for fans to even start turning him. Austin while he might have had some boos, he was still one of the most popular acts until he retired. Its not black and white but if you're over to such a degree, I can't expect WWE to stop pushing them.

Jinder Mahal was overpushed. His push to the top was never warranted it and it went on too long.

[Team Farrell]

Yeah, but it happens much quicker now. It took Hogan six years, it took Cena (a guy that still has a connection that would warrant being the top guy if he were around weekly) two or three?

As soon as people feel that WWE is behind someone and start giving them the push, that person is no longer "theirs" and the "evil corporation" has "chosen" them.

Look at AJ Styles. It wasn't the whole fanbase completely turning on him, but as soon as WWE saw what they had, got behind him and started positioning him as this amazing wrestler people came out of the woodwork to remark that he's not as good as he used to be, and there are better wrestlers. The hardcore fanbase got what they wanted from a guy who never should have been in the position that he's in and shrugged.

If WWE gives Becky the shove that she deserves and gets behind her, I give it six months before "she's overpushed", "she's boring", "she's shoved down our throats".

[LK3185]

I get it, its a shorter shelf life but look at your AJ example. Even if you have people tired of him when he was champ, and ratings didn't skyrocket (they don't for anyone really, even for Becky) his live reactions were and still are strongly positive. There's strong AJ chants during his promos, his matches still.

You kinda have to ride the wave and try to pivot that wave onto others, while keeping the other stars popular. We'll see what happens with Becky after she beats Ronda. Once a character like hers gets everything they ever wanted and overcomes, i find its harder to keep that act hot.

Yes movement Bryan was working with Kane, an angle no one wanted. I'm sure Bryan would have to turn if he didn't get hurt because of booking that wasn't compelling...

[Macho Mourn]

Sooooo

Umm...

https://twitter.com/RondaRousey/status/1101223230214303744

The whole exchange has gone from amazing to business destroying.

I have not liked this change in direction over twitter.

[Team Farrell]

Interesting. I'm starting to think hat Ronda can't take the heat.

I love to toss little barbs out there with guys that I'm working with that I know touch a nerve. It throws them off their game a little, and the evil part deep down inside of me likes to know that I'm getting a reaction. Look like Becky touched that nerve with Ronda.

[LK3185]

WWE begging for attention is all I'm seeing

[meandi]

Any chance someone could embed the tweets for those of us that can’t bother with twitter?

Never mind... just saw it on the main page.

[Oliver]

Becky's response of essentially 'U OK Hun? You went full Russo there' has actually made me laugh out loud this morning.

It's a tricky one, because Ronda's done this 'I'm real, all of this is fake' thing a few times during this feud and arguably it's no different from CM Punk calling Triple H 'Jean-Paul Levesque' and the whole 'reality era' which had people popping 6/7 years ago.

Which begs the question of where the line is in this thing, I suppose, and also how much management WWE has over how their performers act on their Twitter accounts. If Ronda came out on Raw and said she was going to beat the shit out of Becky I imagine there would be a fine associated with it. But on Twitter is the same rule applied?

[Powder]

Apparently the twitter exchange between Becky and Ronda has garnered some back stage heat on Ronda. The WWE (Vince) is none to pleased with Ronda's use of her language (dick and shit) and her breaking kayfabe twice with calling Becky, Rebecca Quinn and the "going off script and beating the shit out of you.

I don't know why Becky has heat, when she was playing along with kayfabe, while Rousey went off.

[meandi]

Sometimes the instigator gets in trouble, too.

[meandi]

Further stupid-ass booking. Apparently Fastlane was gonna be Becky v Charlotte for the vacated Raw title. But then Ronnie showed up and reclaimed the title that she laid down. Now it’s The Man v The Queen at Fastlane, and if Becky wins... it’s a triple threat at ‘Mania? If she doesn’t win, then she’s “out”. (Whatever the fuck that means...) So fucking dumb.

[Oliver]

They've used basically the same booking construct at plenty of these 'Road to WrestleMania' pay per views in that past, with someone defending their Rumble shot or trying to earn their place. 2015 with Reigns vs Bryan is the one I recall most recently in terms of Fastlane, but I'm sure they've done some others at Elimination Chamber too - did they not do Jax vs Asuka last year with a similar stipulation?

Doesn't really bother me. It's an easy story for them to tell in this period. They've overbooked the shit out of this Mania run for Lynch, Charlotte, and Rousey, of course, and now we have a situation where if they don't put Lynch in the match they're a) going to have the building turning on the match with 'Becky' chants, and b) going to have a heel vs heel match for the title, but to be honest I'm quite enjoying the ride.

[Prime Time]

So, after she wins it all, it's Becky vs Lacey Evans then.

[Powder]

YES. Great first feud for the Man. An untested rookie who is another Charlotte clone. Read Tito's column.

[Oliver]

It's cool. Ties in to the Becky narrative of other people getting handed opportunities because of the way they look rather than their ability.

Becky should take Lacey to the woodshed. It's the ideal first defence kind of feud for her, while Charlotte gets over herself and they spend a bit of time rebuilding Asuka. Becky can 'make' Lacey while beating her, and then move on with an established alternative challenger.

It's cool.

You hold off on Charlotte vs Lynch...what is it now, VI? VII? until summer or when people have more eyes on it, and throw out a new face into the division at the top. I like it as a match up.

Good first feud, I think. Lacey might not set the world alight but she's fine as a wrestler.