Does Sasha Banks Have to Beat Becky Lynch to Maintain Momentum in WWE?

Sasha Banks lost in her bid to become the new Raw Women’s champion against Becky Lynch at Clash of Champions on September 15. The Boss gave everything she had, but the match broke down and The Man retained her title when she was disqualified in the end.

The match was a hit with fans, many of whom hailed it as the best bout of the night. Banks and Lynch indeed delivered in the ring, leaving the audience wanting more. That’s exactly what they will get when the two stars face off once again at Hell in a Cell on October 6. So is this a must win for Sasha Banks?

That question is being debated right now because of Banks’ recent return, which took place at Becky’s expense. Sasha came back and first took Natalya down and then turned her attention to Becky, who has rarely been at a disadvantage since become the Raw Women’s champion at WrestleMania 35.The Boss made it clear that she wanted Lynch’s title and she set forth to take it on September 15.

Sasha went into that match with a ton of momentum on her side and much of it was actually not from her own work. Banks’ best friend Bayley recently turned heel as well and helped Sasha in the attack on Becky. The duo was on the rise and it became clear that WWE had found a hot main event act.

Watch Banks and Lynch trade shots at Clash of Champions!

The fact that Bayley is the current SmackDown Women’s champion only helped their cause and it especially helped Sasha in terms of fan expectations. Bayley is on top of the women’s division on SmackDown so it only makes sense that Sasha will take the same spot on the Monday Night Raw roster. That’s what fans believed and they may very well be right.

Perhaps Hell in a Cell will be the night when Sasha Banks dethrones Becky Lynch and becomes the new Raw Women’s champion. Sasha competed in the first-ever women’s HIAC match against Charlotte Flair in 2016, so there’s definitely some history behind the match with Lynch. Of course Banks lost that bout and it’s entirely possible that she will lose again on October 6.

But the more time that passes between Banks and Bayley’s ascension as the top tandem of women’s wrestling in WWE and Sasha’s potential title win, the more likely it is that she could lose steam. While it’s perhaps too early for fans to press the panic button, it’s indeed interesting to see what could happen if Sasha doesn’t defeat The Man at Hell in a Cell.

One key issue at play is The Man’s current standing with the WWE faithful. At one time, Becky Lynch was white hot. She was the most popular Superstar in Vince McMahon’s company and no one else on the roster, female or male, could touch her. Becky found a way to get over on her own and fans respected her for it. They decided that she was what they wanted and they fully supported her on her way to the top.

Lynch isn’t finished with Banks yet!

Becky’s inclusion in the main event of WrestleMania 35 was proof positive of how far she had come in WWE. Lynch couldn’t buy a victory just one year before and then her entire career changed. She had arrived and she had earned her spot with Charlotte and Ronda Rousey on The Grandest Stage of Them All. 

But time has a funny way of changing fan perception. Instead of being the woman on the outside looking in, Becky Lynch had become the standard in WWE. She achieved her goals and accomplished more than anyone likely ever dreamed she would. Lynch was no longer an underdog. She was the champ and she was dating the top men’s champ on Raw, Seth Rollins. Their on-screen relationship was enough to turn some fans against her and though it wasn’t necessarily a deal-breaker for the most part, it did affect her in the short term.

So are those effects now going to become a long term problem for her? It’s not as though Lynch has collapsed under the weight of her top guy status in WWE. The fact is she’s carried herself much better than many of her male counterparts have in the past. Becky wanted the pressure that comes along with being a main event star and she’s proven she can handle it.

But fans are indeed fickle and some of them have decided it’s time to move on from Lynch. So when Banks was cheered for her attacks on Becky, it wasn’t surprising as it probably should have been. Becky Lynch, through no fault of her own, has seemingly overstayed her welcome as a featured star in WWE. This would not be the case in a perfect world, but WWE has never been a perfect world.

Watch Banks versus Charlotte on SmackDown!

In the world of WWE, heels are often cheered against babyfaces. The same is true for Lynch, who was the most over babyface in the company at one time. But Banks’ latest run is new, it’s fresh and it’s exciting. Fans are addicted to the rush of adrenaline that only those three qualities can deliver, which is partly why Sasha is so in-demand right now.

So does The Boss need to beat The Man in order balance everything out for both stars? Wining the Raw Women’s Championship would do nothing but help Sasha, while making her alliance with Bayley the most powerful one in WWE. They would have a stranglehold on both of WWE’s top women’s titles and no one would be able to stop them.

By contrast, a loss for Becky Lynch would set The Man back in the role of challenger once again. It’s a role that she excels in and it could be exactly what she needs to warm the audience back up to her again. Perhaps another struggle would remind fans of just how tough Becky is, as well as give her a new lease on life in WWE. But is Becky past that already?

The Becky Lynch that fans see today is indeed not the same one what fought and scratched her way to the top. This Man is much more confident in herself and her ability. Lynch knows who she is and what she can do. More importantly, her character is fully developed because of the trials she’s faced on her way to the top. Why take that away from her now?

The fact is that Sasha Banks is indeed on the upswing and it’s likely only a matter of time until she becomes the new Raw Women’s champion. One loss will not necessarily hurt Becky and chances are, she could regain the title sooner rather than later. Despite what happens, Banks is hunger than she’s ever been and Lynch is at the top of her game. When they collide at Hell in a Cell, it should be another instant classic and maybe that’s all that matters.

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live