What If WWE Turned Becky Lynch Heel?

by Sam Everett, @readsameverett

Since being called up to WWE's main roster from the NXT minor leagues in 2015, Becky Lynch has been a fan favorite. She debuted the same night as Charlotte Flair, who was introduced as a babyface but eventually gave in to her dominant heel gene, and Sasha Banks, who quickly let it be known which side of the face/heel divide she would be embracing by joining a faction called Team B.A.D. But Lynch has never betrayed the fun-loving yet fiery demeanor and started-from-the-bottom spirit that have made fans loyal to her through losing streaks, pay-per-view omissions, and one Women's Championship reign dwarfed by Flair's six and Banks's four. No, Becky Lynch has never been portrayed as anything but an honorable character, a warrior who may be overlooked but doesn't give up. There has never been an effort to turn her to the dark side.

Never.

Nope.

Just call me Becky Balboa. On the way to #WWEUtica with the eye of the tiger pic.twitter.com/dVlYiu3AfL

— Rebecca Quin (@BeckyLynchWWE) May 20, 2016

There are just some characters who have been wearing the white hat so long it seems impossible to get it off them. If legendary golden boy Ricky Steamboat ever grabbed someone's tights while pinning them, you'd have to blame the tights. Friends knew Tito Santana was really upset after his Strike Force tag team partner Rick Martel abandoned him because he could be heard describing Martel as "a real crummy so-and-so" before quickly apologizing. This past week on SmackDown Live Becky Lynch appeared to be in a sour mood over her fans' hashtags not appearing on her Twitter feed. I'm pretty sure her beef was with Twitter anyway. It almost had to be. At any rate, her fanbase is so rabid, and she is of such a pure and indomitable will that it would seem foolish to ever try to make a villain of her.

Foolish.

To ever try.

But what if WWE did? It seems like a fun exercise to explore how effective various approaches would be, on a scale of one to ten, with a one being utter failure, and ten being a completely successful turn (obviously a ten will be impossible to achieve).

1. Lynch earns a title shot by beating the champ, but Flair pops into the title scene like the Kool-Aid man, Lynch's one-on-one title match becomes a Triple Threat, Flair pins her as she's moments away from making the champ tap out, and an angry Lynch attacks Flair afterward.

This would be stupid. Why wouldn't we recognize Lynch's anger is justified? Aren't she and Flair supposed to be friends? Why couldn't Flair just wait until Lynch wins the title then challenge her to a one-on-one match? 1/10

2. Desperate to win the title, Lynch forms an alliance with Stephanie McMahon and arch-nemesis James Ellsworth. The ChinLass Power Trip quickly acquires the Women's Championship, the men's WWE Championship, and wins the 2019 Mixed Match Challenge, pummeling Byron Saxton and Naomi and the Usos with a chair in consecutive weeks.

As long as Ellsworth doesn't tear both quads and Lynch doesn't join Ronda Rousey's invading version of the Four Horsewomen, even a scaled down version of this might work! Of course, it's just as plausible Lynch's teflon likability would rub off on Ellsworth, who himself was originally propelled to stardom by fan outcry. "Any team with four hands has a fighting chance"? 5/10

3. After a falling out with her best friend Flair, Lynch is confronted by Charlotte's dad and 16-time world champion Ric Flair, who hopes to patch things up between Tea-Generation X. Unconvinced, Lynch physically assaults Ric. He catches a heart attack like Eddie Guerrero's mother, and Lynch shows no remorse. Charlotte goes on the warpath to avenge her father.

Maybe? But why should Lynch show remorse? Flair has a history of heart trouble. He shouldn't be anywhere near a wrestling ring. Plus Flair took all the goodwill earned from one of the most emotional farewell matches in history--his, ahem, retirement match at WrestleMania 24--and flushed it down the toilet. To heck with that guy. Mind your business, Naitch. 3/10

4. Lynch dyes her hair blond and gets breast enhancement surgery.

If an implant ruptures like Charlotte Flair's recently did, it would keep Lynch out of the ring, and for that reason alone fans might resent her makeover. But that's it. 2/10

5. It's revealed Lynch is the cousin of Stone Cold Steve Austin. Not-so-coincidentally, she is soon the subject of nearly every main event program, with a disproportionate amount of television time devoted to her over other qualified performers like, say, Asuka. When fans point this out, she faces Asuka in a match with the sole purpose of defeating her so Asuka can sing her praises, come down with a mystery ailment, retire for two years, un-retire and wrestle on Raw, away from Lynch. Lynch's once compelling persona is overexposed until her inner flame more resembles a smoldering campfire. She refers to herself as "not a Good Lass or a Bad Lass, but THE Lass" (but actually delivers the line as "The LASS" more often than not). She wins the Royal Rumble with the help of Cousin Steve after he Stunners Sasha Banks, then they both look absolutely dumbfounded when they are showered in boos.

Still only good for 9/10. Children will cheer for her because her hair looks cool and they're told to.

Of course, it's all hypothetical. Becky Lynch has been one of the most consistently popular performers of the past several years. WWE must realize changing her orange stripes would be a delicate, highly difficult--if not outright undoable--task. She may be 100% Bad Lass, but she stands firmly on the side of good . . . to this very day.