Last Summerslam, what should have been a crowning moment for Becky Lynch became a crowning moment for Charlotte Flair. All of Lynch’s hard work over the past few months was undone in a snap. And just like that, Becky had enough and attacked her former friend out of frustration.

Many people hoped that it would be a new edge to Becky Lynch’s character, but instead, she’s now a full-blown heel. It’s not what people were expecting, and it’s not what people want. Alas, such is life.

I am probably preaching to the choir here, but I am not liking how this situation is being handled so far. I’m willing to see where it goes, but it’s completely backwards, and here’s why.

the alignments are all wrong

Who do you think most people watching at home are going to sympathize with? The person who worked hard and earned what they should have been given a long time ago? Or the person who gets handed opportunities to succeed?

I understand that it wasn’t Charlotte’s fault that she was added to the match. Paige was really mad at Carmella, and Carmella wasn’t good enough to beat Charlotte. Flair didn’t politic her way into the match. She was just handed the opportunity.

But that’s the thing. She was handed the opportunity. And then she attacked Becky from behind to win the match. It’s certainly not against the rules, but it’s the kind of underhanded tactic that could piss someone right off. And it certainly pissed Becky Lynch off.

Again, people are more likely to sympathize with the person who got dicked out of winning than the person using dick moves to win. And on top of that, Becky has every right to feel aggrieved.

She had to fight her way through the entire division just to even be considered for an opportunity at the title. During that time, Charlotte lost to Carmella twice. Carmella didn’t even need to cheat at Backlash to retain the title. Charlotte then disappears for two months while Becky Lynch tears through the women’s division. She finally gets her first title match in over a year. Meanwhile Charlotte returns after losing her last two matches and she gets added to the match after one win. I don’t know about you, but it’s kind of hard not to feel sorry for Becky Lynch.

everyone is supporting becky lynch

If WWE is smart (and I’m hoping to god they are), they’d listen to the crowd reactions and adjust based on them. Probably won’t happen, but it’s nice to dream.

Anyway, despite the supposed heel turn, fans continue to cheer for Becky Lynch, perhaps even louder than before. Lynch’s last two appearances were in Brooklyn, a really smarky crowd, so I’d be inclined to agree if someone were to say that these were “isolated events.” But they’re not.

At a Smackdown house show, Becky attacked Charlotte. Guess how the crowd reacted (hint: they loved it and cheered for her). House show crowds aren’t “bizarro world” fans who “cheer who they normally boo and boo who they normally cheer”. They don’t feel the need to chant silly things on TV or anything like that. They react to what they see,

So when a house show crowd who normally goes with the flow is actively cheering for the supposed heel, something’s up. Let’s see what kind of crowd reactions Becky Lynch will get over the next few weeks. If she continues to get cheered, hopefully they adjust.

WWE may have found a great opportunity to turn Lynch into the top face of the women’s division, but for some reason they refuse to capitalize on it. They may have also found a great twist to the usual “best friends now hate each other” story. Again, they refuse to capitalize on it.

Here’s to hoping WWE is willing to adapt and change the story as it goes. Wishful thinking, but we never know.