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Becky Lynch is undoubtedly the hottest thing in WWE right now. Her appearances, her promos and even her savage tweets have got the wrestling media stirring.
The disappointment of the fans when her bout against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series got cancelled is an evidence of the fans' thirst for The Man's glory!
The heat Nia Jax received, after knocking out Becky in the Smackdown women's invasion of Raw, has been dissipating gradually but the Irish Lass kicker has been over with the crowd in each of her appearances on the blue brand.
The SmackDown Live women's roster pales in comparison to the Raw roster. While Raw has a plethora of big names to pull headlines like Ronda Rousey, Sasha Banks, Bailey, Nia Jax and Tamina, Smackdown has a thin roster with only eleven active superstars.
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Even in that shallow pool of talent, there are names such as Zelina Vega and Lana who have, only recently, turned away from their managerial roles. With the triple-threat, TLC match for the Smackdown Women's championship at TLC just around the corner, the time is apt to think about the future if the Man walks away with the Blue-Gold this Sunday.
So here are five prospective challengers for Becky Lynch's Smackdown Women's championship.
5- Naomi
Despite being one of the most athletic and exciting women in WWE, opportunities have been scarce for her in recent times.
She had an odd pairing with Asuka for some time that eventually led to nothing! When Asuka was suddenly pushed into the title picture, everybody, even the creative, had forgotten about her erstwhile partner Naomi.
Perhaps, unable to cope with this frustration, she can debut a new, more serious, character. Her dancing entrance and glow-in-the-dark attire have reduced her credibility in some ways but a salty character that upholds the sportswoman spirit could be a great match for Becky Lynch and her gritty way of operations.
4- Asuka
The Empress of tomorrow has been a thing of yesterday ever since her undefeated streak came to a culmination at WrestleMania by the virtue of Charlotte Flair.
Undoubtedly, the best in-ring performer among the women of WWE (Perhaps with the exception of the newly signed Io Shirai) she has all the charisma and the skills to have a long title reign akin to that of her NXT run.
She had been in the dark corners of the blue brand with odd pairings and humourless comedy skits, but a recent revival (Seemingly out of nowhere) of her by thrusting her right into the blood feud between Charlotte and Becky Lynch has been a welcome change.
When Becky was choosing her replacement to fight against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series, Asuka got the loudest reaction from the crowd, even more so than the eventual choice of Charlotte.
While renewing the feud between The Queen and the Man may be a little early, a clash between the Irish Lass kicker and the Empress would be a fresh feud that could deliver great matches.
3- Kairi Sane
Asuka's countrymate could be a good option to challenge Becky if Asuka loses her feud against The Man.
This series of big match losses could be a turning point for Asuka, who could go back to the heelish I-don't-Care attitude of her late NXT days, while, at the same time, it could be a platform for an NXT call-up.
While many would like to see Io Shirai vs Becky Lynch, the genius of the sky has time to spend in the Yellow brand before she makes her way to the main roster.
On the other hand, the pirate princess is fresh off the loss at NXT Takeover by the hands of Shayna Baszler. She could be called up anytime and could be thrust into the title picture citing her NXT credentials and the noble cause of retribution for her friend and fellow Japanese; Asuka.
2- The IIconics
Becky Lynch would be a tweener character for most of her defences but she has to transition into a full blown out Babyface sometime soon. And this feud could be the perfect opportunity.
The IIconics have lost steam ever since they debuted on the Blue Brand and have been used in throwaway tag matches to build other feuds. The two are gold together as evident from their triple threat match for the NXT women's championship against Asuka.
The two could blindside the Irish Lass kicker and dominate her with their numbers advantage throughout the feud. This could lead to some entertaining squabbles to build up the momentum.
The match itself, though would fall flat when compared to the other physical altercations, would be a treasure trove of compelling and emotional storytelling. The numbers advantage, the brave babyface Becky putting up a fight, a disagreement between Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, both refusing to lie down for each other to pick up the win and amongst all this chaos the straight fire could retain her coveted title.
1- Shayna Baszler
Yes, a precursor to the rumoured WrestleMania match!
With the victory over the Iconic duo, Becky Lynch has transitioned into a pure babyface and hence, will need a top heel to further her character. And who better than the current NXT Women's champion, The queen of spades, Shayna Baszler!
This feud is tailor-made for a WrestleMania clash, be it the long rumoured Four horsewomen of WWE (Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte and Becky Lynch) vs the four horsewomen of MMA(Shayna Baszler, Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke) or the singles match between The Man and the Rowdy that was supposed to take place at Survivor Series.
This could sow seeds for the horsewomen match or be a preview for the Ronda Rousey encounter. The match in itself would be a delightful clash of submissions; the rear naked choke against the dis-arm-her. A multitude of counters, a dash of quick action, realistic punches and an overall sublime ground game could result in one of the best matches of the year for the WWE.
So that's it for the list, which other feuds could you think of? Let us know in the comments below:)
