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#3) What's Old is New Again: WWE gets new Women's Champions on both RAW and SmackDown
SummerSlam was not a good night for both Women's Champions - Bianca Belair and Nikki A.S.H. Both women lost their championships in crushing fashion, forcing both them to leave SummerSlam empty handed.
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Nikki A.S.H., who won the RAW Women's Championship fairly recently after cashing in her Money in the Bank contract, lost the belt in a triple threat contest against Rhea Ripley and new WWE RAW Women's Champion Charlotte Flair. Overall, the bout was great, showcasing the best that WWE's RAW Women's division has to offer. Flair is now a 13x WWE Women's Champion, only 3 away from WWE officially being able to call her "The Ric Flair of the Women's Division".
From here, Flair will most likely continue to feud with former champions Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley in separate programs. There isn't much competition on RAW, removed from her two most recent opponents. It is peculiar that WWE would choose to have Nikki A.S.H cash in her MITB contract - on Charlotte Flair, might I add - and build a whole story of the victorious underdog to have Flair win back the title less than a month later. It could be assumed that WWE did not feel like Nikki A.S.H. was gaining enough traction as champion and instead decided to call it a quick audible.
On the SmackDown side of things, a massive audible was called during SummerSlam itself! Following Bianca Belair's entrance to the ring, announcer Greg Hamilton announced that challenger and former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks was "not cleared to compete," and Carmella would take her place.
But moments before the match was set to begin, "The Man" Becky Lynch made her much awaited return to the WWE. She marched into the ring, with a massive ovation from the crowd all around her, Lynch disposed of Carmella and immediately challenged Belair to a title match on the spot.
Belair agreed, but only 27 seconds later, Lynch was WWE SmackDown Women's Champion. Shocking the WWE Universe all over the world.
No one expected Belair to lose the title heading into SummerSlam, especially not in the quick manner in which she did. Many WWE fans took to social media to voice a mix of excitement over Lynch's return, but also their displeasure at the treatment of the young Belair. At this time, their is no confirmed reason as to why Banks was unable to compete, with reports pointing to COVID, Vaccination Status, Backstage Heat, and personal family matters as possible culprits.
With both Lynch and Flair back on top of their respective Women's Divisions, the WWE Women's Championships have gone from being in the hands of young, dynamic, and rising stars, to the stable hands of established stars and future hall of famers.
Will this work out for WWE? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!
Bianca Belair breaks silence on 27-second loss to Becky Lynch at SummerSlam
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