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Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch have been in each other’s orbit since last August, being drawn towards each other like magnets at the top of the women’s division.
At SummerSlam in Nissan Stadium on Saturday, they will clash once again for the Raw Women’s Championship. We’ll take a look at how they got here.
Why are they fighting?
Similar to the main event of Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch will be the blowoff to a long feud that spans back one year. It was at last year’s SummerSlam where Lynch returned from a year-long maternity absence to stun Belair in 26 seconds and win the Smackdown Women’s Championship.
The two routinely clashed for the next several months and even followed each other to Monday Night Raw. In February, Belair won an Elimination Chamber match to become the No. 1 contender, setting up a title match against Lynch at Wrestlemania 38. At that show, the “EST” toppled “Big Time Becks” to win the Raw Women’s Championship in one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches in history. The two have remained in each other’s orbit since, leading to this final showdown in Belair’s home state of Tennessee. Lynch has descended into madness since losing her title in April, so the story will be focused on her desperation to get the title back.
What should we expect from the match?
This could very well steal the show like it did at Wrestlemania and be the match of the night. They got just under 20 minutes in their Wrestlemania bout and could get the same amount of time, if not more, to put on another classic.
Consequences of outcome
Belair has already toppled Lynch on a big stage but a victory at SummerSlam would complete the redemption arc from her losing in 26 seconds one year ago. It would also allow her to begin a major feud with Rhea Ripley, who originally earned the No. 1 contendership a month ago before going down with an injury.
Lynch regaining the title here would serve as personal redemption for her after losing at Wrestlemania. A loss would continue her descent into madness and the evolution of her character.