WWE Failing Ciampa, Becky Lynch Needs Face Turn; More WWE Raw Takes

WWE Raw had to make some fast decisions after the announcement that Rhea Ripley would not be able to compete at Money in the Bank. It showed throughout the June 20 edition that the company was scrambling to build for the pay-per-view on July 2.

Becky Lynch and Asuka pulled double duty, competing in the opening No. 1 Contender's Fatal 5-Way bout for the chance to face Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship before fighting each other for a spot in the women's Money in the Bank ladder match.

Big Time Becks came up empty both times, though.

Carmella won the No. 1 Contender's bout, setting up another battle in her endless series of matches against Bianca Belair for a women's championship.

Omos punched his own ticket to the men's Money in the Bank ladder match, defeating Riddle in a surprise result. Ciampa took a shot at AJ Styles, only to take another quick loss against a veteran of the red brand.

It was a unique night in which WWE made some decisions that could make Money in the Bank less exciting.

WWE had to make a quick call after Rhea Ripley was ruled out of her Raw women's title shot at Money in the Bank due to injury.

Becky Lynch, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss and Carmella were given a chance to earn that No. 1 contender berth instead. While four already had an established angle, Carmella was left as the obvious answer.

However, we have already seen The EST of WWE defeat 'Mella many times. There is no drama in the challenge. It would have been far more interesting to give that shot to someone less developed.

Belair has already battled Doudrop, but the two have proven chemistry and would have a great story to tell. Nikki A.S.H. is a former champion who could have taken advantage of the spotlight for the first time in a while.

Sonya Deville never really had a chance to feud with The EST before her authority angle fell apart, while Dana Brooke and Tamina are veterans who could have used the opportunity to prove themselves in serious competition.

Carmella deserves more spotlight than she has been given, but a feud with Belair is nothing new. WWE needs to show trust in the talent by giving them chances to thrive rather than cycling back to the same ideas.

Riddle has been a surprise breakout star for the company, rising up the ranks with each performance. He worked Roman Reigns so well on Friday night that it genuinely looked as though he could beat the undisputed WWE universal champion.

The Original Bro then gave Omos arguably the best bout of his career. He had earned a spot in Money in the Bank as a dark-horse candidate, but The Nigerian Giant, who just lost a forgettable feud with Bobby Lashley, was put over instead.

WWE cannot afford to book on a 50-50 capacity with talent that is rising up the ranks. Even if Riddle cannot challenge Reigns anymore following his loss on SmackDown, he should be featured on a show where WWE is already down multiple key acts.

The main positive here is the hint of Seth Rollins vs. The Original Bro. That will certainly be a highlight ahead of SummerSlam, but neither man can afford to lose, given their recent losses to others.

Ciampa was once a stalwart of WWE NXT. Whatever was asked of him, he worked at his absolute best to provide it. Despite his best efforts, though, he has made no impact on Raw.

The Blackheart has lost to Mustafa Ali, Riddle and now AJ Styles. He has barely spoken and his matches go no more than a few minutes. None of this plays to his strengths.

Ciampa is just cannon fodder for bigger names, protecting The Miz and Theory along the way. He is already working on Main Event, and he could soon be following T-Bar, Apollo Crews and others into the role of losing on WWE's forgotten show.

While WWE may have changed direction with NXT in the last year, Ciampa earned himself a fair shake on the red brand. He has not been given that so far, though.

Becky Lynch has been placed in a unique position since returning from maternity leave. She left as WWE's top face and came back as a heel. She has done well in the role, but the crowd is ready to get back behind her.

She is spiraling thanks to Asuka's antics. In the same night, The Empress of Tomorrow cost Big Time Becks a No. 1 Contender's contest and took her spot in the women's Money in the Bank ladder match.

If WWE commits to this struggle, it will perfectly set her up to return to the babyface role that made her a household name.

There is no reason why fans should not be able to get behind the most charismatic performer in the women's division, and it won't be hard to sell her road to redemption.