Credit: WWE.com

Less Is More with Becky Lynch: Why WWE Is Walking a Fine Line with Becky 2 Belts

Graham GSM Matthews

As the current holder of both the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships, Becky Lynch is making the rounds on WWE TV more than anyone else on either roster at the moment. She is the only active competitor not officially assigned to one brand or the other, and that is likely the way it will stay until she drops one of the two titles.

This had been the norm for Lynch long before her epic victory in the main event of WrestleMania 35, however. She has been a regular on Raw and SmackDown Live since the beginning of the year, and rightfully so; she is arguably the hottest star in all of WWE right now.

That said, WWE runs the risk of overexposing Lynch by having her appear on both brands as often as she has been. Within weeks, she could lose everything about her that made her special in the first place, especially if she continues to cut the same promos repeatedly.

Regardless of whether it was always the plan or not, Lynch has been making the most of her "Becky 2 Belts" moniker. Never before has one woman been so dominant in two different divisions, and Lynch being as beloved as she is helps with that.

Otherwise, Lynch pulling double duty would be a much bigger problem. Fans are clamoring for more of The Man at this point, and with it being unknown how long her honeymoon phase will last, WWE might as well milk the gimmick for everything it's worth.

Lynch shouldn't be shoved down the throats of the WWE Universe in the coming months, meaning WWE must do a better job of having her hold the two titles and appear less frequently without doing damage to either brand's women's division.

One night removed from WrestleMania, Lynch kicked off her first feud as champion with Lacey Evans. Evans earned a shot at the strap by beating Natalya on the following Raw, so those two are set to clash for the Raw Women's title sooner rather than later.

The SmackDown Women's title received some love as well this past week when The Irish Lass Kicker surfaced on SmackDown to put the entire women's locker room on notice. She was interrupted by a number of ladies, including two of the blue brand's newest acquisitions in Ember Moon and Bayley.

Both of them would make for compelling challengers to the championship, but for now, Lynch should split her time between the brands wisely. Having concurrent rivalries over both belts is something we rarely see in WWE and will allow her to stand out from the rest of the roster if she can manage to maintain momentum and remain in possession of the two titles for the foreseeable future.

Credit: WWE.com

There was a period on SmackDown earlier this year when the show heavily focused on Lynch and Charlotte Flair while the then-SmackDown Women's champion Asuka was nowhere to be found.

Granted, WWE could have explained Asuka's absence and had her appear in backstage segments, but for whatever reason, that wasn't the case. The point is, Lynch doesn't have to appear every week during her title reign, as the division won't fall apart without her.

The women's scene on SmackDown is stronger than ever coming out of the Superstar Shake-up. There is more than enough talent to carry the division when she isn't around, and contrary to popular belief, it is possible for two wrestlers to have an engaging rivalry where championship gold isn't up for grabs.

No matter who Lynch faces from Raw and SmackDown going forward, all roads should lead to a one-on-one outing with Ronda Rousey. Since their WrestleMania match was turned into a Triple Threat, those two still have unfinished business, but there is no reason for that bout to be for both belts.

With SmackDown as stockpiled with star power as it is, Lynch should end up on Raw when she wraps up her run as Becky 2 Belts. Unifying the two titles would be a massive mistake considering the depth of the main roster's women's division, and thankfully, WWE doesn't appear to be headed in that direction.

No one is a better fit for this dual-champion gimmick at the moment than Becky Lynch, but WWE should be putting double the amount of effort into ensuring she doesn't fall flat and have the fans turn against her given how much of a presence she'll have on programming in the coming months.

   

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.

   

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