Forbes posted an online article early Wednesday morning from sports money contributor Blake Oestricher calling into question the big push SmackDown Superstar Becky Lynch has enjoyed over the past few months.
Here is a passage from Oestricher getting to the heart of his message as to if Lynch is really becoming a big draw for the WWE financially:
Along the way, Lynch has developed into one of WWE’s best talkers, in-ring performers and all-around talents in route to solidifying herself as a cult favorite among WWE’s diehard fan base. What isn’t as clear is whether or not Lynch is developing into a true draw for the company. While her autograph signings have been a big hit, she is reportedly just an “okay” merchandise seller and hasn’t had a measurable effect on SmackDown’s TV ratings, which have recently neared record lows.
Though Oestricher clearly is familiar with what’s going on here, I’m not sure all of his logic is completely sound. In stating Lynch is just an “okay” merchandise seller, Oestricher cited a Ringside News report from Brad Shepard’s podcast “Oh, You Didn’t Know” where Shepard states that Lynch is doing just “okay” in T-shirt sales. However, I’ve read on social media frequently from fans that Lynch’s new “The Man” shirts have sold out at times recently around the holidays. I think it’s also important to remember that the intense focus on Lynch really has only occurred over the past few months as a result of the RAW invasion angle and her getting hurt before Survivor Series in November.
As far as the recent dip in ratings, it’s not uncommon for WWE shows to take a hit around the holidays, especially considering taped episodes occurred on Christmas and New Year’s Day. I think it will be interesting to see what the ratings are this week with the well-hyped, triple-threat match with Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Carmella.
Here’s another passage from Oestricher regarding where Lynch stands in the company in comparison to big draws like John Cena, Roman Reigns and Ronda Rousey:
The difference between Lynch and stars like Cena, Rousey and Reigns, however, is that those three cornerstones of WWE are proven draws. Cena has a long history of positively affecting things like merchandise sales, live event attendance and TV ratings while Rousey is viewed as WWE’s biggest draw and Reigns has become the company’s top merchandise seller. Who knows, Lynch could very well join those stars in that regard in the near future, but for now, Lynch’s popularity hasn’t translated to her being a massive draw, which is one factor she has working against her to go along with WWE’s tendency to ruin a star’s push via bad booking.
If you’d like to read the entire article, you can do so by clicking here. I’m interested in what you think. Hit up the AllWrestling.Com comments section below to tell us what you think about how WWE is handling Lynch right now.
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