Becky Lynch and the Keys to Building a Successful WWE SmackDown Women's Division

Gold, opportunity and Becky Lynch are the ideal building blocks for constructing a robust WWE SmackDown women's division.

SmackDown must rely on its biggest female star and storytelling basics as the New Era unfolds. The draft sent Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Paige to Raw, leaving the blue brand with more unproven names. Raw also owns the Women's Championship and all the inherent drama that comes with it.

SmackDown will soon feature its own trophy, though. General manager Daniel Bryan appeared on the Bear Hug it Out podcast and said that a women's title was on the way for the show.

That's Step 1 to make SmackDown a go-to place for women's wrestling. 

Beyond that, WWE has to make the belt the crux of its narratives, showcase Lynch, give the women room to work and find ways for newcomers such as Alexa Bliss to connect with the crowd in a hurry.

A Constant Chase for the Title

Again, the creation of a women's championship is only the first step. SmackDown has to convey that it is the holy grail for the wrestlers who are fighting over it.

That comes with keeping the title constantly in focus during feuds. Lynch talked about that concept at the San Diego Comic-Con in July: 

When asked what she would change about the women's division, she said, "Sometimes the storyline is as simple as, 'We're just going to be the best, and we're going for the championships.'"

She's right. Often, the most effective stories are as simple as that.

So when Carmella takes on Natalya, there has to be the sense that the winner will move up the ladder toward contention, while the loser will move down. When Bliss and Naomi collide, their issues should start with their desire to possess the gold.

SmackDown should also host tournaments and No. 1 Contender matches to milk drama from the ongoing race to the championship. 

Credit: WWE.com

Lynch also told fans in San Diego, "I'd like there to be consistently more women's storylines going on at the same time." The easiest way to do that is to have potential challengers work their way into position.

On NXT recently, Shinsuke Nakamura took on Finn Balor as a bridge to earning a spot at the NXT Championship. On Monday's Raw, Cesaro and Sheamus both felt left out of the world title discussion. They locked horns with a future title opportunity on the line.

SmackDown needs to take the same approach with the women, with warriors climbing over one another to get to the promised land. 

Make Lynch the Centerpiece

The obvious choice for the first woman to win the SmackDown title is Lynch.

She's the most well-rounded member of the show's women's division and is on the verge of true stardom. Her passion and fire pop on the screen. She was key to her feud with Charlotte being one of the most compelling stories of 2016.

Early this year, Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats called her "the best babyface in WWE."

SmackDown can lean on Natalya to deliver in the ring. Lynch thrives both between the ropes and with a microphone in her hand. Since she's the division's strongest talker, WWE can place Lynch into the center of a number of stories against a variety of foes.

WWE's best bet is to crown her and let the rest of the division beat down the gates trying to claim her championship. SmackDown can present her as a grappler who takes on a gauntlet of enemies and manages to survive in order to keep writing a happy ending to her tales.

Taking advantage of her popularity and skills right now is a no-brainer. The rest of the division will eventually get stronger, and some of the newcomers are bound to develop into marquee names. That's when WWE can lay off depending on The Irish Lass Kicker so much. 

Don't Skimp on Match Times 

The unending issue with WWE women's wrestling is an imbalance when it comes to time. As Kate Foray pointed out on the Raw Breakdown project, last week's SmackDown dedicated only 10 percent of its airtime to the women. 

Tuesday's edition featured some collisions between female rivals but exactly zero minutes' worth of official in-ring action. WWE instead scripted two matches to not actually start.

The numbers for the blue brand have been inconsistent, but more often than not, they show that WWE limits opportunities for its women.

Date	No. of Matches	Match Time(s)
June 28	2	2:51, 9:10
July 5	0	N/A
July 12	1	3:43
July 19	1	2:18
July 26	1	10:21
August 2	0	N/A

For the month of July, about 15 total minutes featured women's matches—out of eight hours of programming.

The transition into the current brand-split era is ongoing, and WWE is working out the kinks as we speak, but that kind of discrepancy can't continue. How are Lynch and Naomi supposed to gain any momentum if they don't have more than a sliver of the stage to work on? How are fans supposed to start loving or hating Bliss and Carmella if they don't see them consistently perform?

The formula WWE used for the SmackDown taped on June 28 is one the company should go back to in the future.

Dana Brooke easily beat up Billie Kay in a short contest, and Banks outlasted Summer Rae in a more competitive, longer bout. SmackDown featured four women in the ring that night. And The Boss and Rae weren't forced to speed through their storytelling.

Effectively Weave in the Rookie Class

The WWE draft welcomed several new names to Tuesday nights.

Eva Marie is back after her stint at NXT. SmackDown also plucked Carmella and Bliss from the developmental brand. 

As Daily DDT pointed out, it's time now for the introduction process: 

Fans got a strong sense of who Eva Marie is on Tuesday's SmackDown. She sauntered down the aisle as a narrator gushed about her greatness. And seconds before her scheduled bout with Lynch, she faked an injury to avoid fighting.

Her cowardice and cunning were front and center. WWE can't just use that same technique again and again, though; it must feature more displays of her character.

As for Bliss and Carmella, WWE would be wise to put together video packages for each woman. These clips should show the wrestlers' backgrounds, motivations and why we should like or dislike them. 

WWE did a stellar job of this with Brock Lesnar. The interview that the company filmed after his 2012 return was a perfect example of how to summarize a character in a short span.

Producing something similar for Bliss and/or Carmella will help encourage fans who are unfamiliar with their NXT work to invest in them.

To showcase the recent NXT call-ups beyond that, WWE has to give them room to tell their stories. Pitting Carmella against the veteran Natalya is a smart move, but it won't mean anything if those two are wrestling two-minute matches or if their feud is neglected. 

Thanks to the lack of depth in the SmackDown women's division, skilled storytelling is even more vital than ever.