How WWE Can Spin Becky Lynch's Botched Heel Turn into a Positive

WWE's attempt to turn Becky Lynch heel failed from the second it began, when the Barclays Center crowd in Brooklyn, New York, erupted in support for her attack on Charlotte Flair.

In theory, the move was rather straightforward in that she was clearly the bad guy, but it didn't matter. Audiences simply don't want to boo her, and every time "we want Becky" chants echo throughout an arena, it goes against the story.

At this point, the original plan for The Irish Lass Kicker has derailed, but that doesn't mean everything should be scrapped and she should start back at square one.

On the contrary, this is the moment to strike with a different approach and to learn from this mistake by spinning the negative into a positive.

WWE has inadvertently opened several doors to great alternative outcomes for Lynch and there's no better one to start off with than the concept of fan appreciation.

After years of resistance to accept WWE's edict of Roman Reigns as the top guy, fans spoke up when it seemed like the same thing would be happening with Flair.

Lynch's supporters didn't want to see her become a stepping stone just to build up the company-chosen Flair one more notch above everyone else, so the heel turn was rejected.

Even with the crowd's refusal to boo The Lass Kicker just for the sake of the narrative, WWE obviously still didn't get the message.

Right after this fiasco started, Braun Strowman was turned heel in a sad attempt to keep the Reigns charade going even longer.

It's no wonder some people have the bitter viewpoint that the writers don't listen and live in a bubble of their own opinions if this is a repeated occurrence as it seems to be.

Since it has been years with the directive for Reigns not changing, fans have no reason to believe this tale with Lynch will be any different.

Credit: WWE.com

However, if WWE listens to the cheers and is willing to let go of this heel turn, it would be a sign of good faith that the company isn't completely disregarding what the fans say.

It sends the message that WWE does care, which will boost the overall morale of the entire brand by coming off as more accepting rather than blocking out those who don't fall in line.

Instead of it being us against them, it will be a step toward healing that relationship, as Lynch would go from a punching bag in a storyline about how great Flair is to a focal point of change similar to Daniel Bryan's "Yes Movement" empowerment.

Perhaps the biggest reward that could come out of this, though, is the opportunity to bring more nuance to the WWE Superstars, who often come across as being on two different extremes.

For the most part, the babyfaces will always stay in the ring to check up on their tag team partner every time they lose, while the heels will say they want to fight on their own terms—and everybody follows the same predictable patterns.

If the writers keep pushing this heel turn, Lynch will quickly start doing all of the usual shtick: attacking babyfaces, teaming with other heels she previously hated, turning her back on her fans and so on.

It's implausible that she would do a complete 180-degree reversal on every one of her morals just because her friend won a match she was hoping to win, and making her follow that irrational path makes her a forced caricature we've seen many times.

This is WWE's chance to show there are more than the three options of villains and heroes with a smattering of people in limbo such as The Ascension, who are so low on the totem pole that the creative team doesn't even care enough to pick a side.

Lynch could represent a shift into more gray areas, where characters are more fully realized and three-dimensional.

Yes, friends are sometimes jealous of one another and can argue and fight, but that doesn't mean getting into it with one pal turns you into a dastardly evil person to everybody else.

If we tell kids to back away from fights, why is it only cowardly heels do this in WWE even though some babyfaces should definitely step aside once in a while?

Why can't Flair show some character growth by admitting she stole her friend's thunder and apologize to Lynch for being selfish?

When the WWE roster came out to pull Lynch and Flair apart from fighting, it's unrealistic that only the heels held back Lynch and only the babyfaces held back Flair, because the divide is too clean. The Lass Kicker being between those lines, though, could show WWE how to have more fun by treating other wrestlers in a similar way.

A babyface Naomi and a heel Tamina should be able to bond over their familial ties and watch each other's backs even if they have differing opinions on how to act toward others.

Carmella deserves a hug from Bayley if she's nice to her, whether or not she's nasty to everybody else, so wouldn't it be interesting if those two teamed up if a situation came up where The Princess of Staten Island needed a partner? It shouldn't always just be some other heel she wouldn't get along with just because she's also a heel.

Let's let the fans decide on who to root for between Lynch and Flair; if it works, there can be more ambiguous feuds, such as The IIconics against Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.

Lynch having a row with her best friend shouldn't mean she has now also alienated herself from all other babyfaces in the locker room—she just happens to be having an issue with Flair in particular.

Credit: WWE.com

This could be the launching pad for a new way of writing characters as being more realistic and with true depth, rather than just judging a book by its cover and having all babyfaces be perpetually smiling and all heels as total cowards.

Maybe The Lass Kicker keeps this chip on her shoulder and combines it with her fighting spirit to become someone who loves performing for the crowds just like before but doesn't follow the same strict guidelines every other babyface has.

If not, and WWE stubbornly decides the fans don't know what they want and the formula shouldn't be tinkered with, then forcing Lynch to stay a heel will backfire.

It would be a red alert that instead of this being the starting point for something new, it's a sign WWE has no intention of appeasing the fans if they turn against the script handed down from the powers-that-be.

The ball is in WWE's court. This heel turn can continue to fail and drag Lynch and everyone else down with it, or the creative team can be more creative, go with the flow, and try to pivot from the original idea with strategies to make the best out of a bad situation.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.