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Drew McIntyre and Top Options to Replace Becky Lynch's Star Power on WWE Raw
May 16, 2020
Becky Lynch relinquished the Raw Women's Championship to Asuka on Monday and announced that she is pregnant, meaning The Man will be away from WWE for the foreseeable future.
While Lynch's pregnancy is a great thing for her personally, it presents WWE with a challenge. For well over a year, Becky has unquestionably been one of the top stars on Raw, and she has gotten as much or more screen time as pretty much anyone in the company.
Replacing everything Lynch brings to the table won't be easy, but WWE has a deep and talented roster full of Superstars who are undoubtedly ready to step up and become the face of the red brand.
Here are a few performers in particular who have what it takes to shine under the spotlight while Lynch is out of the fold.
Drew McIntyre
Aside from new Raw Women's champion Asuka, the person who WWE most needs to take the ball and run with it on Raw is WWE champion Drew McIntyre.
WWE was already starting to present the Scottish Superstar as the primary face of Raw before Becky's pregnancy announcement, and now his face will be more visible than anyone's in commercials, on billboards and in interviews.
Drew scored a massive, star-making victory over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania to become WWE champion for the first time, and WWE has pumped all its resources into building McIntyre up and getting him over as a top babyface since then.
McIntyre is on a dominant run, including a win over Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank in his first official pay-per-view title defense.
Lynch held the Raw Women's Championship for 399 days, and it is easy to see McIntyre enjoying a similar reign, which is necessary when trying to mold someone into a top star and the face of the company.
As long as WWE continues to build McIntyre up while still keeping his dominance entertaining to the fans watching at home, he should have no issue carrying the load as the go-to Superstar on the red brand.
Bianca Belair
Asuka will get the first crack at leading the Raw women's division in Becky's absence, but of any woman on the Raw roster, former NXT standout Bianca Belair has the most star power.
Although Belair never won a championship in NXT, she built herself from the ground up into one of the brand's most popular Superstars. Unlike many wrestlers who come to WWE without a pro wrestling background, the fans embraced Belair.
Belair made her main roster debut at WrestleMania 36 by helping The Street Profits, and she has been eased in ever since. It appears as though the powers that be are waiting for the right opportunity to arise to put The EST on the fast track to superstardom.
Belair is a former track and CrossFit star, so there is no question that she has what it takes to dominate physically. In terms of strength, speed and overall athleticism, it can be argued that no woman in all of WWE measures up to Belair.
That alone is impressive enough, but it only scratches the surface of Belair as a performer. Bianca has a unique look highlighted by her long braid, which she uses to inflict harm on her opponents. She also makes her own gear, which helps her stand out from the rest as well.
On top of all that, Belair has an infectious personality and one can't help but be engaged and interested every time she cuts a promo, which is an element Lynch has long brought to the table, too.
WWE has to put a lot of work into building Belair in order to get her to the level Lynch has occupied, but there is little doubt that Belair possesses all the tools needed to reach the top.
Aleister Black
There is no shortage of talent on the men's side of the Raw roster as well, and if anyone is ready to take that next step to the top of the card, it is Aleister Black.
Since being called up last year after a dominant run in NXT that included an NXT Championship reign, Black has been on the ascent on the main roster. In fact, he has been nearly unbeatable, especially over the past several months on Raw.
Black fell short at Money in the Bank and did not secure a world title contract in the ladder match, but he doesn't necessarily need it. WWE has slowly and smartly built him to the point that he is nearly ready to enter the world title scene.
While Black is presently blocked by McIntyre, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that WWE could turn Black heel and make him an opponent for McIntyre in the relatively near future, as his character could work well in that role.
Even if Black doesn't get pushed to the top quite yet, he is the ideal No. 2 male babyface behind McIntyre for the time being, and there is no question he has the potential to be even more than that in the near future.
Black has a dark, Undertaker-type vibe, and there aren't many great characters in wrestling who are cut from that cloth these days. If WWE sticks with Black and continues to push him like it has, the company could have a massive star on its hands for many years to come.
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