Charlotte Flair is back in the mix for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Of course, she was never really out of it. The Queen may have lost her title at WrestleMania 35, but she was not the woman that took the pin from Becky Lynch. It’s a fact that Flair was only too happy to remind the world about on the April 23 edition of SmackDown Live.

But Bayley took exception with the “rerun” of Flair and Lynch and decided to get involved as well. By the end of the night, Charlotte had beaten Bayley and Lynch decided she would defend both titles at Money in the Bank on May 19. Lacey Evans will get the shot for Becky’s Raw Women’s title and Charlotte gets the shot for the SmackDown Women’s title. But is the match against Flair a must win for “The Man?”

Many fans believe that a win over Evans is the only logical move for WWE. Lacey may be the new face on the scene but she’s wholly untested on WWE’s main event level. After all, she didn’t really work her way up to her championship opportunity at Money in the Bank. 

Fans know that’s not how WWE plays the game, however. In Vince McMahon’s world, title shots are handed out indiscriminately. Heels get more chances than babyfaces and that’s just how it goes. The WWE faithful may not like it, but there’s really no changing it.

The company believes that drama and tension are automatically born when a babyface is at a disadvantage. That mindset may turn out to be Becky’s entire championship run and if so, no one will be surprised. But even though Evans is moving up the ladder, she’s just not ready to be a champion yet. Becky may not steamroll past her, but it’s likely a win for Lynch nonetheless.

But the same is not true of Lynch’s match with Charlotte Flair. Flair is completely in her element as the favored Superstar who deserves to be on top because of her heritage. Yes, she works hard in the ring and yes, she continues to earn her spot. But the arrogance in her voice and the swagger she possesses are both a direct result of her last name. Flair is better than everyone else because she’s a Flair and she never lets anyone forget it.

So while fans are busy hating her, they’ve also been known to cheer her. Long before Lynch became “Becky 2 Belts,” Flair was popping the crowd just by showing up. Charlotte is a heel but depending on what crowd she’s in front of, she often gets a positive reaction. Much like her Hall of Fame father, Charlotte is a hugely popular heel and that’s likely not changing any time soon.

But Becky has an undeniable connection to the WWE Universe. She’s a blue collar Superstar who worked her way up the ladder and never gave up. The odds have seemingly always been against her and she’s constantly had to fight for approval. But once she got it, she ran with it. Lynch is the epitome of what hard work and determination can do for a pro wrestling career.

Becky was in the kickoff match of WrestleMania 34. One year later, she won the main event of WrestleMania 35 and became a double world champion in the process. Who does that? Who takes an awful hand and ultimately wins the game? Becky Lynch didn’t like her role in WWE, so she took to social media and changed her circumstance. Now she’s on top of the world.

So what happens if she loses to Charlotte at Money in the Bank? Do the same fans that once empathized with her and then celebrated with her, abandon her like she’s yesterday’s news? Probably not. Becky is the same ultra popular Superstar whether she’s the women’s champion or not.

But if she loses to Flair on May 19, will Becky lose all of the momentum that she built on the way to WrestleMania 35? Probably so. But instead of turning on her, the fans will likely just chalk it up to another bit of bizarre booking on WWE’s part. Lynch will go from being the hottest Superstar in the company, to being yet another punchline in WWE’s silly attempts at crafting a compelling storyline. But isn’t that a fate worse than abandonment?

Dolph Ziggler once had the love and respect of WWE fans, just as Becky does now. But one false start after another led the fans to turn on the entire situation. They never really blamed Dolph and they didn’t hate him for it. But their reaction to him was forever tempered because they knew that WWE had no intention of ever booking him as a main event powerhouse.

Could the same thing now happen to Becky? Or will she soundly defeat Charlotte Flair at Money in the Bank, because no other outcome will work? It’s not about making Flair look weak, as much as it is about making Becky look like a champion. She fought hard to get here and now that she’s on top, she must prove she can get the job done. That will obviously not happen if she loses at Money in the Bank.

Many believed that Becky needed to defeat Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35. Rousey was on the way out and Becky deserved to be the one to pin her. That win gave Lynch the rub, as well as bragging rights. So could it be that Lynch now needs to defeat Charlotte in order to fully realize her role as the double women’s champion of WWE?

Perhaps this is just another chapter in the ongoing story of Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Maybe their match at Money in the Bank will not end in a decisive fashion and maybe it will be one more moment in a feud that will keep going. Despite what happens, it’s clear that both women excel when they face each other. So perhaps the real story is not in the destination. Maybe it’s in the journey and this journey is only just beginning.