Why This Championship Match Should Main Event Evolution

At Evolution, Becky Lynch will defend the Women’s Intercontinental Championship in a Triple Threat match against Lyra Valkyria and Bayley. All three women have been entangled with each other since WrestleMania. This is a testament to the long-term storytelling under the new creative regime in the WWE. On a weekend that could be a major letdown for the WWE, this match has the build, the investment, and the opportunity to be the best match on the Evolution card. Fans on social media have championed this match to main event the second all-women’s Premium Live Event, and under Triple H’s creative leadership, the Game tends to listen to the fans. This feud is the hottest one heading into Evolution and deserves to have its payoff in the main event in Atlanta.

This feud first started at WrestleMania when Lynch attacked Bayley from behind and took her out of the Women’s Tag Team Championship match, where she was going to team up with Valkyria. “The Man” was chosen by Valkyria to replace Bayley in the match, and the two Ireland natives went on to become the Women’s Tag Team Champions for a day. They lost the belts the next night on RAW. After losing the belts, the former women’s champion attacked Valkyria from behind, setting up their feud for the Women’s IC title. They fought in two great matches at the Backlash and Money in the Bank PLEs, with Valkyria winning at Backlash and Lynch winning the title at Money in the Bank. Bayley entered the feud when she made her return on the episode of RAW after MITB, seeking payback on Lynch for taking her out. She got herself a match for the Women’s IC title, and the Hugger was seconds away from becoming the new champion before the Valkyria interfered, costing her former tag team partner the match. The dynamic between the two former tag team partners has shifted. Once they considered each other friends, but now both have described each other as selfish and self-centred. The two former NXT Women’s Champions battled it out in a number one contenders match that ended in a draw. This forced RAW general manager Adam Pearce to make the match at Evolution a Triple Threat match. A decision that did not sit well with Lynch, now she does not have to be pinned or submitted to lose her title.

This storyline was developed in April and is expected to reach its payoff at Evolution. It features three women who have told a story and gotten fans invested in it, and they have their support behind them. Traditionally, the Intercontinental title does not main event PLEs; it is seen as a midcard championship, used to elevate stars to the main event scene. However, this is the perfect opportunity to elevate the Women’s Intercontinental Championship and could be a legacy-defining match for the new championship.