The evolving dynamics within WWE’s women’s division, particularly concerning Becky Lynch’s recent heel turn, Lyra Valkyria’s rising prominence, and Tiffany Stratton’s current babyface positioning, were a key topic of discussion on “Busted Open Radio” with Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray.
Regarding Becky Lynch’s turn, Bully Ray acknowledged the storyline logic, stating, “Becky comes back, wins the… tag match championship with Lyra. Becky gets to win then the very next day, but Lyra loses the match for them, there’s the heel turn.” However, he questioned its long-term viability with fans: “History tells us that people don’t want to hate Becky Lynch. Becky’s been gone for a long time now. Why do we want to hate her? I’m gonna give it a chance… but I don’t think people want to hate Becky Lynch.”
Dave LaGreca, however, feels the turn is currently effective, largely due to Lyra Valkyria’s strong performances. “The fans are the last couple weeks, the fans have booed Becky and have cheered Lyra,” LaGreca observed. “I think Lyra is going to be this year’s version of Liv Morgan… I think this feud with Becky, Lyra is going to catapult to the top perception wise… she’s got the fans behind her.” He further opined, “I think these last two weeks, Lyra on the microphone has killed Becky… I just don’t think Becky is meant to be a heel. But at the same time, Lyra has been so good and she’s connected so well that it’s working.”
Bully Ray agreed that Lyra’s performance is key, drawing a comparison to the recent Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton feud. “When Lyra speaks, I hear that fiery baby face… Lyra is really stepping up to the plate… it’s her baby face fire that’s carrying them through.” He contrasted this with Stratton, whom he felt didn’t resonate as strongly as a babyface against Flair. “With Tiffany, we didn’t see her step up to the plate on the microphone and in the ring, Charlotte had to really knock it down a couple of notches.”
This led to a broader discussion about Tiffany Stratton’s role. Bully Ray questioned what aspects of Stratton’s babyface persona are meant to draw genuine fan affection, stating, “Until somebody can give me a reason why I should be emotionally invested in Tiffany Stratton as a baby face… Don’t tell me about a moonsault. Don’t tell me about her ring gear. Give me what about Tiffany Stratton’s personality draws me in.” LaGreca added, “They’re cheering Tiffany because they hated Charlotte, not because they love Tiffany.”
Both hosts recalled an early interview where Tiffany Stratton came across as a natural, “spoiled little brat” heel, a persona they found compelling. They expressed confusion over the decision to turn her babyface, with Bully mentioning, “From what I understood from reliable sources, they cooled off on her back in the day a little bit because they felt that she needed to get her attitude in check a little bit.” They agreed that Stratton was more believable and entertaining in her original heel character.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Busted Open Radio with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
