Fantasy Booking: Backlash 2018

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match

Carmella (C) vs. Charlotte Flair

The Dream: Carmella, bless her heart, sprains her ankle on the way to the ring and has to be replaced by Asuka, who — because of a “mishap” involving Big Cass’s tanning booth and a Gucci padlock causing an early match to be cancelled — is given a twenty-minute match with Charlotte.

The Nightmare: Charlotte sprains her ankle on the way to the ring and needs to be replaced by Big Cass or, barring that, Liv Morgan, who gets traded back to SDL with Asuka, Becky, the IIconics and — for reasons that are never explained, even in passing — Sheamus and Cesaro’s entrance going over to Raw.

The Hope: The IIconics come down to the ring to make it a fair fight for Carmella, who is — in and out of kayfabe — completely outmatched by Charlotte. They should be the focus for Charlotte going forward, but it also feels like the each day they keep Charlotte and Asuka from feuding over the title is a day the crowd will lose interest in seeing a follow up. If the aura around Asuka is diminished because she lost to someone who can’t beat Carmella, that’s not good for anyone involved. IF Charlotte loses because of the IIconics and realizes she has to make sure they are murdered before she can get the title back, only to have Asuka beat her back to the top of the mountain, that’s Good Eats right there.

The Reality: This should involve an almost egregious amount of Shenanigans, eventually leading to a Carmella victory. But just which shenanigan would be a shenanigan too far will be the challenge for everyone involved. Carmella can’t look helpless, but having her look like she could beat Charlotte by herself if she wanted doesn’t really connect with what even Carmella’s said about herself and they should avoid it at all costs at this point in their careers.  

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