Backstage Heat On Lana For Getting ‘SmackDown’ Women’s Title Match So Quickly
Two weeks ago, The Ravishing Russian finally made her SmackDown Live debut after several weeks of hype and vignettes getting the WWE Universe prepared for her arrival. Lana has immediately established herself in the Women’s division and will challenge Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship tonight on the WWE Money in the Bank PPV. Her ascension on the blue brand happened a little too quickly for some.
The WWE Universe knew that Lana would receive a major push upon her debut on SmackDown Live. It has been reported that she will be getting the push that was originally intended for Eva Marie before her issues outside the ring derailed her wrestling career. As a result, Lana has found herself in a championship match, which will also serve as her first singles match on WWE television, but not everyone is pleased about that.
It’s being reported that there could be some backstage heat on Lana for receiving such a big push so quickly despite only just arriving on SmackDown Live. Over the course of one edition of the show, Shane McMahon went from telling The Ravishing Russian that she needed to wait her turn to giving her a Women’s Title shot at the next PPV. Many of the other women in the division may not appreciate taking a backseat for Lana.
Not to mention, there is a chance that she could walk out of St. Louis the SmackDown Women’s Champion in just a few hours. There is no question that Lana gets a strong reaction from the WWE Universe, but a lot of people will be unhappy to see her win the title so quickly after only one match for SmackDown Live. On paper, that means that The Raving Russian’s run on top of the brand isn’t expected to last for the long term.
It’s understandable why WWE officials would give Lana a title opportunity, especially when the rest of the Women’s roster is busy making history in the first ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Lana’s push into the title picture may be temporary until she fully establishes herself in the division. However, the powers that be are clearly looking to have The Ravishing Russian a top spot in WWE as soon as possible.
After the WWE Money in the Bank PPV, there are two likely outcomes. Lana shocks the world and becomes the SmackDown Women’s Champion. It may be fast, but it would create a lot of buzz. The alternative is that Lana has her debut match, gets some experience on PPV, and her wrestling career starts off strongly. There may be some heat on her backstage, but she’s never struck anyone as someone who is afraid to stand out.
[Featured Image by WWE]
