It’s WWE’s Fault That Bianca Belair Is Getting Booed, And I’m Really Concerned About The Plan For Her Character

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As a devoted movie buff might put it: “It’s undeniable that we’ve been witnessing a shift in audience response towards Bianca Belair – one that’s hard to ignore, given her stature as an iconic figure in the world of wrestling. It’s tough to acknowledge this booing, especially for someone destined to be among the greatest women in wrestling history. But it seems necessary to discuss it openly, so we can explore possible solutions before WrestleMania 41 arrives and the trend continues. The audience has taken a liking to her adversaries in the triple threat match, positioning Bianca as the antagonist, a turn of events I find hard to accept but appears to have been in the works all along.

In the world of wrestling, popularity is often a matter of comparison. Even if you’re extremely popular (or ‘super over’), if the person you’re working with is more so, you might face audience disapproval (get booed). The crowd can only cheer for one person at a time, and Bianca Belair serves as an excellent illustration of this. Put her in the ring with almost any other performer on the roster, and when she gets fired up, it’s like listening to the Ultimate Warrior shaking the ropes. The unfortunate reality is that she’s currently paired with two women who are more popular than her within the roster. One of them is Rhea Ripley, arguably the most popular female wrestler in history, and Iyo Sky, who is likely the best in-ring performer and most lovable underdog in the entire division.

Effectively, WWE has paired its third most popular female superstar (apologies to Liv, Jade, Tiffany, and Charlotte) with the first and second most popular ones. What makes this interesting is that these three women – Bianca, Rhea, and Iyo – are all meant to be fan favorites, or babyfaces. This means the audience isn’t supposed to boo them like they might Gunther or John Cena. Instead, the crowd gets to decide which of these three women they prefer based on their performances.

The decision Bianca made was bound to lead to trouble, and the narrative only exacerbates this problem. While we could delve into every intricate detail for half an hour, the gist is clear: Rhea and Bianca view each other as adversaries, while they dismiss Iyo, who turns out to be the true contender. This dynamic results in numerous confrontations between Rhea and Bianca, pushing Iyo aside, which makes her appear more endearing under the hardship, increasing the likelihood that spectators will root for her.

Currently, you might think, “So what?” Every prominent wrestler in the industry’s history has faced boos at some point. Hulk Hogan, during his notorious nWo heel turn, was even pelted with debris by fans, but that was part of his plan. In the storyline, he was intended to be booed. Similarly, one could argue that John Cena is being booed now, or Bret Hart after his Hall of Fame match with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.

As a passionate fan, I’m not saying the boos themselves are the issue. It’s more about how she’s portrayed as a face character while receiving boos. This can make her seem vulnerable and less than the strong personalities of Rhea and Iyo. That’s the part that’s causing concern, and it leaves me wondering about the strategy behind this from the start. A top performer should always have command over the audience and the response they’re receiving. At the moment, Bianca seems to be losing control in this aspect.

It seems to me that the most likely scenario is for Bianca to embrace the jeers from the crowd, and it’s possible that this was the plan from the start. Perhaps Bianca will deliberately antagonize the crowd by berating them for not backing her, or she might win at WrestleMania using underhanded tactics and then revel in the increased boos. If this is where the storyline is headed, I’m on board and hope you continue with the plan. A ruthless Bianca who will stop at nothing to win, fueled by anger over the fans supporting Rhea and Iyo over her, is a character I eagerly anticipate. Such a portrayal could be iconic.

It seems unlikely that WWE intends to change Bianca Belair’s role, given her long-standing babyface persona. She’s been portrayed like the clean-cut hero John Cena’s character used to be for kids. We expected a heel turn during the Jade Cargill injury storyline, but it was Naomi who took that role instead. Despite being well-liked, Bianca’s character isn’t as popular as Rhea or Iyo Skye, and even Asuka garnered some boos at WrestleMania 39 with a character that wasn’t quite as overpowering as hers was then.

It appears that WWE might be hinting at a possible heel turn for Rhea Ripley. Recently, she has been antagonizing Bianca at ringside and seems to believe Iyo should not even be in the match. Her demeanor has become noticeably colder over the past few weeks. If WWE wants fans to boo her and cheer for Bianca instead, they need to officially turn Rhea into a heel character. This could involve her attacking Iyo or bullying someone popular backstage like Maxxine Dupri. However, if they don’t make it clear that she is the villain by her actions, fans will likely continue to cheer for her due to her widespread popularity.

I’m quite fond of Bianca Belair. She’s one of my top picks among all performers, and when she teamed up with Naomi and Jade after Elimination Chamber, I was thrilled by her performance. That character development was the best work she’s ever done in my opinion, marking a significant step in her career growth. Unfortunately, she was moved from that storyline into a feud with Rhea and Iyo, and it seems like her popularity is dwindling as fans prefer Naomi and Jade more. If these boos are used to create something fresh and intriguing for her character, I’m on board. But if she ignores the boos and continues playing the babyface role without addressing them, I fear the writers might not be giving her the attention she deserves. It seems to me that WWE could have handled this better from the start.

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2025-04-04 16:08