Carol: Should Real Life Couples Be Used For WWE Storylines?

WWE is all-in on Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch as an on-screen couple. In a world where the truth is more entertaining than fiction, is this the right approach for WWE to take?

Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch are WWE’s newest power couple. The Universal Champion and the RAW Women’s Champion went public with their relationship last month. While Rollins and Lynch are considered private people, they’re not shy about voicing their admiration for each other on social media.

And WWE has no problem using their relationship for storyline purposes.

For the past few weeks, WWE has been foreshadowing having Rollins and Lynch in a possible storyline. This past Sunday at Stomping Grounds when Lynch’s rival Lacey Evans was announced at the special guest referee during Seth’s match with Baron Corbin, the crowd knew Lynch would be involved somehow. Sure enough Lynch would come down to the ring to attack Evans and help Rollins retain his championship.

Moving forward it looks like Rollins and Lynch’s real life relationship will be used onscreen. This has caused mixed reactions from fans and it’s also led to my article of the week, where I discuss whether WWE should use a wrestler’s relationship for storyline purposes.

WWE has been compared to a sports entertainment soap opera, so it’s not uncommon for them to have romance stories, especially if they involve real life couples. Who can forget the iconic love story with Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth? Also, there’s Triple H and Stephanie, who started out as an onscreen romance, then became a real life couple.

As a WWE viewer I don’t mind them seeing my favorite couple interact onscreen in backstage segments. But using them to further a storyline, well it depends on the couple and what type of storyline.

The Miz and Maryse’s feud with John Cena and Nikki Bella was considered a success. Each week, Miz and Maryse would dress up as their rivals taunting Nikki about how she would never get married and portraying John Cena as a control freak. Miz and Maryse’s segments along with John and Nikki’s responses got fan invested in the Wrestlemania match.

While the match was predictable, the aftermath of Cena asking for Nikki’s hand in marriage was one of the most-talked about moments in WWE history. Onscreen the feud between the couples lead to a happy moment, but unfortunately a year later Nikki ended her engagement to John Cena.

That’s another reason why fans are against couples being used to prop WWE storylines. You don’t know how it’s going to affect the couple’s relationship. While some couples manage to survive having their relationship the focal point of WWE television, but others may feel too much pressure and their relationship crumbles.

Being the two top champions on RAW, Lynch and Rollins have a lot of pressure on them. That pressure is mounting now that their relationship is public and being used for a WWE storyline. Personally, I don’t think Becky and Seth’s relationship should be used on television. I don’t know what type of storyline WWE has planned or how long it will play out, but it makes me worried for Becky and Seth.

They’ve worked hard to get themselves to the top and I’m worried their relationship is going to overshadow their achievements. Fans can turn on a wrestler at the drop of a hat; the further WWE pushes the relationship the more likely it is that fans start booing Lynch and Rollins.

This is one WWE relationship that needs to be kept off-screen.