Becky is back and that’s the protege. Much better option than a 36 year old Dakota Kai
What I said had nothing to do with Dakota Kai and Dakota was never the option for inaugural champ. Dakota was likely booked into the finals because she needed some singles shine after returning from her latest injury.
And the age point is moot considering HHH has been known to push wrestlers who've built a 10-15 year foundation that translates to overnight success like a LA Knight, or a Priest or a Chelsea Green.
So putting the title on Lyra is either about one of two objectives:
building equity for the Women's IC title
or pushing Lyra, a wrestler who is clearly not yet over.
Lyra does not need the IC title to work a program with Becky. Again the IC title doesn't mean anything right now, it barely exists, so a program with IC champ Lyra vs Becky won't mean much more than a NXT call up Lyra vs Becky in a master vs apprentice program.
There's no need to risk the Women's IC title being dead on arrival for a feud that doesn't require a title.
And even if Lyra is carried over in a program with Becky how is she going to learn to maximize her minutes and be an attraction?
Chelsea Green is great at maximizing her minutes.
She spent years maximizing her minutes and getting over with the MR audience and even though she was never booked as being strong enough to be the top women's champion she was still respectable and capable of having great moments like that money in the bank bump she took.
So most people were happy to see her win the Women's US title, and thus the US title feels real and has some equity to it, because her entire WWE journey and the feelings people have towards Chelsea's career has been acquired by the belt.
Can't say the same for Lyra's IC title because her career has barely begun and she's still a total mystery for guys who didn't watch her in NXT.