Before she took leave from WWE, Becky Lynch was one of the most popular stars in the company regardless of division. She was always a well liked babyface on WWE’s main roster, but in 2018 she suddenly blew up, becoming super over with fans -- so much that it actually kind of disrupted the company’s plans for their latest signing, Ronda Rousey. There aren’t many full-time wrestlers who can upstage celebrity participants, putting Becky Lynch in rarified air indeed.
But how did Becky Lynch’s ascension from the bridesmaid of the Four Horsewomen to The Man even happen? Let’s take a look at recent history and see how Lynch got here.
10 NXT
Anyone watching NXT back in 2014 could be forgiven for not expecting much from Becky Lynch. She had just come back from a long hiatus after a nasty head injury and Shimmer fans most recently saw her as a manager for Paige and her mom. Even worse, she debuted on NXT television working a Riverdance inspired gimmick because, y’know, Irish. Thankfully, NXT back then regularly overhauled things that didn’t work, so that was quickly dropped -- and Becky Lynch eventually figured out something that did work.
9 Steampunk
After a heel turn and a shift to a more pop punk inspired look, Becky Lynch got a title shot at Sasha Banks’ NXT Women’s Title at 2015’s TakeOver: Unstoppable. It was at this show where Lynch came out with a new style that she would stick with for a few years: a steampunk, with goggles and everything. It was a cool gimmick that was well-received with fans, and immediately set her apart from the rest of the roster.
8 The Divas Revolution
Eventually, Becky Lynch would be called up to the main roster of WWE, alongside two of her fellow Four Horsewomen of NXT, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair, for an angle that was branded “The Divas Revolution,” which was meant to bring the division to greater prominence.
The whole angle was dead in the water for various reasons, but it wasn’t long before a standout title feud emerged between Lynch and a heel Charlotte Flair. Bolstered by interference from Charlotte’s father Ric Flair, it did a lot of good for both competitors.
7 SmackDown
Eventually, WWE would divide up its main roster into being Raw-exclusive or SmackDown-exclusive, with Becky Lynch being drafted to SmackDown. There, she was the top babyface of the show, becoming the first SmackDown Women’s Champion and taking part in feuds with Alexa Bliss and Ruby Riott. She had some great performances, but it often felt like she might have been taken for granted compared to the other Horsewomen -- especially once Flair and the recently debuted Asuka moved over to SmackDown.
6 The Heel Turn
In 2018, Carmella was enjoying a heel run with the SmackDown title, and fans were clamoring for a babyface to unseat the unpopular champ. When Becky Lynch became the challenger for the title, it seemed like WWE was ready to push her again. Unfortunately, Charlotte Flair inserted herself into the SummerSlam title match, making it a triple threat, and ended up winning at Lynch’s expense. In the aftermath, Becky flipped out and beat Charlotte senseless, which was supposed to be a heel turn. But something unexpected happened -- the crowd cheered her on.
5 Ronda Rousey
As Becky Lynch was reinventing herself as The Man, she went from a heel to a Stone Cold Steve Austin-esque tweener, becoming super over with WWE fans in the process. Once she beat Charlotte Flair for the WWE Championship, the annual Raw vs. SmackDown PPV Survivor Series was next on the docket, and Lynch was set to take on Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey. The pair began exchanging barbs on Twitter, and Lynch’s dominance further endeared fans to the Irish star.
4 The Broken Nose
Any star pro wrestler needs an iconic image to really solidify their place in history -- think Stone Cold being arrested on Raw -- and Becky Lynch accidentally got hers in the lead-up to Survivor Series 2018. Invading Raw with the rest of the SmackDown roster, Lynch accidentally got her nose broken due to an errant strike by Nia Jax. Defiant and bloody, Becky Lynch looked awesome, and the image drew a lot of attention, not to mention inspiring heaps of fan art.
Lynch’s injury would force her to pull out of the Survivor Series match, but it would be a blessing in disguise, extending the Lynch/Rousey feud even further.
3 Royal Rumble
Every January, the Royal Rumble is the time when fans get most excited, hoping their favorite wrestler will win an epic battle royal to guarantee that superstar a shot at a world title at WrestleMania. For the 2019 edition of the Women's Royal Rumble match, fans were anxiously awaiting Becky Lynch showing up in the match and ensuring The Man finally gets her match with Ronda Rousey. Lynch was a late and unexpected entrant in the Rumble, eliminating her rival Charlotte Flair and winning the match. Becky Lynch was officially WrestleMania bound.
2 The Road to WrestleMania
WrestleMania 35 was scheduled for more than two months after the Royal Rumble, so the period between the two events is termed “The Road to WrestleMania,” with additional developments and plot twists occurring to increase the hype. Becky Lynch’s road to ‘Mania was full of twists, from injuries to suspensions to Charlotte Flair once again replacing Lynch in the main event. But Lynch ultimately persevered and made it to WrestleMania, trashing Ronda Rousey on Twitter all along the way.
1 Becky Two Belts
By the time WrestleMania 35 happened, the main event changed from Becky Lynch versus Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey to a triple threat featuring SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, with the winner getting both WWE Women’s Titles. It was a huge match, where Becky not only had to defeat a celebrity and “legitimate” fighter, but also the rival that helped facilitate her heel turn to begin with. And Lynch not only won clean but did so decisively, pinning Ronda Rousey instead of the third person in the match, becoming both Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion. It was in this victory that Becky Lynch’s “The Man” moniker became more than a cool nickname that promised greatness -- it was reality.