Becky Lynch has admitted that someone else was in line to make history as the inaugural SmackDown Women’s Champion.
With the rosters split in 2016, both brands were in need of World, Tag Team and Women’s Champions. As Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair was drafted to Raw, a six-pack challenge match was set for Backlash to determine who would represent the blue brand moving forward.
Defeating Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Naomi, Natalya, and Nikki Bella at the event, Lynch was crowned the first SmackDown Women’s Champion. However, according to The Man, a Hall of Famer was instead set to receive the accolade.
Appearing on the No Contest Wrestling podcast, Lynch noted that it was originally set to go to Nikki Bella. However, following a surge of support fotr the Irish star, the office made the switch:
“Even the first time that I won the SmackDown Women’s Championship, that wasn’t the plan… I think it was meant to go to Nikki Bella actually, who, by the way, like a badass, had just come back from her broken neck but, the audience kind of liked me… Once it was revealed, they just started chanting Becky, and so, kind of the office had to take notice of that and go, well, alright, I guess we gotta go with her. But I don’t think the plan was ever going to be give it to me again, unless I took it…”
How Becky Lynch Lost The SmackDown Women’s Championship
Lynch reigned with the championship for 70 days. She lost the title to Alexa Bliss at TLC 2016 in a tables match. This brought Lynch’s first reign to an end while also marking the first time that Bliss had held the gold.
At the start of the year, Lynch provided an update on her WWE contract.
H/t to Fightful for the use of transcription.
Featured image: WWE
