Becky Lynch has left a lasting impression during her time in WWE.
One of the most successful women’s wrestlers in the history of the business, Lynch’s success story is one that even Lynch herself will admit is an unlikely one. From humble beginnings in Dublin, Ireland, Lynch went on to win 7 Women’s Championships, the 2019 Royal Rumble and be a part of the first all-women’s main event of WrestleMania. Having achieved all there is to achieve in professional wrestling and then some, Becky Lynch’s future now looks uncertain as The Man has not signed a new deal with WWE and is officially a free agent at the time of writing.
While it is unknown when or even if Lynch will make her return to the squared circle, here are the best matches of Lynch’s WWE career that defined her legacy…
The Best Of Becky Lynch:
Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair – WrestleMania 38
Fans went through a roller coaster of emotions at SummerSlam 2021 when Lynch made her return from maternity leave. While the excitement of Lynch returning received a thunderous ovation, 26 seconds after the impromptu match between Lynch and Belair began, Lynch pinned Belair and became the new Women’s Champion as a dejected Belair looked on and all the energy was sucked out of the stadium immediately. Although the shock title switch was criticised by the fans, the 8-month rise of Belair and Big Time Beck’s slow descent into paranoia made the storyline one of the most compelling heading into the show. Attempting to have a lightning strike twice, Lynch hit the Man Handle Slam almost immediately after the bell rang but this time Belair kicked out. Despite being slammed on the steps and legitimately kicked in the face, Lynch could not put Belair away. Once the KOD was hit, Belair finally got her revenge.
Making Belair look like the star she is and cementing The EST as a top star for years to come, Lynch pulled out all the stops in one of the best matches of the entire weekend.
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Sahsa Banks – WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was not a good show in the grand scheme of things. Criticised for being too long, lacklustre matches and a panned main event, the show is not one that ranks highly when fans think of their favourite Mania in history. However, the one shining light was 3 of the best women’s wrestlers of this generation looking to make a statement. With the Divas championship retired and the women’s wrestlers being taken more seriously, Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks shone in their Mania debut and set the benchmark for years to come. Although Lynch did not walk out of this one as champion, her revenge on Charlotte Flair would come in the near future.
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair – WWE Evolution
Much like their WrestleMania 32 encounter, both competitors went into this match with a point to prove. With women wrestlers not allowed to compete in Saudi Arabia in 2018, WWE held the first [and sadly still the only] all-women’s pay-per-view Evolution. Heading into the match as champion, Lynch looked to be The Man by beating The Queen in a Last Woman Standing match. Just as brutal as any Last Man Standing match to also take place in the modern era, Lynch and Flair kept up the excitement for all 3o minutes of the match and utilised tables, ladders and chairs to try and put one another away including a very innovative Figure 8 attempt by The Queen. A massive powerbomb from the top rope and through a table outside secured the victory of Lynch in what should have been the main event of the show.
Becky Lynch vs. Tiffany Stratton – NXT No Mercy
The best matches are those where both the victor and the loser look better at the end of the match than they did at the start, and this match did just that! Winning the NXT Women’s Championship from Stratton in September 2023, Stratton wanted to prove that she could go to war with The Man and get her title back in an Extreme Rules match. Not only was the match as violent as possible in the PG era and with some creative spots but Stratton was given every opportunity to shine despite coming up short on the night. Arguably, Stratton may not be as big of a star on the main roster were it not for this match.
Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks – Hell in a Cell 2019
Although this show is, unfortunately, best remembered for one of the worst cell matches of all time between Seth Rollins and The Fiend in the main event, the opening match started out the night incredibly strong. In what was only the 2nd women’s Hell in a Cell match in the history of the stipulation, Banks took the upper hand immediately and brawled with Lynch to the outside as the cell was being lowered. Utilising the cage well with a great spot in the corner, involving kendo sticks and steel chairs. Although Banks appeared to have the match won with a Meteora through a table, which thankfully broke unlike the last time The Boss was inside the cell, Lynch was able to submit Banks and keep the title intact. Much like with Flair, any time that Lynch and Banks crossed paths it was always going to be good!
Becky Lynch vs. Asuka – Royal Rumble 2019
For years Asuka was always the one opponent that Lynch could not beat. Looking to secure her path to WrestleMania, Lynch looked to get her SmackDown Women’s Championship back after losing the title to The Empress the month prior thanks to interference from Ronda Rousey. Asuka’s hard-hitting strikes always look devastating and Lynch put in a valiant effort and looked to have the match won on a number of occasions, but the opening match belonged to The Empress after securing the Asuka Lock onto Lynch. All was not lost for The Man though as she would become the last woman standing in the Women’s Royal Rumble match later in the night.
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey – WrestleMania 35
Ok, so the match itself was not the greatest and it came at the end of a very long night inside the Metlife Stadium. However, winning both Women’s Championships in the first all women’s main event of WrestleMania is a match that can’t be ignored and is the biggest accomplishment of Lynch’s entire career. Pinning Ronda Rousey to become Becky 2 Belts, Lynch etched her name in the history books with this victory and will be one that will feature in video packages for decades to come.
Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks – NXT TakeOver Unstoppable
At a time when the main roster still looked at women’s wrestling as an afterthought, NXT looked to shake things up with its own women’s division. Long before they battled inside the Hell in a Cell structure and long before they each became megastars, Banks and Lynch let it be known that they were ones to watch in the future and put on a match that was the complete opposite to anything that was seen on Raw or SmackDown at that time. Although Banks picked up the submission victory to retain the NXT Women’s Championship, the crowd let it be known that they were also impressed by Lynch’s performance, a strong sign of things to come.
Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus – WWE Payback 2023
When Trish Stratus made her return to WWE in 2023, fans assumed it would be a brief nostalgia run where the Hall of Famer would play the hits and give the fans what they knew and loved. Shocking the world shortly after WrestleMania, Stratus would instead attack Lynch and turn heel for the first time in almost 20 years and have a much more refreshed run than that of legends who have returned in the past. Ducking Lynch for months, it appeared that their rivalry would finally culminate at SummerSlam. When the match was pulled from the show, fans were understandably upset and both Lynch and Stratus also expressed their frustrations. When it materialised that their SummerSlam match would have been short on time, the replacement match was even better. Given plenty of time at Payback and taking place inside a steel cage, the match was not only one of Lynch’s best but also one of Stratus’. With Stratus hanging from the top of the cage, a superplex from the top of the cage to the floor and Lynch finally getting retribution on the Hall of Famer, it could be argued that Stratus would struggle to top this final match if she ever did return.
Featured image: WWE
