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As we throw 2018 over the top rope and enter 2019 down the aisle, one person must stand out to WWE fans. That would be "The Man" Becky Lynch. We all remember when Stone Cold had his Austin 3:16 moment and CM Punk had his pipe bomb. Becky standing in the Kansas City crowd, bloody with a broken nose after leading the SmackDown invasion, will go down as a monumental moment in WWE history. It was where she went from being just another wrestler to being The Man.
WWE was waiting for Becky to explode through the ranks. There was a reason she was part of the first call-ups from NXT to take part in the Divas Revolution. There was a reason she was a part of the WrestleMania 32 match where they eliminated the Divas Championship to usher in the Women's Championship. There was a reason she was the first SmackDown Live Women's Champion. She had all the sparks yet the fire did not blaze.
Let us bring it back to this year. January 28th was a historic night for the WWE. The first ever all women Royal Rumble was getting a large amount of mainstream buzz. Not only was it the main event, but it deserved a big stage being the main event. While she did not win, The Man was one of two women (Sasha Banks) who will go down as the inaugural starters of one of WWE's greatest creations.
After fading back through WrestleMania season, The Man had her sights set again on becoming champion. While Carmella was moonwalking through the division, Becky earned herself a title opportunity at SummerSlam. With her best friend Charlotte added into the match, Becky started showing some disdain but maintained her always positive lass kicking attitude.
On August 19th, Charlotte defeated Becky and Carmella to become a 6-time champion. After a brief hug between the two best friends, Becky unloaded a malicious assault on Charlotte that sent the Brooklyn crown into a frenzy. This is where the transformation into The Man had begun.
It is rare in the world of professional wrestling where a heel turn blows the roof off a building and the Barclays center was looking like the Yankees Stadium after the attack. It was only fitting at the following months PPV Hell in a Cell, she captured the title from Charlotte.
Now she had the gold to prove that she was on top. Continuing with the theme of women making history, the WWE had its first all-women PPV titled Evolution. Becky and Charlotte were in a Last Women Standing match that most fans knew was going to be an epic clash. With Ronda Rousey getting mainstream attention with her feud with E! stars the Bella Twins, Becky knew she had one thing to do; steal the whole show. She laid some groundwork days before the PPV by verbally going after the women on the roster (see tweets below).
Even those who complimented her.
This was just a small sample of things to come. As for Evolution, she put on a classic display with Charlotte, pulling off moves that some thought only men could do. A powerbomb off the turnbuckle, through the table, solidified her win and had her moving up the ranks of not only women but all Superstars.
With Survivor Series approaching, WWE went with the Raw vs. Smackdown theme which pit champion vs champion. This meant Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey. A war of words started on social media between the two as they really had no chance of a build to the match. With being on different shows plus only 3 weeks in between Evolution and Survivor Series, their opportunities were slim. I dare anyone to read her twitter feed after October 28th and not be entertained. It is not possible.
With 6 days before Survivor Series, Veterans Day, Alexa Bliss was addressing the Raw Survivor Series team when the cameras cut backstage to Ronda Rousey ironically locked in an armbar by Becky. As Becky made her way into the arena, the SmackDown women attacked the RAW women in the ring. You can tell in that instant, she was the commander-in-chief of SmackDown. What unfolded next will resonate with wrestling fans for years to come.
During the all-out brawl, she took a stiff shot from Nia Jax essentially breaking her nose. Bloodied and bruised, the man unloaded chair shot after chair shot on Ronda Rousey. Not only was she The Man on SmackDown, but now she was the Man on Raw.
After retreating into the crowd and standing among the WWE Universe with a broken nose, bloodied face looking back at the Raw women is a historical moment in wrestling. It took her 15 minutes to take over both shows. In those 15 minutes, she let everyone know, she is the Man.
The unfortunate side of things is as she did suffer a broken nose and concussion, WWE would not let her compete at Survivor Series. The next night on SmackDown, she stood in the ring, with all her peers and fellow wrestlers, knowing she just hit superstardom. She hand-picked Charlotte to take her place to fight Rousey. The match itself was a classic, resulting in Charlotte unleashing a vicious assault on Rousey.
After the doctors cleared Becky, she was to defend her title in another first for women, the first women TLC Match featuring Becky, Charlotte, and Asuka. As Becky and Charlotte were both reaching on top of the ladder, trying to grab the title, Rousey made her way down to the ring, tipping the ladder, and knocking both women to the mat. Thus, Asuka climbed the ladder and grabbed the gold. The match itself is a Match of the Year candidate and is setting up a very interesting 2019 for all three women.
What is next for the Man? 2018 she broke out from Lass Kicker to The Man. From wrestler to the main eventer. From superstar to superstardom. Since she is clearly not done with Ronda Rousey, will she invade the Red brand once again where she had a signature moment on a show she is not even a part of? Does she reclaim the title she never really lost?
One question that remains unanswered and is probably the biggest one of all. Does she do what no other woman has been able to do in the history of professional wrestling, and that is the main event WrestleMania? I think it is finally time for the closing match on the biggest event in entertainment to finally feature The Man.
