The Man has never been shy with her feelings about everyone else, whether on Smackdown Live, on social media, or elsewhere. In fact, Becky Lynch recently gave an interview to Ariel Helwani on ESPN’s MMA Show, in which she walked the kayfabe line by answering questions directly while maintaining the same attitude that’s made her so popular recently.
Becky conceded that Ronda Rousey has brought attention to women’s wrestling, which is good for everybody:
Look, the thing is, what I always wanted, what I set off coming from Ireland to do, was to make sure that women’s wrestling was the coolest thing on TV, right? And that people cared about it. When you have a star like Ronda Rousey coming in, then it brings eyes. It brings attention. So to me, that was a case of, “alright, alright, this person is here, this world class athlete, this champion, this Olympian, is here. Now it’s time to step up and show her who ‘The Man’ is, who the boss is, who runs this show, right?” And to me, that’s another opportunity to step up.
She also admitted that Ronda’s taking to wrestling well, but then she used the opportunity to build her own legend.
Ronda is doing amazingly well. She is doing amazingly well! She has taken to this like no one. She is talented beyond belief. She’s the world champion. She [has] got the Women’s Championship over on RAW, but she’s illegitimate until she takes it here. And that’s the thing, Ronda has been so successful in her life. And Ronda’s whole life is based on being unbeatable and I get beaten up all the time. I got beaten up twice on the way over here. But that’s the thing with people who were born naturally talented. They hate getting hit, right? They’re not used to it. But I was the runt growing up. I’ve been beaten up my entire life. I’ve been beaten up my whole career. I left Ireland when I was 15 [years old] to do this. I would fight anybody they would hire me to. So I wasn’t born tough like Ronda, but I was made tough and that’s what’s more legitimate. That’s what’s more long-lasting.
The part about how she was beaten up twice on the way over is a great detail that reminds you we still only have one foot in reality when it comes to this interview. She goes on to talk about attitudes toward Rousey in WWE, and how she differs from everyone else.
Absolutely [there was resentment]. That’s the thing with so many people and the people they want to succeed, right? And that was never me. There are chosen people and that was never me. I was never meant to succeed. I was never the one that was meant to be the champion, the one that was meant to be on top, the one that was supposed to be on the posters and the billboards. I think that’s what [has] made it all the more sweeter and I think that’s what the audience relates to because they could see that. And that is why I think they’ve supported me because I made this myself and nobody can take that away from me. Nobody can take that away from me.
This Sunday Becky Lynch faces Charlotte Flair and Asuka in a TLC Match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. However that match goes for her, it’s clear The Man still has Ronda Rousey in her sights, which is something to look forward to as WrestleMania Season approaches.
Thanks to WrestlingInc.com for the transcription of the ESPN interview.
