There is no hotter superstar in WWE right now than "The Man" Becky Lynch, who is in the midst off a meteoric rise that may culminate in April in the first-ever women's main event at WrestleMania. But with three months to go until that big show and plenty of scores to settle in between, Lynch sat down with us this week to discuss some hot topics fans have been curious about for months.
During a nearly 30-minute interview on the State of Combat with Brian Campbell podcast, Lynch breaks down some questionable booking decisions during her recent run to the top, becoming "The Man," blacking out in her crowning moment, speaking the truth about Ronda Rousey, Vince McMahon's reaction to her taking what she deserves, and whether she would be down for an intergender match with John Cena.
Check out the entire interview in the embedded audio below and be sure to subscribe to State of Combat on iTunes, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts. There are WWE episodes each week along with special interviews and instant analysis of pay-per-views.
Here are some snipets from the extensive interview with Lynch. For the rest, be sure to listen to the podcast.
On being told that she should cut a promo against the fans that lifted her to the top: "There was a lot going through my head on that day because I come off such a high from the reaction of the night before, from finally saying that I'm doing with this, that I deserve more. And that's a very freeing feeling because you almost were shackled by friendship for so long. So you say, 'OK, I'm taking off these chains because the only person bounding me down right now is you -- and me by allowing it. And I'm taking it off.' And then I think everybody thought that I was going to be the bad guy because of that. But I don't think that I was because I think anybody can relate to that person that always wants you to do good but they don't want you to do better than them ever. And they don't really want you to succeed – maybe to a level to where you're content but never where you're truly happy, never to where you're truly soaring. And I think everybody has that person who everything comes easy to them, everything is handed to them and there's no struggle. Unfortunately, that's not most people. That's not most people.
"And I went out there and I was going through a lot of stuff, I was questioning a lot of things, and the one thing I did question was -- and I could feel it from the fans, too. Because when I said it, I said, 'Well, when Charlotte [Flair] stole the win from me, you got up and you cheered the new champion. You weren't that upset, were you?' And I think people agreed with me. They did stand up and cheer a new champion because she weaseled her way in like a Flair does into a match where she didn't belong and she did what she does. She's an opportunist and she stole that opportunity from me."
On her "enough is enough" moment: "I think it's been progressive. I don't know that there's a defining moment. The physical moment was the moment the world saw at SummerSlam, but I think it's been building for such a long time, it really has. If you go back and you look at any of my interviews backstage or whatever, I've been saying the same thing for a long time. I keep getting overlooked. I keep getting taken advantage of and I need to change. I kept saying, 'I need to change; I need to do something different.' But I think I didn't -- for lack of a better term -- I didn't have the balls to do it really. I was still stuck in that mindset of, 'No, let me get along with everybody. Let me do the right thing. Let me not ruffle too many feathers. Let me ruffle a few, but not every one – certainly not my best friend.'
"And then when I realized that was what was holding me down, keeping me back, casting a shadow on me, I was like, 'Ha-ha, no way. You asked me for advice. You rely on me. And you're the one [getting a push]? Well that doesn't sound right. Surely I should be the one since I have the knowledge, I have the ability, I have paid my dues in so many different ways.' She works hard, but nobody works harder than I do or for as long."
On becoming "The Man" and exorcising some demons: "'The Man' is a state of mind. What I'm going out there and doing is I'm just telling the truth. I think that's what people are reacting to, that's what people are responding to. It's just the truth that I'm saying; there's no words of a lie coming out of my mouth whenever I say anything. I'm just stating fact. And unfortunately, they're not said often enough, and they're not said loud enough to a large enough arena of people. Now I'm doing it on every single platform that I have. Whether it's on Twitter, whether it's on Instagram, whether it's on a WWE show on Raw or SmackDown, at a pay-per-view, in a backstage interview, whenever I get the chance to come on your show and talk like this, I will stand out there and I will state the facts."
On whether it's true that some backstage said her accent was holding her back: "No. Nobody ever said that … to my face. Ha-ha. Nobody ever said that to my face, but I wouldn't be surprised if some snake was saying it behind my back. I'll prove them wrong. I love proving people wrong. It's one thing to prove people right, and I love doing that, but it's a whole other [thing] to go out there and prove people wrong."
On being confused about why she hugged Flair before Survivor Series: "... and then I have to watch Charlotte Flair step into my role. And clearly you hug people you don't like when you're concussed because I don't know what I was doing; wouldn't have ever hugged her in a million years in a sober state. I have to watch her try to be bootleg Becky at Survivor Series acting like she's me, thinking she's tough, thinking she's edgy. That woman couldn't have any edge if she turned into a Rubik's cube."
On talking trash on social media: "That's where the fun is. That's where the fun is. You know, the thing is, if you're going to say anything about me, just prepare that I'm going to come back at you. And if you're not prepared for that, well then I would advise getting my name out of your mouth."
For more on Rousey, Cena, McMahon, women taking what they deserve and her rise, listen to the audio below and subscribe to State of Combat with Brian Campbell.
