Becky Lynch vs. The Stone Cold Treatment: Is This Working?

Becky Lynch was storyline suspended by Stephanie McMahon on the February 4 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. “The Man” refused to have her knee checked out so she could get medically cleared to compete and as a result, she was sent home. But that wasn’t the end of the story.  

Lynch decided to take out her frustrations on Stephanie, attacking her and forcing security to break it up. Becky believes that Stephanie, along with everyone else, is trying to take her WrestleMania moment away from her. But when Rousey confronted The Man backstage, Lynch’s argument suddenly fell apart. So what in the world is going on here?

Ronda has to look good, that much is obvious. WWE has invested too much time and too much money for her to look like anything other than The Baddest Woman on the Planet. Of course she has to speak the truth. Of course she has to cut Becky down to size. That’s part of the deal.

The problem here is that Rousey was the most logical person in the room, while Becky looked silly by comparison. That’s not a good look for any babyface, much less the hottest babyface on the roster. Would anyone be able to cut Stone Cold Steve Austin down in his prime? 

Watch Becky take Stephanie down on Raw!

Becky Lynch attacks Stephanie McMahon: Raw, Feb. 4, 2019

Therein lays one of the fundamental issues with the rise of Becky Lynch. Fans from all around the world are hailing her as the Stone Cold of the women’s division. It’s such a romantic notion and there’s every reason in the world for the WWE faithful to be excited about it. Even the company pursues this very narrative and it’s been repeated so often now that it’s become a central part of her character.

But the problem is she’s not Stone Cold. There was only one Texas Rattlesnake and there will never be another. Had anyone asked Lynch if she would rather be the female version of Austin or the best version of herself, what would her answer be? Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but was that the intention with Becky Lynch all along?

She wears black now. She rarely smiles the way she used to and she bucks the system and she dares anyone to cross her path. If they do, she takes them out, either physically or verbally, sometimes both. It certainly appears as though she’s doing her best to emulate Stone Cold. But is that really the case?

Maybe fans need to let go of those comparisons. Lynch is very good at what she does, but what she does should be hers alone to do. The fact that WWE would ever allow Rousey, or anyone else, to poke holes in Becky’s character says that Lynch’s situation is nothing like that of Austin’s. 

After all, would anyone have ever gotten away with saying this to Stone Cold without immediately suffering the consequences?

“What are you even doing here? You need to stop showing up to hear the cheers for your weekly violin recital and instead, stay home and rest up until WrestleMania. So then, you could finally receive the beating even your mopping ‘woe is me’ a** won’t find some new reason to lament about. Ice and Advil, b***h.”

Granted, Stone Cold had The Rock as his foil. But that’s not who Ronda Rousey is. Ronda is the highly intense warrior, the fighter that stares every challenge in the face and never backs down. Sonya Deville may use the catchphrase “put your hair up and square up,” but for Rousey, it’s not a catchphrase. This is how she’s lived her life. She’s met Becky’s challenge head-on because that’s what she does. 

Watch Ronda shut Becky down on Raw!

Becky Lynch is forced out of the arena: Raw, Feb. 4, 2019

The truth is, it was Lynch who started this feud in the first place. Rousey is just defending her territory. But because fans love Lynch, she receives cheers despite how wrong she is. Those same fans have been waiting for Rousey to fall and they can’t wait until she does. So they boo her now, because it’s the thing to do. It’s no longer about who’s in the right and maybe it never has been.

Lynch tapped out to Asuka at The Royal Rumble. She came in as the last minute replacement for Lana in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Becky came to Raw to pick a fight and when the boss confronted her to ask for a doctor’s clearance, Lynch snapped and took her down. Where is all of this going?

The fact is that all of this is obviously storyline. Lynch, like Rousey, is going along with the plan. Any blame that exists is with WWE Creative, which probably includes Stephanie McMahon herself. But for fans that are curious as to why all of this is happening, one thing has become perfectly clear. WWE is not properly building Becky Lynch. It’s been so rough at times that it’s almost comical. The company can indeed do it successfully and they’ve certainly done in the past with other Superstars.

But when it comes to Becky Lynch, there seems to be no real rhyme or reason. She got hot, so WWE is elevating her to the main event of WrestleMania. But the truths is, that match belongs to Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair. However, Becky will get the nod and most likely, the win. But the moment she cools off, what happens? Does WWE stay the course with her, or is she right back down where she was before? 

Lynch has fought her heart out to reach this point. But now that she’s here, WWE could drop the ball before she can see it through to the most satisfying moment at WrestleMania. She deserves better and she will get there. But along the way, it’s more chaos than anyone likely dreamed possible. Becky Lynch is indeed The Man. But whether or not she will remain The Man is anyone’s guess.

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live