Becky Lynch’s Journey in WWE: From Four Horsewomen to WrestlePalooza
Becky Lynch’s ascent in the world of professional wrestling has been nothing short of meteoric. Beginning her WWE journey as part of the legendary Four Horsewomen in NXT alongside Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and Sasha Banks, Lynch helped spark a women’s revolution that transformed the landscape of WWE. These four trailblazers brought a new level of athleticism, storytelling, and respect to women’s wrestling, elevating it from a sideshow to main event status. Lynch’s authentic connection with fans, combined with her exceptional in-ring abilities and microphone skills, positioned her as one of the company’s most valuable performers. Throughout her career, she has captured multiple championships including both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s titles, and currently holds the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, further cementing her legacy as one of the most accomplished female wrestlers in WWE history.
As WrestlePalooza approaches, Lynch finds herself in an intriguing storyline that has wrestling fans buzzing with anticipation. She’s set to compete in a mixed gender tag team match alongside her real-life husband Seth Rollins against the team of AJ Lee and CM Punk. This matchup is particularly significant as it marks AJ Lee’s return to WWE after a lengthy absence, creating a dream match scenario that fans never thought they’d witness. The build to this contest has featured multiple intense segments including verbal confrontations and physical altercations. Most recently on Raw, Lynch made a statement by laying out AJ Lee in front of CM Punk, then slapping Punk across the face as he checked on his fallen wife. These moments have been designed to generate heat and build anticipation for what promises to be an explosive encounter at WrestlePalooza, though some critics have questioned the effectiveness of Lynch’s approach to her heel character.
Former WWE writer Vince Russo and ex-wrestler Stevie Richards recently offered their critical assessment of Lynch’s performance as a heel in this storyline. During an episode of “Vince Russo’s The Brand,” Russo expressed frustration with Lynch’s promo style, questioning why she seems intent on being comedic rather than generating genuine heel heat. “Guys, it is black and white. Babyface and a heel. Black and white,” Russo emphasized, clearly believing that Lynch’s approach isn’t creating the antagonistic reaction necessary to drive interest in the upcoming match. Richards supported this view by suggesting Lynch suffers from what he calls “babyface cockiness,” meaning that despite portraying a villain, she still seems concerned with looking good and getting positive reactions from the audience.
According to Richards, this phenomenon is fairly common among WWE performers who are tasked with playing heel characters while simultaneously trying to maintain merchandise sales. He described it as a “false positive” for heels, noting that deep down, stars like Lynch “still want to be popular” even when their storyline role requires them to be despised. This creates a conflicting presentation where the performer sends mixed signals to the audience – attempting to generate boos while simultaneously working for cheers. The commercial reality of professional wrestling often creates this tension, as performers like Lynch have significant financial incentives to remain popular merchandise sellers regardless of their current character alignment. This business reality sometimes clashes with traditional wrestling storytelling, where clear distinctions between heroes and villains traditionally drive audience investment.
AJ Lee’s recent return to WWE has added a compelling dimension to this storyline, generating significant excitement among fans who had long hoped to see her back in a WWE ring. Her surprise appearance on SmackDown to defend her husband CM Punk against Lynch’s attacks produced one of the loudest audience reactions in recent memory. Since then, the two couples have engaged in a series of confrontations building toward their WrestlePalooza showdown. The dynamic between these four performers is particularly interesting given their real-life relationships and the complex history between Punk and WWE, creating a situation where reality and storyline blur in fascinating ways. This convergence of personal and professional elements gives the match an authentic energy that’s difficult to manufacture.
As WrestlePalooza approaches, the pressure is on Lynch to deliver both in her character work and in-ring performance. Despite the criticisms from industry veterans like Russo and Richards, Lynch remains one of WWE’s most reliable performers with a proven track record of delivering memorable matches and moments. The upcoming tag team match represents an opportunity to create another signature chapter in her storied career while helping facilitate AJ Lee’s successful return to WWE competition. Whatever the outcome, the collision between these four talented performers promises to be a highlight of WrestlePalooza, potentially setting up future storylines and rivalries. For Lynch specifically, this match offers a chance to silence critics and demonstrate once again why she remains at the pinnacle of professional wrestling, regardless of whether she’s playing hero or villain.
