Becky Lynch Drops Bombshell on Backstage Politics and Bias Against Women in WWE

Becky Lynch shares alarming account of a male wrestler who coerced women with career threats during her NXT days in 2014.

Becky Lynch Drops Bombshell on Backstage Politics and Bias Against Women in WWE

Becky Lynch on WWE's backstage politics (via WWE)

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While the glitz and spectacle of professional wrestling have long attracted elite athletes from around the globe, the industry has also battled a troubling history of backstage misconduct. Reports of harassment and bullying were widespread in the 1980s, with numerous accounts detailing the mistreatment of women. 

And Becky Lynch’s recent revelation now adds to concerns that some of those issues continued far more recently than many realized. Lynch and Seth Rollins appeared on Bert Kreischer’s Something’s Burning podcast, where an unexpected topic emerged: the early days of their relationship. 

The Irishwoman revealed that when she first arrived on WWE’s main roster, she was strongly warned to stay away from the boys and was specifically alerted about one male wrestler who would reportedly blacklist female talent after making advances, whether they rejected him or not. 

Her expanded comments painted a stark picture of the company’s backstage culture in the mid-2010s, just as she was transitioning from NXT.

At the time, it was ‘stay away from the boys, don’t go near the boys’. I’m not going to name names, but there was a guy on the main roster who it was like, ‘Be careful because, one, he’ll try to sleep with you. If he sleeps with you, then he’ll blacklist you.’ And then if he tries to sleep with you and you don’t sleep with him, he’ll also blacklist you. So there was this line that you had to walk, this tightrope.

Becky Lynch via Something’s Burning podcast

While Lynch did not reveal the name, she indicated the individual was prominent enough that Kreischer would know him. At the time, the multi-time women’s world title holder had just left NXT and joined the main roster in 2015, helping spearhead the promotion’s women’s evolution alongside Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Bayley. 

Bullying and harassment were widely reported throughout WWE from the 1980s through the 2010s, with names like John Bradshaw Layfield, Hardcore Holly, and Chris Benoit often linked to creating hostile backstage environments for newcomers such as The Miz and Joey Styles. 

However, hearing such a disturbing account from one of WWE’s biggest stars today underscores how deeply ingrained these issues were, even in the modern era. The timing of Lynch’s revelation also casts a harsh, unavoidable spotlight on the industry as a whole.

With Vince McMahon facing an ongoing assault lawsuit and Brock Lesnar returning to the company despite equally serious allegations against him, the situation becomes even more alarming. Taken together, these developments paint a troubling picture of a company still struggling with accountability and the protection of its talent.

Becky Lynch weighs in on her WWE booking following WrestleMania 35

For years, Becky Lynch was often considered the least prominent of WWE’s Four Horsewomen. But that perception flipped completely by 2018. That year, Lynch caught fire and became the hottest act in professional wrestling. After fully stepping into her ‘The Man’ persona, she transformed into WWE’s top star. 

Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin
Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin (via WWE)

Even though the company initially tried to turn her heel at SummerSlam 2018, the fan support was so strong that the company quickly reversed course, launching Lynch toward her history-making WrestleMania run.

While she missed out on a one-on-one match with Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series 2018 owing to a nose injury, the Irishwoman ultimately faced Rousey and Charlotte Flair in the first-ever all-women’s WrestleMania main event at WrestleMania 35. 

Moreover, Lynch even pinned Rousey to win both the Raw and SmackDown women’s titles and made history. But according to Lynch, everything that followed her historic win quickly went downhill.

In a recent appearance on the Something’s Burning podcast, Lynch opened up about her frustration with her post-WrestleMania booking in 2019. After the biggest victory of her career, she was placed in a title program with Lacey Evans, who had just debuted on the main roster.

I start working with Lacey Evans right out the gate. God bless her, but … for me to go from the main event of WrestleMania to somebody who hadn’t done anything was terrible.

Becky Lynch via Something’s Burning podcast

At the same time, the promotion also paired Lynch on-screen with her real-life partner, Seth Rollins, who had also won the Universal title at WrestleMania by defeating Brock Lesnar. Lynch didn’t hold back on how she felt about that creative decision either.

They put us together, and we didn’t know our own dynamic as a couple. Now we’re on TV, and my wrestling character is so different to how I am in real life, and especially as a girlfriend. It was jammed down everybody’s throats. Everybody hated it. It was pretty awful.

Becky Lynch via Something’s Burning podcast

Lynch now heads into a stacked weekend at Survivor Series. She is set to join Lash Legend, The Kabuki Warriors, and Nia Jax in the Women’s WarGames Match against AJ Lee, Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss. Lynch and Lee have been locked in a heated rivalry for months, ever since Lee returned to WWE to support CM Punk in his feud with Rollins.

Last week on Raw, Lynch lost the Intercontinental title to Maxxine Dupri after Lee appeared and caused a distraction. The Irishwoman has promised payback inside WarGames on Saturday, which certainly has the potential to steal the entire show. 

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