BECKY LYNCH has opened up about the dramatic moment she entered and won the Royal Rumble last month.

“The Man” wasn’t scheduled to participate in the match and had already lost a thrilling title bout against Asuka earlier in the night.

12 Becky Lynch is the biggest star in WWE right now Credit: WWE

12 The Irish LassKicker shocked the world by winning the Women's Royal Rumble Credit: WWE

But Becky talked her way into the Rumble when Lana suffered a leg injury and left a spot open.

Fellow Irishman and WWE agent Finlay gave Becky the green light to enter the match to a deafening reaction from the crowd – already a contender for WWE’s top moment of 2019.

Despite sustaining a knee injury that she’s still suffering from weeks later, Becky won the Rumble by last eliminating her longtime rival Charlotte Flair in a gripping climatic sequence.

Speaking exclusively to Sun Sport, Becky said: “Thirty places were already taken so I didn’t think that I had a hope.

12 Lynch replaced the injured Lana late on to win the whole thing Credit: WWE

12 "The Man" fought through injury to eliminate Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair Credit: WWE

“But while one person can go down with a leg injury, another person can go on to fight – and they can go on to win something as big as the Royal Rumble on one good leg.

“The crowd were of course amazing. I can’t express my gratitude enough for just how people have supported me along the way. It means the world to me.

“And Royal Rumble has always been my favourite pay-per-view to watch. To go on and win it was spectacular.

“Of course they wanted their poster girl Charlotte Flair to win it, but they didn’t plan for me.”

12 Lynch had been set to face Ronda Rousey in a WrestleMania dream match Credit: WWE

The Royal Rumble – which is released on DVD and Blu-ray March 18 – featured both men’s and women’s Rumble matches for the second year running.

But fans applauded the women’s match for outdoing the men’s, which was won by Seth Rollins.

In fact, the highlight of the men’s Rumble was a woman, when Nia Jax took a leaf from Becky’s book and forced her way into the match.

Becky said: “I’ll say it like it is, the women’s Rumble was better.

12 Lynch was replaced in the title match by Charlotte Flair Credit: WWE

12 The WWE star viciously attacked Stephanie McMahon after she was suspended indefinitely Credit: WWE

“We’ve got incredible female athletes at the moment with wonderful characters that people can get invested in and care about.

“Everybody’s trying to step it up, especially since "The Man" came around. And I love that – I love the competition.”

Perhaps the biggest endorsement of WWE’s confidence in its women’s division was that unlike last year, the Rumble match featured no returning legends.

It was all current female superstars from the main roster and NXT. The Man added: “Current and future, absolutely.”

12 Becky made a surprise appearance at Elimination Chamber Credit: WWE

Becky herself has been the final piece of the puzzle for WWE’s much-trumpeted women’s evolution – the division’s first real “top star” in the mould of a Hulk Hogan, or John Cena.

Way beyond those glass ceiling-smashing moments and first time women’s Hell in a Cells, TLCs, or other matches, Becky Lynch has taken the division to the next level by trouncing both the female and male competition to become the true face of WWE.

Becky said: “I didn’t want anything given to us on a token gesture basis.

“I wanted it to be earned and to be undeniable. I wanted it to be something the fans wanted – not something the fans were told that they wanted.

12 Becky assaulted Charlotte with a crutch Credit: WWE

12 Lynch then blindsided Raw Women's champion Ronda Rousey Credit: WWE

“I wanted it to be organic and that’s what we’re having right now. That makes me more proud than anything.”

Despite winning the Rumble, Becky has since had her WrestleMania title shot against Ronda Rousey revoked by Vince McMahon, who slapped her with a 60-day suspension.

Charlotte Flair was named as Becky’s replacement in the title match – but fans are expecting the match to become a triple-threat with Becky somehow reinstated.

And Becky is determined to reclaim her spot and headline WrestleMania.

12 Becky Lynch has vowed to find a way back in to the WrestleMania main event Credit: WWE

12 Brock Lesnar and Becky Lynch were two of the stars of the Royal Rumble Credit: WWE

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At last Sunday’s Elimination Chamber event, she made a surprise appearance by hobbling through the crowd on crutches – before launching a brutal crutch-swinging assault on Rousey and Charlotte.

She said: “They’re trying to hold me down but I’ll fight back until the day I die.

“I’ve got a job to do, and that’s to main event WrestleMania and be the top star in this entire industry. That’s what I set out to do.”

Royal Rumble 2019 is out on DVD & Blu-ray 18th March and available to pre-order at Amazon and WWEDVD.co.uk