WWE superstar Becky Lynch vividly remembers being told she would never headline WrestleMania.

In fact, the current Raw and Smackdown women’s champion — who’ll defend both titles in separate matches at Sunday’s upcoming pay-per-view event, Money in the Bank, at the XL Center in Hartford — remembers walking away from the sport altogether.

But fast-forward to 2019 and Lynch, affectionately known to fans as “The Man” and “Becky Two-Belt,” finds herself in an enviable position. Not only did the 32-year-old, Irish-born superstar headline WWE’s flagship event last month – she has become one of the company’s most popular superstars by playing the character she knows best: herself.

“I was asked last week, why would I take on two competitors at Money in the Bank? I have two belts. I made my way to WrestleMania by fighting twice in one night,” said Lynch in a recent interview prior to a Monday Night Raw broadcast. “I’m not the underdog anymore. I’m the top dog.”

But that was “The Man” talking. The woman behind “The Man” – a Rebecca Quin, former flight attendant with a degree in acting from the Dublin Institute of Technology – was quick to acknowledge that just one year ago, her career looked much different.

“People always said my dreams were unrealistic, to go from the WrestleMania pre-show (in 2017) to the main event,” said Lynch. “It was a matter of breaking through, and I accepted that until I made it happen.”

In fact, Lynch said that the origins of her meteoric rise date back to last year's Money in the Bank event, when her status as perpetual “underdog” began to give way to a newfound sense of confidence, no matter the outcome of a contest.

“Every time I stepped foot on the ladder, to win that contract [to receive a championship opportunity], the crowd went mad. It showed everyone that I have a bond with the audience. That maybe they were sick of me being overlooked. And I really attribute that to everything else that happened,” she said.

What happened? According to Lynch, masterfully blurring the lines between WWE's storyline-based programming and her real-life emotions, it was a matter of not playing second fiddle to the company's longtime stars any longer.

A slap to the face of longtime rival Charlotte Flair and one bloody nose later, “The Man” was born, and due to popular demand, WWE officials had no choice but to insert her in WrestleMania's first-ever all-female main event involving Flair and former UFC star Ronda Rousey.

Lynch said this couldn't be further from where she was just a decade ago, having initially walked away from wrestling before reaching age 20 – a decision that left her with guilt years after first signing with WWE developmental territory NXT in 2013.

“During that time, when I quit, I felt tremendous guilt for leaving what I love. It's really one of those things that happens for a reason. I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't learned the lessons I learned along the way. I knew what it was like to be resentful,” she said, admitting that this guilt remained on her mind over the course of her career.

“I think I finally let it go. Sometimes you have to learn to trust yourself and forgive yourself. We all make mistakes and do things we regret. You never know how it's going to end up until it ends up,” said Lynch.

WWE “Money in the Bank” comes to the XL Center in Hartford on Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20. For more information and to view the card, visit xlcenter.com/events/detail/wwe-money-in-the-bank