News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Becky Lynch has been the flag bearer for SmackDown's women's division since moving to WWE's blue brand.

The 30-year-old, from Dublin, Ireland became the inaugural SmackDown Women's Champion last September.

She then feuded with Alexa Bliss over the title before being derailed by the return of women's great Mickie James.

Bliss and James both transferred to Monday Night Raw in the post-WrestleMania 33 'Superstar Shake-up'.

But Lynch has now been joined on Tuesday nights by her great friend and rival, the four-time world champion Charlotte.

She spoke to the Mirror about the Superstar Shake-up, facing Charlotte, why SmackDown is WWE's top show and exploring her character.

(Image: © WWE)

It's now just over three weeks since WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida - how was this year's event for you personally?

Oh it was amazing, it was great to be back in Orlando, which is kind of where this part of my journey started. That's where I started with NXT. So it was amazing to go back and be on the main card of WrestleMania in front of 75,000 people and going out there right before The Undertaker, which sounds a little bit crazy doesn't it? Being sandwiched in between Brock Lesnar versus Goldberg and The Undertaker's last match! It was incredible, a dream come true.

Originally the six-pack challenge for the SmackDown Women's Championship was set for the Kickoff pre-show, but following a campaign by fans on social media, many using the hashtag #GiveSDWomenAChance, the bout was moved to the main card. You tweeted after the decision to thank fans - did their efforts mean a lot to you?

They did because I felt like since the brand split, sometimes it wasn't even, and we weren't represented the way the other side [the Raw women's division] was. I feel like it should have been equal because we have got people so invested in our characters and in our storylines and I want to see that rewarded. Eventually after the fans spoke up, we were.

In the end your match against Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, Carmella and Natalya was placed second to last.

Yeah, I always say I want to main event WrestleMania and this year I semi main evented WrestleMania, so I've just got one more spot to move to! Then we're there.

(Image: © WWE)

You were sporting a new look, with your hair in dreadlocks and a white stripe painted across your face. Where did the inspiration for that come from?

A lot of people have been tweeting me saying it was from some video game [Horizon Zero Dawn] but unfortunately I've never even heard of that before, it was just actually my brainchild. I've always wanted dreads, I thought they would be really cool. After sitting there for 11 hours of somebody pulling your hair, I think I'll never get them again! But they were cool for the night and I really liked the look. Then the facepaint, I was looking up Irish warriors and I came across this image and thought that's pretty cool, so they let me put that on. Then when I came up with the gear, I actually bought this skirt that I thought was awesome and then I went to my friend who is a dressmaker and she just had lots of different material lying around. I basically put on the top in a way that I thought would look cool and she ended up just sewing it on. That's how it all came together.

With the top hat, the goggles and now the dreads you reminded me of Linda Perry, the lead singer of 4 Non Blondes. They had a big single called What's Up in the early 1990s.

Ah, I don't know them. I know the name and I probably know the song... I'll have to Google them!

Naomi won the match and in doing so clinched the title for the second time. While you would have hoped to be in that position, what was it like to see her get to enjoy that moment in front of a hometown crowd?

Yeah I would but that's the thing, Naomi worked so hard. The first time she won the title, for it to end how it did, so suddenly and tragically because she hurt herself, that was upsetting, and I just know the work she puts in and the heart that she has. So to see her win it on the grandest stage of them all and in her hometown, that's pretty spectacular.

What was your reaction to the Superstar Shakeup? Are you pleased you remained on SmackDown?

I'm delighted I remained on SmackDown, I love SmackDown. I think it's the better wrestling show and since day one I have wanted to be on SmackDown. Plus the fact we get Charlotte, who is an incredible talent and just amazing. I was sad to see my friends leave though, that was sad, like Heath Slater and Rhyno, Apollo Crews and Kalisto, and everybody else, I was like 'no!', The Miz and Maryse, Dean [Ambrose] and Bray [Wyatt], Mickie. But we got some great new talents here too, so I'm very excited for that.

(Image: © WWE)

You didn't mention Alexa Bliss then - the former SmackDown Women's Champion - were you sorry to see her leave too?

No, good riddance to her. Ha ha.

You had some great matches with Alexa over the title and with Mickie, with whom we saw you feud at Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber. It was a shame we didn't get to see you and Mickie work a longer feud together.

I know. I really loved my matches with Mickie and I'm excited for when they may happen again, although it may not be for a while now. I will be excited to see what she does on Raw as well. She's just great and an asset to the division. I'm so glad I got to work with her, even though it was brief.

Was she a performer you looked up to when you were first making your way as a wrestler?

Absolutely. I was telling her I remember watching her manage AJ Styles, when she was Alexis Laree on the independents [Mickie was Styles' manager in Ring of Honor in 2003]. It was crazy. I was telling her I remember her standing by the ring and her shoulders looked amazing, so that was another reason that I worked my shoulders so much ha ha.

You mentioned Charlotte - a lot of people will be aware of your shared path, how you came up together in NXT, and what good friends you are out of the ring. What do you think she will bring to SmackDown?

She is amazing. She is spectacular and unbelievable in her role, she really is. I think she will bring that extra X factor onto SmackDown. There's nobody that gets under people's skin quite like Charlotte. So it will be interesting to see what she does and how much she shakes up the women's division.

You referenced earlier how you felt there has been more focus on the Raw women's division than on the SmackDown women's division. There was certainly a lot of attention on Charlotte's feud with Sasha Banks and their Hell in a Cell match, which headlined the pay-per-view of the same name in October. Do you hope that you and Charlotte will be able to reach those same heights on SmackDown?

Absolutely. I think we only barely scratched the surface. I think one of the turning points in the women's revolution was actually myself and Charlotte going into our feud. Before then there had been lots of women's matches, which was great, and we were getting to see the rewards, but there wasn't really any depth behind it. Then once we started our feud that went into the Royal Rumble last year, I think that was really a turning point because we were able to see a friendship falling apart and that is something people can get into, as opposed to 'okay, here's women, there's a revolution apparently, watch there matches'. This was something that people could relate to because it was one friend being ruthless and doing anything she could to win and screwing her best friend. Then it went off in a different direction but I would like to pick up where we left off.

In many ways she was the flag bearer for the women's division on Raw and you were the flag bearer for the women of SmackDown. To have both of you going at it on the same show is very exciting for fans.

The world will explode! Yeah it will be a great opportunity.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

We also saw the return of Tamina, who has been sidelined for nearly a year following knee surgery to repair torn ligaments. She is a superstar with a different style to anyone else on the SmackDown roster.

Yes, she's larger than all of us! I will be like David facing Goliath. She's so strong, so I'm going to have to up my weightlifting game.

You have posted pictures on your social media channels of you weightlifting, is that a regular part of your training regime?

I've always been lifting since I started training to be a wrestler at 15, but recently I've got really into CrossFit and I love it. It's something that constantly pushes you and constantly tests you both physically and mentally to keep going and keep going harder, getting stronger and faster and more agile.

Raw's Seth Rollins has been a big advocate of CrossFit.

Yes, we have the same trainer. They call Rollins CrossFit Jesus but if you want you can call me Crossfit Shesus. Don't feel obliged or under pressure, only if you want to. You may also call be Cybec, because I am a machine. Again, no pressure.

Last time we spoke you talked about your MMA work outside of the ring.

Yes, I do less of that now, just because I'm so worried that if I was to get injured doing anything outside of the ring I wouldn't do what I love so much. My boyfriend is an MMA fighter [UFC star Luke Sanders] and he owns a gym in Nashville so I will get him to show me some stuff, but as far as taking classes I don't do that anymore, just because I want to preserve my body for wrestling.

Returning to WrestleMania weekend, we saw you and your peers in the audience at the Hall of Fame ceremony. What was it like hearing inductees mention you by name as one of the brightest stars of the new generation?

Oh that means so much, especially coming from Beth Phoenix, who is just incredible. She was just such a hard worker and did so much for the sport, maybe more than is realised or will ever be realised. To have her stand up there and be so gracious to all of us is an absolute honour.

One of the things that struck me when watching the highlight package of her career, which was reinforced later on by Kurt Angle who talked about it specifically, is how important it is to be prepared to take risks and go outside of your comfort zone, for example exploring the comedic side of your character. That is something we saw Beth do with Santino Marella and that Kurt was able to do so well with the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Booker T. Was that something that resonated with you? Would you welcome the opportunity to show us a different side to you, as well as being 'The Lasskicker'?

Oh, I've been begging for the chance. That's all I want to do. Comedy is part of my personality in general but I feel that maybe there has been one aspect you have seen of me. I get jumped an awful lot, probably more than any one person has done in their entire life, over the past two years, so I would love to develop different aspects. I have been able to show that fiery aspect, that never giving up aspect, which says 'okay you can do this to me, but I'm going to keep standing up for myself and come back, I'm not going to let it change me, I'm going to do things with integrity'. That is good for so long but I would really like to develop different aspects of myself on TV.

How much do you enjoy the opportunity then to go on a show like Talking Smack, where we get to see more of the real side of superstars, and speak to fans unscripted?

I love it. I love it so much, because that's the great thing about being unscripted and being able to talk as yourself. Because nobody knows who I am as much as I know who I am. If I can go out there and I can talk on behalf of myself in my own words, then I can communicate the message that I want to, and the one that I want to get across and the one that I feel perhaps isn't being heard.

Catch Becky Lynch this May when WWE Live returns to the UK! For more information regarding all WWE Live events in the UK visit www.bookingsdirect.com