Credit: WWE.com

2018 has brought change to WWE in ways no one could have expected. No one better represents that change than Becky Lynch. This time last year, The Irish Lass Kicker was a footnote on SmackDown Live, barely appearing on television and rarely picking up victories.

Now, she is at the head of the most impressive women's division in WWE history, redefining what the women's evolution has meant. The Man is the biggest name in wrestling, and she recently main-evented the last pay-per-view of the year, WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs.

It's shocking to look back upon the year Lynch has had, changing the game in a matter of months after years of poor booking looked to have doomed her to a career of playing second fiddle. Sometimes, all it takes is one chance for talent to shine through.

Starting Out Cold in 2018



It took months for Lynch to find her footing. She opened the Royal Rumble but only lasted for half the match, being unceremoniously dumped out by Ruby Riott. Everyone is forgiven for forgetting she was even at WrestleMania 34, as she was eliminated more or less off-screen in the women's Battle Royal.

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With the Superstar Shake-up, Asuka came to the blue brand, while The IIconics made an early splash with a brutal attack on Charlotte Flair, pushing The Lass Kicker even further down the pecking order.

At no point during this disappointing start to the year was Lynch unpopular. While she wasn't selling out Axxess events in 90 seconds—as she recently did for Royal Rumble 2019—fans were still lining up to meet her.

That popularity was on full display in Allstate Arena when she took over the Money in the Bank ladder match. She was the ultimate babyface of the contest, constantly just a fingertip away from success.

While she fell short to Alexa Bliss, this was the turning point for Lynch. Fans got louder from that moment on, as the soon-to-be champion racked up victories and earned a title match with Carmella at SummerSlam.

It felt like she had been rejuvenated in an instant, but The Man always had this talent. She just wasn't as driven as she was after MITB. She had never been as driven as she was at SummerSlam, when she lost the match but flipped the switch that changed her career.

The Heel Turn That Could Never Be

Everyone loves a good heel turn. It's often a cheap tactic to reignite a talent, but it works all the same. Few wrestlers fail to benefit from getting to play the villain after a long run as a babyface.

When Lynch turned, though, it wasn't to a chorus of boos but raucous cheers. She earned her way to a title shot, and her best friend, Flair, ripped that away from her. She was right to be angry, and the fans were behind her.

Despite her best efforts at first, The Lass Kicker was never a heel. She was too popular to take on that mantle. She had changed, though, becoming more vicious and self-serving in a way that made her a more enthralling performer.

As a mic worker, Lynch had always been among the best in the women's division, but she oozed so much confidence after SummerSlam that she was just about the best talker in the company.

Her in-ring work also seemed to massively benefit, as she began putting on some of the best performances of her career. Her matches with The Queen were great, but their clash at Evolution is among the best of the year.

Lynch was riding high, holding her championship and carrying the brand forward in a way no one could have expected, but it was an injury that made The Lass Kicker the biggest star in the business.

The Punch That Delayed a Classic

It was supposed to be the biggest women's match ever booked. Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series was certain to main-event, with so much built around the clash. However, just as they reached the peak of their rivalry, Nia Jax botched the plans.

Jax caught The Man square in the face with a fist, leaving Lynch bloody and concussed. While she would miss time, including her match with The Baddest Woman on the Planet, she was still the most popular star at every show after that.

Fans chanted her name throughout Survivor Series even though she never appeared. When she did come back, fans welcomed her with the type of ovation reserved for the biggest stars in WWE.

While she lost her title at TLC, Lynch only seems to be rising up the ranks in WWE. She is heading toward 2019 as SmackDown's hottest act, with so many potential rivalries on the horizon that could come to define WWE.

2019 Prospects

The sky is the limit for The Lass Kicker. No one is giving her much of a fight for the title of WWE's top star, which means most of her matches in the coming months should be massive attractions that the company will heavily promote.

While we may not get Lynch vs. Asuka, January's Royal Rumble could still be a huge night for The Man, who has to be the odds-on favorite in the Battle Royal. This would be the easiest way to set up the long-awaited Rousey match.

If Lynch were to win the Rumble and challenge the still-undefeated Raw women's champion to a bout at WrestleMania 35 in April, there is no doubt the two would main-event. It would be the first time women have headlined the Show of Shows, and it would be well-deserved.

The two are at the forefront of a dramatic shift in WWE's hierarchy, putting on the best matches and telling the strongest stories on both brands. But while Rousey's success was expected, Lynch has shocked even her biggest fans.

Talent does not always shine through, even with the greatest stars. It takes a firm mentality and the right opportunity for anyone to succeed. The Lass Kicker did the unthinkable by taking the ball and never letting it go.

While anything can happen in WWE, this feels like a lasting change. Lynch has taken the vacant spot atop WWE, and her future looks bright.