Becky Lynch is showing Tiffany Stratton ‘how much she doesn’t know’ with NXT run

Prior to competing for the NXT women’s championship against former champion Tiffany Stratton in an extreme rules match at No Mercy on Saturday (8 p.m., Peacock), Becky Lynch spoke with Joseph Staszewski of The Washington Post.

What did it mean for you to finally win the NXT women’s championship and cross that off the list in addition to winning the Grand Slam?

A: It was one of those things where there was a little bit of demonstrating to myself how far I’ve gone along, writing those wrongs of the past, and being very much seen as the fourth Horsewomen. It was very much not about checking boxes.

Being in line for title shots in NXT by accident—not because I was the proper person, but because I just happened to be there—rather than because I was the one. So it’s quite good to be able to go back and win that and feel like I proved my younger self right. But really I think the main thing for me is elevating the NXT title, elevating the NXT brand and being able to work with the younger talent that will have the opportunity to go for a main event of WrestleMania, things that weren’t in place when I was in NXT.

When I’m able to work with these women that want to go there, I feel like it just brings them up when I’m able to do that. It simply helps them rise. They are only made aware of what they are lacking and what has to be done. And when I see how bright the future is, it makes me happy and occasionally gives me a little bit of a chip on my shoulder, reminding me that I’m still in charge here and ready to fight all of you.

Q: What’s been your impression of working with Tiffany and do you feel like she’s come up to your level and met you there? You are someone who is kind of a measuring stick when people see talent interact with you.

A: dear level takes a long time to get to, dear friend. It takes experience, it takes ups, it takes downs. But the girl is naturally gifted in so many ways. Regarding innate skill, I have no knowledge whatsoever. If she wants to apply, if she wants to put her all into this and become a student of the game, she can be amazing. She can go on and do fantastic things in this business. She is probably noticing that as she comes to work with me. She is becoming more aware of her ignorance, which is beneficial.

Because you are easy to package to the moon, everything is presented to you on a silver platter when you look like her, are athletic like her, and come in with a character. This will be simple. Then you realize that this is actually rather complicated, and you must rise to the challenge because there will be people, like myself, who will adore this and try to put you in your place. So, it will be interesting to watch how much she steps up. She has every tool she needs to accomplish that. The world is her oyster if she wants to pursue it.

What are you hoping to discover about her by having her compete in this extreme rules match?

I want to know how resilient she is, how much she is willing to risk both her body and her mind. How much agony is she willing to absorb and push past? I’m not talking about bodily agony. I’m referring to emotional suffering. Particularly in this game, that is where the fighting takes place.

Q: There was a report out there that you asked to wrestle Tegan Nox last week on Raw and that was changed to Natalya. Is there truth to that and is there going to be a push from you going forward to maybe get some of the NXT women on Raw and get them that exposure there?

A: There is full truth in that. That was one of the things that I wanted to do with this title. I wanted to have open challenges for the women who haven’t been getting opportunities, women that have been in the back that love wrestling and that want an opportunity and haven’t been able to get it.

Q: What are you most proud of with your story with Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark?

A: I’m very proud of the fact that it was a very long story and it was maybe six months, which is a very long time considering we (Trish and I) only had two full matches [together]. So I think everyone wanted it to be over, but the last [cage] match we pulled out all the stops and it was the greatest match of her career and one of my favorite matches and it stole the show that night. To have a story that goes on that long, but to still be able to hook people at the end — and the end is the most important because that’s all people are gonna remember. 

Q: Did you two go into that cage match with a little chip on your shoulders after not being on SummerSlam? You talked about lemons and lemonade.

A: I very much had the old chip on my shoulder as I often do. I think both of us had it because of that. I didn’t want to just have five minutes on SummerSlam and not have the blowoff that we’re were capable of at Payback. In that way, I’m very grateful. But I think there obviously should have been the priority for the SummerSlam card and have us have that match on SummerSlam. But it’s one of those things where the chips fall where they may. 

Q: Is Jade Cargill someone you followed and is there some intrigue for a potential match with her or something down the road?

A: I watch all the products. I think it’s great. More women with more platforms. I think she has a lot of work to do when she gets here, but if she is willing to do that, just look at her. She’s a star. It’s more people for me to get in the ring with and kick their asses. Q: It’s not something a lot of people get to do, to go back somewhere that helped make them to try to make it better. What does it mean on that level to be back in NXT? It’s like going back to college and teaching.

Q: It’s not something a lot of people get to do, to go back somewhere that helped make them to try to make it better. What does it mean on that level to be back in NXT? It’s like going back to college and teaching.

A: I love being able to be in that position. I love getting to work with different people and people that are hungry, people that are trying to come up and be great and trying to impart whatever knowledge that I have.

We were kind of picking things up as we went, learning from each other. Seth Rollins was able to work with John Cena, and John Cena was able to work with Edge, and all these people got to learn from people that have been in the spots that they want to get into. We never had all of that. With all due respect to the women who had been here as great as they were, they had never been in the spots that we have been in.

We were sort of learning as we went along and from one another. John Cena and Edge were able to collaborate with Seth Rollins, and both men had the opportunity to learn from others who had already achieved their goals. None of that was ever ours. With all due respect to the great ladies who came before, they had never visited the locations that we have.

But being OK in the downtime isn’t just sitting around waiting for your spot. Being OK in the downtime is preparing and planning and doing what you can do so that when the opportunity comes you’re ready. For me, that was always going to the digital team, doing things on social media that I found entertaining. Because when nobody else was gonna give me a shot well then let me at least bring my audience in. Let me communicate with them and tell them my frustrations or why they should care about me.