Some call her the WWE's first female anti-hero, but does Becky Lynch cross a line with her social media posts?
Pro wrestling has endured as a form of entertainment for over a century thanks to its unique blend of athleticism, scripted drama, and the knowledge that there are real people performing live on television without re-takes or safety equipment beyond elbow and knee pads.
Even though all but the youngest and/or most deluded fans know that pro wrestling is a scripted entertainment form, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is that the wrestlers are real people taking real risks. When a movie action hero dangles off the edge of a building, the audience knows that it's either a green screen or there are hidden safety measures to protect him. But in pro wrestling, when Shawn Michaels is dangling off the edge of the Hell in a Cell cage, you know that he's legitimately in danger.
With the advent of social media, now wrestlers are essentially on stage twenty four hours a day. Many times in the past a sports entertainment talent has had their career damaged or even ended by an errant social media post. For example, Randy Orton was once raked over the coals for fat shaming a fan, and Jimmy Jacobs lost his job with WWE after tweeting a photo with some friends outside WWE headquarters.
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Perhaps no currently active wrestler is more bold, daring, and controversial on social media than The Man, Becky Lynch. While other wrestlers have adopted social media as a means to further their careers, Lynch has taken it to the next level to a point where many wonder whether she is going off the deep end.
Here are three reasons Becky Lynch's social media posts might be going too far, and three that she's doing nothing wrong.
Becky Lynch is going too far #1: She sometimes attacks people she's not in an angle with.
Okay, we get it; There are a lot of misogynistic trolls out there who are--for no particular reason--infuriated that Becky Lynch is referring to herself as The Man. And we also get that Corey Graves can sort of come across as a rather annoying person, particularly on social media.
However, is that any reason for Becky Lynch to tear him to shreds with tweets and posts? Recently a fan suggested that Becky Lynch should have a romance angle and that the ideal paramour for her character would be one member of the announce team, Corey Graves.
Lynch's response was brutal and to the point;
Of all the things I could “use” in my life right now, a romance with a middle-aged emo poured into skinny jeans isn’t one of them. Maybe you should wait till Monday to reply, you know, when you’ll have help with what to say.
Ouch! While her comments may have been amusing, they serve little purpose; Corey Graves is no longer an active wrestler, and he is even on a different show than Lynch altogether. Since she's not furthering any storylines with such tweets, she's just being mean without purpose other than cruelty.
Becky Lynch is doing nothing wrong on social media #1: If you mess with the bull, you get the horns.
While it's true that many times Becky Lynch uses her acerbic wit to target people who are not involved in storylines or angles with her character on WWE television, most of those times she does not fire the first shot.
Take Road Warrior Animal for instance. On his "What a Rush" Podcast he did say some complimentary things about women's wrestling...and then flushed that praise down the toilet by stating that having women main event shows and having better matches than men was 'a problem.'
Since Becky Lynch is a major star in women's wrestling these days, Animal had some things to say about her as well. An online wrestling news site had the headline "Road Warrior Animal Thinks Becky Lynch should back off the Man thing." Lynch's response?
The First four words of your headline are a lie.
Lynch's verbal beat down of the Legion of Doom's surviving member may have been mean, and not helped further a storyline, but it should be noticed that Animal started the fight...and Lynch finished it!
Becky Lynch is going too far #2: Her tweets can be in bad taste.
Becky Lynch in many ways should be lauded for her use of social media platforms like Twitter. After all, it is the internet age, and fans love the fact they can have access to their favorite performers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Those who evolve, thrive, and Becky Lynch has made certain that a strong social media presence is in her playbook.
However, there are times when she seems to take things beyond the realm of good taste. Take her recent twitter exchange with WWE Raw women's champion Ronda Rousey. In wrestling angle terms, Lynch is in fact involved with Ronda Rousey due to a huge planned Wrestlemania match pitting the two of them against Charlotte in a three-way dance for the women's title.
What started off as a relatively typical Lynch post soon escalated as Rousey made fun of Lynch's 'disarm-her' finisher as looking 'fake,' even implying that Lynch was pantomiming a particular part of the male anatomy.
Yes, Rousey definitely went non-PC first, but then Lynch photoshopped an image of Rousey's husband Travis Browne into a pic of the 'disarm-her'. The implications were personal, and obvious, and in very poor taste. It's just another example of Lynch taking things too far on social media.
Becky Lynch is doing nothing wrong on social media #2: The comments and posts she makes are 100% in line with her character.
Becky Lynch has in fact used social media to attack people who she is not in wrestling angles with, and in some cases--such as her beef with Road Warrior Animal--people who are no longer active wrestlers at all.
However, it is quite important to note that her social media posts are always in keeping with The Man anti-hero character she portrays on television and in arenas. While it may not further any one specific storyline, for her to rip someone verbally, it does further her overall character in sports entertainment.
In the modern post internet revolution age, it's vital for pro wrestlers, like any other form of entertainer, to try and expand their platform to reach an ever wider audience. Lynch should not be to blame for the current culture of brutal honesty and put-downs. In fact, she should be lauded for playing the game so well and garnering so much attention not only for herself but for pro wrestling in general.
Becky Lynch goes too far #3: Her wrestling ability and talent mean she doesn't need to be mean on the internet
When it comes to in-ring talent, it's hard to find an athlete male or female who can keep up with Becky Lynch. Wrestling isn't just about flips or taking crazy risks; It's ultimately about using your body to tell a story and coordinating your movements with your opponent.
This is why Nature Boy Ric Flair is such a legend, and rightfully so. Ric Flair's repertoire never included a ton of flashy moves like dropkicks or moonsaults, but his ability to convey a storyline, get the fans emotionally invested, and bring out the best in any opponent have led to him being called the Greatest of all time.
Becky Lynch is right up there with the Nature Boy in all of these categories, and perhaps even supersedes him in some ways. Given her ability, beauty, and skills on the microphone, she doesn't really need to be cruel on social media. Her talent and ability speak for themselves and make her seem like an attention seeker desperate for more of the spotlight.
Becky Lynch is doing nothing wrong #3: It takes more than just wrestling ability to stay on top in modern sports entertainment.
When it comes to modern sports entertainment, it's no longer sufficient to simply be the best in-ring performer, or even the best at cutting promos and interviews.
Much like other forms of entertainment such as acting or music, fans expect to be able to check in on their favorite stars with alarming frequency. While some of the older fans may scratch their head at hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people talking about what a Kardashian had for breakfast, the fact remains that this is the world we are living in now.
Becky Lynch realizes this perhaps better than anyone, and has used her recent push to the main event as an impetus to up her social media game as well. Lynch knows that while her wrestling ability might be what brought her to the dance, it will be her ability to market herself to a mass audience that will keep her there for a long time.
There you have it; Three reasons Becky Lynch goes too far on social media, and three reasons she's not doing anything wrong. Questions or comments? Please leave them below the article, and as always thanks for reading!