WINC Watchlist: Becky Lynch's Greatest Matches

Becky Lynch has built one of the strongest in-ring resumes out of any WWE star over the past 15 years, with her work on both the main roster and in "WWE NXT" being a bench mark that many have tried to reach. These days, Lynch is arguably best known for her ability to reinvent herself, as her evolution from "The Irish Lash Kicker," to "The Man," and then to "Big Time Becks" has consistently made her one of the most entertaining wrestlers on television. However, Lynch has always ensured that her strong character work doesn't take away from her talent in the ring, and has often delivered on some of the biggest stages WWE has to offer.

Whether she's performing at NXT TakeOver events or competing in the biggest women's WrestleMania matches of the last decade, Lynch has wrestled some of the greatest matches of this generation. As we continue to honor Women's History Month, it's time to look back on the top five best matches of Lynch's illustrious career. 

During her run in "NXT," Lynch had star-making matches against the likes of Bayley and Charlotte Flair, but her battle with Sasha Banks at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable elevated her to the next level. The match would mark Lynch's last shot at the NXT Women's title before she was called up to the main roster, and it resulted in one of the best babyface performances of her career, especially because of how well Banks portrays a heel.

In 2015, Lynch had finally found herself in the championship scene after itching for a chance to fight for gold the year prior, and she proved to be deserving of her opportunity against Banks. In the early stages of the match, both women choose to show off their technical skill before things start to get nasty. Lynch and Banks didn't hold back from taking risks, as their singles match included intense limb manipulation and slamming each other into the ring steps. However, the brutality of the match didn't take away from the quality of their chemistry, as they eventually earned "This is wrestling" chants from the audience in attendance. 

Lynch would end up falling short against Banks, but like many matches in her career, some of the former NXT Champion's best performances are those where she loses, and in this case, it solidified her as a fan favorite going forward.

The triple threat match between Lynch, Banks and Flair at WrestleMania 32 is arguably the most historic entry on this list, as it marked the end of the Divas Championship and introduced the WWE Women's Title. 

It's been well documented that Lynch was unsatisfied by how she was viewed before and after the match, having felt overlooked compared to her opponents. Banks and Flair were not only favorites to win, but were featured on more WrestleMania posters and advertisements than Lynch, while being considered bigger main event stars at the time. That said, she used that frustration as motivation heading into the match, as her showing at WrestleMania 32 is one of the best performances of her early main roster career.

In addition to Lynch wanting to prove she belonged in the same league as her adversaries, Flair and Banks were also on their A-game, as it was the first WrestleMania for all three women, and the beginning of a new era with the Divas Championship being abolished. Moreover, there was an unpredictable nature to the entire match, as there was an argument to be made for each competitor to lead the women's division going forward. That uncertainty kept fans on the edge of their seats for the fast-paced matchup, as every near fall and submission hold felt like the potential finish. Although Lynch was forced to watch Flair retain, the match will forever be a highlight on her resume, and set the bar for her future at WrestleMania for years to come.

The first-ever all-women's WWE Premium Live Event featured several high-profile matches such as Toni Storm versus IYO SKY and Shayna Baszler versus Kairi Sane, but Lynch and Flair stole the show when they battled in a Last Woman Standing contest at WWE Evolution 2018.

In 30 minutes of nonstop action, both women were determined to use as many weapons as possible, as kendo sticks, chairs, ladders and tables were all on display. However, with Lynch and Flair already competing against each other on multiple occasions in the past, they decided to go for broke in order to raise the bar, leading them to completely put their bodies at risk. The cruelty of the match was conducted so well that it didn't even look like Lynch and Flair were trying to protect each other, as each table spot and kendo stick swing legitimately seemed to hurt both competitors.

At this point, Lynch was just weeks away from her career changing forever, as Evolution was followed by the lead-up to Survivor Series, where "The Man" was born. That said, it's often forgotten that Evolution played a huge role in Lynch's superstardom going into 2019, as defeating Flair led fans to take the Irish native more seriously as a main event talent in the women's division. 

Unlike many of Lynch's matches with Flair throughout the first eight years of her WWE career, there was real-life tension between both women coming into Survivor Series 2021. At the time, the company was still pitting "WWE Raw" and "WWE SmackDown" against each other at Survivor Series, and with Lynch and Flair being their brands' respective champions, they were set for their 10th singles match together.

Initially, wrestling fans and pundits were concerned about the match even taking place, as the tension between both women had reached a boiling point by the time Survivor Series came around. Lynch claimed on "The MMA Hour" with Ariel Helwani just days before the event that Flair had become jealous of her career in 2019 when she became "The Man" and the hottest star in wrestling. Additionally, the infamous title swap segment on "SmackDown" that year led to a backstage altercation between both women, which only fueled Lynch's hatred towards "The Queen." Thankfully, Lynch and Flair not only showed up to Survivor Series, but used their disliking for each other to create one of the most hard-hitting matches of their careers, especially since the audience truly didn't know who would emerge victorious. 

Both women deciding not to go off-script that night has seemed to pay off today, as Lynch and Flair have reconciled since their match at Survivor Series. Following the match, the toll of the real-life feud was on display, as Lynch cut one of the most emotional interviews of her career after defeating Flair.

The final entry on this list is Lynch's ultimate "passing of the torch" moment. Heading into WrestleMania 38, Lynch came in as the dominant heel holding the WWE Raw Women's Championship, a reign that matched the quality of her run as "The Man." Lynch controversially returned from maternity leave and defeated Bianca Belair in 26 seconds to become women's champion at SummerSlam 2021, but the bold decision eventually led both competitors to collide again at the "Grandest Stage Of Them All," in what is now one of the best women's matches in WrestleMania history.

Lynch and Belair had the first show-stopper of WrestleMania 38 weekend, as Night 1 was subpar at best before both women took the stage. Although it was expected that Belair would defeat Lynch and finally get her revenge for SummerSlam, it didn't stop "Becky 2 Belts" from presenting herself as the unbeatable champion she had been for seven months. Similar to the NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable match with Banks, Lynch and Belair showed off their chemistry, but didn't shy away from incorporating some brutality, including multiple dives off the top rope and a suplex on the outside of the ring. However, the drama reached a new level when Lynch kicked out of the 450 splash, followed by Belair surviving a Manhandle Slam on the ring steps.

The "EST Of WWE" would capture the gold after nearly 20 minutes of action, and in the four years since, very few WrestleMania bouts have been able to match the quality of Lynch's clash with Belair.