Becky Lynch Hints At Injury Recovery Timeline At WrestleMania 39 Launch Party
WWE fans have been clamoring for a singles match between Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey since 2019, when their confrontation at Wrestlemania 35 was turned into a triple threat that included Charlotte Flair. After that, between Rousey's departure and Lynch's maternity leave, the wait got longer, until Lynch finally returned at SummerSlam 2021 and Rousey followed suit in January, winning the Royal Rumble. But despite the fact that Lynch was "Raw" Women's Champion at the time, Rousey chose to challenge Flair for the "SmackDown" Women's Championship — Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer reported that WWE had decided against Lynch vs. Rousey for WrestleMania 38, opting instead to build up anticipation for their eventual clash a year later.
However, since Lynch suffered a separated shoulder at this year's SummerSlam on July 30, there's been some uncertainty over The Man's status for next year's Showcase of Immortals. Following Lynch's emotional promo on the August 1 episode of "WWE Raw," WWE issued a press release noting that the former champion "is expected to be out for several months," and Fightful Select reported last week that there's a "50/50 chance" of Lynch undergoing surgery to fix her shoulder, meaning her injury timeline could depend on a myriad of factors.
However, Lynch herself provided a positive update earlier this month, positing a photo of herself lifting weights with her good arm, and at Thursday's WrestleMania 39 Launch Party, she seemed to dispel any doubts about her availability for WrestleMania.
Lynch Promises To Steal The Show
Fans at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, probably didn't expect to hear from Big Time Becks herself last night, but that only made them all the more delighted when reigning "Raw" Women's Champion Bianca Belair finished her speech by surprisingly introducing Lynch.
"Los Angeles, welcome to the big time!" Lynch began. "Becky Two Belts may be banged up right now, but come WrestleMania 39, well, the Vincent Van GOAT of WWE is going to feel like stealing the show, just like [Bianca & I] did this year." Lynch later suggested that the LAX airport would have to be renamed to "LA Becks" as she's "taking over" the City of Angels during WrestleMania 39 weekend.
Lynch's appearance also seemed to confirm that she would be reverting back to her "The Man" persona upon her WWE comeback, something she teased in her "Raw" promo last week — since her return, she's been playing a heel, controversially tabling the persona that made her one of the most popular WWE stars in recent memory in favor of the "Big Time Becks" character. Lynch's return to babyface heroism took place after her loss to Belair at SummerSlam; serendipitously, Rousey would turn heel later the same evening, meaning the longtime rivals' alignments remain opposed, and with Lynch apparently planning to be back in action in time for the big show, their potential WrestleMania 39 dream match is very much alive.