WWE: Becky Lynch on WrestleMania, achieving her dreams and the future of women's wrestling

WWE superstar Becky Lynch celebrates her WrestleMania win.
WWE superstar Becky Lynch celebrates her WrestleMania win. Photo credit: WWE

The little Irish lass with a teenage dream of ascending to the top of the sports entertainment realm still can't quite believe what she has accomplished.

WWE superstar Becky Lynch formed a third of the very first all-women's WrestleMania main event in New Jersey a week ago.

The 32-year-old shared the squared circle with former UFC champion Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair, in a triple threat match for the Raw and Smackdown women's championships.

Becky Lynch.
Becky Lynch. Photo credit: WWE

Lynch, real name Rebecca Quinn, stood victorious and alone when it was all said and done, soaking in the accolades of the 82,000-plus crowd at MetLife Stadium.

But the bright lights of WWE's Super Bowl are far removed from the little Irish village where Lynch grew up.

A self-proclaimed 'wrestling nut' as a youngster, the Limerick native knew by the age of 15 that she wanted to be a WWE superstar - she wanted to be Hulk Hogan, The Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Lynch joined a wrestling school in 2002 before her 16th birthday - the start of an 11-year journey to the WWE.

After making a name for herself in bingo halls and gymnasiums across Europe, Lynch was eventually picked up by WWE in 2013 when she signed a two-year development deal with the NXT brand - WWE's training ground.

Lynch impressed fans and management alike, earning a main roster call up in 2015. But even then, less than four years ago, the thought of main eventing WrestleMania was a distant possibility.

But the arrival of Ronda Rousey to the WWE in early 2018 changed the bar - more eyes were on the women's product which was already in the midst of a revolution. Women would feature in more prominent storylines and receive a much larger portion of programme time.

Lynch and Rousey crossed paths for the first time in November last year and the storyline took off. The fans were invested and demanded a match between the two charismatic personalities. WWE added Charlotte Flair to the mix and the main event of the biggest sports entertainment event of the year was set.

For Lynch, the moment the referee counted Rousey's shoulders to the mat is still a blur, and as she exclusively explained to Newshub just 48 hours later, it'll take some time to reflect on her accomplishments.

"My whole entire life I have been working towards this moment," Lynch told Newshub.

"No absolutely not (have you had time to reflect). No, no, no, no - I haven't even had time to sit.

"Monday (local time) I was up early doing media - then straight to Raw. Today (Tuesday local time) I was up early doing more interviews, then the gym and then before I know it I am at Smackdown prepping for that.

"Going home, I will have a little time on my hands to think. I'll have a little Tequila and then yes it might set in but yeah, it could even take a few months.

"Think about it for a sec. WrestleMania 35. I'm in the fricking main event, 82,000 people there and I'm holding both championships at the end of the night.

 "I dunno if even in my absolute wildest dreams I could have had that moment."

Lynch, Rousey and Flair were all part of a historic moment in the 35-year tradition of WrestleMania.

In a male-dominated business, the future is bright for women, with the trio proving that with the right investment by the WWE, storyline investment from the talent, and a little bit of hard work, gone are the days when a women's match at the show of shows is an afterthought.

Lynch hopes the young girls in the audience or watching on television took a little bit of inspiration from witnessing history.

"What happened on Sunday made everyone realise anything is possible," she told Newshub.

"To think that we could influence 10, 15-year-old girls, who were watching the show - to think that in say, 10 years' time they could be where I am today - that is just an awesome feeling.

"What we showed these last few months is that even though something has never been done before, in this business or in life, it doesn't mean it can't be done.

"It just takes thinking outside the box and going that extra mile and being compelling and giving people something they maybe haven't seen before."

And Lynch has slammed suggestions WWE planted the women in such a high profile match as a token gesture in times where major corporates, particularly in the United States, are looking to appear gender neutral.

"I stepped outside the expectation and made sure the people wanted this match as their main event because they were invested in the story.

"If people had thought that it was a token gesture to have women main eventing WrestleMania, then half the people would have left, but that didn't happen. We had them the whole way.

"The fans were so invested that they wanted to know the outcome, they wanted to know the end of the story, they wanted to share in that moment of history."

WWE: Becky Lynch on WrestleMania, achieving her dreams and the future of women's wrestling

Lynch stressed the importance of keeping the momentum during 2019. Now is not the time for her to congratulate herself as she leads women's wrestling into the next decade.

With Rousey's immediate WWE future uncertain, Lynch holds the responsibility of keeping the fresh eyes the MMA pioneer brought to the product.

But the brash Irish redhead won't be burdened by that weight - she is motivated to get back to the main event in 12 months' time.

"You have to put your mind to it and work towards it. You have to be consistent - almost obsessive towards your goal and that's my plan."

And Lynch has a message for her Kiwi fans hoping to catch her in action in 2019.

"New Zealand wow, yes I would love to come over and see ya," she said.

"I would love to bring myself and my two shiny new belts over to New Zealand, defend my titles and leave the country as still '#BeckyTwoBelts'.

Newshub.