Ever since her victory in the main event of Wrestlemania 35, Becky Lynch has become the face of WWE and its events. The Man is now on the poster of many shows the company is putting on. This elevation of a female performer to the apex position among WWE superstars is an unprecedented event. Her character itself is quite unique. She is shown as a hardcore, fearless and tough-as-nails performer who brooks no nonsense from anyone.
But on May 26, she posted a tweet along with a picture on her timeline that would have taken many by surprise. It was a black-and-white photograph showing the WWE Raw women's champion standing face-to-face in the ring with none other than the legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The message along with the pic reads: "Over the weekend the toughest SOB in WWE and Stone Cold had a closed-door match—and like Rocky and Apollo Creed the outcome of me winning will never be known."
It is well known that Stone Cold is the one who has been mythologised as 'the toughest SOB' over the years. But Becky seems to have taken that title from him, at least in her own communications. Her claim of having defeated the 'Texan Rattle Snake' is even more surprising though not as shocking as one may think it initially.
Think about it. Austin retired from active wrestling almost two decades ago and hasn't fought a match since. The reason for his exit was a serious neck injury that he suffered in a match against Owen Hart. Becky, on the other hand, is in the prime of her career. So, WWE aren't hurting the image of Stone Cold too much by claiming that Lynch overpowered him.
But still, they wouldn't like to make Austin appear too forbearing because his image of an invincible, irrepentant and extremely dangerous personality still gets the crowd and the fans excited. So, let's wait and see if there is a response from the side of the WWE Hall of Famer. But this tweet is another indication of the rise of women in WWE. In the past, you could never have imagined a female wrestler even standing up to a character like Stone Cold. Now, Becky is not just standing up to him but even claiming his epithet and a victory over him. That's a sea change from the past.
