Becky Lynch on WrestleMania, Charlotte Flair, Adam Sandler, MJF, and Kayfabe

Summary

Good One Podcast: Becky Lynch on WrestleMania, Charlotte Flair, Adam Sandler, MJF, and Kayfabe

Host: Jesse David Fox
Guest: Becky Lynch (Rebecca Quinn)
Release Date: April 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this in-depth, candid, and often humorous interview, Jesse David Fox sits down with WWE Superstar Becky Lynch (real name Rebecca Quinn) to explore her creative process, wrestling legacy, and personal evolution. The conversation spans her historic main event at WrestleMania, her real-life friendship and rivalry with Charlotte Flair, her experiences with acting (including working with Adam Sandler), thoughts on wrestling's evolving relationship with kayfabe and social media, and her influence as a trailblazing women’s champion and mother.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Names, Personas, and the Complexity of Wrestling Identity

[02:16]

• Jesse asks, “How would you like to be introduced?”
• Becky responds: “In WWE, I go by Becky Lynch, but my government name is Rebecca Quinn. So… it's a little bit tricky still…”
• Becky relishes her various monikers: “AKA The Man, AKA Big Time Becks, AKA The Last Kick. I’ve got so many names.”

2. Anecdotes from Becky’s Everyday and Family Life

[02:55, 04:06]

• Shares a funny story about her young daughter getting wrestling names mixed up:
  • “Do you know what daddy’s wrestling name is? No. Do you know what mommy’s wrestling name is? Becky Lynch. Okay.”
  • On her daughter at Disneyland: “Cody Rhodes, that’s my daddy. No, no, that’s not your daddy. Your daddy is Seth Rollins.”
  • Memorable quip: “I think the sentence ‘Cody Rhodes is my daddy’ said by your daughter... It’ll be clickable.”

3. Origin Story & The Path to Main Eventing WrestleMania

[05:27–17:05]

• Early struggles: “I started wrestling when I was 15... I was a delinquent... failing PE... Pro wrestling would be my way of getting in shape. I fell in love with it in a way that I'd never loved anything before.”
• The landscape of women's wrestling: “The women in WWE were more of a side show act… brand panties matches, mud wrestling matches. I wanted to wrestle like the guys.”
• On doubters: “[I said] I want to main event WrestleMania... my friend said, ‘It’s nice to have dreams but be realistic.’”
• WWE grind: “I was the worst person in class. The only redeeming factor was I could cut a promo. If it wasn't for Dusty Rhodes being like, ‘She’s got something,’ I would have been gone.”
• On her underdog status: “We have Becky, God bless. What the hell are we going to do with Becky?”
• Building a connection: “I could connect with the audience, I think, because I love it... wrestling fans have a sixth sense... if there's no soul, there's no heart, they'll see through it.”
• Shift from comic relief to main eventer: “I made the worst, most embarrassing debut... I intended to jig, and stupid.”
• The audience’s choice: “When I turned on [Charlotte Flair] and slapped the bejesus out of her… the place lost it.”
• Iconic bloodied image: “I ended up at the top of the arena in the crowd, face bloody, smiling, arms out… this iconic image… kind of cemented where I was at that time.”

Notable Quote

“I always wanted to main event WrestleMania… but more than that, I never wanted it to be a token gesture. I wanted it to be because there was no other option. The people wanted this match more than anything.” — Becky Lynch [16:25]

4. Rivalry and Real-Life Impact: Charlotte Flair

[18:37–22:39]

• On being pitted against each other: “How did that impact your friendship?”
  • Becky: “Yeah, badly. Poorly. That's as well the business… two very competitive women who want to be the top… [there’s] a scarcity mindset… only so much time on television, only so many belts.”
• The toll of the road:
  • “We were on the road nonstop… working six days a week… very hard to be balanced.”
• Competition as fuel:
  • “Neither of us were gonna sit back and let somebody else be the main event. We both wanted to be the main event, and that was the energy needed.”

5. The Reality of Achieving a Dream: Main Eventing WrestleMania

[22:39–23:56]

• Jesse on post-mountaintop feelings: “Did being at the mountaintop feel different than the climb?”
• Becky: “You get there and you go, huh. All right, what else? ...It's never anything. It's just such a cliche, but it's all about the journey.”

Notable Quote

“You get there and you think fireworks are going to go off. And by the way, there was fireworks… but at the same time, you’re just like, yep, all right. I had a match.” — Becky Lynch [23:44]

6. WrestleMania 38, Bianca Belair, and the Joy of Heel Work

[24:06–33:03]

• Returning after having her daughter; becoming a heel against Bianca Belair:
  • “I came out and I beat Bianca Belair in 26 seconds, they were furious… but that’s the point. I’m the bad guy. You’re supposed to hate me. You’re not supposed to think that I’m cool.”
• The difference in playing the heel:
  • “When you’re heel, your job is to make sure people like the good guy the most. So I’m fighting for her. That’s much easier… I can be the butt of the joke.”
• Jesse praises her match: “The match itself is one of the greatest matches I’ve ever watched, in terms of storytelling.”
• On in-ring comedy and silliness:
  • “At the core of me, I’m just a ridiculous human being.”
• On the flow state:
  • “With somebody like Bianca… you really can do anything. That's when it's the most fun... you're free.”

Notable Moment

Jesse: “You lose that match. But it is the match of the weekend. How do you feel after, compared to the earlier main event?”
Becky: “Amazing. Because we paid off the story in the most amazing way… I wanted to pay it back to her in the biggest way possible.” [31:38–33:03]

7. Evolution as a Wrestler and WrestleMania Approach

[33:10–35:17]

• More relaxed now: “It’s the same ring. The hullabaloo about WrestleMania is big… But we still gotta play the game. It's the game I play every week. And I'm pretty good at the game.”
• Pride in elevating the title: “I’m so proud of that Intercontinental Title. It’s the most interesting women’s title and has been for the last year.”

8. Women’s Wrestling & The Divas Era

[35:17–38:23]

• On the Divas image and changing expectations:
  • “[Back then,] you had to stick on hair extensions and fake eyelashes. This is 2014–2015. We were dancing and throwing T-shirts. Get with it.”
• On body image:
  • “You gotta be a looker and do the dance moves. Once established, then you can break out. You had to be a diva first.”
• On AJ Lee’s return:
  • “She was somebody who also rejected that, and I think that’s why people liked her. She wanted to not be a diva.”

9. Acting, Happy Gilmore 2, and the Crossover with MJF

[38:31–41:54]

• On working with Adam Sandler:
  • “He does it all… directing, acting, producing, rewriting the script as he goes… all with a smile… creates this atmosphere of kindness and joy."
• On “kayfabe” in acting:
  • “It was a kayfabe script… I did it as real as I could, but also ridiculous.”
• On MJF’s real personality:
  • “He’s so good at his character, I was like, I’m gonna hate this guy. And he’s just the sweetest boy—so nice, such great conversation. I love him.”

10. Character Work, Kayfabe, and Social Media

[41:54–46:31]

• On acting's influence on wrestling personas:
  • “I like to do character work… I don’t really stick to one thing. What stories do I want to tell? Who do I have to be?”
• On being yourself in character (Paul Heyman reference):
  • “Everywhere you go, you bring yourself... You have to bring different aspects of yourself and they have to feel truthful.”
• On inspiration for heel behavior:
  • “You can find something to emulate... Certain people out there... embellish their accomplishments, constantly attack those beneath them.”
• On “mirror kayfabe” and public persona:
  • “It would be a bit odd to sit here in full character… In wrestling, we now tell everyone this is fictionalized… but also we don’t… they want you to commit, but they also want to see behind.”

Notable Exchange

“Even the fact that we say kayfabe is now in the zeitgeist, that shows it’s already dead… If Bryan Cranston is on this podcast, you do not expect him to sit here as Walter White.” — Becky Lynch [46:32]

11. Wrestling Fans, Audience Participation & The Uniqueness of the Art Form

[51:13–53:42]

• “The audience are really part of it. They really are. They’re the third scene partner. You cannot disregard their impact.”
• “In live theater, people don’t boo the protagonist. In wrestling, if audiences boo the good guy, you gotta change course.”
• On theater vs. wrestling:
  • “We can change the lines. We can change the script. It’s better than theater… more adrenaline… more fireworks.”

12. Motherhood, Legacy, and Changing the Narrative for Women

[53:42–57:39]

• On the revolutionary impact of becoming a mother at her peak:
  • “Me doing that when I was at my hottest made it that other women can do this and… we won’t bat an eyelid anymore.”
• On career longevity and women:
  • “At 25, that was the cutoff. Now it’s not… Sometimes there’s an impulse to say, 'move over' in a way that is not [said to male wrestlers].”
• On fighting that narrative:
  • “I should prove that my career doesn’t need to end when I’m 35 or 30… I feel like I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older.”

13. Greatness, Legacy & Raising the Next Generation

[58:10–62:13]

• On being ranked greatest female wrestler:
  • “What does it mean? It’s very nice. It’s very complimentary… It’s all so subjective. Trying to cling to what somebody else thinks is great… is a surefire recipe for misery.”
• Ethos of legacy:
  • “If I leave this place better than I found it… if my daughter… decides she wants to be a wrestler, [and] I know she can be the headliner… then that’s far better than somebody putting me on a list.”
• On “pro nepo baby industries” and her daughter’s future:
  • “She will have grown up in it, so she’ll have a lot of insight. She’s a little bit of a performer, but she’s also shy. I don’t know. We’ll figure it all out.”

14. Main Eventing WrestleMania: Does It Still Matter?

[63:10–65:47]

• Becky is proud to have main-evented once but doesn't rule out fighting for it again:
  • “If not me, then who? … It’s important that we show women main eventing, but it also has to be the story… can’t become too complacent.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On heel work:
  “When you’re heel, your job is to make sure that the people like the good guy the most. So it’s much easier because I’m not fighting for me, I’m fighting for her.” [26:38]
• On comedic moments:
  On her own style: “At the core of me, I’m just a ridiculous human being.” [28:31]
• On kayfabe and reality:
  “They say kayfabe is dead as such a derogatory thing. But the fact that you know what kayfabe is means that it was dead a long time ago.” [46:31]
• On audience impact:
  “They are the third scene partner. You cannot in any way disregard their impact.” [51:13]
• On legacy:
  “If I leave this place better than I found it… that’s far better than somebody putting me on a list.” [60:58]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:16] — Names, personas, and introduction discussion
• [02:55] — Daughter’s comedic wrestling mix-ups
• [05:27–17:05] — Complete recounting of the journey to main-eventing WrestleMania
• [18:37–22:39] — Friendship and rivalry with Charlotte Flair
• [22:39–23:56] — The emotional aftermath of achieving a dream
• [24:06–33:03] — WrestleMania 38 with Bianca Belair; difference between being heel and face
• [35:17–38:23] — Divas era, criticism, and AJ Lee’s return
• [38:31–41:54] — Acting with Adam Sandler and backstage with MJF
• [41:54–46:31] — Acting, character work, kayfabe, and self-presentation
• [51:13–53:42] — Wrestling’s unique relationship with its audience
• [53:42–57:39] — Motherhood and changing perspectives on women's careers
• [58:10–62:13] — Wrestling “greatness,” legacy, and her daughter’s potential future
• [63:10–65:47] — WrestleMania main event as a goal
• [68:29 onward] — Lightning round on legendary wrestlers, best living wrestler (Seth Rollins), “bombing” in wrestling, and a story about John Cena

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Lightning Round: Becky Lynch’s Picks & Reflections

• Legendary wrestler interaction: Story involving John Cena who encouraged her after a match she hated: “Did you do your best? …Well, then there’s nothing else you can ask for.”
• Best living wrestler: “Extremely biased. Seth Rollins. He’s influenced a generation… He is a savant of wrestling.”
• On bombing: “I don’t know that I laugh at any of my failures… You should take it so seriously that if you [mess] up, you lie awake for weeks on end thinking about that.”
• Enduring message: “You have to bring what feels right to you. And what feels right to me is throwing down the ladder… If I leave this place better than I found it… well then that’s far better than somebody putting me on a list…”

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Episode Tone

Becky’s tone is warm, self-deprecating, honest, and insightful. She's appreciative of wrestling’s unique art form and audience, determined to leave a legacy that elevates all women, and both unapologetic and humorous about her journey’s ups and downs.

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Final Thought

This episode offers an essential, inside look into the world of wrestling, the evolution of women’s roles in WWE, the push-and-pull of persona, and Becky Lynch’s unique place as both trailblazer and champion—on screen, in the ring, and beyond.

Transcript

[Jesse David Fox]

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[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

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[Jesse David Fox]

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[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Learn [e-mail] studentoffer while supplies last ends June 30 terms@ aka mscollegepc if you're tired of endless scrolling to figure out where to eat, same I'm Stephanie Wu, editor in chief of Eater. We've just launched the newish and way better Eater app. It has all the restaurants we love, gives you personalized picks wherever you are, and serves up smarter search results just for you. You can find my list of the best places for martinis and fries in New York City and save your favorite spots, share lists, follow editors and book right in the app. Download the eater [e-mail] it's free for iOS users. All the women's wrestlers had to go out in the middle of the show on live events and throw dance in the ring to let's get loud and throw out T shirts like this is what we and this was 2014. I know 2015. Like what are we freaking talking about? This is good one.

[Jesse David Fox]

I am Jesse David Fox, senior writer of Vulture and author of Comedy Book. My guest this week is Rebecca Quinn, AKA the WWE Superstar Becky Lynch. If you watch professional wrestling, she is genuinely one of the most famous people in the entire world. If you don't, you should know that she's the greatest female wrestler of all time. And it's not just me saying it, other people are saying it. As she likes to point out, Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report both rank her number one on their list of the top female wrestlers of all time. Now for nothing. For my money, no one in wrestling is doing funnier, more compelling character work than Becky has been this past year. With WrestleMania 42 coming up this month, we talk about her biggest WrestleMania moments of the past, including when she became the first woman ever to main event wrestling's biggest night. So here is Becky Lynch. Thank you for joining me.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Ah, thanks for having me.

[Jesse David Fox]

This is a question I've only asked when I've had drag queens on, which is in a situation like this. How would you like to be introduced? Like, what name do I introduce you?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Oh, that's a good. That's a great question. In wwe, I go by Becky lynch, but my government name is Rebecca Quinn. So Kind of makes it a little bit easy, you know, it's a little bit tricky still.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. So you kind of say. Because the first name's kind of the same.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

So I'm here with Rebecca Quinn, AKA Becky Lynch.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes. AKA the Man, AKA Big Time Becks, AKA the Last Kick. I've got so many names.

[Jesse David Fox]

Go on. We have plenty of time. So the first question we like to ask, what is the funniest, strangest, or most fascinating thing that's happened to you this week?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I suppose maybe the funniest thing that happened to me this week was so, you know, I think I'm pretty bad with names, but my daughter, who's 5, is somehow way worse. And, you know, I kind of blame my career. She has no excuse, I suppose, other than being five. Yeah. But anyway, you know, we were. We were asking her, you know, ru, do you know. Do you know what daddy's wrestling name is? No. Do you know what mommy's wrestling name is? Becky Lynch. Okay. So that was. That set it up that week, that. This week. Earlier this week. And then I was watching Raw, and on it, they said, and on smackdown, it's gonna be Cody Rhodes versus Drew McIntyre and rugos. My daughter, she goes, cody Rhodes, that's my daddy. No, no, that's not your daddy. That's not your daddy. Your daddy is Seth Rollins.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, but to be fair, Cody and Colby, to a little kid, is the same.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It is the same. It is the same. But then. But then later on, we were at. A few days later, we were at Disneyland, and we were with some friends, kids who were huge wrestling fans. And so my daughter thought it would be a huge flex to tell them that her daddy knows Libby's daddy. Libby's daddy is Cody Rhodes. But she was like, do you know that my daddy knows Libby's daddy? And I was, like, rude because to

[Jesse David Fox]

her, Libby's the most famous person in the context.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And I said, rue, do you know what Libby's daddy's name is? No. So bad with names. Terrible. It must be a. Must be a family thing. Anyway, that's good. Good fun, kid.

[Jesse David Fox]

Fun. They say the darndest things.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

They do say the darndest things. But, yeah, no, I think that was most. Did anything else fascinating happened?

[Jesse David Fox]

That was good.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

That was funny. But. But it was probably just, like, funny for me, and I found it funny.

[Jesse David Fox]

Okay, all right, look, I think the sentence Cody Rhodes is my daddy said by your daughter will be very. People will like that quite a bit.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It'll be clickable.

[Jesse David Fox]

It could be clickable. And that's.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

That's what we're here. That's it. Clickbait.

[Jesse David Fox]

You're the first wrestler I've had on this show. Welcome.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Thank you.

[Jesse David Fox]

So, before we talk about this WrestleMania, I felt, for context, for new fans, we talk about a couple of your previous WrestleManias. So I'd like to start with WrestleMania 35, which was in 2019, which he became the first woman to main event WrestleMania when he fought Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey. And to tell that story, I was wondering if you could tell the story of the man's story, one of the most iconic moments in the history of wrestling. As if you've never told that story before.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Right? Let's go. Okay. So. So I. I started wrestling when I was 15 years old, and I was out of shape. I was a delinquent. I was up to no good. I was failing PE in school. I was just awful. And I went. I decided that pro wrestling would be my way of getting in shape. And I went down and I fell in love with it in a way that I had never loved anything before. I quickly learned that hard work pays off. And I was like, oh, wow. I thought this was something that only was said in American TV shows. I didn't know that this was a real thing. And so I started working at it, and I traveled all over the world. I left home. I was wrestling in Japan, main eventing over there and all this stuff. And then, like, the time the women in WWE were more of a side show act, you know, it was brand panties matches, and it was mud wrestling matches, and it was stuff that I was like, I don't. I don't want to do that. Ain't nobody going to be paying to see me freaking hit somebody with a pillow and me knickers, you know, so that wasn't a career option for me. I wanted to wrestle like the guy. I wanted to be seen in the same light, in the same vein as the guys. I wanted to. My. My heroes were Mick Foley and the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Aust. I wanted to be like them, but I thought it was impossible. So at 19, I thought, you know, I got to give up this dream, get a real job, join the workforce, get a mortgage. And so I left wrestling for, like, seven years, and it was by some miracle that I ended up in wrestling, and I got signed to WWE 25. And at that time, with women, it was also like, 25 was the cutoff age, 18 to 25. And if you're older than that, you're an old spinster and we can't make money off you. You know what I mean? Like, that was, that was what it was seen as. And I remember going for my tryout and I told one of my friends I won a main event, WrestleMania. And my friend, who was a very supportive friend, so I mean this with love when he said, it's nice to have dreams, but be realistic.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, well, that was something because like that's a dream that you're dreaming. A thing that literally has never been done before.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Never been done before.

[Jesse David Fox]

How does a person think to do that?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And also the state of the women's division, it was deemed impossible. Like there's no way in hell you were ever going to get there. And when I got to wwe, I was so. I had left wrestling for seven years and spent seven years thinking like, I should be doing this thing. But I gave it up and I had this gift and it's gone. And I was so curse head fucked that I couldn't put one foot in front of the other. I couldn't. I was so in my own head that I was just like, I just got to stay. And I was on the chopping block constantly. I was the worst person in class. The only redeeming factor that I had was that I could cut a promo, I could talk. And if it wasn't for Dusty Rhodes being like, she's got something, something, I would have been gone. So I didn't see myself as somebody who could push for anything. Like at one point I was this extra, this rose bud of a guy called Adam Rhodes. And I come out with silly hair and dance like a lunatic and I was like, okay, I'm just gonna be the best rosebud. And I would, I would just do everything that I could to keep my job. Not everythinging. Like at that point it was like, but one day, one day they'll see something in me, but it was only me thinking it. Absolutely nobody else thought that I do

[Jesse David Fox]

any room for this.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

No, no, no, no. And we had people that were being groomed for this because they were stars. They had Charlotte Flair. She looked amazing. She was Ric Flair's daughter and she was athletic as all hell. And even if she wasn't Ric Flair's daughter, she had a natural ability for this thing. And then you had Sasha bank and you had Paige. You had these stars, these girls that, okay, these are people that we can put on tv and they are going to do it. They're going to, they're going to be stars. And then we have Becky. God bless. What the hell are we going to do with Becky? What this problem that we have with Becky? But I was pretty relentless. And what I lacked in ability I made up for with enthusiasm. So I was very enthusiastic in my awfulness. And so they eventually, because of this said enthusiasm, they put me on TV at that point in, like, practice matches, I'd been doing a silly Irish jig. So that was going to be my money making character. Everybody will know what that is. Of course, I'm the Irish girl. Why wouldn't I, Jake, except that I don't know how to jig and stupid. So I made the worst, most embarrassing debut in the history of wrestling. Maybe second only to Shockmaster, but actually maybe worse, because at least he didn't intend to fall. I intended to jig. So after that, I think it was like, okay, well, this is gonna be our jobber for life, you know? And so, because Hunter had taken over NXT and he saw what we wanted in the women's division, we saw. He saw that if you give women stories and. And, you know, I was there, I was in the mix. So once I was in the mix, I was in the mix. So I kind of got opportunities mostly to lose, but I did have a connection with the audience. I could connect with the audience, I think, because I love it. And I think there's this sixth sense that wrestling fans have that whether or not you're good, they will forgive your mistakes. If they know that you care and they know that you're passionate and they know that you try. If you're not, you can be the most athletic person in the world, but if there's no soul, there's no heart, they'll see through it, they'll be out. And so gradually they kind of connected with me, and then gradually I got more opportunities. And then gradually I kind of started to believe in myself and I got better. And then I got brought to the main roster and we did something with. And I came up in a time where there was. We were called the Four Horsewomen. It was myself, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Bailey. And we were changing the way people saw women's wrestling. And we were having these matches that were better than the men's most times and should have been the main event of most shows because they were the best matches. And people saw this and they got into it. And then when we got up on the main roster, then people wanted to see that. And there was a lot of time where it kind of like we peaked, and then it fell off. And then it got a little bit messy and, you know, but the stars were always Sasha and Charlotte.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And then I was the kind of one simmering underneath. But I had this connection with the audience that whether or not I was in the top spot, they cared about me. And I was. I was this happy, go lucky character, man. And when I wouldn't get time on tv, which was often, I would make these videos for at the time it was WWE.com and people would go on dot com. I mean, it's still dot com, but like, that was where it happened instead of social media. But I would also do these silly videos or what I thought was hilarious on on.com or on social. And it was kind of. And. And that endeared me to the audience more.

[Jesse David Fox]

And they sort of build and build.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

So it was like this simmer where people wanted to see me get my opportunity, but they would always put in somebody else. And they did it where going for the championship at SummerSlam against Carmella. And they slotted Charlotte Flair into that match. And people were like, no, we want Becky to win. So then they had Charlotte beat me at SummerSlam, which was the exact thing people did not want to see. And then they had me turn on Charlotte to make me the bad guy. But I knew. Everybody knew, oh, this is going to make me an even bigger baby face. Except the office didn't know that. They. I don't know what they were thinking, but they thought that because Charlotte was such a much bigger star that people would be. Would get it and they would.

[Jesse David Fox]

They would fall in line to whatever.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Fall in line. But at that time, I think the audience is more keen to follow the stories and play along with the stories, regardless of what they feel these days. Right then, they did not want to be told what to feel. They were like, no, this is our girl. This is who we want to succeed. We're going with it. So when I turned on her and slapped the bejesus out of her and threw into barricade, the place, lost it. And then I turned into a more serious character.

[Jesse David Fox]

And then the breakthrough was.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And then week after week, you would see it was growing. It wasn't fading away. People, nobody was booing. They were. They were behind me. And then what happened at an event in Kansas was there was this melee. I was supposed to be wrestling Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series, which was the following week, and instead, Nia Jax punched me in the face, broke my nose. I was concussed beyond, like, I didn't. I didn't Have a clue what was going on. But I continued on. I knew, like, I knew the spot I went on, and I ended up at the top of the arena in the crowd, face bloody, smiling, arms out. And it became this, for lack of a better term, and propping myself up, this iconic image of. Of this girl, defiant, blood running down her face, and kind of cemented where I was at that time. And then people wanted to see Me main event WrestleMania, because they knew that this match with Ronda Rous wasn't going to happen at Survivor Series, and they were so hyped about it. And I always wanted to main event WrestleMania. But more than that, I never wanted it to be a token gesture. I never wanted it to be, okay, well, now it's time to give the women a shot. I wanted it to be because there was no other option. The people wanted this match more than anything. They galvanized behind us, and that's what we got.

[Jesse David Fox]

What I love about that.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Sorry, that was a very long story,

[Jesse David Fox]

but now people are now fully caught up.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

But you did say tell them.

[Jesse David Fox]

Like you tell.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Like, I never told them before, but I love it. But I have to give you the backstory.

[Jesse David Fox]

That was perfect.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. Okay.

[Jesse David Fox]

What I love about the man story, there's a story of, you know, the movie Borat?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

So there's.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Never saw it, actually.

[Jesse David Fox]

Really?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. Yeah. No, no.

[Jesse David Fox]

Well, I'm gonna. Before. I think it's actually during the TV show. But Sasha Baron Cohen, for those things, he's. When he meets people, he's Borat. He's Borat the entire time. And in one segment, he was doing a wine tasting and he got really, really drunk. He got blackout drunk. Borat did. And passed out in the bathroom. And the producers were scared he was going to wake up as Sacha Baron Cohen.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Oh.

[Jesse David Fox]

And he woke up as Borat. And that's when they knew we can do anything with this person. And what I like is like, somehow you're concussed, and then you're. But your body's like, I am the man, regardless of where my brain is at. What gives a person the presence of mind at that point?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I don't know. I don't know. I think it's like some sort of subconscious. But it's adrenaline. Like, that's not the first time that I've been concussed in a match or in a thing. And you just keep going. It's like, I don't know if there's some sort of adrenaline, some sort of muscle memory, some sort of a Thing, but, like, as soon as the red light was off and I came through the doors, I was like, where am I? Did I break my neck? What's happening? I'm scared. Which was the exact opposite of what I was showing out in the. In the arena.

[Jesse David Fox]

So you and Charlotte were pit against each other both, like, in stores. You were fighting each other a lot. And also, I think, like, in position in the industry. Like, you are being pit against each other. Like, who will be the ascending character? How did that impact your friendship?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah, badly.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. You don't say.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Poorly. Yeah, yeah, Poorly. Yeah, poorly. And look, I suppose that's as well, the business, you know, and you've got two very competitive women who want to be the top of the industry. And

[Jesse David Fox]

yeah, you know, obviously there's a scarcity mindset always with wrestling. There's only so much time on television. There's only so many belts. But did it feel more intense as the women being like, there probably only one person who can break through at any time?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes, yes. Especially at that time, I think. Yeah, I think you're right in that. I think it might be better now. But also, maybe that's not a great thing. I don't know. I mean, it's wonderful for mental health and stability in life. But no, the other thing about it is, is high tides raise all ships. You know what I mean? So I do think we need to work together to tell the best stories. But sometimes the best stories are the ones with the most animosity.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

So if you can do that in a civilized way, though, there are, you know, emotions, because oftentimes you have to say the real hurtful things to get people to go, oh, oh, oh, now I want to see them fight. So it takes a very thick skin to be able to. To. To get through that. And when. And also I. We were on the road nonstop. It is very hard to be balanced.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

When you are working six days a week, traveling from town to town, you're wrestling every single night. You're getting in your car, you're driving four hours to the next town. Then you got to wake up early, you got to do media, you got to get gym, you got to find somewhere to get your own food, and you're doing this all yourself. You know, we don't have. Especially at that time like now, we're very lucky. Myself, my husband. We have a nice bus. We're. We're driven. We can sleep then. No, no, it was. You have to get your rental cars, you have to find your hotels, you have to find your food, you have to find your gym, you know, so it was all those things where we weren't catered to. And so, you know, when you don't get sleep, you can get a little cranky, you know, so. And. And then you're. You're trying to do this thing that's never been done, and you need a lot of piss and vinegar to do that. But it was also so good because we weren't gonna. Neither of us were gonna. We're gonna sit back and let somebody else be the main event. We both wanted to be the main

[Jesse David Fox]

event, and that was the energy needed.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

That was the energy needed. And, hell, that's still the energy needed. I need to bring back more of that energy, you know, I need to be the main event. You know, like, it's. Because you want that and you want that. You want that for the future. You want the women to be the main event. You don't want it to be, okay, we can only put the guys in the main event. The guys are going to main event the pay per view. No. Why not us? You know, and sometimes I think we. We might need to fight a little bit more to make sure that that happens.

[Jesse David Fox]

Do you think if you and Charlotte had another run, it would be helpful for your friendship or hurt your friendship?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah, maybe now. Maybe now. Maybe now. I think we're both. We're both older, more settled, and we did that once, you know, we've done it. Yeah, we got there.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, you did that.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

We got to the tippy top.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

But also, both of us have that dog in us where we both want to be on the top, you know, it sounds very exciting, which is good.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. In the book, you describe the actual experience of doing of main eventing, WrestleMania itself, the match itself, as a bit of a letdown, and because of stuff with the ending. Can you explain what it was? What was it in you? I mean, I imagine, how can it not be? It's like a mythical thing, and now you're doing it. So what did that feel like? How did you process the being at the mountaintop opposed to the climb of the mountaintop?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah, you just get there and you go, huh. All right, what else? Well, look at. Look at that mountain up there.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

How do I get over there? Yeah, you don't. I think that's the thing. When you've built something up, you kind of think that on the other end of it, it's going to be something. Yeah. And it's never anything. And it is. It's just Such a cliche. But it's all about the journey. Like, it's not. You get there and you think fireworks are going to go off. And by the way, there was fireworks going off. Pyro. There was Pyro. But at the same time, you're just like, yep, all right, all right. I had a match.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Like, I've had the night before. And then. You know what I mean? Like, every. Every week before this and tomorrow, I will get up very early in the morning, I'll do some media, and I'll go out and I'll do it again.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Because there's no break. There's no off season. You don't settle into it.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. And you're just like, oh, I did my job. This is still my job. Even though it's the main eventing. WrestleMania.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

So I want to talk about now, WrestleMania 38, 2022. WrestleMania 38, where you went up against Bianca Belair. Can you describe just sort of that arc?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. So. So 2020 happened, and I decided that would be a great time to sneak in a child. You know, there's no. While there's no audiences in the building, and proved to be a great idea. So I had come back somersault after having my daughter 2021, and my comeback was they decided that it'd be good if I turned heel, which the audience wasn't prepared for. So when I came out and I beat Bianca Belair in 26 second, they were furious because Bianca is awesome. She's amazing. She's incredible. She's everything that you want in a superstar and more. And they were mad for. Which is wonderful. I mean, they were like. They were proper mad, though, which I don't think you want. But I do want it because I'm like. That's the point. You're. I'm the bag. You're supposed to hate me. You're not supposed to think that I'm cool. I'm supposed to be horrible and diabolical. And so. So they told me that the plan would be to give it back at WrestleMania, that we wouldn't touch until then. They quickly went back on their word, and they wanted us to wrestle pretty much all the way to WrestleMania. And it was a bit of a fight. No, it was. It was. It was a massive fight to try and maintain this.

[Jesse David Fox]

I believe you described this time as. You were the most difficult. You were.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

No, actually, I was most difficult when I was the man.

[Jesse David Fox]

Oh, really?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Because it mattered so much to you.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

One. It mattered so much to me. But two, we had two very different visions of what that looked like. And sometimes when you're a baby face, they want you to be vulnerable, but that wasn't the character. Nobody wanted to see me be vulnerable. They wanted to see me kick ass and be a badass. And okay, yeah, you can slip on a banana skin, but they won't. Don't want to see it hobbling around on crutches for two freaking months. You know what I mean? So anyway, yeah, and this, I guess

[Jesse David Fox]

you also described it as the most enjoyable time as a professional wrestler.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Now this was the most enjoyable time. And so the other thing about being a baby face is it's all about you. You have to be the most likable because that's what the audience needs. The audience needs to be behind you. So you have to fight for yourself, which is very difficult. However, when you're heel, your job is to make sure that the people like the good guy the most. So that makes it much easier because I'm not fighting for me, I'm fighting for her.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

You know, and I can be the butt of the joke. That's easy. You know, I can, I can, I can be ridiculous and I can make myself unlikable. That is my job. Like, and it's. You can do no wrong.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

You know, so there's a difference between fighting for yourself and fighting for somebody else. You fighting for somebody else feels. Feels a lot, a lot nicer. Otherwise, you just kind of feel selfish. So. But you have to be.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. I mean, I'll say this. The match itself is one of the greatest matches I've ever watched. It really is. Like, in terms, from a storytelling perspective, it is like, if anyone who's never watched a wrestling match before, like, I would recommend it to people. And the work you do is so good in it. And there's two moments I want to talk to you about because I absolutely love them. I've been talking about them all week, which is so towards the end, Bianca does some sort of move on you and you roll out the ring, then she grabs you and rolls you back in the ring, and then you just keep on rolling to the other side of the ring. And it's brilliant, but it's also like a really silly thing to do towards the end of the match at WrestleMania. And I think the audience likes when people are tough. They want the audience, they want the wrestlers to always be tough, heel or face. They're just like, they, they don't like when people are not fighting. So there's something at that moment, to see you do, like, what is a very cartoonish thing to do. And I think you like being silly

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

and are able too much sometimes. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Where does that. Where does that come from?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

The silliness? That's my personality, you know, that also why I found. Which is why people liked me in the first place, and then I became the man and then that. They liked the seriousness, but really it was the silliness before that kind of got them, and then the man kept them, you know, but at the core of me, I'm just a ridiculous human being.

[Jesse David Fox]

Did you consider not doing that because it is such a silly thing to do? Do you? I don't know if you remember, but so.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

So I think it was positioning. I think we may have ended up in one place when we needed to be at another place, and then you got to get there somehow. So you don't care. You know what I mean?

[Jesse David Fox]

Just.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Just. Just get there, you know? But also, you want to. If you're in that desperate situation, you know, you need to get. And she. That girl is strong like she is. She is so strong. You want to get yourself away from a Bianca Belair.

[Jesse David Fox]

If she's coming after you, the other moment is. It's pretty. Pretty soon after that, you reverse something and you try to pin her, and she kicks out, and then she's lying on her stomach, and then you just sort of like you start punching her back, and you start just flailing on her back. And what. You do what looks like it, have a nervous breakdown, and then that leads toward the end of the match. Do you remember what's going in your head in that moment?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

No, absolutely not.

[Jesse David Fox]

Are you in a. Like a. When you're in those matches, is it like a flow state?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah, yeah, like a match like that. That's a total flow state you get in. There's some matches where it's more method where you really have to be thinking. For multiple parts of the match, and you kind of don't get to relax and get into that. Into that state. But when you're in there with somebody like Bianca who you know is so good and who can take care of herself and you don't have to be thinking for her, then you. You really can do anything. Yeah, that's. That's when it's the most fun, is when you're. When you're in there with somebody, you can go toe to toe. You know that they're gonna roll with you. You know that they're gonna know what to do, that their instincts Are right on the money. You're. And then. And then you're free. That's not always the case sometimes, you know, with younger talents, you. You have to make sure that they're in the right spot, and you have to be very focused and very on. But it is hard to just lose yourself in that because you have to kind of have. It's like F1 everywhere, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.

[Jesse David Fox]

I just imagine you'd sort of like the goal is that one part where you just are doing it. You lose that match. Yes, but it is the match of the weekend, generally, in terms of what was the best. Considered the best match of the weekend?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

You should have been the main event. Well, yeah, no. Should have been the main event. Should have been in the main event.

[Jesse David Fox]

How do you feel afterwards of that match in comparison?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Because we've paid off the story in the most amazing way. And what was so incredible about Bianca? And I could write a book about how amazing she is, but when I took that title from her, and I know how upset she was because she thought, like, oh, they don't believe in me anymore. They think I'm doing a bad job, and I get squashed in this way. But she was so gracious. She was. I'm so happy. She could be like, this bitch is coming in, taking my spot. She's been gone. I've been here putting in the hard work, and now I just have to roll over for her. And I always wanted to pay it back to her in the biggest way possible. And the fact that we were able to. To get there and we had to fight because at one point, they wanted to put somebody else into the match, like, make it a triple threat. But I was like, that's not. That's not the story. And that was gonna be my. That was gonna be my hill that I died on. I was. I was. I was ready to really fight. And thankfully, they changed it because it needed to go back to Bianca. If it had gone to the triple threat, they would have given a. They would have kept it on me. But it needed the story needed for Bianca to win and take that victory. And it just felt like such a happy, perfect ending.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. How are you feeling about WrestleMania 42? It's coming up.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah, Good, good. Great, Great.

[Jesse David Fox]

This is your. This will be your. Your 11th WrestleMania, but your 10th, like, proper match, because you did the battle royale one time, if I didn't count correctly.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

So, no. So it's actually my tenth WrestleMania. I'm pretty sure I do count The Battle Royal, but because I missed one year when I had my daughter.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. So Anyway, either way, 10 is a round number enough to ask a question of.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

So it ends up being. Yeah, yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

How. How's your approach evolved just to the idea of WrestleMania, from, let's say, even your first one to this.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. More relaxed, I suppose. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. You're like, okay, I've been here before. It's the same thing. It's the same ring.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Nothing's different about the actual ring. Nothing is different about.

[Jesse David Fox]

Same size.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

My job is the same. Sure. The hullabaloo about WrestleMania is. Is big. It's gigantic. It's huge. It's our super bowl, but we still got to play the game.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And the game is the game that I play every week. Yeah. And I'm pretty. Pretty good at the game. Pretty good at the game, you know, and so I'm so. I'm so proud of that Intercontinental title title. I'm so proud of where it is and how it's been represented and how it is elevated and. And it's. I. I think I may be biased, but I'm also right that it's. It's the most interesting women's title and has been for the last year. And so.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, I wonder why that is.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I wonder why that is. What could it be? And so it's gonna get represented on the biggest stage of them all, and I'm gonna take it back. And also the. You know, this is AJ Lee. It's her first WrestleMania in 11 years, and I remember seeing her at her last WrestleMania, and the very next day, she was gone. So I feel like. And I saw her backstage before her last WrestleMania and now. But I was just practically a fan at that point, and now I'm the man. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

So AJ was part of the Divas era, the sort of era that preceded y'. All. And in your book, you don't particularly speak fondly of that time period that you. You talk about coming up in nxt, and that was sort of what was happening at WWE and resenting sort of the expectations that you'd fight like the Divas fight. What you were saying, they're not allowed to punch or something?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

No, they weren't allowed to punch.

[Jesse David Fox]

How did that being what, the expectation. Expectation of female wrestlers impact you when you're coming up? The Divas image, it was one of

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

those things where you kind of had to fall in line before you could break out of it. So you had to like, God, Jesus. I remember Trying to stick on, like, hair extensions and freaking fake eyelashes. And I knew nothing about this stuff, but it was like, this is what you had to do. And you had to go, God, oh, my God. All the women's wrestlers had to go out in the middle of the show on live events and throw dance in the ring to. Let's get loud and throw out T shirts. Like, this is what we. And this was 2014.

[Jesse David Fox]

I know.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

2015. Like, what are we freaking talking about? You know? And this was what we were doing. We were dancing and throwing out T shirts.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Get with it. You know? So what was the question?

[Jesse David Fox]

Well, I think I just remember in the book, you know, like, especially starting out, it seemed like you had some body image issues. And the divas. It seems like the divas exacerbated how you already would.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Right. And obviously not them. It wasn't their fault. No, they weren't like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But that was the expectation. But so it felt like, okay, well, you gotta be. You gotta. You gotta be a looker and you gotta. You gotta do the dance moves, and then once you are established in that role, then you gotta. Then. Then you can break out. Then you can show that you can be more serious. But first you gotta be a diva. And, you know, I, I. Yeah. And that's. That's what I did. Yeah. You know, you know, and. But I also, for AJ Lee, I think she. She was somebody who also rejected that, and I think that's why people liked her and that's why people gravitated for. Because she wanted to wrestle and she wanted to not be a diva, but she would sometimes have to fall in line. And so I think for her, and this is gonna be the only nice thing that I ever say about her, but I think to come back in this time and to be able to do it again, I think think probably feels very meaningful to her. I didn't really say anything nice.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I was about to say I didn't give her a compliment.

[Jesse David Fox]

In many ways, you're giving herself a compliment. It feels better that she gets a wrestle.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes, she gets to wrestle me. And isn't that nice?

[Jesse David Fox]

Yes. I think that that was your compliment.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

That was my compliment to her.

[Jesse David Fox]

So last year, you. You returned. You took a year off, and you. You returned 10 months.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

10 months?

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, about a year off. But in that time period, you did a variety of acting gigs, and specifically, you're in Happy Gilmore, too. Do you have any stories of meeting working with Adam Sandler?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Oh, he was great. Yeah. Yeah, he's amazing. Like, what a guy. And he's. He just does it all there. He does it all. Like he's, he's directing and then acting. But like, obviously we had a wonderful director, but he would like, you know, kind of help with that and be jumping behind the camera and he's producing all that kind of stuff. Like he. And he's rewriting the scene script as he goes and given notes here, there and wherever, and, and all with a smile on his face. And he's so good to everybody and he creates this atmosphere of, Of. Of kindness and joy and everybody's so happy to be there.

[Jesse David Fox]

What was it like getting on a movie? Like, happy getting cast. Was he, Was it a direct to Adam casting?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I don't know.

[Jesse David Fox]

You just got the offer.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I, I got the offer. I got the. I got the audition and it was kind of one of those ones where like, the audition came and the audition was so silly. It was like pure silliness, you know, in terms of. And it wasn't in any way related to the character, actually, because it was to. Kayfabe.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

What's another word for kayfabe?

[Jesse David Fox]

Oh, in the acting sense.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

So it was just like in character. It was just sort of just to see how you can.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes, it was.

[Jesse David Fox]

In the world.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. But it wasn't anything of the script. It was just of.

[Jesse David Fox]

See what.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

You protect the script. Yes. Kayfabe is just a great. It's just a great word.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's a very useful word for that.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Very useful word. I don't know that there's a term in the English vernacular right now.

[Jesse David Fox]

I think kayfabe. It's slowly becoming the term people use outside of wrestling.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

So it's made it into the, into the zeitgeist. Great. So anyway, it was. It was k. It was a kayfabe script. And so anyway, I did it and I did it, you know, in my. I. As. As. As real as I could in. But also ridiculous.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And got it. But I was like, ah, this isn't. Yeah, I'm not gonna, this is. I'm not gonna get this. But then I got it.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Mjf, who's also a wrestler, is on the show. He worked for another place.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

When you're off, when you're outside the world, what is it like working? Like, I. I'll say this, like, I. I know a lot of comedians and they'll be at parties and if they see another comedian, even if they don't know each other, they're like, that what's it like?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

That was exactly what it was like. I, I, I think he's so great. I love him. And honestly, I'm, I'll be honest, I was, I was, I thought, I, I thought he'd be an, like, his character. He's so good at his character that I was like, oh, I'm gonna hate this guy. And he's just the sweetest boy. Boy. He's so nice, and he was so great, and he was such a great conversation. It was such a great chat, and we bonded instantly. And, and I love him.

[Jesse David Fox]

That's funny that you, I, you know,

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I totally bought the act, and now I'm killing the act, so. Sorry. But no, I, I think he's great and he's wonderful, and he was so great in the movie. Yeah, he's fantastic. He's just a fantastic little speaker and actor, and I'm, and he's also so young still, so I'm so very excited to see where his career goes and. Yeah, yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

So you're a trained actor in that time period, you were away from wrestling, you went to acting school, and you've had these acting roles. How does that impact how you approach your character work in wrestling?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

That's a good question. I think at the very core of it, I like to do character work, and I like to, I like to vary what I do, you know, So I think it makes me a little bit more adventurous in that way. I don't really stick to one thing. I go, okay, what do I want to explore now? And what stories do I want to tell? Okay, these are the stories that I want to tell. So who do I have to be as a vehicle to tell those stories?

[Jesse David Fox]

Paul Heyman once said, the goal is to be able to be yourself in character. What does that mean, Eden, explain what that meant. I was curious what that means to you, if it means anything.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Well, everywhere you go, you bring yourself, you know what it is. So I think that's the thing that you learn in acting. I think you're always trying to escape yourself, but you never can. So you have to bring different aspects of yourself, and they have to feel truthful so that you can explore them in a way that feels realistic.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. When you're building a character, do you pull in outside influences or, like, observations of people? Politicians, maybe?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Oh, yes, of course. Yeah. There's a well of inspiration that if you just look into the modern ecosphere, you can find something to emulate.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. Especially when you're looking for heels.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Especially when you're looking for heels like, you know, there's certain people out there that might, even though we think it would be so ridiculous in pro wrestling, they might, you know, deny losing or embellish their accomplishments and constantly attack those beneath them or that they view as beneath them and never want to build an opponent up, which is usually what you do in wrestling. You want to build up your opponent because if you lose, then you've lost to somebody. If you win, then you've beaten somebody. But sometimes you can look elsewhere and think that maybe there's another way to do it.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. So I was watching Unreal, and I was just thinking. And I was thinking also how you. You've really pioneered the use of social media, partly because you came up with exactly the time was doing it. And I'm going to pitch you a theory that I sort of came up on, which is that my term, it's a. Called mirror kayfabe, which is essentially the inverse of the wrestling kayfabe, which is you're using reality to sort of bolster the show. And I think with social media, everyone does a version of using fiction to sort of bolster their perception of, like, this is the reality that I'm projecting. It's not just wrestling. Everyone's doing a version of this.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes, 100%.

[Jesse David Fox]

I think what's interesting is, you know, that's partly why I asked how I'm supposed to introduce you. It's like, do you think as wrestling is also meaning going on podcasts and stuff like that? Do you think of it as like, okay, now I have sort of two different complementary Personas?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It would be a bit odd for me to sit here in full character. Maybe, though people do it possibly entertaining, but to answer some of your more historical questions that would get. It would get into the weeds a little bit, you know, and also it's so interesting with professional wrestling that we now tell them that this is. It's fictionalized and we have a whole show about it. And here's how the script is written, here's how they put their matches together, and people want to watch it. And as a fan, I would 100% want to watch it. That would have been my dream as a teenager.

[Jesse David Fox]

Hundred percent.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Like, give, give me. Show me how the sausage is made. I want to know, like, show me where the rabbit is in the hat. But we also don't. It's such a dichotomy. They want you to commit, but they also want to see behind.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And they like even the line, like, Even the fact that we say kayfabe is now in the zeitgeist, you know, like it is in the English vernacular, that shows that it's already dead.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And they say kayfabe is dead as such a derogatory thing. But the fact that you know what kayfabe is means that it was dead a long time ago. So nobody. When, when, if. If Bryan Cranston is on this podcast, you do not expect him.

[Jesse David Fox]

Did you know he's gonna be on the podcast?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Is he.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's gonna be on Friday.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Is he? Oh, my God.

[Jesse David Fox]

Sorry.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It's just like, right before WrestleMania, we went to see him in Network, which was amazing. And he sat between me and my dad and had a conversation, and I was so mortified because he's my favorite actor, and I just think he's incredible. And anyways. But you don't expect him to sit. You will not expect him to sit here as Walter White.

[Jesse David Fox]

No. You know, the only time is inside the actor studio. He'd be like, can I speak to the character?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Right.

[Jesse David Fox]

But then even so it's like a bit.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It's a bit. But he doesn't come on as Walter White.

[Jesse David Fox]

No. It'd be very weird.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

But there's an expectation with wrestlers that we should come up. But also there's that old school part of me that wants to.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. I think it's so.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It's an interesting.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's a dance.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It is a dance.

[Jesse David Fox]

Because I think it's like. And maybe this is too much in the weeds and you can tell me. But, like, people are too sophisticated at this point to tell them nothing. But no one really wants to know everything. Thing.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

No one. No one actually wants to, instead of eating sausage, just watch sausage being made.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

But they. But they also.

[Jesse David Fox]

Do they want to. But you can't give them everything.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. But they do. That's why there's Dirt cheap. That's why there's wrestling journalists, because people want to know every. They want. Like, they don't want to be spoiled.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

But obviously they do because there's a huge market.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

For wrestling spoilers. You know, like, here's what's gonna happen at WrestleMania. Here's what's gonna, you know, like, here's what's gonna happen at the end of Raw. Well, good. If I'm going to a movie, I don't. I don't want to be spoiled, but I do also want to be spoiled. You know what I mean? There's. There's a market for it. There wouldn't Be a market if people didn't want it.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. I think what you're all are able to do, especially as you're like, trying to figure out, can we give them. Can we give them something that we, you know, not just have them turn to the dirt. Cheese. Essentially, like the example I use is the magician's Penn and Teller. I don't know if you're familiar with their general stick, but essentially, like, they pioneered telling them, telling the audience, we're doing a magic trick right now.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Okay.

[Jesse David Fox]

And then still doing a magic trick. But what. The real trick included. We're going to tell you you're doing a magic trick but still allow the magic trick to happen. I think there's some version of like, we acknowledge there's an awful and there's meetings, but then still do the magic trick and hopefully maintain the magic trick quality.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

Because what that's. You can't have, you know, which is

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

where it comes back to when you talked about me and Charlotte and that tension.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Because that's the thing. That's the golden thing. It's, it's. It's. We know that it's all fake, but we want to believe that. That they hate each other. So what is the. What are the meanest things that we can say about each other? But it has to be real because otherwise they won't buy it, you know, so they. So you're constantly digging to find new layers to make sure that people believe it, that it's happening in real life, to make sure that they want to see it.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, it's a.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It's fascinating. It's very interesting.

[Jesse David Fox]

Thank you for indulging.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

No, I mean, it's great. It's so interesting. But I could go on. But I could talk about it for hours. Like, what is the interest? And. But where should it lie? And where, like, should we just all live in kayfabe? But now we're branching out and, you know, like, historically, wrestlers who all lived in kayfabe, but after wrestling, what happened? You know, like, they didn't, they didn't have anything to go to. Now we're building brands and we're doing all these other things and we're, you know, we're thinking of. Of the afterlife, I imagine, because it doesn't last forever.

[Jesse David Fox]

Hard. Because the people. Who knows what lines they. The fans draw. So it's like online. They see you online and they, they might be bullying you because they're like, you're this heel and we don't like. Or they see you in a In an airport. And they. They don't know. And I think I imagine it, but it's what interesting and sort of complicated is like, where is the space we're all figuring out and just why it's an exciting art form because it will evolve. Sort of gray area that, like, a lot of art forms don't necessarily get to explore.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes, exactly. Exactly. But it's. But the other thing about it is it's this beautiful, inclusive theater where the audience are really part of it. They really are. They're the third scene partner. Like, it's one of those things where you cannot in any way disregard their impact and however they feel, because it's all valid. Like, whether. Whether they think this sucks or that sucks or whatever. Sucks or this is awesome. That's awesome. And I may not agree with it, but, hey, great. You are involved, and you also have your voice. Does matter collectively, you know, and there's so many opinions that you also can't pay attention to them because otherwise it'll get in you and you won't be able to. You'll be trying to figure out how to please everybody. So you have to disregard. But also, please continue. Please continue. Because we love your passion. Your passion is what makes it all work. But then, as an artist, okay, I need to service my audience, but also I need to service myself. And by servicing myself, I'll service my audience, and hopefully we'll stumble upon the same thing, and sometimes we'll hit it, sometimes we'll miss. But that's what's so beautiful.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's the approach as much as. Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes. But they. They have much more of a say in it than anything else. You know, when you go to a theater, you sit there quietly and you watch as the show unfolds. They. They. They impact how the show unfolds. Because if they're watching and you're supposed to be the good guy, but they're booing the piss out of you, well, you got to be able to change course. However, in. In. I'm talking about live theater, they're not gonna boo the piss out of the protagonist.

[Jesse David Fox]

But there is a version they're not gonna boo, but the opposite will happen.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

We changed the script and, sorry, Arthur Miller, you're out of here. I'm doing my own thing.

[Jesse David Fox]

But there's a little bit of the reverse will happen, which is if a famous actor in a play is playing the bad guy of the play, the audience will cheer when they come out, and the actor has to figure out how to work with it. And I think that's, that, that is. Sure.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

But they don't, they won't change. Yeah, they won't change the lines. They won't change the script. We can change the lines. We can change the script.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. It's better than theater. You heard it first.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It's. Yeah. And a lot, a lot more adrenaline and a lot more fireworks and a lot more pyro.

[Jesse David Fox]

I want to talk a little bit about your legacy and I was thinking that I would argue the decision to relinquish the title and have a kid is as revolutionary as main eventing WrestleMania. You considering tanks?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I think so too.

[Jesse David Fox]

Considering like people it was a career ender for women. Not too far in the past. Like the era that we were talking about you be like, oh yeah, of course. Like decades. Like, no, like you were wrestling at a time where that was the case. How does. So you, you agree? What, how did it feel? How scared were you? What did it mean to you to do it?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Well, like, yeah, personally, Personally, I, I, well, you know, it's obviously I, that doesn't, it's not one of those things that you know is you're not going to stand up, you won't get an audience cheering for you.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's not going to be, it's not like your hall of Fame, hall of Fame credits are not going to be like left to have a kid and was it in 10 time championship or whatever?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes, yeah. Yeah. But, but, but I do think that me doing that when I was at my hottest made it the, that other women can do this and it's a thing that we won't go, we, we won't b an eyelid at anymore. You know, like we've, we've seen it happen and now you've got like little kids in the back and they're playing and women are coming and they, they don't feel like it has to be either or. It's. Yes, I can have a family and I can have a child and I can figure it out. And obviously the, the, the schedule now is much easier. We were, you know, when I first had my daughter, we were still on the road and we were doing live events and traveling. So we were all gone for four days a week and we were bringing her everywhere with us and she was in all these different buildings and she was a little road baby. Now, you know, you're gone one day a week, you know, maybe a few more if you've got other things. But it's a much easier schedule and allows people to have that option. Much easier. But I do. I. I think that was hugely important, that, That I did it and that people saw, okay, this isn't the career end. And I also think that when I talked earlier, that at 25, that was the cutoff.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Now it's not. And one of the things that I do think is important is that we. We see these veteran women around and still killing the game in the same way that the guys are. And I do think that sometimes there's an impulse to, okay, move over. Yeah, move over. Move over in a way that is not. And I could be wrong. Correct me if I'm wrong, and please correct me if I'm wrong. But this is one of those things that I think about and I have discussions about, you know, privately. But I want to know if, If, If. If I'm. If I'm viewing things a little skewed or a little biased, but, like, nobody is saying, like, move over CM Punk. Move over Seth Rollins. Move over Roman Reigns. Move over Cody.

[Jesse David Fox]

Not in the same way.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Not in the same way.

[Jesse David Fox]

They'll acknowledge they're older, but. And, but they won't even be like, they shouldn't be the top dogs anymore. They'll just be like, oh, what's WWE gonna do? These guys are in their 40s. Yes, but they're not. Be like, they should not. Not you.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

They need to.

[Jesse David Fox]

Very small. Do you hear? Oh, we need. They should leave.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

In a way that I do feel like y' all get. And you would personally have gotten more specifically.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yes. And I think it's important then to stay.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And this is when it comes back to acknowledging the audience. And yes, make. Make all of the noise. But sometimes I have to tell you, no, you're wrong, you know, because I should be around. Because I should prove that my career doesn't need to end when I'm 35 or 30. You know, we. We. We can. I can still go. I can. I can go.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And I. I feel like I've gotten better as I've. As I've gotten. But, you know, like, at this point, at this age, you go, gunther is in his prime. Seth Rollins is in his prime.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, but you're the same age as Seth.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

On the flip side, it's not the same. So we do need to change that narrative, and it will change over time, but you have to be there and stay in it to make sure that it changes.

[Jesse David Fox]

So I'm not sure if you know this, but Sports Illustrated and Bleached Report call you the greatest female wrestler of all Time, Really? I don't know if you've heard about that.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

First time I've heard that.

[Jesse David Fox]

What does that mean to you?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I should say that, actually in a promo.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. I think it really bolsters you.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah, yeah. The longest catchphrase of all time. What does it mean? It's very nice. It's very complimentary.

[Jesse David Fox]

I'll put it this way. There's sort of two options. A person who's in that position at this point, they either will go, I don't want to be on that list. I want to be in the top 10 wrestlers of all time list. And that's my goal.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Well, I'm in the top 20.

[Jesse David Fox]

All right, there you go.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

And I want to be top one. Whatever. Or there's the. If I do my job like you

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

said, according to Sports Illustrated, I believe again. Yeah, yeah. Top 20.

[Jesse David Fox]

Your goal is like, can you get to one? Or as you said in Unreal, you said, I've already achieved everything. How can I make this industry better? How can I be good at being bad? And how will I get Lyra over? This is about Lyra's story, and I think that goal is. So in 10 years, you are 15 years. You are not number one anymore. Like, if you succeed in that mission, you will make it so much better that someone would replace you. Where are you at personally, in terms of those two somewhat disparate goal?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah, yeah, you're right. Ah, look, it's all so subjective, isn't it? You know, like, what is greatness?

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

What I think is great might not be what somebody else thinks is great. And trying to cling to what somebody else thinks is great, I'm sure is a surefire recipe for misery.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

You know, and so I can only do what I think is right and what feels right to me. I think I put this at the start of my book, and it was what my dad used to always say. I think it was in the Bible, actually. But if you bring forth what's within you, what you bring forth will complete you. And if you do not bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will destroy you. And I think that's a kind of a great phrase. And you have to bring. You have to bring what feels what right to you. And what feels right to me is throwing down the ladder.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And saying, all right, let's go, guys. But also, guys, come on, let's go. Let's. Let's freaking go to the main event. Let's. Let's go. We have to keep that we have to keep that energy. Let's not be complacent. We gotta go now.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, I imagine.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I want to go there too.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

You know, your.

[Jesse David Fox]

To you, your greatness is partly defined by the latter pulling up of people. Like, if you're actually to be that, to be of the many things a great wrestler can do in their career is main event WrestleMania, but also as they are closer to the end of their career, to the beginning, figure out ways that their legacy continues.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Yeah. And I suppose that's It's. It's. It's bigger than me, right? Like, if. If I leave this place better than I found it and it continues to get better and, you know, if my daughter in 20 years decides that she wants to be a wrestler that I know that she can be the headliner of of any show, well, then that's far better than somebody putting me on a list and saying, I thought. I thought she was good.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, you know, it is really, because

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I'll know that I was good.

[Jesse David Fox]

Most pro nepo baby industries.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And I was always against it until now. Now you're like, unless it's about to be Monday night, and then it is funny.

[Jesse David Fox]

Like, that is your defining arc is against it. And now you're like. It's actually like really refreshing this, you know, like.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

But she will have grown up in it, so she'll have a lot of insight.

[Jesse David Fox]

Let's even personally, when you bring her up, is it partly. How do you think about how you want to currently use her or even in general, like, not on camera. I mean, she's on camera. Unreal. But like. Yeah. I don't know what my question is.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Like, how do you use her?

[Jesse David Fox]

Like, have her be a part. Have her be part of the world. Alluded to.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Well, that's the intro. That's another interesting part about wrestling.

[Jesse David Fox]

There you go.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Which is that our real lives come into play so much and they can't. And that's what's so interesting because we are not so far apart from our characters. I mean, yes, we can be, but. But it's. All reality needs to intersect with this fictional world. And so she is brought in and she has because both her parents are wrestlers and characters on the show, but so was Stephanie and so was Shane and Dominic Mysterio. You know, like, so there's this intersection where, you know, you see Cody Rhodes daughter out in the front row. Libby.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yes.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

With her daddy. You. You see that happening all the time. So, yeah, I don't. She's a little bit of a Performer, but she's also shy. I don't know. Yeah, we'll figure it all out.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. How much do you care about headlining WrestleMania again, main eventing, Wrestling mania again?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

You know, at one point I might have said, I did that once and I did do that once, and that was good. And that's more than a lot of people can say. I think we counted. Well, like how many main eventers are currently in the company. And then my husband often says that he doesn't count night one, so that's true.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Well, no, I think this is the way of him keeping that chip on his shoulder of like, I haven't main evented night two yet. Because he says if it was still a one night event, then, yes, then

[Jesse David Fox]

night two, where if there was two nights your year, you still would have been night two.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I would have been night two and

[Jesse David Fox]

he would have been night one, maybe.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

And he. Well, he was the opener. He would have. Yeah, maybe he would have been. He would have been night one. I don't know that. I don't necessarily subscribe to that. I think a main event is a main event because each show lives by itself. People buy tickets the night one. Not everybody buys tickets to both nights. So therefore it is event in its own right. But even in that, if you look at night one, I think we have 15 main eventers on the roster right now, maybe a bit less. And I think it comes down to like six or seven if you think of it as night two or whatever. So that is. It's rarefied air. However, I do think, I think we can condition our audience too much to think, okay, these are the two men that main event, and these are the only two people that are our main event. And when we do that, we constantly condition the audience. They feel that. So I think it's important that we recondition. And whether it is me or it is Rhea Ripley who deserves to be there, or it's Bianca Belair, Like, I do think it's important. It's important that we show women main eventing, but it also has to be the story. But we also need the story, you know, So I do think we can't become too complacent. And so maybe that. And whether it's me or it's somebody

[Jesse David Fox]

else, you want it to happen. And if it has to be you, it will be you.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

If not me, then who? You know what I mean? But you know what I'm saying.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, 100%.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

That's a very long, long winded, kind of roundabout way of saying, screw it, let's fight, you know? All right, lads, let's throw down. All right, move out the way. I'm coming in. I'm Maria Sharapova and I'm hosting a new podcast called Pretty Tough. Every week I'm sitting down with trailblazing women at the top of their game to discuss ambition, work ethic, and the ups and downs that come on the path to achieving greatness. We'll dive into their stories and get valuable insights from top executives, actors, entrepreneurs, and other individuals who have inspired me so much in my own journey. Follow Pretty Tough wherever you get your podcasts.

[Matt Buchel]

Hey, I'm Matt Buchel, comedian, writer, and floating head you may or may not have seen on your for your page. And I'm starting a brand new new podcast. Wait, wait, don't swipe away. It's called that Sounds Like A Lot. As in that feeling when you check your phone in the morning, you read through headlines and you immediately think, oh, that sounds like a lot. I can't deal with all this, but guess what? I can deal with it. And I'm going to get into it. Every Friday, I'll break down whatever chaos is happening in the world. Then I'll sit down with a comedian. You can be progressive and not be like, annoying. Maybe an actor.

[Jesse David Fox]

They go, feminism has gone too far. You go, why? Cuz the Sadie Hawkins dance happened.

[Matt Buchel]

Maybe a film. Since leaving that show, I'm challenged sparingly. I just kind of hang out and

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

try to do, you're the one with a charmed life.

[Matt Buchel]

Could be a politician. Basically anyone who responds to my cold dms. We're recording the whole thing in a beautiful studio. So yes, you can watch it on YouTube or you can listen wherever you get your podcast. This is not the place to get the news, but it is the place to feel a little better about it. That sounds like a lot. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network,

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I'm Mitch, first two time indigocelled champion, championship mvp, and forward for the US Women's National Team. Before I went pro, I graduated from Harvard with a degree in psychology, which comes in handy more than you think. Any athlete pursuing greatness knows there's a certain mentality you have to have. What people don't know is what that costs. In my podcast, Confessions of an Elite Athlete, I sit down with the with the best athletes in the world and explore the psychology, mindset, and unseen battles on the path to greatness. So take a seat and learn from the Confessions of an elite athlete on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jesse David Fox]

So now time for the final segment. It's not really a lightning round, but it's the same questions you asked at the end every time. You can ask some. Take as much time as you need, and you can pass if you don't have an answer to any of you.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Oh, I like this as a lightning round. Thanks.

[Jesse David Fox]

So it's just sort of like. They're just things we put at the end. Do you have a short story of an interaction with a legendary wrestler, living or dead, you're willing to share with us?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Oh, gosh, I've.

[Jesse David Fox]

So you got to pick one. I mean, you know, the. I can name the most famous wrestlers. You can decide who want. I mean, there's John Cena, there's Mick Poly, there's. There's Dwayne the Rock Johnson, Stone Cold Steve Austin are probably four of the most famous. You got any of those?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

It's something that's not in my book.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, ideally.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Ideally, something that's not in my. In my book.

[Jesse David Fox]

You can come back to it or get past.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Let me come back to it.

[Jesse David Fox]

Who's the best living wrestler?

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Extremely biased. Extremely biased. Seth Rollins.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Well, and. And. But. But I will say he. He. I don't know that people realize the influence that he's had. I think that there's a whole style that has been. That has come from him, and I don't know that he'll maybe get credit for that until he retires, but he has influenced a generation in ways that. Like, in the way that people wrestle, in the way that people put matches together. And that man sits at the monitor every single show, and anybody that comes up, he tells them he is on his phone constantly because he has students that come to his school and they could. Once they graduate, they can send him matches, and this man will watch every single one of them and critique in a way that I have never seen before. And I always. And he's always been like that. He's always. He's like a. He's a savant of rest wrestling. He has a mind. And I know it's my husband, but. Object. But even before he was my husband, he is the man that I would go to. And I look back and I was like, oh, this guy was only 27, you know, but he's always had that mind for it. And you see it in wrestling. Like everybody. Everybody does a superplex into something that's like. There's so many things that you can point to that you go, oh, that was Seth Rollins. And I don't know that he necessarily gets credit for it, but he has, he's. And Michael Hayes, one of the greatest of all time and just an absolute living legend, said it to me. He goes, you know, I think your husband is. Got one of the best minds that I've ever seen in wrestling. And he's right.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. What's the best time you ever bombed? Do you have, do you bomb.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Best time that I've ever bought.

[Jesse David Fox]

Like a time where it, in your case, a match went so poorly, but in a way that you can laugh at it or appreciate in.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

I don't know that I laugh at any of my failures. I don't. It eats me up inside. And that's how it should be. You shouldn't, you should take like. It's a silly business, right? It, it's silly, it's where it's pageantry, but you should take it so seriously that if you up, you, you, you lie awake for weeks on end thinking about that, that you give yourself 20 lashings. You deserve it because you messed up. Those people paid their hard earned money to see you do something right and you, you let them down, let that eat at your soul. If I see somebody come back after they fucked and they're laughing about it. No, no, you lay, you lay awake at night and I'll tell you it's fine. But inside they really have to be, be beating themselves up and I'm like, ah, it's fine, relax, it's fine. It's only wrestling. We get to do it again. I might say that, yeah. But if it was me, oh, I'd be beating myself up. Because that's how you get better. And that's how you get better. That's, that's how you improve. And actually that was a nice little moment that I had with John Cena is because I had a match. Yeah, I had a match where, where I came back and it was at SummerSlam and I hated it and I was so mad at myself. And he was like, well, you'll get to do it again. And I was like, well, no. And he was like, well, did you do your best? Yes, I did my best. Well, then there's nothing else you can ask for. Yes, I can. I'm going to beat myself up. John, this is my. And he's like, well, if that's your process. I was like, yes, it is, is. And it was my process. And it lasts until you have a home run. And then the next night I went out there, I had a promo with Nikki and it was a home run. And I did also drop John Cena's name and he text me afterwards and he said, well, look, there you go. Last night's gone. You know, all you needed was a home run. And I said, well, yes, thank you. And I also needed to drop your name in order to get that home run. But it worked.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. Thank you so much.

[Rebecca Quinn (Becky Lynch)]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Jesse David Fox]

That's it for another episode of Good One. Good One is produced by myself, Zachary Mack, Neal Janowitz and Ann Victoria Clark. Music composed by Brandon McFarland. Write a review and rate the show on Apple Podcasts. Five stars, please. I am Jesse David Fox and you can follow me at Jesse David Fox. Buy my book, comedy book, wherever books are sold. Thanks for listening to Good One from New York magazine. You can subscribe to the [e-mail] pod we're back with a new episode next week. Have a good one.