Soder Podcast Ep. 129: "Irish Rage with Becky Lynch"

Host: Dan Soder
Guest: Becky Lynch
Date: April 14, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the Soder Podcast dives into the unique world of pro wrestling with WWE superstar Becky Lynch. Blending humor, personal stories, and inside looks at the business, Dan and Becky explore topics ranging from life on the road and the evolution of wrestling culture to fandom, rage management, and the surreal transition from struggling indie days to headlining WrestleMania. Along the way, Becky dishes on family, buses, the pressures of performance, and how she channels “Irish rage”—and Dan parallels the journeys of wrestling and comedy, giving fans a chance to see life both in the ring and on the stage.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Life on the Road: Then and Now

• Booking and Traveling: Old-School vs. Modern Era

  • Wrestlers are still responsible for booking their own hotels, cars, and gear, even at the WWE level.
  • “We pay for our own gear? Yeah, no, they’re not getting us gear. We buy our own gear because we get by our own rental cars. We buy our own hotels.” – Becky Lynch [04:42]
  • The difficulty in former eras: traveling pre-GPS, calling ahead for hotel rooms, losing physical plane tickets, and big wrestlers trying to fit into small beds.
  • “Think about the old days…you just had to have maps.” – Becky Lynch [06:01]

• Bus Life

  • Becky and her husband Seth Rollins now travel via their own bus for comfort and flexibility—especially after having a child.
  • The bus, while a luxury, loses its appeal for their daughter, who just wants to be home with her toys.
  • “To her, it’s confinement, it's a prison cell...there’s no novelty.” – Becky Lynch [10:23]

• Nostalgia and Bonding

  • Both fondly remember “road food” stories—Subway sandwiches at gas stations and trips to iconic (and now-overrun) stops like Buc-ee’s.
  • “The road really warps your brain sometimes.” – Dan Soder [15:24]

Wrestling Culture & Behind the Curtain

• Transition From Indie to Big Stage

  • Despite WWE's scale, Becky notes that wrestlers remain remarkably self-sufficient.
  • The camaraderie comes from the struggle, and guests on sets like Billions are amazed by wrestlers’ work ethic.
  • “We’re not catered to really at all...That’s why, actually, when we go to work at other places, people are usually pleasantly surprised at how self-easygoing we are.” – Becky Lynch [04:42]

• Changing Dress Codes and Life as a Female Performer

  • Reflecting on the old “clubwear” dress codes for women, Becky describes ridiculous standards—changing into “tiny little frock and high heels” to drive through nondescript towns [08:04].
  • Her preference now: blending in to avoid attention, especially while traveling.

• Chaos Before the Show

  • Becky enjoys the excitement of chaos—arriving just in time for a match, calling matches on the fly, and thriving under pressure.
  • “I love a bit of chaos...Let's call it in the ring, a little bit of a worker, you know what I mean?” – Becky Lynch [18:00]

Performance Pressure, Chemistry, and Changing Plans

• Programs and “Card Subject to Change”

  • Storylines change constantly in wrestling; you never know if a promised program (e.g., with Bayley) will even happen.
  • “You might hear, 'Alright, you’re gonna go into a story with Bayley'...and then the next week it’s changed.” – Becky Lynch [19:37]
  • The excitement of great chemistry and the unpredictability of the job.

• Handling Setbacks and Triumphs

  • Soder relates this to comedy: gratitude mingles with frustration over the grind, and both reflect on how far they've come.
  • “When I was back in that school in Ireland, learning how to take bumps, it would have blown my mind that I got this far.” – Becky Lynch [21:11]

Managing Rage, Emotions, and Self-Care

• Irish Rage and Anger Management

  • Becky coins her volatility “Irish rage” and speaks to the personal journey of learning when to bite her tongue.
  • “I’ve come to this realization that people don’t need to know my honest feelings. They don’t need to know.” – Becky Lynch [21:43]

• Honesty vs. Tact

  • Both Dan and Becky laugh about the relief of “no-selling” people you dislike: being cordial without being fake, and the emotional hangover if you explode instead [22:32].

• Meditation as a Coping Strategy

  • Both discuss trying (and sometimes failing) to adopt meditation into daily routines, recognizing it’s a process not a cure.
  • “I really cleaned my underwear and then pooped my pants again.” – Dan Soder on ruining post-meditation calm [24:22]
  • “I read this book 10% Happier...I probably am about 10% happier. But, like, I think it does work.” – Becky Lynch [25:43]

Fandom: Wrestling vs. Star Trek & Internet Culture

• Comparing Wrestling and Star Trek Fans

  • Becky shares her experience being welcomed by Star Trek fans—earnestly, even when debated.
  • “Welcome to the family. And I just was like, oh, that’s fun.” – Becky Lynch [29:56]
  • Both guests agree: better to argue over Klingons than dark corners of toxic internet culture.

• Fan Opinions & Online Feedback

  • Soder notes comedy fans get critical, but wrestling fans can be extreme, creating fantasy bookings and expressing entitlement.
  • “The internet always has a better booking option than what happened.” – Dan Soder [32:42]
  • Becky reflects on the challenge of hearing every internal thought now that social media gives everyone a platform [36:56].

• Dealing with Detractors

  • In-person, even negative fans rarely say mean things—she sees most heckling from grown men, especially when she’s playing a “good guy/babyface.”
  • “Who raised you? I’m playing a character, and I am...a lady. Stop.” – Becky Lynch [39:17]

Highlights from Becky’s Career

• The “Man” Breakout and WrestleMania Main Event

  • On her leap to superstardom after Survivor Series:
    “Yes and no…now that this Survivor Series match isn’t gonna happen, now I have a run to WrestleMania. Oh, I’m gonna be the first woman to win the main event of WrestleMania. That’s gonna happen. Now that is happening.” – Becky Lynch [41:00]
  • Candid about imposter syndrome and trying to “enjoy the day”:
    “I wasn’t trying to enjoy the day. I was cognizant of that—this is monumental. Enjoy it…. Am I enjoying it properly?” – Becky Lynch [43:08]

• Spoiler Mishaps

  • Soder tells the story of accidentally spoiling Billions plot twists for Becky and her husband, eliciting Becky’s tongue-in-cheek Irish wit:
    “Well, Colby and I were excited for this season, but now that you just ruined it for me…” – Becky Lynch [44:20]

• Family Rivalries

  • Ends on a playful angle about the onscreen rivalry between her family and AJ Styles’ family:
    “We hate that family, and I love it. Down with that family, and I love it...We stayed through the mud, through the shit.” – Becky Lynch [45:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We pay for our own gear…because we get by our own rental cars. We buy our own hotels.”
  — Becky Lynch [04:42]

• “The bus...to her, it's a prison cell. It's so small, she can't run around...there’s no novelty.”
  — Becky Lynch on her daughter traveling [10:23]

• “I love a bit of chaos. Anything good that happens is better than the most planned match you’ve ever had.”
  — Becky Lynch [18:00]

• “I call it the Irish rage.”
  — Becky Lynch [21:13]

• “I’ve come to this realization that people don’t need to know my honest feelings. They don’t need to know.”
  — Becky Lynch [21:43]

• “You can dislike a person and still not be rude to them.”
  — Dan Soder [22:32]

• “I read this book 10% Happier...I probably am about 10% happier.”
  — Becky Lynch [25:43]

• “The internet always has a better booking option than what happened.”
  — Dan Soder [32:42]

• “Who raised you?...I’m playing a character, and I am...a lady. Stop.”
  — Becky Lynch on aggressive male fans [39:17]

• “Oh, I’m gonna be the first woman to win the main event of WrestleMania. That’s gonna happen.”
  — Becky Lynch reflecting on her rise [41:00]

• “We stayed through the mud, through the shit, and...excelled. And where is my gratitude?”
  — Becky Lynch in playful wrestling kayfabe [45:30]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Wrestling Work Ethic & Self-Sufficiency: [04:42 – 06:01]
• Touring Changes, Bus Life, Family: [07:12 – 10:58]
• Nostalgic Road Stories & Subway: [14:59 – 16:23]
• Live Performance Chaos & Calling Matches: [17:34 – 18:38]
• Working With Opponents / Storyline Changes: [18:38 – 20:12]
• Irish Rage & Emotional Management: [21:11 – 25:06]
• Meditation, Self-Improvement: [24:20 – 26:06]
• Fan Culture: Wrestling vs. Star Trek, Online Criticism: [29:36 – 34:07]
• Handling Fans and Criticism Live: [38:09 – 40:15]
• Main Eventing WrestleMania, Living the Dream: [41:00 – 43:12]
• Spoilers & Lighthearted Banter: [44:20 – 44:46]
• Family Rivalries Angle: [45:00 – 45:47]

Episode Tone & Style

The show is candid, self-deprecating, and fast-paced, blending backstage wrestling realities with comedy and real-life anxiety. Both Dan Soder and Becky Lynch maintain an honest and irreverent tone, frequently laughing at themselves and highlighting both the grind and the joys of their respective crafts.

Takeaway

This episode offers rare, unvarnished insight into the real life of pro wrestlers beyond the ring: their independence, humility, and the small, unglamorous details of a life spent traveling. Becky Lynch embodies a mix of self-awareness, competitive fire, and humor, making her stories resonate for wrestling fans and newcomers alike. From “Irish rage” to meditation, from headlining WrestleMania to debates over Buc-ee’s, Soder and Lynch remind us that even superstars crave connection, gratitude, and the occasional Subway sandwich.