The Viall Files: E1070 – Going Deeper with Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch

Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Nick Viall (with Natalie Joy and co-hosts)
Guests: Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez) and Becky Lynch (Rebecca Quinn)
Summary by Podcast Summarizer

Overview

This candid "Going Deeper" episode features wrestling superstars (and married couple) Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch as they sit down with Nick Viall and his co-hosts. The conversation traverses their careers, the nuances of their wrestling personas, the behind-the-scenes realities of WWE, their journey as a couple, parenting on the road, and aspirations beyond the ring. The episode is a funny, honest, and insightful look into blending love, family, and life in the high-octane world of professional wrestling.

Wrestling Identities & Name Origins

(03:15–08:41)

• Stage Names vs. Real Names:

  • Seth explains the use of his real name (Colby Lopez) vs. "Seth Rollins". Most people know him as Seth, and he rarely uses Colby except privately with Becky.
  • Becky (Rebecca Quinn) shares, "I think I once called you Seth very early on." (04:00)
  • Both reflect how WWE owns the rights to their ring names, which led to creative (and sometimes arbitrary) name selection.
  • Seth’s name was chosen with WWE legend Dusty Rhodes:
    • "He had his little glasses... he liked Seth because he spoke with a lisp, and it was funny for him to say 'theft.' He's like, that's it, baby. Seth Rollins." (04:14)
  • Becky’s name arose from a mix of her suggestions and WWE's requirements. She preferred to keep “Becky” for continuity:
    • "I kind of wanted to keep a bit of my own name so that it's less confusing than Seth." (06:09)

• Changing Industry Attitudes:

  • Early WWE required unique, company-owned names, not even allowing Seth to keep "Tyler Black".
  • More recent administration is more flexible about name rights and revenue splits.
  • "People at the top of the time were just very like, it's a slippery slope... now, it's different." (07:39)

Wrestling as Reality TV: Artifice and Authenticity

(08:41–14:23)

• Wrestling & Reality TV:

  • Nick likens wrestling to the "OG" reality TV. Becky pushes back:
    • "It's supposed to be shrouded in mystery, you know. Whereas I feel like reality tv... the ultimate thing... is that it's real." (08:41)
  • Seth discusses the intrigue of "the gray area where you don't really know whether it's real." (09:05)
  • They note how modern wrestling has peeled back the curtain (especially via Netflix's "Unreal") and now storylines have to balance performance and authenticity.

• Performance & Audience Dynamic:

  • Audience reaction is unpredictable and essential.
  • Injury risk is real: Seth details rotator cuff surgery, ACL tear, jaw break (12:00–12:56).
  • "There is certainly an element of planning... but there's also an intense level of improvisation and storytelling that is pretty much unmatched." – Seth (13:50)

Getting Started in Wrestling

(14:23–19:17)

• Training & Early Days:

  • Early focus is on "cool moves" rather than storytelling (Becky, 14:35).
  • Seth’s Origin Story:
    • Inspired by seeing wrestling live at age 4, became obsessed as a teen during the "Attitude Era," did backyard wrestling, started acting/public speaking classes, and got trained right after high school (15:07–16:39).
  • Becky's Path:
    • Watched wrestling with her brother, reconnected with it via Mick Foley's promos, joined Fergal Devitt/Finn Balor's wrestling school, wrestled across Ireland, England, and Canada (16:40–18:21).

• First WWE Matches:

  • Seth’s big debut: 2012 TLC match with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose (18:27). The energy was “insane” and “this is what I worked for.” (19:08–20:34)

• Walkout Songs:

  • WWE wants to own all music; there's limited choice—“they want to make money off it” (21:12).
  • Becky recently got the band The Wonder Years to do her entrance music after persistence (21:46).

Storytelling, Improvisation, and Audience Influence

(23:57–27:43)

• Storylines & Championships:

  • Success and loss in wrestling is "story first"—not about ego but what serves audience best.
  • "I get older, I push back a lot less. I found it's futile… I'm now starting to realize you just gotta make the best." – Becky (24:28)
  • "The pushback's not like, I need to keep this title. The pushback is like, what's the best story?" – Seth (24:48)

• Moments of Improvisation:

  • Audience hijacks and in-ring injuries force improvisation.
  • Seth recalls the Daniel Bryan "Yes!" Movement and breaking John Cena's nose:
    • "He had to continue... It was a bad break. Like, it was sideways... So much blood. But he finished the whole match." (26:04–27:43)

Relationship Origins and Navigating Love & Work

(29:22–39:26)

• First Impressions & Friendship:

  • Met at work in 2014; Becky was an extra, wearing "clubwear" – "I had this piece of material on...hair extensions...and eyelashes that were closer to my eyebrows than my eyelids." (29:30)
  • "Her hair was bright orange at the time and her skin was also spray tanned to match" – Seth (30:20)
  • Initial friendship, lots of talking: Becky's first chat "was like 40 minutes, legit" (31:21)

• Transition to Dating:

  • Romantic spark developed at end of 2018. Seth: "I kind of want to kiss her in the mouth." (31:57)
  • Navigated concerns about mixing work and romance. Becky briefly broke it off due to doubts about Seth's views on monogamy.

• Turning Points:

  • Becky’s attempt to end things convinced Seth of the rightness of their relationship: "As soon as she said, I'm out, I was like, oh no, you are not. You are in." (33:49)
  • After some soul-searching and time apart, Becky realized her feelings during a wrestling signing, leading to reconciliation (36:55).
  • Quick engagement: Within months, Seth bought a ring and proposed; originally planned a 2020 wedding but delayed due to COVID.

• Workplace Relationships in WWE:

  • WWE accommodates couples—scheduling and support are strong.
  • "You spend way more time with these people than you would your family or your friends at home." – Seth (40:17)
  • WWE sometimes uses real-life couples for storylines (as with them), but not always.

Family, Parenting, and Wrestling on the Road

(43:46–51:20)

• Starting a Family:

  • "God, I felt like I was ready real quick." – Becky (44:02)
  • Pandemic timing provided an opportunity; they traveled everywhere with their daughter post-birth, facilitated by a trusted bus driver and his wife as a traveling nanny.

• Managing New Parenthood:

  • Breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, and postpartum depression (which hit after breastfeeding ended) were challenges. Help from friends and open conversations with colleagues helped Becky: "It took me a while to realize what was going on." (46:44)
  • Seth describes being impressed by Becky’s resilience: "You women are superheroes... having to navigate that, be a mom, be a wife, be a performer... I've never been more impressed than watching my wife be a mother." (47:33)

• Trailblazing for Women in Wrestling:

  • Seth credits Becky as a pioneer—first woman to headline WrestleMania, then have a baby and return to an elite level.
  • "She showed people and women and young girls in our industry that you can do both, and you can do it, like, awesomely." (51:21)

Reflections on Parenthood & Change

(52:42–55:36)

• How Parenthood Changed Them:

  • Seth: "Patience was the biggest one." (52:44) He describes wrestling's inherent selfishness and how having a child taught him real selflessness.
  • "I learned really, truly what it meant for someone to mean more than you." (54:26)
  • Becky and Nick discuss how family reframes priorities and grounds happiness.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Becky: "I always felt like it was something that you'd see on Hallmark movies... but then you're like, oh, no, this really is everything. This is all that's important." (55:36)
  • Seth: "It's not about always leading the way and making the decisions and being the boss. It's actually about putting other people's needs before your own." (54:53)

Life After Wrestling & Future Dreams

(56:12–57:59)

• Aspirations Beyond WWE:
  • Becky: "I just love performing. So whatever I can do to continue telling stories and to perform, that's what I want to do." (56:35) Acting, e.g., "Star Trek".
  • Seth: Plans to stay connected with WWE or sports commentary ("I got a part-time gig doing that—Chicago Bears.") but also open to behind-the-scenes roles.
    • "It's my number one passion. So I feel like I'll be a part of the WWE family for quite some time." (56:45)

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Seth on Ring Names & Dusty Rhodes:
  "Anything that comes out of Dusty's mouth is gold. He's one of the greatest talkers in the history of our business." (05:06)
• Becky on Handling Rejection as a Babyface:
  "When you're supposed to be beloved… when they reject that, then they're rejecting you, you know, so it feels like it burns more." (11:28)
• Becky on Postpartum:
  "Postpartum depression can hit you once you're done breastfeeding... it took me a while to realize what was going on." (46:44)
• Seth on Becky as a Trailblazer:
  "She's truly a trailblazer… she showed people and women and young girls in our industry that you can do both, and you can do it, like, awesomely." (51:21)

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a vulnerable and entertaining look at the lives behind two of WWE's biggest stars. Seth and Becky are refreshingly honest about the messy intersections of identity, ambition, love, injury, and family—making their story as compelling outside the ring as inside it.

Key Segments

• Ring Names & Industry Changes: 03:15–08:41
• Wrestling as Reality TV: 08:41–14:23
• Getting Into Wrestling: 14:23–19:17
• Storytelling & Audience Dynamics: 23:57–27:43
• Relationship Journey: 29:22–39:26
• Parenting on the Road: 43:46–51:20
• Reflections & Future Dreams: 52:42–57:59

Listen to this episode for genuine laughter, behind-the-curtain wrestling insights, and intimate lessons on making love and work coexist at the highest level.