10 Embarrassing NXT-Era Creative Failures You Totally Forgot About

1. Becky Lynch: Riverdancer

Becky Lynch
WWE

"DIDDLY DIDDLY DEE".

"I am The Man".

One of the above statements positioned Becky Lynch not just as the top woman in WWE, but as the only woman perceived on the same level as globally renowned combat sports megastar Ronda Rousey. One of the above statements was an off-hand and off-kilter comment made good by 'The Irish Lass Kicker' herself, destined to make millions in t-shirts and furnish video packages with footage of her as the most vital performer in the entire company.

One of the above statements was entirely the work of the NXT/WWE creative braintrust.

Wrestling returnee Rebecca Quin had tried to stay out of the industry after her mid-2000s Shimmer career failed to yield worldwide acclaim, but time as an actress, stuntwoman and flight attendant didn't satiate her desire to run the ropes for a living. Signed to NXT in 2013, her 2014 television debut presumably felt like a final roll of the dice - and her gimmick presumably felt like she'd just rolled a venomous snake eyes.

Literally jigging to the ring - and she appeared to have been tasked with one of the only things she couldn't do - Lynch looked and acted like Hornswoggle's prop cupboard had exploded all over her. Future fellow Horsewomen Charlotte and Sasha Banks openly mocked her ahead of her literally screaming the first three words of this entry in Summer Rae's face before the battle and ahead of her maiden victory.

A win had never felt so much like a devastating loss.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.