10 Great WWE Moments We Came Agonisingly Close To
7. Ronda Rousey Vs. Becky Lynch - Survivor Series 2018
An absolute moment of madness—in a career of far too many—put an end to what arguably was the most anticipated WWE match of 2018.
It underscores just how incredible Becky Lynch is as the swaggering, badass Man that everybody bought her as a threat to a game-changer of a genuine combat athlete. The armbar that taps out pro wrestlers, but only recently, was perceived as equal to the armbar that changed gender equality in a real sport. This was the fading magic of sports entertainment, rejuvenated, versus the legitimacy of MMA.
Past tense is right; after Nia Jax stupidly struck Becky Lynch with a full-force punch to the face, breaking it (well, her nose) and concussing her, the match is now off. Everybody is so high on Lynch that this has manifested in the positivity that we will see the match headline WrestleMania 35. She deserves it—but whether it happens is very much uncertain. Becky, worryingly, holds a career-altering history with head injuries.
Social media has demonised Jax for her role in all this, and not without justification. She has read accusations of recklessness on Twitter previously, and waved them away. There was something grimly inevitable about Monday’s controversy. She has injured so many fellow professionals, so often, that this was bound to happen on the eve of something big.
Let’s put the pitchforks aside for a moment of clarity: Jax has contested two excellent matches (Bayley, TakeOver: London, Rousey, Money In The Bank ’18) thus far. There is some potential here. Demotion, not dismissal, seems the most levelheaded approach.
If the pattern continues after this re-education, her run should not.