12 Ups And 16 Downs For WWE In 2018
2. The Man Takes Charge
To be fair, #1 and #2 could go either way, and they flip-flopped a couple times. Call them #1 and #1a.
Whether you think she’s the second coming of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin or CM Punk, or you think she’s highly overrated and only popular because guys are attracted to her, Becky Lynch has become the talk of the wrestling world in the latter half of 2018.
That alone dictates a really high placement on this list and cannot be ignored. Lynch always has been acknowledged as a solid worker with a good fanbase. But she also often was regarded as a sidekick of sorts rather than the headliner.
That all changed at SummerSlam, when Lynch saw her moment to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship snatched away by Charlotte Flair. Becky snapped, attacking Flair and turning heel.
The character and swagger that emerged in the coming months spilled over into all aspects of her persona. Lynch’s Twitter feed was and still is a treasure trove of biting wit and put-downs. Her promos are weekly highlights on TV. And her matches still are top-notch.
Of course, the crowning moment had to be the Raw before Survivor Series, when Lynch invaded Raw and beat down Ronda Rousey, then led a SmackDown women’s assault on the women of Raw. Lynch had her face bloodied and broken by Nia Jax, but carried on while dripping blood all over the place. It was an epic moment, easily the most visual one and probably the top single moment for WWE in 2018.