Since her successful WrestleMania 41 return, Becky Lynch has once again set the standard for what a WWE Superstar can and should do for the show when they've got tenure and talent.
Matches and programmes opposite Lyra Valkyria, AJ Lee and Maxxine Dupri have highlighted not just her immense (and still-improving) grasp of the dark arts, but also the range and speed at which she can apply them. The team, heel turn, split and feud with the inaugral Intercontinental Champion was interesting business done in interesting ways, with a diverse collections of angles and matches that tested the mettle of the (relative) main roster newbie, and in spite of a SummerSlam payoff that outstayed its welcome, the months-long saga was a resounding and provable success.
Racking up wins in the aftermath to continue the impressive booking of the secondary strap, Lynch went all the way up the gears from sidekick to serial killer in the space of three weeks to antagonise CM Punk enough into coaxing his wife out of retirement. Against Dupri, she reframed flukes by making the body of the match so captivating before the finish.
Subverting the politician archetype she performs by working overtime to get as many people over as possible and leave the division in ruder health than she found it, Lynch has once again set the bar for what it means to be the best. And it's not just us saying it.
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
