After WrestleMania 35 in 2019, Becky Lynch faced WWE Chairman Vince McMahon in a heated confrontation in the Gorilla position, triggered by a backstage incident involving Lacey Evans. The confrontation occurred shortly after a segment in which Lynch did not sell Evans’ finishing move, The Woman’s Right, during their ongoing rivalry. This confrontation highlighted tensions backstage after Lynch’s historic victory in the WrestleMania main event, where she won both the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships.
Details of the WrestleMania 35 Night Encounter
At WrestleMania 35, Lynch triumphed over Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey, solidifying her status as a top star by winning dual women’s titles. The following night on Monday Night RAW, she found herself in a tense segment with Lacey Evans. During the bout, Evans delivered her finisher at ringside, but Lynch notably no-sold the move, which was not well received behind the scenes. The contest spilled onto the entrance ramp, observed closely by a full-capacity audience, further escalating the intensity of their rivalry.
In Lynch’s autobiography, Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl, she recounts the moment McMahon confronted her immediately after the segment. She recalls the exchange vividly:
“Episode 25. The no-sell. It was the Monday Night RAW right after WrestleMania and I returned to Gorilla after my segment. ‘What the fu*k was that?’ Vince asked me. ‘Sorry, sir? What do you mean?’ I had just won the historic main event of WrestleMania and Vince was making sure I knew how little that mattered and I better not be getting too big for my britches. ‘What did I tell you?’ Vince asked, turning it on me. ‘To go down on the punch,’ I answered, it dawning on me why he was so upset at me.”
Becky Lynch’s Perspective on Her Experience with Vince McMahon
In an interview with VULTURE, Lynch reflected on the broader context of her experiences with Vince McMahon, especially amid controversies surrounding him. She acknowledged a mixture of respect and tension in their interactions, emphasizing the complexity of separating the person from the wider allegations and actions known publicly.
“I had my experiences with Vince. They were all, for the most part – apart from him yelling at me at one point after WrestleMania – very good. He treated me very well and with a lot of respect. I know that that is not the experience everybody had. But also, there’s so much that you have going on in the world of wrestling. It’s hard to differentiate the person, all the things that they’ve done that we’re aware of, and who you’re interacting with at that moment.” —Becky Lynch
Following Rivalries and Career Developments After the Confrontation
The rivalry between Becky Lynch and Lacey Evans continued in 2019, with Evans challenging Lynch for the RAW Women’s Championship at the Money in the Bank event later that year. Evans was unsuccessful in capturing the title, and Lynch went on to maintain her championship over several subsequent encounters. Lynch’s reign concluded in 2020 after she vacated the title following WrestleMania 36, once she revealed she was expecting her first child.
This backstage clash between Lynch and McMahon remains a notable moment in WWE history, illustrating the pressures and demands placed on performers even after monumental successes. It also shed light on the intense environment within WWE during one of Lynch’s most significant career milestones. The episode emphasizes the complicated dynamics between creative direction and in-ring performance, which continue to impact the careers of wrestling stars like Becky Lynch and her peers.
