Becky Lynch Hypes Up WrestleMania Match With Shayna Baszler, Talks Not Being This Year’s Main Event, Responding To Criticism

WWE Raw women’s champion Becky Lynch recently spoke with Sports Illustrated to hype her upcoming WrestleMania 36 showdown against MMA Horsewoman Shayna Baszler. Aside from Baszler, Lynch gives her thoughts on not being in the main event of this year’s “Show of Shows,” and reveals how stars should adjust to earn their way back into that headlining spot. Highlights are below.

Whether she’s disappointed about not being in the WrestleMania main event this year:

Am I disappointed?” Lynch says. “No, I’m not disappointed. Sometimes you’re going to be the main event, sometimes you’re not. I’m somebody that went from the pre-show of WrestleMania to the main event. It’s all about how you react, respond, and keep moving forward. This is also not the last WrestleMania. I’m not retiring tomorrow, there are so many years ahead of me. I’m always thinking about how I can get to the main event. It has to be the right place for it, but that’s always the goal in my mind

On Shayna Baszler:

There is no denying what Shayna has done,” Lynch says. “She’s put in the work, she was a pioneer in women’s MMA, long before Ronda came along. She’s someone who went to the independents. She loves wrestling, I know she does. She’s not somebody who said, ‘Oh, that’s an easy way for me to be on TV. Let me try that because my other sport didn’t work out.’ She actually went and trained, did her time on the independent circuit, went to NXT, trained her ass off there, and she was the longest combined NXT Women’s Champion. She has put in the work, and there is no doubt about that.

Not underestimating Baszler:

I’m not underestimating her for a second—I think she’s underestimating me,” Lynch says. “I won’t underestimate the danger of Shayna. She has proven herself in many disciplines, and in NXT. She’s a worthy competitor for the Raw Women’s Championship. I’m going out there to prove I’m better.

Dealing with criticism and adjusting:

It shouldn’t be about women—people shouldn’t use it as a chance to say, ‘That’s why women shouldn’t be main-eventing,’” Lynch says. “You can’t wipe out an entire gender based on your opinion to a match. No excuses, I’m open to criticism. Give me your opinion, I’ll take it. This is what anyone in the main event, male or female, has to deal with. If you ever have a bad night or a match that people don’t agree with, you’re the one out there that has to change and adjust. It makes you better in the long run.