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WWE WrestleMania 41 featured the shocking return of Becky Lynch, who stepped in as Lyra Valkyria’s mystery opponent and captured the WWE Tag Team Championship on her first night back.
Lynch, in a return that was widely expected after Bayley was “injured” last week, became a tag team champion once again in a memorable moment for “The Man” and for Valkyria, the Intercontinental Champion who can now call herself a double champion.
Nearly a year ago, Liv Morgan though she retired “The Man” from pro wrestling for good. Little did she know that Lynch would show up in Las Vegas nearly one year later to seek her revenge. And revenge is what she got, blasting Morgan with a Manhandle Slam to pick up the victory and secure the tag team title win.
WWE fans have been wondering about Lynch’s whereabouts for much of the past year, but now, they know exactly what’s going on.
Of course, Lynch has popped up here and there, even appearing at this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony. But there were more questions than answers about when, and how, the future Hall of Famer would return.
Back in January, it was reported that Lynch had signed a new contract with WWE and would be returning to the company after a brief hiatus. But just a month later, Lynch suggested that she was unsure when she would return. Maybe she was just playing coy, or perhaps she genuinely didn’t know.
One thing WWE fans can be sure about, though, is Lynch’s desire to produce compelling storylines. Lynch reportedly only wanted to return to WWE TV with “something inspiring,” a legitimate narrative that made sense from a storyline perspective and wasn’t just for the sake of a cheap pop.
There was no bigger stage for Lynch to return than at WrestleMania 41 in Allegiant Stadium. All the circumstances played out perfectly in her favor. Valkyria needed a tag team partner, and as a fellow Irish superstar, Lynch was the ideal candidate for that spot. With Lynch’s longtime nemesis as one of Valkyria’s opponents, that only made the situation even more ideal.
Lynch was written off TV in-storyline due to Morgan roughly a year ago, so it was no surprise that Lynch stepped in for Bayley and took care of Morgan in relatively easy fashion. One popular theory, however, was that Lynch would immediately turn on Valkyria to reignite their rivalry from NXT.
Instead, WWE and Lynch seem to be playing the long game.
It was in late 2023 that Lynch made a brief move to NXT in an attempt to bring some new eyeballs to the black and gold brand. It was there that Lynch feuded with Valkyria and ultimately lost the NXT Women’s Championship to the rising star. In other words, there’s a history there that WWE can play on in the weeks and months ahead.
For now, Lynch and Valkyria are the two beloved babyfaces who can dominate the women’s tag team division and form a friendship. But ultimately, they will have to go their separate ways at some point.
If WWE fans have learned anything during the Triple H era, it’s that long-term storytelling takes top priority. While Lynch’s immediate title win is sure to raise some eyebrows, it’s likely all part of the plan.
Lynch is back, and that’s a great thing for the women’s division. In the weeks and months ahead, it should be particularly great for Valkyria, too.
