We have been hearing since last year that Becky Lynch was one of several WWE stars whose contract expires in 2024. During a pre-WrestleMania appearance on The MMA Hour in late March, The Man herself confirmed to Ariel Helwani that she only had two months remaining on her current deal.
Now a new rumor says that despite the fact Lynch will become a free agent at the end of May, negotiations between her team and WWE have yet to result in a new contract for the 37-year-old.
You won’t find many on the wrestle web who believe Becky is about to leave WWE. She’s one of the biggest stars the company’s produced this century. Lynch has won every title a woman can in the company, and was part of the first women’s match ever to main event a WrestleMania (and while another women’s match – more on that one in a sec – has since gone on last during the first night of a two-night ‘Mania, Lynch’s win over Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair at 2019’s WrestleMania 35 is still the only one to close the entire event).
Becky’s demonstrated an ability to play a hero or villain, and a willingness to put over rising stars the company will count on after she hangs up her boots. And when one of those younger wrestlers Lynch helped establish went down to an injury last month, WWE once again trusted Becky with their Women’s World championship despite her contract status.
Those attributes and accolades might not even be the main reason industry watchers don’t think Lynch is much of a risk to leave WWE, though. Another of those big stars whose deal was set to expire this year was Becky’s husband, Seth Rollins. He’s believed to have re-signed on a “big money” contract just a couple weeks ago, and it seems highly unlikely they’d opt to work for different companies after spending the last few years raising their daughter together on a tour bus.
Whether she stays or goes however, The Man figures to become one of if not the highest-paid women’s wrestler in the history of the business.
It’s a mark that was just recently set by Mercedes Moné, who used to wrestle for WWE as Sasha Banks and was one half of that other ‘Mania main event we mentioned early (Banks vs. Bianca Belair stole the show as the last match on night one of 2021’s WrestleMania 37, and holds its own piece of history as the only WrestleMania closed by two African-American women). Earlier this year, Moné inked a multi-year deal with AEW that’s believed to be worth upwards of $10 million over its duration.
AEW owner Tony Khan is looking to bolster the fortunes of his “challenger brand” by signing free agents, and has talked about how much money he’s set aside to do so. If Lynch hit the market, there’s little doubt the billionaire would offer her a deal that’s at least as good as the one he gave Mercedes.
But Khan’s “war chest” is likely a factor in why WWE made sure Rollins (and other big names like Drew McIntyre and Bayley) never reached free agency. And despite whatever brinksmanship Lynch’s camp and her bosses are currently engaged in, it feels crazy to think WWE won’t do whatever they have to keep The Man in the fold, too.
Point is, whether conventional wisdom holds and Becky re-signs with WWE, or she shocks the world and jumps ship… Lynch’s next contract very well could be a historic one.
