Becky Lynch on Importance of Her Match at WWE Crown Jewel, Showing Women ‘What’s Possible’

– Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso recently interviewed WWE SmackDown Women’s champion Becky Lynch ahead of tomorrow’s WWE Crown Jewel event. Lynch is scheduled to defend her title against Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks in Saudi Arabia. Below are some highlights.

On what it would mean if her Crown Jewel match is put on last: “It would be very powerful if we headline the show. This is the biggest match you can have in pro wrestling right now, regardless of gender.”

On the importance of her match at Crown Jewel: “I think what’s very important, in a place like Saudi Arabia, is to show the women what’s possible. Maybe pro wrestling catches a young girl’s eye. If we can have that effect on even one person, it’s huge. Maybe it’s not now, but for the future, you can dream and you can achieve. Now more than ever, that’s so important. Even when I think about myself, I remember how I felt growing up when I first saw Lita come into WWE. She was a badass, and she could hang with the guys. She wasn’t the typical cookie cutter at the time. When I saw her, it showed that you don’t always have to be blonde and look like a Barbie doll to make it in wrestling. That meant a lot to me. Obviously, I’m not a girl that grew up in Saudi Arabia; I had a very different upbringing. But this is an opportunity to show them what girls can do, and that’s very powerful.”

Lynch on her match last Friday against Sasha Banks: “Coming back, I had a mantra in my head: ‘Better than ever.’ My goal was [to] come back better than ever. That’s what I trained for and worked toward. Win or lose, I believe I proved that on Friday. So that match on SmackDown meant a lot. Any time Becky Lynch steps in the ring with Sasha Banks, it’s magic. That’s two of the best in the world going head-to-head. And let’s be honest, if it weren’t for that meddling Bianca Belair, I wouldn’t have lost that match anyway.”

Lynch defends her title against Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair in a Triple Threat at WWE Crown Jewel tomorrow in Saudi Arabia. The event will be broadcast live on Peacock in the US and the WWE Network everywhere else.