Becky Lynch Says She Wasn’t WWE’s First Pick for Inaugural SmackDown Women’s Title

Becky Lynch says she was not originally planned to become WWE’s first SmackDown Women’s Champion, revealing that Nikki Bella was expected to win the title instead.

Bella underwent neck surgery in January 2015 and returned to the ring at SummerSlam 2016. She replaced Eva Marie in a six-woman tag match and pinned Carmella. WWE unveiled the SmackDown Women’s Championship two days later. Lynch and Bella then entered the six-pack elimination challenge at Backlash 2016 alongside Carmella, Natalya, Naomi, and Alexa Bliss. Nikki eliminated Natalya before Carmella rolled her up for an elimination. Lynch ultimately defeated Carmella with the Dis-Arm-Her to become the inaugural champion.

Speaking on No-Contest Wrestling from The Rich Eisen Show, Becky Lynch said WWE changed direction after fans began chanting her name when the SmackDown Women’s Championship was introduced in 2016. Lynch stated (via F4WOnline):

“It was like even the first time that I won the Smackdown Women’s Championship first. That wasn’t the plan. No, but I think it was meant to go to Nikki Bella, actually. Who, by the way, a bada** had just come back from her broken neck, but the audience kind of liked me, and once it was revealed, they just started chanting ‘Becky.’ And so kind of the office had to take notice of that and go, ‘Alright. I guess we got to go with her. But I don’t think the plan was ever going to be to give it to me again unless I took it. And so that was that opportunity of like, ‘Alright, I’m not sitting around. I’m going to make this as interesting as I possibly can.’”

Lynch’s first title reign lasted 84 days before Alexa Bliss defeated her in a tables match. She later went on to win the title five times.