On this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw , Becky Lynch cut a tearful promo, announcing that she would be temporarily stepping away from the ring and relinquishing her Raw Women’s Championship as she is expecting her first child with her fiance, fellow WWE superstar Seth Rollins. This led to the announcement that Asuka’s women’s ladder match victory at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view was actually for the Raw Women’s title. However, a new report suggests that WWE had different plans for Lynch — and the red brand’s women’s division storylines — before her pregnancy announcement.
Citing this week’s issue of the subscriber-only Wrestling Observer Newsletter , Wrestling Inc . noted on Friday that Lynch was originally booked to successfully defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Nia Jax at Money in the Bank , which took place on Sunday, May 10. Meanwhile, Shayna Baszler, whom Lynch defeated last month at WrestleMania 36 to successfully retain her title, was supposed to win the women’s ladder match. This would have given her a chance to “cash in” her contract for a title shot within a one-year period.
The above rumors back up previous reports suggesting that WWE, despite its decision to have Baszler lose to Lynch at WrestleMania 36 , had bigger plans for the former MMA standout and her feud with the then-reigning champion.
In the weeks leading up to her pregnancy announcement, Lynch appeared to be hinting at the continuation of her rivalry with Baszler. However, the feud was quietly dropped despite initial hints that pointed to a rematch between both women.
“You go and be a warrior, ’cause I’m gonna go be a mother.”
Congratulations, @BeckyLynchWWE !!!!
What a moment on #WWERaw ! pic.twitter.com/yWnHB3Dc4o
— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020
In a separate report that also cited this week’s Wrestling Observer , Sportskeeda wrote that Lynch likely informed WWE about her pregnancy early last month, which may have prompted the company to start rewriting its storylines around that time. As such, company officials might have been aware that Lynch was expecting when WWE taped the men’s and women’s ladder matches for Money in the Bank on April 15 — close to one month before the pay-per-view was aired on the WWE Network.
While Lynch and Rollins are expected to welcome their first child in December, it’s unclear when the 33-year-old will be able to return to the ring. As rumors have suggested that she may be accepting more acting roles and possibly joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s possible she might remain out of action until sometime next year. However, The Inquisitr previously reported that WWE chairman Vince McMahon, who allegedly reacted negatively toward other pregnancy announcements in the past, is supportive of Lynch and Rollins as they prepare to start a family.
