WWE has just a few days to lock up Becky Lynch in a new deal; if not, “The Man” will emerge as the most sought-after free agent in pro wrestling.
Though there have been “ongoing conversations” between WWE and Becky Lynch about a new contract, Fightful Select reports that no deal is in place with just weeks to go before Lynch’s current contract expires at the end of this month. This information comes from Cageside Seats and Fightful Select. Lynch is currently the WWE Women’s World Champion.
Similar to the Kentucky Derby this year, there will be a picture finish for Becky Lynch’s prospective contract signing. And it has occurred to other prominent WWE stars this year as well.
In fact, only “a few days away” from his contract expiration date, current World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest inked a new contract in February. Perhaps the sexiest heel in the WWE, Drew McIntyre, also recently got a new deal at the last minute, while Lynch’s real-life spouse, Seth Rollins, signed a new deal a few weeks before his old one expired.
Significant multi-year contracts were inked by each of those celebrities, guaranteeing their presence on the WWE main event stage for the foreseeable future. Is Lynch up next? She should be, for sure, but “The Man” has the ability to demand the highest compensation of any female professional wrestler in the annals of professional wrestling. And it might add some interest to the situation.
After all, it wasn’t too long ago that Mercedes Mone, who was once known as Sasha Banks in the WWE, was purportedly signed by AEW to a contract that effectively made her the highest paid female wrestler ever. Lynch should and probably should be pursuing a deal that exceeds Mone’s salary in WWE, as she is likely the most talented and successful women’s wrestler the company has ever had.
Eight-time world champion Lynch has been a mainstay of the WWE for the last ten years. She made history by being the first female WrestleMania headliner and paved the way for the Women’s Evolution, which fundamentally altered the landscape of pro wrestling. Lynch ought to have a big WWE contract given that athletes like McIntyre and Rollins were able to do so.
Regarding Lynch’s possible departure from WWE, the only real question is whether Tony Khan, President of AEW, could convince her to leave the company with a big contract that offered her creative flexibility and a convenient schedule.
After all, Khan has declared that, like in the past, he will be “aggressive” in his search for talent this year. Top talent including as Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mone have signed contracts with AEW, which has gone on to defeat WWE in some of the greatest free agent tournaments over the last five years.
More famous than all of those names combined, Lynch’s contract is coming up at the ideal moment, especially considering that Mone’s deal might potentially completely reset the market for women’s wrestlers. The temptation exists for Lynch to engage in contract negotiations with WWE, just like Mone did, and ultimately walk away with a wonderful deal with AEW.
Although Lynch has been the driving force behind WWE’s women’s division, she hasn’t committed to the company in any way and has instead been advocating for equal pay for women. Re-signing a celebrity who has contributed so much to WWE’s development and prosperity during the company’s largest expansion in over 20 years ought to be an obvious choice.
But you know what they say, particularly in professional wrestling? Don’t ever say never.