Becky Lynch: ‘the Man’ behind the brand

ABSTRACT

Professional wrestling has changed significantly over time, where the lines between fiction and reality have become increasingly intertwined. The days of keeping ‘kayfabe’ have made way for a more authentic experience in which pro-wrestling superstars’ real lives are as much on display as their in-ring talent. Similarly, a wider socio-cultural shift where feminist ideologies are coming to the fore, has allowed some athletes to build a personal brand – based heavily on authenticity – catapulting them to superstar status usually reserved for those associated with the realms of Hollywood. Primarily using the Model of Athlete Brand Image and with support from the TOPSTAR framework, this article will explore how athlete branding and its sub-components, such as authenticity and feminism, have helped to develop this superstardom within professional wrestling and how one woman in particular, has been at the forefront of the movement – Becky Lynch.

KEYWORDS:

• Branding
• authenticity
• celebrity
• MABI
• TOPSTAR

Introduction

This paper will provide a brief history of how women have been presented within World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), alongside a summary of renowned pro-wrestler Becky Lynch and her career trajectory. A wider discussion of branding and sports celebrity follows, before moving onto outlining how I have adapted the MABI and TOPSTAR branding models from sport to evaluate the effectiveness of Lynch’s brand appeal and construction, much of which blurs her real self with the fictional self. It is worth noting that this paper treats Lynch as a sports athlete despite the pre-determined and choreographed nature of professional wrestling. The reasons for this are that WWE classifies its product offering as ‘sports-entertainment’ but moreover, the level of commitment and training needed in order to master the skills and abilities required to become a professional wrestler are akin to those required of any other athlete across any other sport.

The role of women in professional wrestling and specifically within WWE has changed considerably since the company’s previous incarnation of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the 1980s. During this time, fans have seen the glamorous Miss Elizabeth escort wrestlers to the ring in a managerial role, the very sexual imagery of wrestler Sable whose appearances were referred to as ‘wrestling porn’ (Messner et al. 2003, p. 41) and the body builder physique of Chyna compete – relatively successfully – against a number of male contemporaries. However, there was no significant women’s division in which the female wrestlers could regularly compete against each other and professional wrestling was essentially deemed a ‘male-centred performance practice’ (Mazer 1998, p. 5), renowned for its promotion of the male ‘hard bodied’ athlete (Jeffords 1994). As a result, the women at the heart of wrestling were effectively insignificant, with very little airtime or meaning given to their matches and storylines. Female representation therefore was reduced to bikini contests and mud-wrestling, with a focus on their ‘sexy bodies’ over any athletic ability (Gill 2007). This became a key feature during the late 90s and early 2000s.

However, the landscape eventually started to change. Wood and Litherland contend that these changes to the status quo were two-fold – borne of the frustration felt by female wrestlers and some fans alike at the lack of athletic opportunity, as well as the ‘wider cultural shifts in postfeminist popular culture’ (2018, p.909). A greater understanding and acceptance of gender-equality as well as the associated discourse within society slowly started to plant the seeds of change. Women began to be represented as both physically strong and sexy within mainstream media and across wider society and WWE soon followed suit, allowing wrestlers such as Chyna, Trish Stratus and Lita to usher in a new period of the sexy ‘tough girl’ (Wood and Litherland 2018, p. 910). Whilst there was no doubt that these women had sex-appeal, there was also now an increased interest in their in-ring performances. This was evidenced in the now-iconic December 2004 episode of the show Monday Night Raw which saw Lita take on Trish Stratus for the Women’s Championship – the first time women had featured in a main event for WWE – producing a memorable, ground-breaking match. It is important to note that main events often involve two of the biggest named male stars competing in a match, generally tied in with one of the central story lines running through the show. This particular match is then subsequently used as the key event to advertise the show and attract viewers. The elevation of Lita and Trish Stratus to the main event at that time highlighted how WWE perceived at least two of their female stars as major draws along with their male counterparts.

However, the fact that it took many more years before these matches became the ‘norm’ demonstrates that during this period, WWE’s approach to ‘feminism’ was to view it as merely a buzzword and as such, unlikely to cause any ‘real challenge to existing social relations’ (Gill 2016, p. 219). Some years of regression therefore followed, before changes such as the creation of a ‘divas division’ and associated Divas Championship belt were introduced. Unfortunately, the ‘diva’ label still suggested a strong link to the more sexualised representation of the past and served as a reminder of the stark differences between how the male and female performers were branded. Whilst men were depicted as ‘world champions’, capable of competing in gruelling, lengthy matches, the women were still reduced to 3-minute ‘filler’ matches. The creation of an annual ‘Diva Search’ further hindered matters when it became the new way of recruiting female talent. This involved the selected candidates competing in unique weekly televised contests to assess their ‘suitability’ for a long-term contract. The nature of the contests however, focused more on pillow fights rather than athletic bouts. Therefore, it wasn’t until the hashtag ‘#givedivasachance’ started to trend on Twitter in February 2015 that the company took note and did exactly that – women were finally given the opportunity that they had been looking for, simply to wrestle (Wood and Litherland 2018).

The result of this was that in April 2019 at WrestleMania 35, the largest and most lucrative event in the WWE calendar, a women’s match headlined the show for the first time in its history. It featured mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Ronda Rousey and wrestling royalty Charlotte Flair ultimately losing out to ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch, signifying that the ‘bra and panties’ matches¹ had given way to a new era of professional wrestling where women were being pushed to the forefront, simultaneously initiating a ‘Women’s Revolution’² and facilitating an environment in which each athlete could become a brand in their own right. This elevated individual status is also represented within the concept of ‘celebrity’ where ‘stardom is founded on the person-as-brand’ (McDonald 2013, p. 129) and whereby, in order for them to gain commercial success and audience acceptance, these ‘stars’ must also exhibit a layer of authenticity as part of their brand image (Haslop 2021). To this end, real-life situations and relationships are now more widely acknowledged and played out across integral storylines, bringing viewers closer to the person behind the persona and allowing fans a closer look at their personal lives, through TV shows such as Total Divas (2013–19, E!).³ This is key because according to Dyer (1991), ‘belief’ in who the person is ‘on-screen’ is dependent on deconstructing who the ‘real’ individual is behind the scenes and can be determined through the celebrity’s visible behavioural ‘markers’ such as ‘gestures and speech patterns, improvisation and unplanned actions … ’ (Lam and Raphael 2022, p. 33). The ‘unfiltered’ access to these athletes in this way has therefore strengthened the bond between pro-wrestling, authenticity and celebrity, subsequently generating a greater interest in women’s wrestling. However, given that pro-wrestling’s very essence is built on masculine ideals, it is important to recognise the contrasting feminist principles that have contributed to this rise in female notoriety. Early indications appear to suggest that redefining what it means to be a woman in the world of pro-wrestling can in fact enhance a superstar’s appeal and celebrity status – which has certainly been the case for Becky Lynch.

Becky Lynch

Born Rebecca Quinn in Limerick, Ireland, in 1987, Lynch has wrestled across the globe under various monikers such as ‘Rebecca Knox’ and ‘Komeera’. In 2006, she suffered a major setback when a severe injury during a match forced her to retire from the wrestling ring for six years but in 2013, she made a comeback and signed a deal with WWE under the name of ‘Becky Lynch’. Lynch stated that her ring-name could have been ‘Quin Chulainn’ – a mixture of her own surname and that of Cú Chulainn – a male, flame-haired, Irish mythological demigod, or in Lynch’s words ‘a badass character’ (Barrasso 2020). This gives an insight into how Lynch wanted to be perceived upon joining WWE. Initially though, WWE were keen to promote Lynch’s Irish roots and ‘babyface’, ‘good girl’ character using stereotypes such as having her wear green and gold ring attire and by using traditional Irish music in her ring entrance. Consequently, Lynch’s persona changed numerous times over the years as she and WWE tried to find the perfect image. Her character evolved from the aforementioned ‘bubbly’ girl from Ireland, to the ‘Irish lass-kicker’ – now supplemented with a higher degree of ‘toughness’. As Lynch’s storylines unfolded, her Irish heritage remained at the core but the hardships and ‘underdog’ perception that her WWE character experienced over the years became more prominent, simultaneously inferring the parallels to her real-life experiences. Crucially in 2018, Lynch finally found her niche with a brand synonymous with a strong, no-nonsense, ‘alpha female’, resulting in her transformation from the ‘Irish lass-kicker’ to ‘The Man’.

Lynch’s choice of nickname wasn’t initially well received by all. However, the reasoning behind ‘The Man’ and not ‘The Woman’ for instance, was a strategic one. Lynch stated that ‘it was a way of going into the guys’ locker room – going into the whole company – and saying, ‘I’m taking over. I’m The Man now.’ (Web Summit, 2019), reinforcing that where once men had been the main draw and star attraction, it was now Lynch that everyone wanted to see. The move paid off, with Lynch working her way to the top of WWE and despite an 8-month hiatus in 2020/2021 for maternity leave, ‘The Man’ has remained one of the most popular wrestlers – male or female – that the company has ever had. During this success, Lynch made history by becoming the first ever woman to lead WWE’s merchandise sales (Oestriecher 2019), as well as being the highest paid female wrestler in the world (Arora 2021), concurrently cementing the Becky Lynch brand.

Athlete branding

Branding stems from the marketability of a product and how ‘attractive’ it is to its potential customers. Ultimately, the more successful the brand, the more power it has, thus justifying why celebrity endorsements have become so popular. Whilst the earliest associations of celebrity branding typically featured the use of movie stars, the association wasn’t always clear – questions regarding their authenticity and whether they truly endorsed the product in question were raised. Subsequently, as times changed, the use of celebrities for a particular brand (and vice-versa) took on a more strategic role and with the advent of TV and greater access to sport, athletes eventually took over the mantle of sought-after celebrity endorsers from their Hollywood counterparts (Cavill 2018). Numerous studies have found that a positive link between a brand and its endorser(s) is more likely to positively impact on consumers’ behaviour towards that particular brand (Kerrigan et al. 2011, Spiggle et al. 2012, Moulard et al. 2015) and this can be measured in various ways, including the perceived image of both the brand and the endorser. Similarly, traditional studies on sports branding tend to stress the importance of a good brand image in terms of the leverage that it can bring to an organisation (Naik and Gupta 2013), or the individual athletes (Ballouli and Hutchinson 2012) where it is evident that sports stars are superseding the brands they initially endorse and are now perceived as brands themselves. By nature, athletes are constantly in the ‘spotlight’ and therefore, maintaining a certain public-image is of paramount importance – even where the likes of social media are concerned. Therefore, it is no longer uncommon to find athletes posting personal images or captions across their own channels. The ability to ‘self-present’ allows the athlete to appear more genuine by sharing (or seemingly sharing) similarities to their audiences in terms of characteristics and interests and so can be more beneficial to the athlete than any strategic or tactical posts (Smith and Sanderson 2015). However female athletes in particular have traditionally encountered various endorsement challenges (Antil et al. 2012).

A 2006 study found that perceived femininity was key to the successful marketing of female athletes, simultaneously suggesting that ‘female athletes may feel pressure to emphasize their femininity […] because their very livelihoods may depend on it’ (Ball, Walker and McGinnis, p.22). Furthermore, Emmons and Mocarski’s (2015) research analysed athletes’ own Facebook profile pictures and noted that female athletes tended to have profile photos in which they were posing or smiling whilst the male athletes’ pictures consisted of ‘in-motion’ or ‘action shots’, reinforcing the notion that despite being athletes, there were still differences in the way males and females were branded and at times, even branded themselves. Similarly, the Twitter accounts of tennis players were investigated, suggesting that there were differences in the way in which male and female athletes use the platform as a means of self-branding where, amongst other purposes, the male athletes used Twitter to discuss sport in general more than their female contemporaries did (Lebel and Danylchuck 2012). However, the growth of Instagram and the introduction of its ‘Stories’ feature has seen female athletes more widely use this tool for activities including self-promotion, fan engagement and behind-the-scenes access, highlighting the importance female athletes now place on personal branding (Scott et al. 2021).

Generally, studies concerning the brand image of individual athletes have centred on sports such as football, golf and tennis (Parmentier et al. 2012, Arai et al. 2013). Measures of athlete branding success have therefore been chronicled in a variety of research. Hodge and Walker’s study for example, found that successful athlete brands were seemingly driven by factors such as athletic success, relationships with corporate sponsors and differentiation (2015). For athletes, their physical bodies can serve as this point of differentiation and when catapulted into the spotlight of celebrity-status, female athletes in particular – such as Serena Williams – have found themselves frequently scrutinised. On one hand, the female athlete’s body is deemed ‘abnormal’ in the context of societal ‘norms’, yet on the other, it is due to her athletic prowess and sporting ability that she has achieved the success she has. This is an important dichotomy as it sets a precedent for being able to redefine what an authentic female athlete ‘should’ look like (Coleman-Bell 2006).

Aside from the perception that athletes give of themselves, often what is said about them can carry more weight. This takes on even more significance in today’s world where athletes are a consistent focus of mass and social media and subsequently a ‘commodity […] that is produced, traded and marketed by the media and publicity industries’ (Turner 2004, p. 10). The media therefore, as well as the consumer and any ‘co-creators’, have an unprecedented ability to shape the perceived star quality of the athlete. For instance, word of mouth or ‘an oral communication from a trustworthy person could cause awareness and lead to developing a favourable or unfavourable image of a specific athlete’, while narrative descriptions ‘represent stories’ focusing on both the personal and professional life of the athlete (Hasaan et al. 2018, p. 176). In learning about athletes this way, fans begin to see them as role-models, and Mitsis and Leckie’s (2015) research found that the strongest indicator for role model influence was authenticity. In essence, the more ‘real’ an athlete appeared to be, the more likely they were to be perceived as a positive role model. Subsequently, greater emphasis is now placed on ‘celebrating’ female athletes’ skills, although women in sport still struggle to create their own personal brand due in part to their ‘repeated sexualization’ (Lobpries et al. 2018, p. 5)

Professional wrestling has traditionally promoted various ideals of masculinity (Sammond 2005, Soulliere 2006) and ‘dominant, cultural clichés of the … “good girls” or “bad girls”’ (Mazer 1998, p. 123), making it even more difficult for women to not only survive but to succeed in such an environment. However, the aspect of authenticity can provide a ‘level-playing field’ whereby both male and female athletes can achieve individual ‘brand’ status purely through the perception of being themselves. Reality TV has helped in this respect where shows such as I’m A Celebrity … (2002-, ITV), Keeping Up With The Kardashians (2007–2021, E!) and WWE’s own Total Divas have allowed audiences to ‘share in celebrities’ personal experiences and feelings and access those parts of their lives that are normally labelled ‘private’’ (Genz 2015, p. 6). The creation of a persona – via these shows or the ‘job’ that celebrities do – along with the consistency of this persona, can also aid in the perception of celebrity authenticity (Moulard et al. 2015). Furthermore, Smart (2005) stated that the concept of ‘authenticity’ is a central element to ‘sporting celebrity’ where the audience must feel a level of genuineness from the athlete(s) in question. However, the notion of ‘authenticity’ is highly subjective and the fashion in which consumers immediately attribute certain ‘celebrity qualities’ to sports stars (Cashmore 2015) means that athletes can find themselves highly regarded in one moment and forgotten about the next. This is certainly true in the case of professional wrestling where, although athletic ability is a key attribute (Hunt 2005), superstardom is not necessarily achieved through this alone. The ability to ‘look’ the part, showcase mic skills and ultimately captivate the audience are also central, but opportunities to exhibit these were historically limited for women wrestlers. The same can be said of Hollywood superstars whose significance is attributed to the cultural symbolism of the on-screen characters they portray, as well as the monetary assets they inevitably become (McDonald 2013).

Therefore, according to Turner (2004) sports-stars are the perfect ‘celebrity commodity’ because they combine success and achievement with the luxurious lifestyle that many consumers (or fans) would deem to be desirable (Rahman and Lockwood 2011). As such, the Model of Athlete Brand Image (MABI) proposed by Arai et al. (2013) focuses on athletic performance, attractiveness of the athlete and their marketable lifestyle, whilst the TOPSTAR framework (Chadwick and Burton 2008), similarly found that brand success was built on activities relating to both professional and personal attributes. These models incorporate elements that can determine how an athlete is perceived – with authenticity playing a bigger role than perhaps previously deemed necessary. In light of WWE’s ‘Women’s Revolution’, Becky Lynch has seemingly been able to pull together all of the aforementioned elements of an athlete brand image to position herself as the top female (if not overall) superstar of WWE, achieving a celebrity status more widely associated with Hollywood stars and simultaneously cementing her position as ‘The Man’, thus mimicking the concept of Hollywood superstardom where ‘the symbolic and economic are […] inextricably bound together’ (McDonald 2013, p. 19). To understand how Becky Lynch has reached and perhaps exceeded the expectations of a female WWE superstar, the Model of Athlete Brand Image (MABI) was used and supplemented by the TOPSTAR framework. Lynch was assessed against the various components of each model (and in the case of the TOPSTAR framework, in two distinct years) to see how well she fared. The output of the models was based primarily on quantitative data – ranked through the use of a Likert scale in the case of MABI – and on quantitative data through the application of the TOPSTAR framework.

Model of athlete brand image

Arai et al. (2013)Model of Athlete Brand Image (MABI) indicates that for athletes to be perceived as a ‘strong’ brand, three dimensions are crucial: ‘athletic performance’, ‘attractive appearance’ and ‘marketable lifestyle’. The individual dimensions contain various sub-dimensions of criteria against which an athlete can be measured. For athletic performance, these are: Winning Record, Athletic Expertise, Competition Style and Rivalry. In terms of attractive appearance, these elements consist of Physical Attractiveness, Symbol and Body Fitness. Finally, Life Story, Role Model and Relationship Effort are all considered to be components of a marketable lifestyle. To reflect the nuances of pro-wrestling, I adapted the Model of Athlete Brand Image and its sub-dimensions into the Model of Wrestler Brand Image (MWBI). To ascertain how wrestlers might be perceived with regard to these particular sub-dimensions, I proposed various statements and assigned each one with a code to determine which element of the model they linked to. For example ‘The athlete deserves to win championships’ was given code ‘WR1’ as the first statement associated with the sub-dimension of ‘Winning Record’ and so on. The complete final statements and codes are presented in Table 1 below:

Table 1. Model of wrestler brand Image.

Athletic Performance	WR1: The athlete deserves to win championships
	WR2: The athlete deserves to win professional wrestling awards e.g. Slammy, PWI awards
	WR3: The athlete is a dominant wrestler
	AE1: The athlete is entertaining
	AE2: The athlete is a skilled wrestler
	AE3: The athlete seems very knowledgeable about the wrestling industry
	CS1: The athlete has a distinctive ring entrance routine
	CS2: The athlete has distinctive ring attire
	CS3: The athlete has a unique finishing move
	R1: The athlete has memorable rivalries
	R2: The rivalry matches of the athlete are exciting
Attractive Appearance	PA1: The athlete is physically attractive
	S1: The athlete is stylish
	S1: The athlete has a unique appearance
	S1: The athlete has distinguishing physical features
	BF1: The athlete is physically fit
	BF2: The athlete’s body is well-suited to the sport
Marketable Lifestyle	LS1: The athlete has overcome adversity in their personal life
	RM1: The athlete is a good role model for others
	RM2: The athlete is well-known for their charity/community work
	RE1: The athlete cares about their fans
	RE2: The athlete is responsive to fans

I carried out the initial survey in 2016 through a method of purposive sampling where it was sent to participants who considered themselves to be WWE fans. Potential respondents were contacted through emails to a personal network of wrestling fans, via the social media channels of Twitter and LinkedIn and finally, a wrestling forum. Of those who agreed to participate, almost all belonged to my ‘personal network’, whilst those who were contacted via the wrestling forum were the most reluctant to participate, resulting in a total of 34 respondents. A further breakdown demonstrates that most (27) identified as male, with an average age of 31 and were mainly from a British background (22). To complete the survey, participants were asked to freely select a female (and male) WWE wrestler and rank them against each criterion on a Likert scale from 1 to 7 (strongly disagree – strongly agree). The only pre-condition was that the wrestlers should be currently active with WWE (i.e. not retired). The mean score from a combination of the responses was then taken whereby the higher the score, the stronger the brand image the chosen wrestler was deemed to have. It is, however, important to note the limitations with this primary research. The response rate of 34 is relatively low in order to draw firm conclusions. In addition, as most of the respondents came from my own personal network, it does not give a broad cross-section of views and as this research was conducted during a significant period of change in the representation of women in WWE in 2016, it does not provide a current picture. Nevertheless, the results can still provide some useful insights into the Becky Lynch brand and an indication of how that brand is perceived and constructed.

From the 34 respondents, Becky Lynch and Paige were ‘chosen’ most frequently (7 times) demonstrating some degree of popularity amongst the respondent group in the first instance. The outcome of the survey results, in terms of overall perceived strength of brand image, placed Becky Lynch in third place with a mean score of 5.81 (from a maximum of 7). Only Sasha Banks (6.05) and Bayley (5.85) ranked higher on this criterion. However, that these superstars were selected on fewer occasions than Lynch and as the most frequently selected female wrestler with the highest mean score, Lynch was chosen as the main case study to explore. To further contextualise the results for Becky Lynch, a comparison against the male superstars can also be made. The Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) was ranked in first place (across both data sets of male wrestlers and in general) with an overall mean score of 6.64. However, only two respondents selected The Rock and therefore a contrast with John Cena (who was chosen 8 times) gives a more comparable result. In this case, Cena’s overall mean score was 5.90 – only slightly higher than Lynch’s score. For further analysis, the category of ‘athletic performance’ is classified as pertaining to pro-wrestling itself, ‘attractive appearance’ is deemed to be person specific and ‘marketable lifestyle’ categorised as both wrestling and person specific – all of which are discussed and supplemented by the TOPSTAR framework.

Topstar

Chadwick and Burton’s (2008) TOPSTAR framework proposes that athletes need to evidence ‘strength’ in 7 key areas:

Table

Area	Description
Team	who the athlete has competed for/with, level of success, associations, reputation, profile and role
Off-field	where they live, who they socialise with and where, partner, house, car, clothes
Physical Characteristics, mentality and values	facial appearance, physique, distinguishing features, the way they think and views they hold
Success	number of titles, prizes, awards, winning teams and matches involved in
Transferability	extent to which person appeals to all demographics, male and female, followers and non-followers of WWE, language(s) spoken, cultural and geographical transferability
Age	the stage they are at in the ‘product life cycle’
Reputation	reputation as a wrestler, style of combat, reputation outside of wrestling, the way they deal with public and media attention

As the framework was intended for ‘traditional’ athletes, I adapted the TOPSTAR framework (as referenced by some of the descriptive items) to reflect the nature of professional wrestling before it was applied. An evaluation of Becky Lynch was then made against each of the categories by focusing on the descriptive elements (Appendix). In both years where this study was carried out, all information was found online through a combination of official and unofficial sources such as WWE’s own website, personal social media sites – for instance of Becky Lynch herself – and fan sites. Although not exhaustive, the table details how Lynch first measured up against each criterion at the earlier stages of the ‘Women’s Revolution’ (2016) as well as any additional ‘achievements’ that Lynch acquired in the intervening years up to and including 2021.

Given that models pertaining to individual athlete brand image are relatively few and far between, both the MWBI and TOPSTAR framework were used in this article as they complement each other by encapsulating a range of criteria against which an athlete can be assessed. Furthermore, with the low response rate to the MWBI survey, it was felt that the TOPSTAR framework would provide a more rounded view of Becky Lynch and therefore an overview of the outcome of both models is what follows. As was the case with MWBI, the two categories of ‘Team’ and ‘Success’ are deemed to be wrestling specific, whilst ‘Off-field’ and ‘Physical Characteristics, mentality and values’ are person specific. The remaining three categories of ‘Transferability’, ‘Age’ and ‘Reputation’ are applicable in both contexts.

Wrestling specific

Lynch’s mean score for athletic performance was 5.88. The areas where she gained the highest rating were WR1 and R2, with respondents stating that they felt Lynch deserves to win championships and that her matches were exciting. The ‘weakest’ area in this category with a mean score of 5.13 was WR3 and reflected to what extent respondents agreed to Lynch being a ‘dominant’ wrestler. Before WWE’s ‘Women’s Revolution’, Lynch was associated with ‘teams’ and contemporaries to varying degrees of success. Over the subsequent years, she was able to concentrate on her solo efforts meaning that she was rarely seen in a ‘team’, other than with (now-husband and fellow WWE superstar) Seth Rollins for a brief spell, blurring their private and public images.

Person specific

Of the 3 MWBI categories, ‘attractive appearance’ was Lynch’s strongest, with a mean rating of 6.07. Each sub-dimension criterion had a mean score of at least 6, with the highest element being PA1 where Lynch scored 6.43 for being perceived to be physically attractive.

In terms of Lynch’s off-field profile, very little was known of her private life in 2016 except that she resided in Florida (which is not unusual for WWE wrestlers as it tends to be their training base). Her relationship with Seth Rollins could therefore have been described as a surprise once it was finally revealed by Rollins himself on Instagram. Although both remain relatively quiet in terms of their private life, they have allowed fans glimpses into their relationship by occasionally sharing personal photos which included news of their engagement and subsequent marriage as well as the birth of their daughter. In much the same way, Lynch has always been distinctive amongst her contemporaries due to her ‘look’, with her long, orange hair and ‘combat-style’ attire which is quite a contrast to the blonde and glamourous guise usually associated with the women of WWE – a symptom of how female wrestlers have been depicted in the past.

Wrestling and person specific

In terms of the MWBI, ‘Marketable Lifestyle’ was Lynch’s ‘weakest’ category with a mean score of 5.34 overall. Within this category, the lowest rated criterion was RM1 with a score of 3.86, demonstrating the extent to which she was deemed to be a good role model. This criterion was also the only one of the 22 which achieved a below-average score for Lynch, possibly indicating that at the time of the survey, the ‘narrative’ and ‘stories’ regarding her off-field life were not well-known and therefore, fans could not relate to her as much in this regard.

However, Lynch has worked in a variety of industries and roles and has mentioned almost giving up on her dream of becoming a pro-wrestler due to injury setbacks – a theme that many others could possibly relate to. Now in her mid-thirties, Lynch could be said to be at the ‘mature’ stage of her career, but another aspect to consider is that Lynch became a first-time mother in December 2020 yet returned to competitive in-ring action just eight months later, winning one of WWE’s Women’s Championships. As it is rare for women to return to competitive wrestling after motherhood, let alone compete immediately for titles, this adds further weight to the perceived ‘culture shift’ in the way female superstars are now depicted in pro-wrestling.

MWBI and TOPSTAR summary

When combining both models, their limitations need to be considered in terms of subjectivity, response rates and timing. Nevertheless, the findings do indicate a correlation between the ‘authentic’ elements of Lynch’s persona and the general perception of her. For example, publicly acknowledging the relationship with her husband Seth Rollins, becoming a mother, being more active on social media and appearing in various forms of other media such as TV, film and magazines, has given fans an insight into Lynch’s ‘real-life’ alongside an increased ability to engage with her as a person and athlete. Lynch’s on-screen link to Seth Rollins was noteworthy in that Rollins himself has been considered one of the top-ranked wrestlers in the world over the previous 5 years.⁴ At the time that Lynch and Rollins’ relationship became an active part of WWE’s storylines, both wrestlers were at the pinnacle of their individual careers and the move therefore could be viewed as an attempt by WWE (as well as Lynch and Rollins themselves) to further capitalise and even enhance both superstars’ brand image. As this was at a point in both wrestlers’ lives where their personal relationship was no secret, this ‘on-screen’ alliance blurred the lines between reality and fiction, giving weight to the idea that this element of Lynch’s authentic self, had become an accepted part of her wrestling persona.

The vast success that Lynch has gone on to reach as a singles competitor within WWE includes multiple championship reigns as well as being one of the first women in history to main-event WWE’s flagship event WrestleMania. It could be argued that these successes were a result of WWE giving Lynch the platform on which to showcase her talent but it could also be due to Lynch’s own capabilities, allowing her to achieve ‘superstar’ status. One such incident which helped to cement this status was the oft-shared image of a bloodied Lynch, arms aloft after leading her team’s attack on their rivals at the end of 2018. Lynch sustained a concussion and broken nose after being punched by fellow WWE performer Nia Jax during the melee and whilst the storyline may have been scripted, the real-life injury and impact it left behind were used as a testament to the strength of character of Becky Lynch the wrestler and Becky Lynch the person. In an interview recalling the incident, Lynch confirmed that she had blacked out but got back up due to being on ‘autopilot’, reinforcing her own status as ‘The Man’ and simultaneously supporting Mitsis and Leckie’s (2015) view of ‘realness’ being a key indicator of brand success. The following night, Lynch stated that becoming a mother had made her an even more dangerous competitor as she was no longer fighting for herself but now also for her daughter – both incidents immediately quashing any concerns that Lynch may no longer be able to live up to her reputation of being ‘The Man’.

Acknowledging her motherhood in particular, Lynch corresponds to Smith and Sanderson’s (2015) aforementioned research regarding the positive impact that ‘self-presentation’ can have on projecting authenticity. Lynch also gained much positive attention for her post-pregnancy athletic physique and highlighted this by showing off her toned body and referring to herself on numerous occasions as ‘Becky Biceps’. This contrasts with the earlier theories put forward by Lebel and Danylchuck (2012) and Emmons and Mocarski (2015) which found that male athletes were more likely to discuss their chosen sport and have action shots as their profile photo. Similarly, it contradicts the theory put forward by Ball et al. (2006) in terms of how ‘femininity’ was seen to be a key aspect of marketability for female athletes. By showcasing her private life and ‘promoting’ herself as ‘The Man’, Lynch has been able to exhibit an element of differentiation and authenticity to create a perception of ‘genuineness’, which – as earlier described by Hodge and Walker (2015) and Smart (2005) – is crucial to a successful athlete brand. In fact, it could be said that challenging the traditional gendered notion of ‘The Man’ through exhibiting her own ‘realness’, is what has been at the core of her popularity. Further testament to Lynch’s success in this area is the number of social media followers she gained between 2016 and 2021 which saw an increase of over 300% across both Twitter and Instagram apiece – suggesting a positive use of self-branding in-line with Scott et al. (2021) research.

Moreover, Seth Rollins acts as an advocate for his wife by publicly expressing his admiration for her. For example, during Lynch’s absence, a fan Tweet pointed out that WWE had referred to one of Rollins’ accomplishments as being ‘Engaged to Becky Lynch’, to which Rollins himself responded: ‘You seen my future wife?! TOP ACCOMPLISHMENT INDEED!’ (Rollins 2021). This gives weight to the earlier argument put forward by Hasaan et al. (2018) in terms of the impact that word of mouth communication can have on the perception of an athlete, especially when deemed to be from a reputable source and supports the views of Moulard et al. (2015) of how consistency and reinforcement of a persona similarly promote the belief of authenticity. In recent times, Lynch has also actively shown support for various social causes such as the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement which suggests that she is unafraid to share her personal values. She has also acquired a reputation for being forthright when engaging in social media exchanges with fellow wrestlers and other users – usually showcasing her wit and dry sense of humour in the process. This manner of self-presentation has been key, especially recently in allowing fans to see another authentic side to Lynch, concurrently helping to build a certain narrative (Smith and Sanderson 2015, Hasaan et al. 2018).

In 2021 Elle interviewed Lynch and detailed her meteoric rise within the WWE ranks (Langmuir, 2021), interspersed with tales of real-life struggles as told by both Lynch herself and friends and contemporaries. Elle magazine is synonymous with celebrity features and a readership of young women in the 16–30 age bracket and so the inclusion of an article focusing on Lynch is testament to the wrestling superstar’s wider appeal but also affirms her high MWBI rating for ‘attractive appearance’, with respondents deeming Lynch to be representative of the ‘traditional’ views of femininity as previously indicated by Ball et al. (2006), as well as appreciating her physical body (Coleman-Bell 2006). This could additionally suggest that Lynch fits the publication’s own ‘beauty standards’ but also that she is viewed as more of a role-model now than when the initial MWBI study was undertaken and therefore, supports the view of Mitsis and Leckie (2015) that the wider recognition of Lynch’s real-life may have helped her in this respect.

In terms of age, Lunardo et al. (2015) found that this tended to have a bigger impact on the appeal of celebrity athletes, as opposed to those from the realms of TV, music and cinema for instance. The ‘appeal’ of sports stars appeared to decrease with age – possibly due to an inevitable decline in their athletic performance – and a potential solution could be for those athletes to engage in other fields where their athletic ability was not of primary focus. However, female WWE superstars such as Tamina and (until recently) Mickie James were still actively competing whilst in their 40s, indicating that should Lynch choose to, there is a possibility for her to continue her endeavours with the company for some time yet. Furthermore, a comparison between 2016 and 2021 demonstrates that Lynch’s in-ring success over those years allowed her also to expand her horizons and venture into the realms of Hollywood by appearing most recently in the hit TV show Billions (Showtime/Sky One, 2016) and the WWE produced The Marine 6 movie (Dir: Nunn, 2018), as well as the animated Paramount Studios film – Rumble (Dir: Grieve 2021). In all three productions, she presents an authentic version of herself, through keeping her distinctive Irish accent, yet continues to play with her brand image by switching between her private and public image, sometimes credited and portraying herself as ‘Becky Lynch’ the wrestler and other times as ‘Rebecca Quinn’.

Conclusion

As interest in Hollywood and sports has grown, personalities from both industries have been able to position themselves in such a way that they have now become the key commodity – and top ‘brand’ – themselves. Studies have indicated that the more successful athlete brands are those which demonstrate both on and off-field elements as well as professional and personal aspects, whilst simultaneously maintaining a degree of authenticity and genuineness enabling the public to build a strong bond with them. In the world of professional wrestling where the concept of ‘authenticity’ is traditionally alien, superstars are now more inclined to showcase their real lives as part of their wrestling exploits. Perhaps more interestingly, given the historical challenges that women have experienced both in terms of pro-wrestling perceptions and endorsements in general, Becky Lynch’s growing popularity is testament to how well she has been able to merge her wrestling persona with her femininity, building a strong brand and attracting more interest and success along the way. The MWBI and TOPSTAR models present Lynch as an athlete who has evolved and embraced the opportunity to ultimately build her own brand as ‘The Man’. Public perception of her is as someone who is incredibly adept in her profession, outspoken in key matters and proud of her athletic achievements but someone who also happens to be a wife and mother. Through balancing these facets with a growing online presence, Lynch has created a personal brand based on her varied life experiences, allowing her to stay true to herself and her identity. The extent to which she has successfully achieved this could be further identified through a repeat study, in particular, of the MWBI model which would give greater insight into how perceptions of Lynch have developed over the years since the initial study was conducted. However, whilst Lynch had been away from WWE programming due to her pregnancy, her potential return had generated a sense of anticipation and excitement which is rarely felt for a female superstar. Her ability to remain ‘relevant’ and at the forefront of people’s minds over this period is just another example of the real star-power that Lynch harnesses and was justified through her triumphant return in the summer of 2021. Through combining the traditional masculine ideals of pro-wrestling alongside her advocacy for women’s rights, Lynch has gained unprecedented success as a female WWE competitor. Furthermore, her growing accomplishments and activities outside of the wrestling ring suggest that Lynch is well on her way to achieving celebrity status and forging her own path as a highly successful brand – a brand that can be described in many ways: a woman, an athlete, an actor, a wife, a mother or ‘The Man’. As per the saying, ‘behind every great man, there is a great woman’ – it is perhaps therefore fitting then that Becky Lynch is the very epitome of this.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tina Simak

Tina Simak has a background in Sports Management, with professional experience across both the sports industry and academia. Her research interest focuses on women in sport and in particular, perceptions on the current landscape of women’s wrestling. She has presented her work at conferences such as the European Association for Sports Management (EASM) as well as the Pro Wrestling Symposium. Tina is currently lecturing at Coventry University whilst continuing her research.

Notes

1. Matches where the women wrestle in their lingerie or a match with the objective to strip your opponent down to their lingerie.

2. Starting around 2015, the ‘Women’s Revolution’ is a term coined by WWE to refer to the period of time that has seen women being given more credible matches and airtime.

3. Total Divas is a WWE-produced scripted reality series, originally airing in the UK on E!, and spanning nine seasons over six years.

4. Data according to wrestling publication Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s annual top 100 global wrestlers ranking list.

Appendix

Table A1. TOPSTAR framework applied to Becky Lynch.

Area	Description (2016)	Description (2021)
Team	Team BAE and PCB member, team merchandise, Four Horsewomen, Finn Balor, Shimmer wrestling	Seth Rollins
Off-field	Florida, keeps a ‘low profile’	Los Angeles, California, Seth Rollins, new mother, has made appearances at ‘red carpet’ events
Physical Characteristics, mentality and values	Long, red/orange hair, blue eyes, athletic, work ethic (as quoted by Triple H), always wanted to be a wrestler, energetic, enthusiastic, self-proclaimed risk-taker	Outspoken about social causes on social media, close bond with parents
Success	Ranked 17^th out of PWI’s top 50 female wrestlers (2015)	1^st ever woman to main event a WrestleMania event (35 – along with Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair), WWE Raw Women’s Champion (2), WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion (4), WWE Women’s Royal Rumble winner (2019), WWE Female Superstar of the Year (2018, 2019), WWE Match of the Year (2018), PWI Most Popular Wrestler (2019), PWI Woman of the Year (2018, 2019), ranked 1^st in PWI top 100 female wrestlers (2019), CBS Sports Best Moment of the Year (2018), CBS Sports Wrestler of the Year (2018), CBS Sports WWE Match of the Year (2018)
Transferability	Appealing to both men, women, adults and children, 472k Twitter followers, 1.1 m Instagram followers, promotes Irish heritage – makes her distinctive, wrestled all over the world, taken on various jobs, such as acting, air stewardess, stunt woman, martial arts, before coming back to wrestling	2 m Twitter followers, 5.2 m Instagram followers, has appeared in WWE produced movies and mainstream TV shows, featured interview in Elle magazine
Age	29 - signed with WWE in 2013, main roster debut in 2015, at the growth stage of her career	34 – maturity stage of her career, WWE ‘veteran’
Reputation	Held in high regard globally for her wrestling skills, brawler with submission expertise, has a social media presence but seems quiet otherwise, engages with fans	Active, growing social media presence, quite outspoken, keeps private life relatively quiet in comparison to other female superstars but does occasionally share some details