Becky Lynch says her history-making victory to become WWE’s first SmackDown Women’s Champion was not the company’s original plan.
When WWE introduced the SmackDown Women’s Championship in 2016, Lynch was one of six competitors selected for the inaugural title match at Backlash. She ultimately outlasted Nikki Bella, Carmella, Natalya, Naomi, and Alexa Bliss, forcing Carmella to submit to the Dis-Arm-Her to establish herself as the division’s first champion.
That result became an important turning point in Lynch’s WWE career. Yet, reflecting on that period during an appearance on No-Contest Wrestling from The Rich Eisen Show, Lynch said Nikki Bella was expected to leave the event with the championship before the audience reaction to Lynch prompted a shift in direction.
“It was like even the first time that I won the Smackdown Women’s Championship first. That wasn’t the plan,” Lynch said. “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.’”
A new championship and a major opportunity
The SmackDown Women’s Championship was unveiled during the 2016 brand split, two days before the Backlash event where its first holder would be decided. The title immediately gave the SmackDown women’s roster its own central prize, separate from the championship associated with Raw.
The six-pack elimination challenge was built around a group that represented several different positions within the developing division. Lynch had steadily connected with audiences through her tenacity and distinct personality. Bella brought name recognition and momentum from her return to the ring. Carmella was establishing herself following her arrival from NXT, while Natalya, Naomi, and Bliss each added depth and contrast to the match.
Bella’s place in the contest carried particular significance. She had returned at SummerSlam 2016 after undergoing neck surgery in January 2015. On that SummerSlam show, Bella substituted for Eva Marie in a six-woman tag match and scored a pinfall over Carmella. Her comeback put her quickly into a prominent position just as SmackDown’s women’s division was gaining a new championship.
Lynch’s comments make clear that she viewed Bella as a worthy potential choice for the inaugural reign. The Irish star specifically praised Bella’s recovery and return, calling her “a bada**” after coming back from what Lynch described as a broken neck. At the same time, Lynch said the live crowd’s response created a factor WWE could not ignore.
How the Backlash match unfolded
The inaugural championship match gave every participant a chance to shape the result, and the elimination format created room for the planned direction to change as the contest developed. Bella eliminated Natalya, only for Carmella to roll Bella up and remove her from the match. That elimination proved decisive in the larger story of the title’s first night.
With Bella out of the equation, Lynch continued through the match and reached the final stage against Carmella. Lynch then applied the Dis-Arm-Her, compelling Carmella to submit and securing the inaugural SmackDown Women’s Championship.
The visual was a defining one for the new title: Lynch standing as the first wrestler to hold it after overcoming the entire six-woman field. Her victory did more than start a championship lineage. It offered an early indication that the organic support Lynch had built with WWE fans could translate into major opportunities.
In her new comments, Lynch framed the moment as an example of the approach she felt was required when a performer was not guaranteed a particular spot. Rather than wait for a championship chance to arrive, she said she focused on making every opportunity as compelling as possible.
That mindset is central to her recollection of the 2016 shift. Lynch did not present the title win as something she had expected to receive. Instead, she described a situation in which the crowd became increasingly vocal once the championship was revealed, leading WWE decision-makers to reassess the direction.
The value of audience reaction
Wrestling plans can evolve for many reasons, but crowd response has long been among the most influential. A reaction that is sustained, loud, and specific can change the way a performer is positioned, particularly when a new championship or new division is being introduced.
Lynch said fans began chanting her name after the SmackDown Women’s Championship was revealed. In her telling, that reaction forced the office to recognize the support behind her. The decision to put the title on Lynch was therefore not simply a matter of winning one match; it reflected a performer turning an opening into a larger career step through an audience connection.
The timing mattered. WWE was creating a title intended to define SmackDown’s women’s division, so selecting its first champion naturally carried added weight. An inaugural champion helps establish the initial identity of a belt, its contenders, and the stories that can follow. Lynch’s combination of fan support, in-ring credibility, and a clear underdog edge made her an effective figure to lead that launch.
Her remarks also underline a reality of her ascent: Lynch believed she needed to seize momentum rather than assume it would be handed to her. “I’m not sitting around,” she said, explaining the mentality she brought to the situation. That perspective fits the competitive environment surrounding a multi-person title match, where every entrant is attempting to leave the strongest impression possible.
An 84-day first reign and a lasting title legacy
Lynch’s first SmackDown Women’s Championship reign lasted 84 days. It ended when Alexa Bliss defeated her in a tables match, giving Bliss the first of what would become several major title moments on WWE’s main roster.
While the inaugural reign was relatively brief, it was only the beginning of Lynch’s history with the championship. She later won the SmackDown Women’s Title five times, making her one of the championship’s most decorated holders. Her connection to the title consequently extends well beyond the 2016 Backlash match that started its lineage.
The championship itself has also become a central part of WWE’s women’s landscape since its creation. What began as a new prize for the SmackDown roster has been held by many of the division’s leading names, but Lynch remains permanently connected to its origin as the first champion.
For Bella, the story remains an intriguing what-if from the early brand split era. Her return at SummerSlam and immediate placement in the inaugural title match showed how highly positioned she was following her recovery. Lynch’s recollection does not alter what happened in the ring at Backlash, but it adds context to the decision-making behind one of the more consequential championship crowning moments of that period.
Ultimately, Lynch’s account centers on preparation meeting opportunity. WWE may have had another plan in mind, but she believes her audience reaction changed the equation. At Backlash 2016, that support culminated in Lynch forcing Carmella to tap out, raising the new SmackDown Women’s Championship, and beginning a title legacy that she would add to five more times.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.