WWE may be the largest organization in professional wrestling, but it is also perhaps the most controversial. The company is currently marred in a major legal proceeding as Janel Grant has sued both Vince McMahon and the WWE over serious allegations. That case started in January 2024 and since then WWE hasn’t escaped the criticisms that have followed thanks to actions such as bringing back Brock Lesnar. Those criticisms will grow louder thanks to some comments from WWE Superstar, Becky Lynch, whose statements speak to a troublesome culture within the company.
While speaking with Bert Kreischer on his podcast “Something’s Burning,” Lynch dropped some interesting statements about her time in WWE that left the wrestling community talking. The first came when she spoke about a main roster talent (whom she did not name) who would blacklist female performers on the roster.
“I’m not gonna name names but there was a guy on the main roster who it was like, ‘Be careful. Be careful because, one, he’ll try to sleep with you. If he sleeps with you, then he’ll blacklist you…And if he tries to sleep with you and don’t sleep with him, he’ll also blacklist you.’” Lynch said during the conversation. “So there was this line that you had to walk this tightrope.”
Kreishcher pushed Lynch and asked if he’d know this person.
“You know him, definitely…At one point, he got my number and I remember being like, how do you walk this line? So there was always this thing off…if you get into a relationship and things go south, they’re not gonna fire the guy. They’re always gonna fire the girl. So, it was a very, very scary thing.”
Lynch didn’t stop there. Later in the conversation she talked about how the women were instructed to dress for NXT events, which also raises eyebrows about the conduct of those within the company.
“At the time, when you were a girl in WWE, you always had to go to the shows in nice dresses…I was an extra,” Lynch said. “I was in NXT so you had to be as hoey as possible. You had to be like, dress, up to your ass, low as can be. This was the aesthetic. I didn’t suit the aesthetic but anyway…”
Taken alone, both of these statements are problematic, but they are even more troubling when placing them next to the allegations in Grant’s lawsuit. Not only does Grant allege actions by McMahon and John Laurinaitis (who has since cooperated with her team), but her lawsuit speaks of a culture within WWE that made the situation possible. Lynch’s comments also speak to WWE’s culture, and not in a positive fashion.
WWE faced a lot of criticism when Brock Lesnar returned to WWE at SummerSlam. While Grant’s lawsuit does not allege any wrongdoing by Lesnar, he is named in the lawsuit several times. In the eyes of many, WWE welcoming him back with open arms flew in the face of the seriousness of the lawsuit and speaks to the idea that perhaps the culture within the company hasn’t changed much, even though McMahon is long gone.
WWE is the most powerful company in professional wrestling. Throughout the years there have been many stories and allegations against several of the men who’ve worked in the promotion. Becky Lynch has one of the most important voices in women’s wrestling today and her comments continue drawing attention to some of the wrongs women have faced. This continues to raise questions about WWE’s culture as the Janel Grant lawsuit looms.