‘I’m so sorry’ – WWE GOAT netted just $30 for first major match after ‘kneecapping’ 90s icon
Becky Lynch is undisputed in being one of the finest performers of her generation in WWE. Already a popular star having etched a place for herself on the roster as a champion following her 2013 arrival in the company, her popularity exploded in 2018. Becky Lynch is one of WWE’s biggest namesWWE It was around then that a largely cheery and likable Lynch morphed into ‘The Man’ an aggressively forthright and confident character that WWE fans adored. Her surge only continued when she was memorably left bloodied and battered by a legitimate broken nose and concussion at the hands of Nia Jax near the end of that year. That robbed her of a chance to meet Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series but arguably propelled her to global superstardom, her transformation into all-out badass complete. Presently on a hiatus of sorts from WWE after a stellar run, she remains insanely popular with audiences and has a CV to match thanks to seven runs as a world champion in the company. As is so often the case, though, the biggest and most explosive of stars are born from relatively humble and unsteady beginnings – the Irish-born icon being absolutely no exception. Her journey to main eventing WrestleMania alongside Charlotte Flair and Rousey began in her homeland before she journeyed overseas, where she enjoyed some breakthrough matches in Canada. Almost 20 years ago, she defeated the superbly named Miss Chevius in what Lynch detailed in her autobiography as one of her first significant wins – and one that exceeded some expectations. She wrote: “When the time came for us to go out for our match, the whole roster congregated at the curtain in delightful anticipation of a potential disaster. After all, they hadn’t seen me work…. “As I [came back] through the curtain, I was met with a round of applause from the rest of the ECCW roster.” It was, she explained, also the first time she’d be paid for a match – the sum she received from Michelle Starr, the man who booked her for the show, a world away from the undoubted riches she’s since enjoyed as a top WWE star. Lynch’s popularity has increased tremendously over the yearsWWE She went on: “As I began to take my boots off Starr slipped me an envelope [and said]: ‘It will be bigger next time.’ “I opened it to see thirty dollars. He might as well have handed me $1 million. After spending three years paying to wrestle, I was finally making money. All told, I would do it for free. Anything more was a bonus.” Within a short time, Lynch regularly began earning $50 per show as her experience and value increased – even this seemingly a huge departure from the matches that came before that Canada exploit. At just 16, the now 38-year-old shared the ring with WWE legend ‘The Anvil’ Jim Neidhart in a six-person tag-team match. Things didn’t exactly go swimmingly. She beamed: “At sixteen years old and with eight months of wrestling experience, I was going to be facing a WWE superstar. Only problem was, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. “At the beginning of the match all three of us attacked Jim. In my haste, I kicked him square in the kneecap, sending his giant ham of a leg twisting in the wrong direction.” Jim Neidhart was an icon of the 1980s and 1990s in WWEWWE Not unsurprisingly, the Hall of Fame tag team legend was less than impressed, leaving an inexperienced Lynch devastated. She continued: “Out of rightful fear of losing an ACI, he gave me a firm shove, scolding me in his thick American accent: ‘You don’t kick people like that!’ with a voice that came from the very pit of his diaphragm. “All my excitement turned to mortification as I slunk back and rested by the ropes, hoping I wouldn’t mess anything else up or injure anyone else. My first real opportunity and I had nearly kneecapped the star of the show.” The 2019 Royal Rumble winner said she ‘shamefully’ retreated to the dressing room before offering her apologies to the veteran, to whom she said: “Sir, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” In true Anvil style, he responded with kindness, going on to show the starlet the ropes backstage. “‘Oh, honey,’ he said in his sweetest dad voice. ‘That’s okay. Let me show you how you hit people.’ Bret Hart and The Anvil (right) were inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame as the Hart FoundationWWE Long before The Man conquered WWE, a young Becky Lynch left one legend wincingWWE “Despite his colossal frame, he gave me a club to the back that felt like I was hit by a marshmallow.” To say Lynch took that early lesson from one of the greats would be an understatement. Years later, she would be The Man and a star who prides herself on allowing those on their way up in the wrestling business to shine – just as The Anvil did. He died in 2018 aged 63, inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Bret Hart as the Hart Foundation the following year.
Becky Lynch is undisputed in being one of the finest performers of her generation in WWE.
Already a popular star having etched a place for herself on the roster as a champion following her 2013 arrival in the company, her popularity exploded in 2018.
It was around then that a largely cheery and likable Lynch morphed into ‘The Man’ an aggressively forthright and confident character that WWE fans adored.
Her surge only continued when she was memorably left bloodied and battered by a legitimate broken nose and concussion at the hands of Nia Jax near the end of that year.
That robbed her of a chance to meet Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series but arguably propelled her to global superstardom, her transformation into all-out badass complete.
Presently on a hiatus of sorts from WWE after a stellar run, she remains insanely popular with audiences and has a CV to match thanks to seven runs as a world champion in the company.
As is so often the case, though, the biggest and most explosive of stars are born from relatively humble and unsteady beginnings – the Irish-born icon being absolutely no exception.
Her journey to main eventing WrestleMania alongside Charlotte Flair and Rousey began in her homeland before she journeyed overseas, where she enjoyed some breakthrough matches in Canada.
Almost 20 years ago, she defeated the superbly named Miss Chevius in what Lynch detailed in her autobiography as one of her first significant wins – and one that exceeded some expectations.
She wrote: “When the time came for us to go out for our match, the whole roster congregated at the curtain in delightful anticipation of a potential disaster. After all, they hadn’t seen me work….
“As I [came back] through the curtain, I was met with a round of applause from the rest of the ECCW roster.”
It was, she explained, also the first time she’d be paid for a match – the sum she received from Michelle Starr, the man who booked her for the show, a world away from the undoubted riches she’s since enjoyed as a top WWE star.
She went on: “As I began to take my boots off Starr slipped me an envelope [and said]: ‘It will be bigger next time.’
“I opened it to see thirty dollars. He might as well have handed me $1 million. After spending three years paying to wrestle, I was finally making money. All told, I would do it for free. Anything more was a bonus.”
Within a short time, Lynch regularly began earning $50 per show as her experience and value increased – even this seemingly a huge departure from the matches that came before that Canada exploit.
At just 16, the now 38-year-old shared the ring with WWE legend ‘The Anvil’ Jim Neidhart in a six-person tag-team match. Things didn’t exactly go swimmingly.
She beamed: “At sixteen years old and with eight months of wrestling experience, I was going to be facing a WWE superstar. Only problem was, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.
“At the beginning of the match all three of us attacked Jim. In my haste, I kicked him square in the kneecap, sending his giant ham of a leg twisting in the wrong direction.”
Not unsurprisingly, the Hall of Fame tag team legend was less than impressed, leaving an inexperienced Lynch devastated.
She continued: “Out of rightful fear of losing an ACI, he gave me a firm shove, scolding me in his thick American accent: ‘You don’t kick people like that!’ with a voice that came from the very pit of his diaphragm.
“All my excitement turned to mortification as I slunk back and rested by the ropes, hoping I wouldn’t mess anything else up or injure anyone else. My first real opportunity and I had nearly kneecapped the star of the show.”
The 2019 Royal Rumble winner said she ‘shamefully’ retreated to the dressing room before offering her apologies to the veteran, to whom she said: “Sir, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
In true Anvil style, he responded with kindness, going on to show the starlet the ropes backstage.
“‘Oh, honey,’ he said in his sweetest dad voice. ‘That’s okay. Let me show you how you hit people.’
“Despite his colossal frame, he gave me a club to the back that felt like I was hit by a marshmallow.”
To say Lynch took that early lesson from one of the greats would be an understatement.
Years later, she would be The Man and a star who prides herself on allowing those on their way up in the wrestling business to shine – just as The Anvil did.
He died in 2018 aged 63, inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Bret Hart as the Hart Foundation the following year.
