“The Man” Is Taking WWE Back To The Pop Cultural Mountaintop

Irish “Lass Kicker” Becky Lynch Is A Stone Cold Superstar

The idea of a performer using the sobriquet of “The Man” in professional wrestling is a fascinating case of self-aggrandizement in an already quite self-aggrandizing, and largely male-dominated industry. Calling oneself “the man” advances an idea that, as an all-around performer, they’re more intimidating, more proficient at the art of grappling, more virile as an object of sexual affection from adoring fans, or just, in general, the one performer that every other performer looks up to as the standard of excellence in the industry. All that being said, intriguingly, as of October, 2018, there’s no longer a man who’s “the man” in pro wrestling anymore.

Once you realize that the person calling themselves “The Man” is a cisgendered woman named Rebecca Quin — who performs as Becky Lynch — it’s a uniquely exciting moment worthy of celebration. When a woman states that she is unequivocally “The Man” in an industry that has been dominated for an eternity by bold men and their aggressive male energy, it’s worth immediately stopping everything and re-assessing everything. Just like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin did nearly a quarter-century ago, “The Man” Becky Lynch could be the star that negative publicity-hit, yet historically…