The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl

Jamie Hemmings

Becky Lynch book
Becky Lynch book

Becky Lynch is now both ‘The Man’ and ‘The Writer’

Rebecca Quin has been known by many names. Rebecca Knox. Becky Lynch. Irish Lass Kicker. The Man. Becky Two Belts. Big Time Becks.

Now the WWE superstar can add author to her plethora of personae.

Quin, better known to current wrestling fans as Becky Lynch, releases her much anticipated — and highly publicized via her social media — autobiography The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl on March 26th. The book is published by Gallery Books.

Just to admit some bias, this writer has been a fan of Lynch since I first saw her wrestle as Rebecca Knox for SHIMMER, an all-female pro wrestling promotion. So, yes I’ll admit this reviewer found this reading experience to be engaging, candid, raw, unfiltered, self-deprecating, and to my surprise unexpectedly humorous. Lynch not only delivers chops in the squared circle; she also has the chops of a skilled writer.

In its 384 pages, Lynch breaks her story down into seasons instead of sections and episodes instead of chapters. She takes the reader through all of the ups and downs of her journey to pro wrestling stardom. Readers are given a complete tour into Lynch’s life from lying about her age to get into pro wrestling school in Ireland, to “kneecapping” Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart months into her training, being involved in the first ever women’s main event at WrestleMania, being both the WWE’s RAW and SmackDown women’s champion at the same time, and everything in between.

Lynch also delves into her personal struggles including her parents’ divorce, struggling to find her passion in life, dropping out of college, having an eating disorder, the breakup with her first love (WWE’s own Finn Balor), falling out with her one-time best friend and fellow WWE superstar Charlotte Flair, and being frustrated and critical with both her performance and spot on the WWE roster when first starting at the company. For someone that many people would assume has it all, it’s a strong reminder that everyone struggles and Lynch’s honesty is admirable and will undoubtedly resonate with readers. As Lynch shared in the book:

I have learned many things on my journey, many of which are your usual cliches. That it’s always about the journey and not the destination. That change is always possible, and things are only impossible until someone does them. That nothing outside of ourselves can bring lasting happiness. More than anything, I have learned that my biggest enemy has always been self-doubt and that when I have been able to free myself from its irritating shackles and had the courage to trust my inner compass, wonderful things can happen.

The one criticism I have of this book is Lynch’s constant praise for both Vince McMahon, former Chairman and CEO of WWE, and his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, former Chief Brand Officer, Chairwoman, and co-CEO of WWE. I found these comments to be over-the-top and to be honest, gag-inducing. I get that Lynch is beyond thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to achieve what she has in the WWE and have her dream occupation to boot. And of course, Lynch met her husband, fellow WWE wrestler Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez), there and the two are now married with a daughter. But it gets to be too much, to the point of coming off as not genuine and, again, the gagging effect. At one point Lynch refers to Stephanie as “a legitimate angel.” I’m not making that up!

And while I know Lynch’s manuscript was submitted before the recent story broke about the horrific sexual allegations against Vince McMahon, one can’t help but notice the tremendous amount of praise she allocates to him in her book. And unfortunately, in light of these recent allegations, the praise came off as even more glaring to this reader.

But as I close this book and anticipate my next read, I have to credit Lynch for delivering a well-written, vulnerable, and pleasurable read. Her book is an important contribution to those who seek quality pro wrestling tomes. Lynch and her life story are definitely not to be classified as that of “your average average girl.” She continues to prove to us why she is called “The Man” and now, “The Writer.”

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