Lynch believes the 2018 accident helped propel her toward WrestleMania history
Summary
– Becky Lynch says Nia Jax’s infamous 2018 punch may have helped change her career
– Lynch remembers very little of the bloody Raw segment because she was badly dazed
– She believes the moment helped lead to her WrestleMania 35 main event victory
Becky Lynch now looks back at the infamous Nia Jax punch from 2018 as one of the most important turning points of her WWE career. Speaking on the No-Contest Wrestling Podcast, Lynch revisited the SmackDown invasion of Raw ahead of Survivor Series 2018, when Jax caught her with a punch that left Lynch bloodied and injured.
Lynch was scheduled to face Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series, but the injury forced her out of the match. Despite that setback, the image of Lynch standing among the crowd, blood covering her face and her arms outstretched, became one of the defining moments of her rise as The Man.
What makes the moment even more remarkable is how little Lynch remembers about it. She said much of what happened after the punch was a blur and admitted that the famous image was not something she consciously planned.
Lynch made it clear she was not being sarcastic when thanking Jax for what happened. Looking back, she believes the accident may have helped push her toward the WrestleMania 35 main event and described it as possibly the best thing that could have happened to her career at that stage.
Jax felt terrible about the injury at the time, but Lynch now views the situation very differently. She believes the punch created an unforgettable visual that made her momentum feel even stronger, even though it cost her the opportunity to face Rousey at Survivor Series.
Lynch also revealed just how dazed she was while finishing the Raw segment. She remembers knowing that she needed to remain in position until the production light went off, but she had very little understanding of what had actually happened to her.
Once Lynch made it backstage, the seriousness of the situation began to sink in. She recalled asking a WWE security guard where she was and what had happened, and because she did not remember the punch itself, she initially feared that she might have suffered a serious neck injury.
Stephanie McMahon was also backstage with Lynch afterward, and Lynch remembered how quickly her attitude changed once she was away from the crowd. After appearing fearless on television, she admitted that she became genuinely scared while trying to understand the extent of her injuries.
The incident immediately forced WWE to change its Survivor Series plans. Charlotte Flair replaced Lynch against Rousey, while Lynch’s unfinished business with both women continued into the following year.
Lynch eventually returned, won the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble, and advanced to the WrestleMania 35 main event against Rousey and Flair. That match became the first women’s bout to close WrestleMania, with Lynch leaving the show as both Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion.
For Lynch, the Nia Jax punch remains one of wrestling’s clearest examples of something going completely wrong and somehow creating an even bigger opportunity. The accident knocked her out of Survivor Series, but the bloody image that followed helped make The Man look more unstoppable than ever.
