Becky Lynch Has Become WWE's Top Star, but How Long Will It Last?

In a matter of months, Becky Lynch has reached new heights of superstardom in WWE. Only an elite few athletes, including the illustrious likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and John Cena, can say they've ever shattered that glass ceiling before.

However, the way The Irish Lass Kicker has connected with crowds worldwide is undeniable and has led to her becoming WWE's undisputed top star in terms of popularity and positioning.

Stars such as Seth Rollins and AJ Styles trail close behind her in the pecking order, but there is nobody fans want to main-event WrestleMania 35 more than The Man.

Despite getting "suspended" (in storyline) by Stephanie McMahon on Monday's Raw, Lynch is still slated to challenge Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Regardless of whether Charlotte Flair is eventually added to the bout, it will be biggest attraction on the card and should close out the event.

WWE has had an issue with striking while the iron is hot for certain Superstars over the years, but Lynch has proved to be the rare exception. The only other names to experience similar success organically in the past decade were CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.

Punk had always been an exceptional talent, but it wasn't until he turned the industry on its head in June 2011 when he cut a worked shoot promo about his frustrations with the company that his stock skyrocketed. He then went on to win the WWE Championship from Cena in his hometown of Chicago and leave as an "unemployed" champion.

It was one of the most exciting stories WWE had told in years, but more importantly it made Punk a huge star overnight. He cooled off following losses to Alberto Del Rio and Triple H, but he was staple in the main event scene until the day he departed the company in January 2014.

Credit: WWE.com

As for Bryan, he rode his wave of momentum into the main event of WrestleMania 30 and ended up leaving the new world heavyweight champion. WWE had no choice but to give him the spotlight he deserved as a result of how over he was with the audience, with only injuries being his biggest downfall.

Lynch, on the other hand, is breaking new ground as the first female to catch fire on the main roster in years, if not ever. While Flair and Sasha Banks have taken part in many history-making matches since 2016, they never had the same steam Lynch does at the moment.

Unfortunately, The Man has suffered several injures in the last few months, including at the Royal Rumble on January 27 when she legitimately hurt her knee. She is expected to recover in time for WrestleMania, but beyond that, it's possible WWE will label her as injury-prone if she has another setback during her time on top.

To WWE's credit, they have stuck with The Man as a featured act on Raw and SmackDown Live and did the right thing by having her reign supreme in the women's Royal Rumble match. The next step is for Lynch to knock off Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania, but anything can happen between now and April 7.

Winning the Rumble was merely the first step in Lynch's ascent to the top of WWE. Prolonging the fanfare she has will arguably be even tougher, as fans are constantly looking to get behind wrestlers who are underutilized and turn on those they believe are being pushed too hard.

With Lynch appearing on both Raw and SmackDown these days to promote her 'Mania match with Rousey, WWE must avoid running the risk of overexposure with her and instead ensure she continues to come across as authentic as possible.

The key to The Lass Kicker maintaining her mystique will be how she is portrayed before and after WrestleMania. Although she has been a natural babyface for most of her career, she will need to adjust her character accordingly once she inevitably captures the championship.

Lynch's booking will also play an important factor in whether she can sustain superstardom. Her submission loss to Asuka at the Rumble nearly did damage to her hot streak, but the way she won the Rumble later the same night was enough to keep her credible.

The world of WWE changes so much from day to day that it's impossible to know where she'll wind up even a few months down the road. However, the recent roll she's been on should be a positive sign that her future will remain bright as long as she can stay the course.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.