Predicting When Becky Lynch Will Return to WWE Programming

Charles Sykes/Associated Press

Whenever a Superstar is out of action for an unknown period of time, speculation about their impending return runs rampant. These days, the person everyone is curious about is Becky Lynch.

The former double champion announced her pregnancy on May 11 last year, which was the day after the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. After revealing she was expecting her first child with Seth Rollins, she relinquished the Raw women's title to Asuka, who had won the MITB briefcase the night before. 

The Man announced the birth of her daughter on December 7. Of course, as soon as that happened, people began talking about her eventual return to the ring.

Like any new mother, Lynch had to think about herself and her baby before considering a return to action. However, recent social media posts on Instagram indicate she is already training for a possible comeback. 

As one of the most popular and successful Superstars of the pre-pandemic era, WWE is probably champing at the bit to get her back in the ring.

Let's take a look at some of the most likely dates when Lynch could make her return. 

The next pay-per-view on the WWE calendar is WrestleMania Backlash on May 16. The company swapped the usual spots for Backlash and Money in the Bank this year, so the event would fall almost on the one-year anniversary of Lynch's big announcement.

It would be a nice bit of symmetry if The Man made her comeback almost 12 months to the day from when she took time off. WWE loves that kind of stuff, so if she is ready to return, it is probably laying out plans as we speak.

Another option would be the Raw before Backlash on May 10 since that would be closer to the exact anniversary, but if WWE wants to give the PPV a boost, it would make more sense to wait the extra six days to bring her out then. 

Lynch would be great for either brand. She was a member of the Raw roster when she left, but with Rollins on SmackDown, WWE may put her on the same show so they can keep their schedules in line with each other. 

Since WWE swapped spots for Backlash and Money in the Bank this year, the company has until June 20 to think of how to bring The Man back into the fold if that is her desired return date.

This would provide a huge opportunity for WWE to immediately put her back in the title hunt by having her win the women's Money in the Bank briefcase.

The creative team could set it up so every competitor is announced ahead of time bar one. When all of the women are in the ring waiting for the match to begin, that is when Lynch's music would hit and she would make her triumphant return.

The only issue with this plan is putting The Man in such a dangerous bout after being out of action for over a year. She may want to ease herself back in before taking bumps from the top of a ladder. That one detail makes this scenario slightly less likely than the others. 

Even if she returns at MITB, she could also do it as a run-in to help or hinder another Superstar to set up her first rivalry in 2021. 

Considering the episode of Raw after Money in the Bank 2020 is when Lynch announced her pregnancy, returning on the same episode would almost be poetic, even if the shift in PPV schedule puts it more than a month later in 2021 than it was last year. 

Here is how it would go down:

Whoever wins the women's Money in the Bank match would be in the ring bragging about their victory and teasing a cash-in that night. This would bring out Rhea Ripley to respond.

As the two argue, Lynch makes her way down to surprise both competitors. She claims she is next in line to challenge for the title she never lost, and since Ripley is a fighting champion, she will grant her the match.

This would set them up for an encounter at Extreme Rules, which should be the next event after MITB. WWE has yet to formally announce a date for the PPV, but that should change in the coming weeks. 

Lynch and Ripley have only done battle once, on a 2019 episode of NXT. It ended with an attack by Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke, so they have never had a chance to prove who is better. This scenario would give them that opportunity. 

With COVID vaccines being more readily available as time goes on, more restrictions being lifted and the ability in some states to have live events with fans in attendance, there is a good chance WWE stages SummerSlam in front of its first packed crowd since the start of the pandemic.

If that happens, WWE is going to want to make it a night to remember. We will get some huge matchups, wild stipulation bouts and maybe even a surprise return from The Man.

SummerSlam 2018 was when it all turned around for Lynch. After she came up short in a Triple Threat match with Charlotte Flair and Carmella, she smacked The Queen right in the face and set herself on a new path.

In the months that followed, she became one of the hottest acts in pro wrestling. She was over with the fans, selling tons of merchandise and racking up wins. Eventually, she won the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships at WrestleMania 35 in a history-making contest with Charlotte and Ronda Rousey. 

This event is special for her character, so it would make sense for this to be the night she returns to take back her spot at the top of the division. 

All of these scenarios for Lynch's comeback are possible, but she may decide to take more time away to be with her daughter. At this point, the ball is in her court. When she is ready, management and the WWE Universe will welcome her back with open arms.