Big fight feel. Becky had heard the cliche often enough, but for her, she tried to take that energy into every match she had, whether it was going to aired on Main Event or if it was showcased in a pay-per-view. She had been forced out of wrestling for far too long, and she would never take it for granted again. In the case of the Royal Rumble, she didn't mind being the first official match of the night. The three pre-show matches had done an admirable job warming up the crowd, and she knew the early placement of her bout with Asuka was purposeful, done to give her time to cool down and prepare for a last-minute entry into the women's Rumble match. On her way to her post-match interview, Asuka gave her a hug. "Good luck in the Rumble," she said, squeezing Becky's shoulders before she stepped back. "Even though I should be cheering for Io or Kairi."
Becky grinned. "Cheer for all three of us then. Increase your odds." Since she was a late surprise addition, slated to take over Lana's spot because of her kayfabe injury earlier in the night, she knew she stood a good chance of winning. Her rivalry with Ronda Rousey was hot enough that it was garnering attention both in MMA circles and in mainstream media, so Vince was actually getting invested. She wouldn't be the first women's Rumble winner—that honour had gone to Asuka, and deservedly so—being the second sounded pretty sweet too.
After doing her post-match interview, Becky caught what she could of the intervening matches before the women's Rumble. Even though she knew Ronda was scheduled to win, she still cheered for Sasha anyway, as well as using the opportunity to scout. When Lana and Rusev joined her, she felt vaguely guilty, but Lana gave her a huge hug. "Don't feel bad!" Lana insisted. "I'm sure I can spin it somehow. And besides, if you go on to win at the Rumble and then at WrestleMania, I'll have perfect fuel for starting a feud!"
She doubted Vince would ever invest heavily in a Lana-based feud, but Becky nodded. She would love to have feuds with wrestlers outside of the Four Horsewomen. The rosters were stacked, and that was without putting NXT in the mix. WWE had so many talented women who weren't being utilized—Becky herself had been one of them, not all that long ago—and she desperately wanted to get them out into the spotlight. "I'd love that. Maybe not so much the ballerina kicks to the head," she quipped, "but I think we could put on a great program."
Rusev patted her shoulder. "We both wish you luck. You deserve to be a champion again."
"Thank you." She excused herself and went to Creative, where the final five women—Bayley, Nia, Carmella, Charlotte, and herself—were supposed to meet to go over the final details and learn who would be the ultimate winner. Becky didn't doubt that they had already chosen days ago, but she had also heard of Rumbles that were decided at the last minute.
When she arrived, only Bayley was there. "Hey, sister," she greeted, rising to hug Becky. "That was a banger with Asuka. Good job."
"Thanks." Becky took a deep breath as she sat. As talented as all of the final women were, she didn't see Nia or Carmella being chosen to win. Charlotte was the obvious front-runner, since Royal Rumble winner was one of the few accolades she hadn't earned yet, but Bayley was a solid workhorse. "So who do you think is going to get it?" she asked.
Bayley bumped shoulders with her. "I hope you do. You deserve it. You're carrying that damn feud with Ronda. It's like when you put a mic in her hand, she forgets how to talk. I mean, she's tough as hell, I'll give her that. But in terms of personality...."
"Yeah." Carmella entered then, with Nia and Charlotte not long after, so Becky didn't say anything more on the matter. Ultimately, it was in the McMahons' hands and all the theorizing in the world wouldn't make a bit of difference.
Stephanie strode into the room purposefully, looking over the assembled women. "Ladies, good luck out there tonight. I'm sure you'll make us all proud. As you know, Lana's selling an injury, so Becky's going to come out and take her place." Becky saw Nia roll her eyes at that, but did her best to ignore it. For all of Nia's attempts to make Face Breaker trend after giving Becky a concussion before Survivor Series, she had never been able to turn the infamy into anything tangible like Becky had.
"She was going to be number 28, right?" Becky asked.
"Yes," Stephanie confirmed, "but we're not sure how we're playing that just yet. I don't think we'll send you out right away. We might have Lana try to make it out to the ring but fall—maybe even have entrant 29 pass her by—and then you can come out and make your case. Carmella, you'll be the first of this bunch eliminated, then Bayley and Nia."
Nia didn't even try to hide rolling her eyes. "Of course. Three of the Four Horsewomen in the final four. Why not just replace me with Sasha and make it a full set?"
Stephanie silenced her with a piercing glare. "Keep it up, Jax, and we just might. Fans have been clamouring for a proper Four Horsewomen feud for years, after all." Once it was clear that Nia was going to be quiet, Stephanie continued. "And then Becky eliminates Charlotte for the win."
And then Becky eliminates Charlotte for the win. The words swam around Becky's head as Bayley practically jumped into her lap to hug her. "Serious?" she managed to squeak out. She had hoped and wished and dreamed, and even logically she knew it was the decision she would make if she were in control, but to hear it confirmed—not only confirmed, but with enthusiasm and pride—meant the world.
Stephanie mimed the Daniel Bryan Yes! Yes! Yes! gesture. "You heard me. We're all-in on your feud with Ronda and we want it to culminate at WrestleMania. Good luck out there, everyone." Giving Becky one of her trademark nose-crinkling smiles, Stephanie left the room.
Nia stood up and left without a word. Carmella smiled and gave Becky a high five. "Go get 'em, girl!" she declared. Charlotte just gave her a long hug—while Bayley was still squeezing her—and kissed the top of her head before heading out. Their rivalry last year had veered into personal territory, digging up long-held insecurities for them both; they were still best friends, but the dynamic between them was slightly bruised now and still recovering.
"Yes!" Bayley crowed, hauling Becky to her feet. "We have to go tell the guys! They'll be so stoked!" She practically dragged Becky to Catering, where Seth, Sheamus, and Cesaro were chatting over coffee. "HEY GUYS!" Bayley caught herself and glanced around before lowering her voice just a fraction. "Guess who's winning the women's Rumble tonight?" Then she did an NWO-style pose, pointing with both hands at Becky.
"Good for you, fella!" Sheamus stood and lifted Becky in a tight hug. "Go do Ireland proud, yeah?"
"Like always," Becky answered, hugging him back.
Cesaro was grinning from ear to ear. "Congratulations, Irish. Definitely well deserved." Then he pointed to Seth in a fashion far more sedate than Bayley's presentation. "Team CrossFit is representing, it seems."
Becky hugged Seth as soon as he stood. From her first days in NXT, he had been an incredible support and while his success had been astronomical, he had also faltered along the way. Knowing he was back on the ascent was a relief. "Really? That's great."
Seth gave a small shrug. "It's not final yet, but I've heard from enough people that I'm pretty confident."
"That's great!" Bayley joined in the hug. "Both my besties are gonna be wearing gold, and Sasha and I will get the women's tag titles!" Remembering that The Bar had just lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, she cringed and added, "And you guys will get your titles back soon. Miz and Shane will never last."
Cesaro held out his fist to bump. "Let's hope so." They all put their fists into the circle before stepping back. "You two better go get ready," he said to Bayley and Becky, "and Seth should get to Creative."
"And then we," Sheamus declared, "can break into the beer early!"
"Set the bar high!" Seth called out as the women left. Then he groaned. "I didn't mean that to be a damn pun, I swear...."
Becky heard Sheamus chuckle as she and Bayley headed around the corner. "She's rubbing off on you, mate!" Sheamus crowed.
Bayley kept patting Becky's arms excitedly. "This is going to be so great! I'm so happy for you. Sasha will be too. And Charlotte... will be too. She just needs some time."
Becky tried not to worry too much about other people's feelings as she did her last-minute preparations. She deserved the win as much as anyone, if not more so. While other women would complain about a lack of opportunities and then do nothing to bolster themselves, Becky was utilizing Twitter and other social media to the utmost, getting fans engaged. Backstage, Bayley and Sasha kept her company as they counted the women down number by number until Lana came past. "Enjoy it," she told Becky, kissing her cheek. "Make it worth it."
"Thanks. For what it's worth, I wish it wasn't happening like this. You deserve to be in the Rumble too," Becky told her.
"Like I said," Lana grinned, "give me a title shot later." Then she shook out her kayfabe-injured leg, practised her limp a bit, and headed for the curtain.
Sasha and Bayley hugged her from either side, keeping her steady as she waited for her cue. "Go get it," Sasha grinned when one of the cameramen motioned Becky to the curtain. "We love you, Becks!"
"Love you too." Becky took a deep breath, reached for the curtain, and stepped into the moment. As soon as her music hit, the crowd roared like nothing she had heard before and it drowned out every thought, every worry. She hoped she didn't miss any of her spots as she went to Lana, crumpled on the entrance ramp, and Finlay, who was trying to assist her. She practically had to scream in order to have the microphones pick up her dialogue over the raucous crowd, but the rush was worth it.
For one of the most pivotal moments of her life, it seemed to take only a second for everything to fall into place. Before she knew it, she was launching Charlotte over the top rope and then there was the crowd, louder than before, louder than anything she had ever heard, and suddenly looking at the WrestleMania sign made her heart want to leap out of her chest.
The next bit was a blur too: the obligatory post-match interview, the dozens of congratulations and hugs, falling into the arms of her friends. When she was finally able to hug Seth, he held her a bit longer than usual and whispered in her ear, "I get mine too."
"That's great!" She was beaming as she pulled back. "Sucks that it'll probably be against Lesnar, but you'll make it shine."
"Thanks. Catch up with you later." When they parted, Seth was beaming almost as much as she was.
After that, Becky was technically done for the night, but she was too elated to even think of going back to the hotel, though she did desperately want to call her parents. By the time the men's Royal Rumble started, her energy was only just starting to wane, so she grabbed a coffee and settled in to watch. As she expected, Seth was phenomenal; he truly was one of the most gifted wrestlers of his generation, no matter what the naysayers said. He had the rare ability to make his opponent look good in a match while highlighting his own skills at the same time. "Is he going to do it?" Bayley asked, leaning forward in anticipation. "Is he going to point at the sign?" It was the ultimate Royal Rumble cliche, but one every wrestler in WWE wanted to do. From the expression on his face, though, Becky wasn't sure it had entirely sunk in for him yet.
Becky waited until Seth had waded through most of the well-wishers to go hug him. "How are you feeling?" she asked. In some ways, he had looked happier for her win than his own, which hurt a bit; she appreciated his enthusiasm for her, but wanted him to be proud of himself too. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks. I had big shoes to fill." There was a camera crew not far from them, so Becky imagined he was scheduled to film another segment soon, but before she could back away, Seth held her in place. "Hey, Vince."
"Seth. Becky." Vince motioned to the camera crew and they dispersed. "Congratulations to you both." In his trademark gravelly tone, it sounded almost ominous. "You both did an amazing job. It's going to make picking the main event at WrestleMania difficult."
Seth's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? I won. That means I get to challenge the champion. Well, a champion," he corrected, "but you know I want to go against Brock...."
Becky almost said nothing. She knew how long Seth had been dreaming of WrestleMania, what it would mean to him to win the title—from Brock Lesnar, no less—and showcase it every week the way it was meant to. But she had dreams too, and now one of them was closer than ever. "So did I," she said firmly. When Seth glanced her way in surprise, she cleared her throat and added, "I won the Royal Rumble too. Where is it written that the main-event has to be the men?"
"Whoever wins the Royal Rumble main-events at WrestleMania." Seth almost looked incredulous. "It's been that way since for decades...."
"But there weren't women's Rumbles back then," Becky pointed out, turning to face Vince. "Now there are. So why is it a given that the men are still main-eventing? My feud with Ronda is on fire right now. Isn't this the perfect time to finally have the women in the main event?"
Vince was nodding pensively. "You both make good points. Yes, Seth, traditionally the Royal Rumble winner gets a title shot in the main event at WrestleMania—but Becky's right too: until last year, there was no women's Rumble." He held out his hands like plates on a scale, moving them up and down. "On one hand, Brock Lesnar is always a draw, whether it's because people want to see him lose or because they want to see him decimate his opponent."
Becky dropped her gaze at that. Lesnar might have been a money maker, but he could also be reckless in the ring. She didn't want Seth to get injured again. "And on the other hand?" she prompted.
"On the other," he continued, nodding at Becky, "what you and Ronda have is like lightning in a bottle. Who knows when we'll get a women's feud this intense again? The Evolution pay-per-view was a huge success and we want to build on that. Maybe this is the time."
Becky swore she could feel Seth deflate beside her, and she was torn between feeling bad for him and jumping for joy that a dream she had scarcely dared to hold in her heart might actually come to fruition. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't think we deserved it," she insisted. "If I didn't think we could pull it off, I wouldn't have said a thing." She had never wanted to be given something simply because she was a woman; if she gained an accolade, she wanted it to be earned. "But isn't this part of what we've been working for? This and the women's tag team titles and more opportunities for the women's roster?"
Vince clapped his hands once, effectively ending debate. "Always good to have options, isn't it? WrestleMania is still a few months away," he noted, "so we have time to run scenarios and plan. In the meantime, that makes it up to you."
Seth glanced back and forth between Vince and Becky with confusion. "What do you mean?"
Grinning, Vince threw his hands in the air like a referee confirming a goal. "Convince me! Convince the WWE Universe! Show all of us why you deserve to have the main event at WrestleMania! We've obviously laid the first step for you here at the Rumble," Vince added, gesturing around them. Now that the event was officially over, the busy business of dismantling all the gear and packing up had begun. "The next step is yours. Make your matches shine. Get the WWE Universe on your side. Prove that you're the best candidate for the marquee match." Pleased with himself, Vince nodded. "I couldn't have planned this better myself. Oh, wait—I did!" Laughing to himself, Vince strutted off, leaving Becky and Seth in silent shock.
Becky looked over at Seth, who was blinking rapidly as if he had just been struck in the face. "I'm not trying to take your dream away," she said gently. "But it's my goal too, and the women have never main-evented WrestleMania. If I can help make that happen because of this feud with Ronda...."
"But you dislike the part-timers as much as I do," Seth replied. "You know she's gone the minute her contract expires and that last payout hits her account." When Becky started to protest, he held up a hand. "I know Lesnar's not much better, but at least he shows up."
"At least he shows up," Becky repeated. "On occasion. And has Paul Heyman do the talking for him while he bounces from foot to foot. Thrilling."
"And hearing arm bar ten times in one minute is going to draw in fans?" Seth retorted. "Listen, Becks, I know you want to elevate the women's roster and that's great. I totally agree that this is the time. But is Ronda the match? Do you really want that kind of history to be attached to her name? Why not a Four Horsewomen match? Wouldn't that be a better legacy?"
The mention of the Four Horsewomen made her think back to Nia's disgruntled statement. Of the Four, Charlotte definitely got the most opportunities, but she, Bayley, and Sasha were featured prominently as well. A main event involving all four of them would be deeply fulfilling, but she couldn't see it happening this year. Like it or not—and mostly she didn't—Ronda Rousey brought fresh eyes and new interest to WWE and to the women's division in particular. "Is this the match I would choose? No. But sometimes that first step isn't pretty or graceful. That doesn't mean it doesn't have to be made. We could have this same argument every year, because it's everyone's dream to main-event WrestleMania. You'll have so many more chances. I know you will." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "You're an incredible performer and Vince knows that. These chances hardly ever come up for the women."
Becky thought she saw a spark of something—admiration? understanding?—in Seth's eyes before he hugged her again, resting his chin on her head. The height difference between them was laughable, but somehow he always made it feel comforting. "Well, you heard Vince. It's not decided yet." Stepping back, he held out his hand to shake. "May the best wrestler win?" Leaning in so close to her ear that his words made her shiver, he added, "And we both know who that is."
"Don't forget: Vince said to engage the WWE Universe," Becky replied with a wicked smile, "and we both know you can't hold a candle to me on Twitter."
"Candles burn out," Seth shrugged. "I'll burn it down."
Laughing, Becky hit his arm. "That was almost a good one. Too bad you didn't save it for Twitter."
Just as she turned to head back to the women's locker room, Seth caught her arm. "In the interest of sportsmanship," he began, "maybe we should set some ground rules. If you're free this week, why don't you come to Davenport? My coffee shop's open at last, so I can treat you to an exclusive coffee for your birthday and we can discuss terms."
My birthday? In the blur of activity surrounding the Royal Rumble, she had almost forgotten her birthday was on Wednesday. "Sure. How about Tuesday?" Grinning sweetly, she added, "Then I can assess whatever you did on Monday Night RAW and give you some pointers."
"Or I could give you some advice before SmackDown," Seth countered. Most of the hurt in his gaze was gone now, replaced by fierce hope. In terms of pure wrestling, Becky knew Seth versus Brock would be a bigger draw, but she doubted it could be even half as personal as the feud she and Ronda had going. "And I'll warn you now, my cafe won't have anything even remotely mint chocolate!"
Becky turned on her heel and pretended to walk off in a huff. "Then they're going to bomb just as hard as you will!" she called over her shoulder, mind already whirring with ideas for Twitter posts and spots on RAW.
When she got back to the women's locker room, almost everyone had already left except Charlotte, who was on her phone. "Hey, Becks. All packed up?" She gestured to Becky's bags. "I knew you weren't in your gear, but I didn't want to load your bags without checking with you first."
"Thanks, Char." Becky gave her a long hug. "And thank you for the match tonight. I'm glad it was the two of us at the end."
Charlotte's smile was her genuine one, slightly skewed to one side. She spent so much time trying to project a model-like image that Becky cherished every one of those smiles she managed to coax out of her friend. "Where have you been? I asked Bayley and she said you went to congratulate Seth, but unless you were... congratulating him," Charlotte said, stretching out the word with innuendo and raised eyebrows, "that was like twenty minutes ago."
Becky felt her cheeks prickle and hoped she wasn't blushing too much. "What? Don't be daft. Vince came up as we were talking and started on about the WrestleMania main event, and I pointed out that the women's Rumble winner should be considered too, so now he's got us competing against each other in promos and stuff to see who garners the most interest."
"Feuding with Ronda on screen and Seth off screen." Charlotte gave an appreciative nod. "You're going to be a busy lady, sister."
"Never too busy for you. Or oranges," Becky added with a grin, crouching down to double-check her bags. Once she was sure everything was there, she nodded. "All right. Let's head out. I need to think of ways to start a Twitter fight with Ronda."
Charlotte rolled her eyes as they walked towards the parking lot. "Can't you let it rest for one night, woman? You won the Royal Rumble! Enjoy it! Bask! Point at the damn sign!"
As they passed one of the interview alcoves that hadn't been broken down yet, Becky obligingly pointed at the WrestleMania logo on the backdrop. "Happy? Come on, Char. You know I'm going to have to work twice as hard to get traction. Lesnar's an automatic draw, and Heyman's an ace on the mic. I'm stuck with Rousey who can barely finish a sentence without looking constipated."
Laughing, Charlotte held her key fob aloft and pressed the button until a beep echoed through the parking lot and the flash of brake lights shone red in a small puddle. "When you put it that way, maybe I'm glad I didn't win this year," she said, her laughter ringing out. "I'll take next year."
"And challenge me?" Becky beamed. "Because I plan on still being champion at next WrestleMania." The confidence she didn't quite feel heading into the Rumble match was bubbling up now, and not a moment too soon: she was going to need every drop of bravado and creativity if she was going to secure the WrestleMania main event slot, and the fact that she was pitted against Seth just meant she was going to have to work that much harder. Dreams and hard work were nothing new to her, but having a close friend in her cross-hairs still was, so she was going to have to take her shots carefully. Her feud with Charlotte had delved into personal territory—sometimes too deeply—but they had done their best to keep the animosity in the ring. With Seth, somehow, it felt like more than just competition, and she wasn't sure why.