Referee on Vince McMahon's reaction after a botch caused Becky Lynch to lose WWE match unexpectedly
Former WWE referee Drake Wuertz recently recalled how Vince McMahon reacted to a huge botch in a match involving Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
On August 22, 2015, Flair was supposed to win a pre-recorded bout against Dana Brooke, Emma, and Lynch at the first NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn event. In the closing stages, a legitimately dazed Lynch failed to kick out of a pinfall attempt from Emma. Wuertz, the referee for the match, fulfilled his duties as an official by counting to three.
It is well known that McMahon wants referees to officiate scripted WWE matches as though they are real fights. In an interview on the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Wuertz said the WWE Executive Chairman respected the tough decision he made that day:
"He just walks up, not a hair out of place, looking like a million bucks. He's freaking Vince McMahon. He walked up to me [backstage] and he extended his hand. He goes, 'Hell of a call you made out there, kid.' I looked at my hand, it was like goosebumps, dude, I was so freaking excited. That was my first interaction with him, and it was amazing." [38:31 – 38:57]
Emma's victory surprised fans, especially as Flair and Lynch had recently joined the main roster. A day later, the Four Horsewomen members joined forces with Paige to win a three-team elimination match at SummerSlam.
Why did Becky Lynch fail to kick out?
Emma gained momentum in the match after throwing Becky Lynch into the corner of the ring by her hair. The Australian then landed consecutive running splashes on Charlotte Flair and Lynch before pinning the latter to secure an unexpected victory.
Although he knew Lynch had suffered an injury, Drake Wuertz felt he had no choice but to count to three:
"I looked at Becky Lynch's eyes, she wasn't there – she got knocked loopy. This is NXT's first stadium show, we're in front of 15,000 people. Brooklyn freaking New York. As a referee, you have a job to do at that point. Nobody was there to break it up. It was not the planned finish, but I was taught as a referee – trained from the best in the business there – that you think shoot, but work." [35:54 – 36:32]
Wuertz's headset stopped working toward the end of the match, making the situation even more confusing. NXT head coach Matt Bloom and veteran official Scott Armstrong praised the referee when he returned backstage. Armstrong even ensured he received a bonus.
Do you have any memories of Becky Lynch's surprise loss? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.