How To Meet Your Makers

The wrestling world varies from the real world in many, countless, different ways. One of the biggest differences is that, contrary to what everyone has learned from a very young age, you should definitely meet your heroes. Sometimes, if you're lucky enough, you'll get a chance to meet them in the same place that seeing them changed your life: the ring. And the thought can be dawning, after all, you're going to face your maker. The reason you exist, the reason you work hard every day and the desire to prove worthiness to who was once seen as a God might make for this encounter to turn over to the sour side. Inevitably, there was some fear looming over what would happen once Becky Lynch met her maker, Lita. However, the difference between their encounter and others before them was simple very simple: RESPECT.

Their story, from the beginning, was told from a foundation of respect that both women hold for one another. Lita, beaming with joy for stepping the sacred mat once more, seemed to be unable to hide her smile - and maybe even proud to wear that happiness so openly. On the other side, Becky Lynch, who was visibly struggling to contain her own excitement because character comes first when the camera has the red light on.

Lita, playing the ball right over the line between real life and the wrestling world, was able to lure Becky into agreeing to have a match. If you rewatch the moment Becky realizes she was outsmarted by Lita's silver tongue, getting her to accept a challenge by praising her, a delicious mix of emotions pass through Becky's facil expressions but the shine in her eyes is ever present. She was going to meet her maker, after all.

However, as many others would've moved forward by using their accolades and showing how superior they are now compared to their heroes during their prime years, this didn't prove entirely true. For the weeks that followed, we saw Becky using her bravado while Lita twirled it around as if she was an experience snake charmer. It was magical to witness, truly. And when it came to sign the contract for this dream match, Becky revealed that she wanted to preserve her respect for Lita because she was afraid to lose it if their match went forward.

And it did.

Becky, as many expected, retained her title but didn't come out of the match unscathed as Lita proved she had never lost her skills. It was a beautiful back and forth where no ego or character or personality overpowered the other. During the minutes their match lasted, it was as if fans were witnessing two versions of the same person fight each other, as sometimes their hairs - one deep red and the other orange with shades of that same deep red - would overlap. The only way you'd get this same effect would be if you twirled a coin and watched as both halves of it, seemingly, became one sphere until it was time to settled down with one side up and the other down.

Even though, behind Becky, there's a long line of others who would give everything to meet their maker in the ring, this might've been Lita's final match. And between the respect that crowd extended to a universal childhood hero for a few send off moments after the match and the respect Becky showed her from the first minute of their story to the very last - with a whispered message that should forever stay between just the two of them -, there's a high chance Lita might be very happy if this truly is it. Because this story did more than just give those two women and the fans a dream match come true, it taught everyone else in the business how to treat a legend: with respect.

So my advice to you, reading this, is as simple as the lesson we were all taught: if you have the chance to meet your idol, your hero, your maker, do it with as much respect as there's love in your heart. It's the only way to truly honour them after everything they don't even know they've done for you.