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Lacey Evans views Saturday night’s Money in the Bank as an opportunity to pick up right where she left off in February 2021. Evans was in the midst of the biggest boost of her career that would reportedly lead to the Raw Women’s Championship in a win and match with Charlotte Flair WrestleMania 37. But Evans had other plans that had to come first.
On the February 15 episode Raw, Lacey teamed with Peyton Royce in a tag team match against Charlotte and Asuka. However, she refused to step into the ring and it didn’t take long for us to find out why. Evans grabbed a microphone and told the crowd that she was pregnant. Fans around the world were stunned by the announcement and wondered if this was all part of her ongoing relationship with WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
Although this idea was teased on TV, it was later dropped and fans soon realized that Evans was really expecting their second daughter. Speaking to me on the Bleav in Pro Wrestling podcast, the former US Marine said the WWE Universe may have been shocked, but it came as no surprise to her family.
“I’ve been with my husband since I was 15 years old. OK. We got married when we were 19. We grew up in the crap our whole lives, the hell hole we grew up in, we always wanted to do two things. Get the hell out of it and have lots of babies. I’ve wanted to be a mom my whole life and I have the best husband in the world. So now I was in a position where I had the best job in the world and the best husband in the world, but you know what? We still wanted those damn babies. So I did what I thought was best for me and my family, and I planned and prepared and did what I needed to do to have another baby.”
Her pregnancy apparently put everything in her professional life on hold for a while, forcing WWE to back off from any WrestleMania plans for the Sassy Southern Belle. But the plan was always for Evans to return to WWE as soon as she was ready.
“Those in power decided that I also had what it takes to be in the spotlight, at major events and in a great, great career position, but I was going to have a few more babies. And that’s what happened with it. I’ve told the powers that be within WWE that I’ll be back. I will come back stronger than ever. I may not have a six pack, honey, but I’ll bust my butt and come back. You know, hit the ground beneath your feet. And that’s exactly what I did.”
While her storyline with Ric and Charlotte Flair wasn’t exactly every fan, Lacey said the opportunity to work with the 16-time world champion has been an incredible experience and she’s ready to resume things with the Queen when she is back to Friday night smackdown.
“There is still something to be done. I didn’t get my hands on them as often as I would have liked. That’s the wild thing about being women in this business. I went out to have a baby. She went out to take another man’s last name and be a wife, and I’m so happy for her,” Evans said. “She’s fulfilling her dream of being a wife, but she’s also going to come back and guess who will be waiting for her.”
When Charlotte returns to WWE, she will see a slightly different Lacey Evans than the one she met in early 2021. She will see someone who better represents the person behind the character.
Ever since she was part of the NXT roster, Lacey Evans says she’s always wanted to use her platform to tell her story. Hoping that she could be the proof and inspiration for others to change their life situation. Lacey came to WWE straight from the trailer park and found herself in the company of women like Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Natalya, and it was intimidating at first.
“I’m looking around and there was a voice saying, ‘What are you doing here? As if you are a cheater.’ And I say no! There are people out there who can understand that. And so I said, no, fuck it. I’m Lacey Evans. I will come in here. I will compete with these women and I will win. And I will make it. And I will pave my way and be a name that will always be remembered, no matter who I am.”
So when it came time for Lacey to return to WWE this spring, she took the opportunity presented by her long hiatus to tweak her character to better fit the message she wanted to convey. Evans took it upon herself to do the pitch to release her entire story to the world.
“Can I come back as the real me? And show the world this hardworking, dedicated, driven mom, marine, wife, wife, superstar who just won’t give up but also cries on TV when she has to and tells her story of what has been so hard. can i do this can i be her I’m still a Sassy Southern Belle. I could still bake a cake as well as fire a gun, honey. I just took off the high heels and dug out my boots again. That’s all.”
WWE was very receptive to Lacey’s idea and backed her 100 percent. As she reflects on what her story could mean and do for others, an emotional Evans says it has been an absolute blessing that WWE has allowed her to follow her heart after returning to television.
“Talking about addiction and depression and mental health, that’s hard. And as a company, it’s difficult to even tiptoe around that,” Evans said. “The babies who were in my situation, with dependent parents and mental health that digs them in more holes than they started when they were born, the parents who can’t kick their addiction and can’t get help for their depression, they look at it and say wow. The babies say I have to keep climbing. And the parents say I have to fix myself.
It shows I can be a superstar. I may be a beautiful strong mother, but I’m hurt. I’ve been through so much it’s not fair. It’s not fair as a daughter, as a kid, to go through what I went through and then be thrown out into the world with Charlotte Flair and Nattie Hart and look around and wonder if I have what it takes. Why did I deserve this?
So sharing my story is exciting because if you’re a kid going through this, keep your head up and keep going and know that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you will become what you want to become. And if you are a parent who is destroying your baby’s heart and courage, stop. Get the help. It’s out there, please.”
While Evans is very hopeful that she can help even one person change for the better, Saturday night in Vegas is all about the Sassy Southern Belle. She made the decision to leave when she did, but Evans says she should have been Raw Women’s Champion before she ever left. A win at money in the bank will bring you one step closer to this goal. Will Lacey Evans be the one to grab the briefcase and get the guaranteed title shot?
We’ll all find out on Saturday night money in the bank. WWE’s latest premium live event begins at 8pm EST on Peacock. Please watch my full conversation with Lacey Evans in the video above as she talks more about working with Ric and Charlotte Flair, MITB at WWE HQ, who she wants to make money with and more! You can also listen to the Bleav in Pro Wrestling Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Rick Ucchino can be reached at [email protected] You can follow him on Twitter @RickUcchino and be sure to subscribe Bleav on Pro Wrestling’s YouTube channel.
