Lacey Evans On Her Inexperience And How She's Growing As An In-Ring Performer In WWE
WWE's "Sassy Southern Belle" Lacey Evans was the guest on a recent edition of Busted Open Radio, and during the interview, Evans went into detail about why she thinks people dislike her character.
"People hate me because they aren't me, understand? They want to be a legitimate role model such as myself and that is none of my business," Evans said. "I piss people off because, probably, no matter how hard they try, they will never be half of the woman that I am. From my military service, to the fact that I am a mother, a wife with the same man that I have been with since I was 15 years old – I am the epitome of what every woman in this world should be and yet they're not. And you know why? Because they are a bunch of nasty things who don't know how to conduct themselves with class."
Despite her lack of experience inside the squared circle, Evans claims that she's a force that the WWE "needs" right now. She described the positive influence she brings to women watching the product while also bashing characters like "The Man" Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
"I have no prior experience with sports entertainment. I can give two s–ts, excuse my french, because I am what WWE needs and that is what makes people angry, because you have women like Becky Lynch, who stomps around and claims to be 'The Man', and Charlotte Flair, who Daddy [Ric Flair] changed her diapers and prepared her for the success, and then you have Lacey Evans, who comes in and shows them that they will never be half the woman I am," Evans stated. "And if that makes people upset, well sweetheart, I don't know what to tell you because I will continue to set a prime example and show them what women should be and it is not what you see on the roster right now unless it's my music and me coming out. I try to fit in the best that I can but, good Lord, just look at what I am supposed to do when I am surrounded by a bunch of nasty things who are lost in life and feel intimidated by such a lady. I come in, I do my job, and I leave, and feed my baby and husband like a lady should."
Evans understands that only time and practice will improve her performance as a pro wrestler, and she has every intention of putting in the training to grow. She looked back on her time training in the military and compared the rigorous schedule to the demands of the WWE.
"You know what, it's going to [take] time – time in this business and learning how to do what it is that is expected of me with all of this light. However, one thing I have going for me is confidence. No matter what the reviews are for any match that I have with anybody, I am not going anywhere," Evans said. "I am going to continue to learn, and I will be the first to tell you that my in-ring work, my promo work, you name it, is not somebody that has been doing this for 10 plus years. I just now hit over three years in this business, but like I said, I am not going anywhere. I have a lot to learn but I am confident enough to tell you that I am going to learn it and I am going to come back, week after week, month after month, year after year until I feel like I am on top. But I am not going to stop and I am going to continue to learn what I can learn to be up there. I have the confidence to tell you what I need to learn and it is a package deal in my mind.
"I was a Marine, I was on a S.W.A.T. team of military police officers," Lacey continued. "We don't get microphones and prance around and do anything I do right now as a sports entertainer, so there is nothing that I can tell you that I bring more as an in-ring performer or on the microphone because I've never done stuff like this. So as a package deal and all across the board, I am confident enough to do either. I will grab the microphone and I will get in the ring with anybody because I am confident to do so, but I will also walk away from there knowing that I need a lot of time to learn. But that is what the live events are for every Friday when I catch a plane, and my goal is whether it is on the microphone or in the ring, to learn as much as I can for the next time my music hits on live television."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Busted Open Radio with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Peter Bahi contributed to this article.