Lacey Evans Reveals Where The Term "Nasty" Comes From, Talks Life In The Military Compared To WWE

One woman that has had a major spotlight shown on her in 2019 is WWE's Lacey Evans. From performing in NXT events back in 2018 to now, seeing Evans battle the WWE RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch for her title on multiple occasions, "The Sassy Southern Belle" has come a long way in a short period of time.

Evans was a guest on Busted Open Radio recently, and she took some time during the interview to explain the origin of one of her favorite terms, "Nasty".

"The term 'nasty' came from the Marine Corps," Evans explained. "When I was in boot camp, it is three months long of hell and you walk in there and whatever you thought you were when you walk into boot camp you leave the complete opposite. They completely rip you down, mentally and emotionally. They build you up to be a confident U.S Marine. When you are in boot camp you are the nasty because, for example, if you have a three mile run and you are anything but first place, and even if you are in first place, you are nothing but a nasty because you could have done it better. You could have done it faster. If you get a grade on a paper that you had to do while you were in the military but you were tired and you did the best you could, you nasty thing, you could have done better. In the Marine Corps, you are always considered a nasty because you could have given so much more of yourself. If you are a lazy person, if you are an unmotivated person, if you procrastinate, if you don't give every bit of yourself as a mother, as a wife, as a husband, as a human being, no matter what job description you stand in, you are a nasty thing.

"So, Lacey Evans is here to set the prime example and show the world what women are capable of because she is not a nasty, so until she motivates and picks up all of these nasty people, and flips them, and turns them around, teaches them how to conduct themselves like she does, you are just a nasty," Evans continued. "I just took that term because it means a lot to me. While the average person thinks of nasty as being a term for dirty, that is not always the case. It's the way you conduct and carry yourself. It is a mindset. There will be no more nasty in the WWE because, like I said, I am a role model and I am the standard of what women and human beings should be which is a motivator."

Evans compared the demands of both her job in the military and in WWE, noting how being a marine has her readily prepared for anything this company throws at her.

"The military and being a Marine has set me up to be and do what I can do, considering I don't have any of the experience as a sports entertainer," Evans said. "I didn't watch the product growing up. I came from literally nothing into this, but you have to be ready at all times. You have to be ready at airports at 3 AM, ready to hit the road. I have my daughter at my hip, I have my husband, [my daughter] is in school – there are a lot of things that I juggle. It can be intimidating and it can be a lot, so you have to have the drive, dedication, and the initiative to meet these challenges and go forward. The military set me up from that aspect; it's a mindset. It's a strong mind."

Evans has unfortunately seen some dark days in her past, like having to cope with the loss of her father as she comforted her seven siblings. Lacey sees her position now as a blessing, and she hopes to continue on with the momentum she's gained in the ring so that she can continue improving and supporting her family through performing in WWE.

"I have been through a lot of things in my life. I have lost my father to addiction and depression," Evans revealed. "I have seven siblings. I have juggled a lot of hard things in my life. I have had early mornings, late nights, and not that WWE or sports entertainment isn't hard because it is, but it isn't anything that I cannot handle. I have been through hell; lots and lots of it, and so for the first time in my life, you know, my father's gone but I can sit back and say that I have made it. I don't have to wake up, and put my gear on, and go out and worry if I am going to get shot at or take out a threat. Yes, the days are early, the mornings are early, and flights are long, but I am prepared for that. I am a strong, motivated woman who has been through a lot. Not that this is a break, but man, it has been an amazing adventure and time for me where I can sit back and be blessed that I get this opportunity to be in this position that I am in. And to get to have my family with me it is just great. It is very difficult for a lot of people – you definitely have to have a strong mindset."

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.