WWE: Lacey Evans has potential to lead SmackDown’s women’s division

It’s been about year since the WWE shocked its Universe by announcing six NXT wrestlers were being called up to the main roster, with Lacey Evans being one of the two only women of the bunch.

At that point in time, the McMahon Family was trying to shake things up and some fans raised an eyebrow or two, as it seemed a little earlier for the NXTer (as well as some of her colleagues) to make their way to the forefront of WWE’s television programming.

I was one of those fans to be frank and to me, it seemed too soon. Having said that, I’ve never been one who is afraid to admit that I was wrong.

Ever since Lacey Evans’ official in-ring main roster debut during the 2019 Royal Rumble, grabbing that ominous number one spot, I’ve been very impressed by Lacey on all levels.

Her character confidence is one major thing to point out, but her in-ring technique and mic skills are incredible; not to mention the fact that she can handle herself well outside the squared circle during media interviews. That’s a big plus.

To boot, her feuds this year – most notably with “The Man” Becky Lynch and Natalya – have been major highlights in 2019.

Most notably, she (along with Nattie) made history at Crown Jewel as they partook in the very first women’s match in Saudi Arabia. It was both incredible and heartwarming to see. It gave me goosebumps and the chills, with tears streaming down my face. The match hit all the right feels for me.

Vince McMahon has long been rumored (as early as October, via WrestlingNews.co, per EWrestlingNews) to be very high on Lacey Evans, seeing the Sassy Southern Belle as a top-tier talent in the company. Let’s look that one up in the Book of Obvious!

She started off as a heel, but as of late, fans are bearing witness to her babyface persona. The thing about Evans is that her character could easily be presented as either.

She’s believable as a snooty female who believes she’s better than everyone else and touts why a “real” woman’s role is all about proper etiquette, attire and homemade apple pie.

At the same time, she can be a believable babyface by showcasing a bit of real life history from Macey Estrella-Kadlec, who behind the character is a former U.S. Marine, earning a bachelor’s degree while serving, who also launched a construction business while in duty, is a mom and jumped into the land of indies wrestling while enlisted.

Furthermore, when one digests the fact that Evans has only been in the wrestling business for about six years and with NXT for a mere three years before the big call up, it’s hard not to be taken aback by how far this young talent has come in such a little time.

But, is she ready to lead the SmackDown Women’s division? While the buildup to WWE’s next Pay-Per-View has lacked luster – which could be another article in itself about fans consistently being bombarded with these events – all arrows in recent storylines could be pointing to a Bayley vs. Lacey Evans bout come this Sunday.

With only three matches on the card as of this writing, the idea of these two ladies fighting it out for the women’s holy grail of the Blue brand simply makes sense. But here’s where things get a little sticky.

On the one hand, Bayley defending and retaining the title this Sunday makes sense. It not only solidifies her heel turn, thus strengthening her current reign heading into Royal Rumble season and the Road to WrestleMania, but also the coalition (an “us” vs. “them” mentality) that both Sasha Banks and Bayley have going on right now.

Bayley is the champion; Sasha is her enforcer. With Banks in her corner, Bayley could (theoretically) be the SmackDown Women’s Champion forever. It could even set up a WrestleMania 36 dream match between Bayley and Banks, if dissension hit these two ladies anytime between now and April 2020.

With that said, Evans defeating Bayley, with Banks in tow, could truly help her character and the babyface turn she’s just made. It would highlight the concept of defying all odds, which WWE Creative is touting with her gimmick right now.

She’s not only a working momma on the road and an ex-Marine who’s tough as nails (with perfectly-manicured ones to boot), but she’s literally someone who was able to turn their life around.

Evans was raised in a home with parents who suffered from alcohol abuse and depression, living in tents at times due to her parents issues with the law. Yet, look at where she is now. If she can get through that, she can pile through Banks and Bayley.

Either outcome or scenario is compelling, but one thing is for sure: Evans becoming the next SmackDown Women’s Champion and Queen B of the division is more than viable at this point in time. She’s proven her star quality with WWE’s roster, both inside and outside that squared circle.