Lacey Evans

Estrella-Kadlec trained under Tom Caiazzo at the American Premier Wrestling training facility in Statesboro, Georgia.[2] She made her debut for the promotion in 2014, later winning the company's World Heavyweight Championship.[4]

Evans (left) and Bianca Belair before a tag team match at a house show in June 2018

On April 12, 2016, Estrella-Kadlec signed a WWE contract.[2] She made her wrestling debut at a house show, on October 20, in a battle royal, which was ultimately won by Ember Moon.[10][11] Three months later, in her first appearance on NXT, Evans teamed with Sarah Bridges in a tag team match which they lost to the team of Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.[3][12] In 2017, Estrella was given the ring name Lacey Evans, which is her sister's maiden name.[6] She was used mostly as a jobber to various competitors.[13][14][15] In July, Evans participated in the inaugural Mae Young Classic,[16] defeating Taynara Conti in the first round,[17] but losing to Toni Storm in the second round.[18]

On the January 17, 2018 episode of NXT, Evans established herself as a heel as she complained to NXT General Manager William Regal for allowing "the lowest forms of societal trash" like Nikki Cross, Ember Moon, and Kairi Sane to compete in the women's division.[19] In April, Evans was placed in her first feud with Sane, as the two exchanged victories and attacked each other throughout the next few weeks.[20][21][22][23][24] Eventually, Evans lost to Sane on the June 6 episode of NXT to end their feud.[25] Throughout the rest of the year, Evans started a winning streak, defeating the likes of Dakota Kai[26][27] and Candice LeRae.[28][29] In December, she competed in a fatal four-way match to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship,[30] however, the match was won by Bianca Belair.[31]

On the December 17, 2018 episode of Raw, Evans was advertised as one of six NXT wrestlers about to move to the main roster.[32][33] She lost to Natalya in a dark match on the January 7, 2019 tapings of Main Event,[34][35][36] and made her official main roster debut at the Royal Rumble on January 27. She entered the women's Royal Rumble match at number 1 and lasted over 29 minutes, eliminating The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce), before she was eliminated by Charlotte Flair.[37] After that, Evans repeatedly appeared on Raw,[38][39] SmackDown,[40][41] and pay-per-views to interrupt various segments and matches by walking out on stage, waving to the crowd, and leaving.[42][43][44]

Shortly after WrestleMania 35, Evans was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up, and placed in her first feud on the main roster as she continuously attacked Raw and SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch.[45][46][47][48][49][50][51] This led to a title match between the two for the Raw Women's Championship on May 19, at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, where Evans lost to Lynch via submission. A few minutes later, Evans helped Charlotte Flair win the SmackDown Women's Championship from Lynch as she hit her with her finisher, the Women's Right, and allowed her to take advantage of the attack.[52] Throughout mid-2019, Evans continued to feud with Lynch and chase her for the Raw Women's Championship.[53][54][55][56][57][58] At Stomping Grounds she lost again to Lynch, and in the main event, was Baron Corbin's choice for a special referee for the Universal Championship match, due to Seth Rollins dating Lynch. Evans and Corbin challenged Lynch and Rollins for their respective titles in a Last Chance Winner Takes All Mixed tag team match at Extreme Rules, where they failed to win the match after Rollins pinned Corbin, thus ending her feud with Becky Lynch.

As part of the 2019 Draft in October, Evans was drafted to the SmackDown brand.[59] At Crown Jewel, Evans and Natalya became the first female wrestlers to wrestle in Saudi Arabia, where Evans lost.[60] The two women embraced afterwards, breaking kayfabe to absorb their historical moment.[61] Evans then went on to compete in the first ever 15 woman elimination tag match representing Team Smackdown at the pay-per-view event “Survivor Series” where the first time ever the NXT women’s locker room would also compete in the match. Evans was able to get the elimination over 11-time women’s champion and The Captain of Team Raw Charlotte Flair via pin, after her teammate Asuka betrayed her own team and shot poison mist into Flair’s eyes, allowing Evans to take advantage of the situation and allowing her to hit her with her finisher . Shortly after, she was eliminated by Natalya via roll up, who was representing Team Raw, however, Team NXT ultimately won the match when The Captain of Team NXT Rhea Ripley pinned The Captain of Team Smackdown Sasha Banks, making her the final woman standing. On the November 29 episode of SmackDown, Evans took exception to Sasha Banks and Bayley insulting the SmackDown roster, particularly the women, for losing to Team NXT at Survivor Series. After exchanging insults, Evans hit Banks with the Woman's Right and left the ring, thus turning face for the first time since early 2017.[62] At Royal Rumble, Evans unsuccessfully challenged Bayley for the SmackDown Women's Title.

At WrestleMania 36, Evans was part of a five-way elimination match for the SmackDown Women's Champion. Evans lost the match after being pinned by Bayley after interference from Sasha Banks. On the April 24, 2020 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Evans competed against Banks in a Money in the Bank Qualifying Match for the opportunity to be in the Women's Money in the Bank match at the PPV on May 10. Evans won the match after hitting Banks with the Women's Right (while clutching a fan with a picture of her daughter on it in her hand) and pinning her. On the July 10 episode of SmackDown, Evans attacked Naomi after she lost a karaoke contest to her, thus turning heel once again.[63][64] As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Evans was drafted to the Raw brand.[65]

On the January 4, 2021 episode of Raw, titled as Raw Legends Night, Evans teamed with Peyton Royce to face off against Women's Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Raw Women's Champion Asuka, where during the match, Ric Flair made an appearance to support his daughter, and Evans flirted with Flair, before Evans ultimately pinned Charlotte after a seemingly accidental interference by Ric Flair cost Charlotte the match. The following week on Raw, however, Flair betrayed his daughter and assisted Evans in defeating her, therefore forming an alliance between the two whilst also sparking a feud between Evans and Charlotte. Throughout the next few weeks, Evans and Flair would continue to interfere in Charlotte's matches, with Evans wearing Flair's old robes during her entrances to mock Charlotte.

During the Royal Rumble Kickoff show, Evans and Flair successfully helped Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defeat Charlotte and Asuka for the Women's Tag Team Championship, and later that same night, Evans participated in the Women's Royal Rumble match, where she again mocked Charlotte by wearing her father's robes, and managed to eliminate Mickie James before being eventually eliminated by Baszler.[66]