Macey Estrella (fka Lacey Evans) Reveals Why She Left WWE, Ric Flair Storyline, Cobra Clutch Gimmick
Macey Estrella (fka Lacey Evans) Reveals Why She Left WWE, Ric Flair Storyline, Cobra Clutch Gimmick
Macey Estrella (@limitlessmacey) is a professional wrestler known as Lacey Evans in WWE. She joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about why she let her WWE contract expire, why she is happy that she didn't re-sign with WWE, her mental health crusade, the cafe she opened in Beauford, SC called "Sunny Summers Cafe", how she originally came up with her sassy southern belle gimmick in NXT, her thoughts on Sgt. Slaughter's family not liking her gimmick on the main roster, the original plans for her and Ric Flair, asking Vince McMahon for time off to get pregnant, the exclusive content on her Fan Time site and much more!
Find out more about Macey Estrella at http://limitlessmacey.com
Quote I'm thinking about: "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."
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On not taking wrestling bookings:
"No, I have not [taken any bookings]. I've had a lot obviously reach out. But I did WWE for seven years and it was never my passion, that was never a secret. It was incredible to see my fellow sports entertainers [succeed], that is their passion. But I just knew that, you know, I went out there and did the best that I could, I did my job. But I always looked forward to coming home. My family obviously travelled with me, everywhere that I went for the most part. And that was a struggle, right? Because when I got signed with WWE, I was a mom and I was a wife. I've been with my husband since I was 15. It was an incredible opportunity. But it was a lot for whenever you compare what your passion is, and you're wise and WWE is very, very difficult. If you're on the road well over 300 days a year, they want a lot from you. And I just, there was always something in the back of my head that was like what the f*ck am I doing? When I wake up now, and I'm on my way to my cafe and I have like, just last night we did a big group outreach for I think it's NAR-ANON, it's like alcohol anonymous, but it's for the families that have family members that struggle with addiction, or have lost their lives to overdose, right? So it's just the things that I get to do now and the difference that I get to make to me is so rewarding that I have never since August 16, so a few months [on], I have not once questioned if I'm doing the right thing, or if I'm happy or if this is my why. I wake up every day, get my coffee and I go and I try to change lives and make a difference, including in my own home with my kids and my husband. So it's been awesome."
On not missing WWE:
"Do you want me to lie? No, there's not. You know, some people, they wake up and they put on six-inch stilettos and 10 pounds of makeup and their extensions and they go walk the red carpet and they feel amazing. I'm not those people. And it was very difficult for me, right? To kind of put on that front. And because WWE does a lot of good stuff for a lot of people, but I just felt like more could be done for my why, right? So for my passions and mental health and addiction, and life struggles and PTSD and all the sh*t that people have to deal with every day. It's like, why the f*ck am I on a red carpet right now? Like I'm looking out in the crowd and I see people that are f*cking hurting and they're taking photos of my shoes. I'm not gonna lie I miss some of the people, right? Because it is a struggle, and we do kind of become a family at some point. But I don't I want to I want to help I want to do more. I want to fight different battles that aren't in the ring."
On getting pregnant in WWE:
"So yeah, I think that another [thing] when I said at the beginning of this interview, WWE is hard, you know, we're on the road. And as women, not to be biassed, it's harder, especially if you want to be a mother, especially if you want to be a wife. Because as you know, you can't be pregnant. And looking that way you can't be pregnant and wrestling, so, you know, you really have to make some long-term decisions in life. And one thing I will not do is freeze my eggs for a career. Now if you do that's great, that's all on you. But whatever eggs God gives me, I'm not freezing them and I'm gonna do what I have to do if I want to be a mom, and that was one of our options as women in sports entertainment is well if you can't reproduce now there's other science options that you could like hold off and chase your dream and chase the money and chase the fame and the fortune. [Did WWE offer this?] It has nothing to do with WWE, I'm just saying as a woman, right, so like, scientifically if a woman you know, just can't have a baby right now, because she's chasing the fame and the fortune and it's just not something that she wants, we have options. I'm not doing that. And also women have a certain time frame in that's what doctors deem healthy to have babies, and we can all go into that. But that was never in my cards, I would never do that. And I've always wanted to be a mom. Unlike a lot of women. I've been with my husband since I was 15. We got married at 19 and since 16 years old we've been picking out our kids' names. We've always wanted to be a mom and a dad. Summer’s name was picked out when I was 16. Sunny's name was not too long after. So when I was in WWE, and I'm looking around at what I thought my life would be, and not only the difference that I could make in people's lives, but it's like, Man, I've given my husband the sh*tty end of the stick here. Like, you know, he loves me, and he supports me to the fullest, but like, where are all of our babies at? Where is all the little sound of feet on our hardwood floors and the smell of bacon in the morning? And instead we're on a plane at 3:30 in the morning heading out. So I went to Vince and I said, Hey, sir, I'm not being used. And I want to have a baby. So I won't if you plan on using me, I'll stand by. I said it's COVID it's like I'm not being used. And he kind of got quiet and he said go have a baby. And I said are you sure? I made sure because that man is f*cking awesome. He has done a lot for for me and my family. And I was just very thankful to be in that room having that discussion and having that opportunity in WWE, right? Life-changing money, blah, blah, blah. And I'm in a cool experience. So when he said go have a baby I said are you sure? Like I could wait you know, it's not like I'm waiting 10 years like you tell me. He's like No, go have a baby. Just promise me you'll come back and you know, and I said I'll be back six weeks after I push this motherf*cker out if you just if I could just go at least give husband one more quickly. So I you know and that was the game plan I wasn't being used and next thing you know talent creatives Oh, you're gonna be with, you know, Ric Flair and Charlotte and I'm like, What the f*ck? It was wild. But me being the motivator? I am I'll show up. I'll do the best and keep rocking and rolling. Well, I'll be damned if a week before I was supposed to get the title. I have my baby. And it was the best feeling in the world that my husband now has another child that he's about to hold in his arms in nine months and nobody could take [it away]. So a lot of people say and I ruined my career and this and that. But this morning when I woke up and saw that little sh*t looking at me with a big smile on her face and my husband waking up in stride. You can't tell me I ruined anything. I got exactly what I wanted and I'm very thankful and blessed that I have the life that I have."
On being paired with Ric Flair:
"It was typical heel and to go after the title and get it. I was supposed to get it but fortunately, Sunny Loretta decided that she was coming."
On the rumour that Ric Flair is the father:
"Yeah, and don't get me wrong there was a part of me that I felt terrible for remember those people that work their ass off and have a passion for this, like, that impacts a lot on that professional side. But it wasn't like I just decided to sneak off and like, do you know what I mean? Which by all rights, I could have done anything I wanted but I ensured that the powers that be knew, you know, knew what I wanted and gave me the blessing and told me to do it and I was ready. But yeah, it was it was supposed to be a very entertaining and it could have been and it would have been but God had other plans for this moment."
On the military character:
"I loved it. It was easy. F*ck em. F*ck everybody, I p*ss everybody off anyway, if it's not on social media and WWE saying take that down, you're not allowed to say that, or what? Like, it was just perfect. I didn't have to wear the dresses anymore. I could tell everybody to go f*ck themselves and then go home. But one thing that Vince knew from the beginning was I wanted to tell my story, and that was a highlight of my career, getting in. There was a lot of like, well, it might not get over. That's great. And professionally, I'm stupid as hell. But personally, and my why and my passion, the fact that I got to go on a platform that big, and show the people out there hurting and mothers and fathers who are choosing addiction over their kids and kids that are going through it. And the fact that I got to stand up there and tell my story and impact people on that scale. I wouldn't change a thing. It was my favourite thing that I got to do."
On offending Sgt. Slaughter’s family:
"I think they're frickin weak. Remember that weak word we just talked about? Yeah. And no disrespect to like Hall of Famers in WWE that have paved the way, he can kiss my ass and his daughter can too so record that. Have a good day. I don't know where the hell that came from. They know the game. You go to work. You get told this is what you're doing. And what a lot of people don't know what was said and what was done and how they discussed it with him and they talked to him and that's that is none of my damn concern. You have a what do you call it in the military when you frickin you have seniors above you? Yeah, you have a rank structure right like and in WWE when you're a performer you're like down here like whatever goes above your head is like a lot of times unless you start crying about it and go banging on doors like I don't like that you know I was never I'm not gonna cry about it you tell me what the f*ck you need you tell me what time the bell rings and then and I'll do whatever it is and then because I got a family to feed a husband a love come on and I say that with conviction because I made sure I was in shape I made sure I could do the flippy flops, the drop downs I made sure to create the character they told me you know you're gonna go out you're gonna do the Cobra clutch and he's you know gonna come in and help and then whatever happened. Next thing you know he's not out here I'm still doing the Cobra clutch. But don't get mad at me. Because I'm doing my job you know what I mean? Or let's have that conversation. Right? And at no point was that conversation ever had and whoever his daughter is is like so from the side like, that was wild. It didn't really like it didn't really ruffle my feathers. I kind of thought it was funny like you know, bless their f*cking hearts but I didn't lose no sleep over my family still got fed I still did what I f*cking needed to do. And I just hope they keep that same energy. That same kayfabe energy when they see me because I don't do sh*t like that."
On her new cafe business venture:
"It's been awesome. Obviously, you know, I started a construction company when I was in the military. I've got to do a lot of cool stuff. But I've always wanted to be a barista. That was like, kind of my goal even in WWE. I wanted so badly to work, like part-time at my local barista, you know, because I just love coffee, and I love little cafes. But I never thought that I'd actually open my own. And it comes with a lot, right, a lot of learning a lot of trial and error. And it's been so much fun, because I love challenges. And I love to help people. So combine the two and you got my cafe."
On where it all started:
"I started working on this two years ago. So backstage if I wasn't booked, I was on my iPad starting my business plan, working on my future endeavours. So yeah, I've it's been in the pipeline for a while because it's my passion. And it's something that I wanted so badly to do. So I was working on it back then."
On customers recognizing her as Lacey Evans:
"We have that a lot. And, you know, my action figures are at the cafe. It's not a secret. I mean, if anything, it's empowering. It's cool. It's something cool to talk about with my customers. And so yeah it's a balance. So we have fans that come in all the time. And then we have people that aren't WWE fans that come in and they're like, is that you? And I'm like, Yeah, well I say no, it's just this girl that looks a lot like me, it's crazy. And then we kind of laugh about it, and I let them know it is me. And it's just a good conversation. So yeah it's fun."
On enlisting in the military:
"Oh, I had to get away. When you come from a family of addicts and mental health disease, you feel like you are obligated, especially when you work hard to stay sober and you work hard to set the example. Then you feel obligated that since you made it, and since you're doing a good job, you've got to reach down and extend your hand to pull your next sibling or your next family member up. And I found myself following them wherever they were to make sure that I was there to help. And I realised that you could lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. But I loved them so much that I was willing to drown to do that. And that's when I knew that that was not okay. And so it sounds so dumb, but I, I knew that if I signed that dotted line to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, that there was no turning back, that when I got that next overdose phone call, or that next I’m in jail, or that next I need some money, can you come, I can't come. I am legally obligated to serve, and so it was just kind of my way of running away without running away. It was kind of letting it go and just and for one and then the other one was to find what I what life is supposed to be like because growing up stepping over my dad and the domestic and the anger in the mental health and the laziness, the lack of accountability. I can go all day with what I saw growing up. That's what I knew, That was my future. I knew what I didn't want to be because it was in front of me. Every morning I woke up 12 years old looking around. I knew what I did not want to end up like, but I didn't know what I wanted to be. And I knew I needed to find it. So when I read what the United States Marine was the finest fighting force in the world bad motherf*ckers in shape. Motivated, disciplined. I was like f*ck yeah, that is opposite of everything that I've seen in my life. I said, I'm leaving. I'm going and I'm going to learn what I how to get what I want to be out of life. And that's why if you in WWE, I was built out of Parris Island, because that's where they make Marines and that's what made me become the woman that I am today."
What is Lacey Evans grateful for:
“My family, my cafe and WWE.”