Lacey Lane Talks Pushing The Physicality Of The NXT Women's Division, Freezing During A Promo
WWE Mae Young Classic competitor Lacey Lane spoke with ESPN about training with the Dudleys, working more aggressive matches in the women's division, and getting sat down by Bubba Dudley after freezing during a promo. Here are some of the highlights:
Being trained by the Dudleys and if she plans on bringing a more aggressive style of wrestling to NXT:
"I can start to see it now with the ladies that are being brought here. I am a big fan of super strong style. At the Dudleys' school, they don't treat us like women, they don't say, 'Hey, you guys go work with the girls.' My partner was a guy, a big guy, and I had to give him moves. I had to learn to take moves from him, so we're not trained like normal over there, so that's what I'm hoping flourishes out with the women because I want to go.
"I've wrestled Lio Rush and am the only girl on the independent scene to wrestle Lio Rush. That's one big competitor, that's a fast guy, strong guy, and being able to keep up him and him afterwards shaking my hand and saying, 'Hey, way to keep up,' that's what I want all women to do and be able to compete at all levels."
Pushing the ceiling of physicality in the women's division:
"Being in Mexico, I've tried a lot of things I never thought I would. Someone says go do a suplex to the outside, I've never done [that], but I'm like, 'OK, let's do it.' It's always about pushing the limit for us. I think the more time that goes by, women are becoming more fearless to the thought of, 'Hey, let's do high risk.' It's not just about being pretty, our bodies can be pushed to this limit, too. We're physically capable of making this look good. I really believe the physicality is going to flourish even more so.
"The advantage I think we'll have is women are so much more acrobatic and flexible than men, so eventually we'll come up with some creative things that no one has seen and that the guys can't even do. I can't wait for that moment to happen because it's going to be phenomenal."
Working every day on promos after she froze at the Dudleys' wrestling school:
"Like I said, I'm me. [But] I have to say this. When I first wanted into school [with the Dudleys] and the WWE was there filming the Dudleys DVD, I had no clue about cutting a promo or anything because this is my first day of school. Bubba called me up there to cut a promo, and I just froze, and he told me to sit down. From that day on, I was like, dang, I'm going to have to talk all of the time. Eventually my tryout came along, and I worked every single day to be better at promos, and now I just talk.
"If it comes out in the crazy manner that it does, I mean, I'm always in my respectful lines, but at the end of the day, I'm not afraid to say what I have to say. I'm not afraid to voice my opinion because my whole purpose here is create that whole change and embrace the whole different thing. So I'll push the boundaries if I have to and if it's necessary, so needless to say, I'm no longer afraid to say what I need to."
Lane also discussed her time in the WWE Mae Young Classic. You can check out the full interview by clicking here.