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Lacey Evans has finally returned to WWE SmackDown. The talented superstar has seemingly been appearing on the brand constantly throughout 2022. She initially returned from maternity leave with vignettes earlier this year. She transitioned to RAW for a few weeks before returning to WWE SmackDown.
While the patriotic superstar was seemingly in the middle of a solid push, she disappeared from television around when Triple H gained control over WWE's creative direction. Some wondered if she had fallen out of favor due to the management shakeup, but Sean Ross Sapp revealed that she was medically sidelined.
After being away from television for over two months, Lacey Evans returned to WWE SmackDown in a fatal five-way bout. The match also featured Xia Li, Sonya Deville, Ronda Rousey, and Natalya. Ultimately, Rousey left as the winner and new number one contender for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship.
Now that Lacey Evans has returned to action, what is next for her? Below are five directions following her return to WWE SmackDown.
#5. She may attack a heel and turn them into a babyface on WWE SmackDown
WWE SmackDown needs some baby faces at the moment. Liv Morgan is the top babyface on the brand. Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah are there, but they're currently in the tag team division. Beyond these, most other stars are heels or not actively competing on the brand.
Lacey Evans' return to action only further adds to the heel side, heavily outweighing the babyface portion of the roster. Due to her character's initial presentation, fans were unable to tell if she was a heel or not. Another turn for Lacey is probably a bad idea.
It may be wise to use the fans' disdain for Lacey to turn a different superstar into a babyface. Shotzi works better as a babyface than she does as a heel. Xia Li may also work better as a babyface than a villain.
#4. Lacey could feud with a returning Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair hasn't been seen on WWE SmackDown since her loss to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash earlier this year. Since she left television, World Wrestling Entertainment has changed dramatically.
Triple H is in charge of WWE's creative direction, and Vince McMahon is gone. Several superstars have been called up to the main roster and rehired. Still, many fans miss seeing The Queen regularly.
When Charlotte Flair returns, she could potentially come back as a babyface. If she indeed becomes a face, she might feud with Lacey Evans. The two had unresolved issues before Evans left to have a baby, so a renewed rivalry would be logical.
#3. She could bide her time before she can challenge Liv Morgan for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
Unfortunately for Lacey Evans, her attempt to become the number one contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship didn't work out. As noted earlier, she lost the five-woman elimination bout, and Ronda Rousey will be the one challenging Liv Morgan at Extreme Rules.
Still, just because Lacey isn't in the title hunt right now doesn't mean she can't be in the near future. She needs to wait for Extreme Rules to pass. In the meantime, however, she needs to climb the ladder to hopefully earn a title shot.
Before disappearing for a few months, Evans walked away from matches. For the next month, she'll need to defeat opponents of various skill levels to reach the top of the contender's list.
#2. Lacey might find a partner and form a tag team
Lacey Evans may not be able to get her hands on the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship yet, but other titles are available to female superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment.
The patriotic superstar could choose to challenge the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez. Before her disappearance, Evans had issues with Aliyah, so their rivalry continuing would make sense.
As for potential partners for Lacey, Natalya stands out as an obvious choice. Sonya Deville is also notably wicked, so the two could make for a great heel tandem that fans would love to hate. Regardless of who her partner might be, Lacey would help the tag division as a credible competitor.
#1. She may find a way to be added to the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship match at Extreme Rules
While Ronda Rousey is currently set to battle Lacey Evans at Extreme Rules for the SmackDown Women's Championship, there's no guarantee that things will go as planned. Ronda has a habit of getting suspended, so she might get in trouble before the scheduled match.
Another way Lacey Evans could still challenge for the SmackDown Women's Championship is if she gets added to the Extreme Rules bout. The talented Evans is quite cunning, and she could sneak into the bout to turn it into a triple threat match.
If Lacey manages to anger Liv or Ronda enough, they may want to hurt Evans. If so, they could request that the patriotic star be added to the bout. Evans could also manipulate Adam Pearce into adding her to the mix, which may be easy due to his disdain for Rousey.
What do you think Lacey Evans will do next on WWE SmackDown? Give your thoughts in the comment section below.
