WWE Money in the Bank Raw Women’s Title preview: Becky Lynch vs Lacey Evans

It’s “The Man” vs “The Lady” as Becky Lynch has her first Raw Women’s title defense against Lacey Evans at Money in the Bank 2019.

When Lacey Evans got brought up from NXT she made a good impression in the Women’s Royal Rumble and then did little to nothing for the next four months. Each week on both Raw and SmackDown Live, fans saw her walk up and down the ramp interrupting matches to “add a bit of class” to the programs. In reality, it was a clever way to keep Evans relevant while she honed her in-ring skills through dark matches and training.

The culmination of all the cat-walking came after WrestleMania 35 when Lynch was celebrating her double-title win. Out came Evans to interrupt as she’d done so many times before. Fans expected the usual twirl-and-exit but instead Evans finally made her move and struck Lynch in the face with her “Woman’s Right” finisher. It staggered Lynch but only for a moment, then a brawl erupted between the two which lit the fire for Evans’ first program on the main roster.

To Evans’ credit she plays her role to perfection. The “Sassy Southern Belle” is meant to get under your skin as she holds herself to high esteem. She’s even kept her character traits going on social media where half of the fight is played out these days. Lynch is known for her epic trash-talk on Twitter and it’s refreshing to see her opponent know how the game is played online to amp up a match.

To Lynch’s credit, she’s a workhorse pulling double-duty on both brands. The “champ-champ” is going to defend both titles at Money in the Bank against two different statuesque blondes. We’ve seen what Charlotte Flair brings to the table. Matches with Flair and Lynch usually steal the show. But we’ve yet to see what Evans can do.

A lot of talk is going around about Evans not having earned her shot at the Raw Women’s Championship and there’s some truth to it. However, in the overall picture this battle between “The Man” and “The Lady” almost writes itself. The seed was planted long before the ladies’ first encounter on Raw. Evans actually challenged Lynch during an interview on Lilian Garcia’s podcast Chasing Glory. It’s also a fresh match that has never been seen before. In fact, not much is known about Evans, but that doesn’t mean she can’t deliver in the ring, it’s just a well-guarded secret right now. Go back and watch some of her matches on NXT or during the Mae Young Classic to get more familiar.

It’s been said Vince McMahon has a great deal of interest in Evans due to her background in the Marines and her work ethic. But putting her in the prime spot at a shot for the Raw Women’s Championship isn’t necessarily because McMahon deems her a hot commodity. Evans is simply the best match for Lynch right now as the Raw women’s roster has limited options.

That said, putting the title on Evans this soon would be a mistake. Although it may shock the audience, it wouldn’t make much sense for Lynch to lose coming off the momentum of defeating the undefeatable in Ronda Rousey. And with Evans not being tested on the main roster yet having the added pressure of being the champion, it might derail what could be a solid career run for her if given the time to develop.

It all goes down on May 19, 2019 at Money in the Bank live on the WWE Network.