In one of her first interviews since her WWE release, Lacey Lane (formerly Kayden Carter) appeared on Busted Open Radio and spoke candidly about her frustrations with her creative direction in the company, the women’s tag team division, and her excitement for the future. Lane stated that she often felt “held back” and that her success was ultimately limited because she was not one of the company’s “hand chosen” talents.
Losing Her “Spark”
Host Bully Ray, who was one of Lane’s original trainers, noted a significant change in her personality from when he first met her to what he saw on WWE television. He described the person he trained as having a “spark,” a “chip” on her shoulder, and “a lot of confidence,” but when she got to WWE, he wondered, “What happened to this girl?” Lane agreed with the assessment, saying that the fiery persona “got away from me” during her time in the company.
Feeling Creatively Held Back
Lane explained that she felt unable to fully express herself creatively within the WWE system. “I feel like I have so much to offer, and I feel like I wasn’t able to showcase that,” she said. “I feel like people are used to seeing me in a tag team… but I also want to remind people that I am an individual, that I did have a spark before I got to WWE. I was so much of a Spitfire, and that same passion, that same drive, is still there.”
She also detailed her specific frustrations with the booking of the women’s tag team division, where she and Katana Chance were former champions. She felt that after a strong debut against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, the division failed to gain momentum. “I’m not quite sure why it’s such a taboo thing where everyone’s like, ‘oh, like, women’s tag wrestling isn’t anything,’ and I’m like, it’s fun,” she said.
The “Hand Chosen” Theory
Ultimately, Lane believes that no matter how well she and her partner performed, they were unable to break through a creative ceiling because they were not among the select few talents earmarked for major pushes. “If you’re not the hand chosen, it doesn’t matter what you do,” she stated. She revealed she even sent an email to “Road Dogg” Brian James pleading for a single opportunity on a premium live event. “We’ve never been on a PLE… we just need an opportunity. We need a chance to show you, like, what we’re capable of,” she wrote. The response she received was, “timing’s everything.”
A Lack of Feedback
This led to immense frustration, as she felt they were never given a clear reason for their lack of opportunities, despite receiving consistently positive feedback from producers after their matches. “Every time after a match, we got great critiques. TJ [Wilson] was always like, ‘that was awesome. Like, you guys brought unique stuff all the time,'” she recalled. “We never got anything said to us that, like, ‘Hey, you should do this, you should do that.’… we just tried to give more because we didn’t know what we were lacking.”
The Breaking Point in London
Lane said this constant state of uncertainty culminated in an emotional moment with Katana Chance after a match in London. “We literally broke down after this match because we felt like we were set up in such a bad position… and it’s like they couldn’t tell us, like, what was wrong,” she said, before describing their mindset at the time. “We had no clue. And we just were so upset in London. And it was, it was horrible.”
A Future in AEW?
Now a free agent, Lane is excited to prove herself as a singles competitor and has her sights set on several promotions, with a particular interest in All Elite Wrestling and its hard-hitting women’s division. “I think AEW is my speed. Because, you know, those girls can f—ing go,” she said. “I love the way that they work. They don’t bring the bullshit, they bring the fists. And you know me, I’m a girl that’s down to fight. I love that. So I can see myself there definitely.”
Lane concluded by saying she wants to get back to her roots and reintroduce her “Lucha Strong Style” to the wrestling world, with a renewed focus on showcasing what she can do as an individual performer.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Busted Open Radio with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
