Jacy Jayne currently reigns as the NXT Women's Champion and TNA Knockouts Champion, but she hasn’t forgotten the conversation that changed her career. In an interview with Brad Gilmore, Jayne spoke about the moment she realized she needed to step up in order to reach the top of the brand.
Jayne admitted that at one point in her career, she felt comfortable with her position without being one of the top stars. Jayne confessed: “I feel like I got a little complacent and just wasn’t one of the top girls… I thought: ‘Well, at least I’m still on TV, it could be worse, I guess.’” But that comfort zone was shattered after a talk with Shawn Michaels and the creative team.
Jacy revealed the exact moment Shawn Michaels’ criticism changed everything. “He told me: You need to be consistent. You’re a great number two, you’re just not a number one yet,” Jayne recalled. She took the comment very personally, which lit a fire inside her. “I was so motivated. I started taking night classes in addition to my regular training… I trained extremely hard for months, just waiting for an opportunity,” she said.
That opportunity, which she had prepared for so intensely, came in the most unexpected way. Jayne shared that the outcome of her NXT Women’s Championship victory was kept secret until the very end. She recalled a writer casually mentioning her title match on Sunday night. However, on the day of the match, she was told that it would end in a disqualification. It wasn’t until minutes before walking through the curtain that the plan changed and she was informed that she would be winning—a moment that left her “in shock.”
