Legend refused to return after WWE asked him to work with Lacey Evans – Reports

Lacey Evans' latest WWE appearance caused controversy on social media, with Sgt. Slaughter's daughter accusing the SmackDown star of stealing her father's gimmick. According to a new report, Slaughter previously turned down the opportunity to return to WWE as part of a storyline involving the former marine.

On the June 2 episode of SmackDown, Zelina Vega defeated Evans to qualify for the Women's Money in the Bank ladder match. One of the biggest talking points revolved around the latter's new attire, which closely resembled the gear that Slaughter wore during his career.

The Wrestle Votes Twitter account reported that WWE's higher-ups wanted Slaughter to appear in vignettes to pass on his Cobra Clutch submission move to Evans. However, the WWE Hall of Famer allegedly refused:

Adding to the Lacey Evans / Sgt. Slaughter story… back in January WWE asked Sarge to appear in the Lacey return vignettes, where he would “teach” & pass down the Cobra Clutch. Slaughter adamantly denied any involvement.

Evans returned to in-ring action last week after a two-month absence from competing on television. Since WrestleMania 39, the 33-year-old has lost untelevised dark matches against Michin, Shotzi, and Tegan Nox before SmackDown events.

What did Sgt. Slaughter's daughter say about Lacey Evans?

Following Friday's SmackDown, Sgt. Slaughter's daughter spotted a picture of Lacey Evans wearing a similar hat and military waistcoat to her father. She branded Evans a "poser" and questioned "who the f**k" the WWE star thinks she is.

Evans claimed that nobody in the Slaughter family could "put [her] in a bag," prompting Sgt. Slaughter's daughter to fire back:

You’ve got my respect for serving our country. 💯 I’m talking about the gimmick. Cobra clutch & now the hat. You look ridiculous. #stolengimmick twitter.com/laceyevanswwe/…

Sgt. Slaughter was one of the highest-profile WWE names of the 1980s and early 1990s. At the height of his career, the legendary superstar lost the WWE Championship to Hulk Hogan in the WrestleMania 7 main event in 1991.

This is not the first time that Slaughter has addressed Evans using his gimmick. In January, he posted a thumbs-down image and responded, "Lacey WHO?" after a Twitter user asked if he gave Evans the Cobra Clutch.

Do you think Lacey Evans' latest character development is too similar to WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.