Popular star makes in-ring return after 16 months to defeat Xia Li and qualify for Money in the Bank Ladder match

SmackDown Superstar Xia Li took part in the first Money in the Bank qualifying match against Lacey Evans, who made her in-ring return after 16 months.

Xia Li would suffer a clean defeat in a quick match as her opponent became the first woman in WWE this year to qualify for the Money in the Bank Ladder match.

Evans turned babyface upon her return but was flip-flopped between RAW and SmackDown, with the company indecisive over which brand to assign her to. Ultimately, they felt that the blue brand was the best option, and it was made official.

In her first match back since February 2021, Lacey Evans faced Xia Lia and defeated her in a quick match. She used The Women's Right to take out the rising Chinese superstar on SmackDown.

As a result, Lacey Evans was the first superstar to qualify for the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder match. The other qualifier on SmackDown featured Drew McIntyre and Sheamus, but neither man officially qualified for the men's ladder match as their match ended in disqualification for both.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Evans as she will look to vie for the women's championship by winning the ladder match.