Mickie James appeared on the Ariel Helwani Show on Youtube where she talked about her current run in Impact Wrestling, a WWE Royal Rumble return later this month, working for NWA and a whole lot more.
Here are some interview highlights and then we'll post the full 29-minute video at the bottom of this post. Thanks to WrestlingNewsCo for transcribing the quotes.
Mickie commented on how the deal came together to have her participate in the Royal Rumble match on January 29.
“It was a few weeks ago, and Scott (D'Amore of Impact Wrestling) had called me first…just to kind of see where I was at and if I was interested. I think immediately I was excited, because I think about this historically has never happened before, for WWE to do this or to have anyone participate in the Rumble, especially to acknowledge the championship. It’s really, it’s cool. And it just shows a different amount of respect –I feel really great about it. Plus, I think, in my mind, the last thing most people bring up or talk about was on the other end of the spectrum with and so it’s just cool not to have that be the thing, or the last thing, or whatever that is. So i’m so excited, honestly.”
"Johnny reached out to Scott to first just talk to him professionally because… this has never really has been done before by them. So definitely, they talked first to see if this was going to be something they because they’ve worked together, Impact worked together with WWE in the past for other things, you know, for when Flair went in the Hall of Fame and Christian Cage and all that stuff, so it wasn’t unforeseen that it could possibly happen. But yeah, so I think that’s why Scott first reached out to me to see what my interest was. And then obviously, we were all able to make this happen somehow. And I think it was going to be a surprise, we talked about having it as a surprise. But you know, the announcement [and] the response back from the announcement kind of has blown my mind. I think it’s pretty incredible. You know, it’s different, and it’s kind of historic, and then to be the person to do they’ve done it with it’s really freaking cool."
Mickie made it clear that she was on good terms with WWE following her April 2021 release from the company and being sent her belongings in a trash bag. She talked to Vince McMahon after it and everything was cool after that. Mickie was asked how she felt when WWE reached out about appearing in the Royal Rumble while noting that she plans on using her "Hardcore Country" theme song as well.
“Um, I was shocked. I think I was very shocked because I know it’s not really ever been done especially for the women and so and I think all things considered but I also feel like everyone from that camp has honestly, we’ve talked and there’s been apologies and all the things and so I still maintain a good relationship with everyone in that sense. And professionally, I just think it’s just something to be able to do and hopefully open the door for future possibilities of that as well. You know, so yeah, I think my knee jerk reaction was I was kind of shocked you know, because just it’s unheard of. And especially for me I was like oh really okay, um and so yeah, I don’t know It’s weird, right? It’s a weird place to be sitting.”
Mickie also said that she didn't know WWE would announce her Royal Rumble appearance until it aired on Smackdown last Friday night.
“I was headed to Impact because we obviously had the championship on the line and it was going to be the main event. And that was already a thing. So I was actually driving around looking for a guitar when it aired on SmackDown in Dallas. So I don’t know, I think like we said, we were we were talked about it being a surprise, like more of like, just one of the surprise entrances. But then I think Johnny really in the camp really wanted to kind of get it out there because they were doing that big announcement in the reveal that night, and they wanted to put it as part of that.”
Mickie commented on WWE releasing so many wrestlers over the last two years.
“It is head scratching, but then also they’ve had an immense amount of hirings through the years so the company had expanded when it’s gone on the road because it had almost like a whole division of just NXT and WWE and then obviously, the pandemic has I think crushed everyone especially live events and touring and all of those things and I don’t know…it sucks. It sucks for my friends. It sucks for my friends to not have a place to work and now that there’s you know seems to be competition like now they have somewhere to go but then Ring of Honor is kind of shut down behind it. So it’s just like all these things but I don’t know, I feel like the business is ever-evolving. And it always goes through highs and lows, it goes through those things, and it kind of sucks. And it sucks to be on one side of it. And I just hope that everybody uses it as like just a repositioning, and like to just kind of grow and do something different or added to whatever that is, because it’s crazy. You know, it’s just crazy out there. And I think it’s cool that … it seems to be more places to go now. It’s just, it’s just different. You know, the business has just changed so much, and I don’t know what it’s going to keep looking like, especially with touring in the next five years, if it doesn’t turn around somehow.”
Mickie was also asked if All Elite Wrestling was interested in signing her.
“I don’t know, I never was like, technically reached out by AEW. But I think they all knew that I was going to work with my husband at NWA. And I really wanted to do this women’s show (NWA Empowerrr). That was really important to me. Um, yeah, I think there’s obviously matches and girls I wanted to work with, and I certainly would have entertained it or talked about it. But I think my history with Impact too. And I felt like, even with Empowerrr, I was able to kind of bridge some of those gaps and make relationships happen and open up kind of those conversations and doors. And I didn’t know if I wanted to sign anything long term, like locked in for like, a multi year or anything like that, either. I’ve just kind of because I’ve been doing it for so long. And I just don’t know, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just knew I wanted to do the girls show. And then I would think about wrestling after that…I only wrestle for Impact and NWA and now WWE…I really have so many things I’m working on now between our supplement company, and mommying, as much as I can full time all the time when I am home, and my horses and stuff, and I just want to be able to focus that time on him and those things, and then there’s little projects, and then just wrestle for the championship, and stuff like that.”
Thanks again to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
There were plenty of other topics discussed during the interview.
- John Canton (@johnreport) of MickieJames.com.