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Former WWE Women's champion Mickie James was recently released from WWE last April as part of annual budget cuts. In an exclusive interview with The Wrestling Inc Daily, Mickie expressed regret at a decision she made during her recent WWE tenure.
She regretted taking the decision not to bring her 'Hardcore Country' persona to WWE.
“In hindsight, I wish I’d shown up as ‘Hardcore Country’ Mickie James. I think she would have made a lot of money. I came back as my old-school wrestling, with the bell-bottoms and stuff…a throwback. Which was, honestly, on me because I felt the WWE audience knows her," Mickie James stated.
James went on to say that she would've had more dimensions to her Impact persona than her 'legend' persona. However, she also stated that it was her decision as she had proposed it.
"This is all speculation, but I think they would have more excitement, more stuff to do around that character (her Impact persona). I feel the actual excitement of Mickie James coming back was kind of…..I don’t know if that was a huge thing (on the 'legend' character limiting her story options)..... But that’s on me, because I proposed it," Mickie James said.
Mickie James' WWE Career
Mickie James is a WWE legend. She has had some phenomenal matches with the likes of Trish Stratus, beating her at Wrestlemania 22 to win her first WWE Women's championship. She has won the title a total of six times in her career.
She was released from WWE in 2010 and returned to NXT in 2016, unsuccessfully challenging Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship. In 2017, she moved to the main roster, helping Alexa Bliss retain her title and feud with Becky in the process.
Mickie James has the distinction of participating in WWE's first-ever Women's Falls Count Anywhere match, Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber match, and the first-ever Wrestlemania Women's Battle Royal. She also competed in WWE's first all-women's Pay-Per-View and Evolution in a tag team match against WWE Hall of Famers Trish and Lita.
What is your favorite Mickie James moment from her recent run? Do you think the 'Hardcore Country' gimmick would have been more successful? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Quote (H/T - WrestlingInc)
