Surprising reason why Mickie James is allowed to go to WWE despite being an IMPACT Champion

Knockouts Champion Mickie James is returning to WWE. Her appearance was announced on the January 7 episode of SmackDown, alongside 18 other participants of the upcoming Women's Royal Rumble. We now have surprising news about her contract status with IMPACT Wrestling.

WWE has announced a mix of current and former female superstars for the upcoming pay-per-view. Among the former stars are Summer Rae, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, and Lita. However, none of them came as a big shock as Mickie James. Apart from this, Pat McAfee also mentioned that she is the current IMPACT Knockouts Champion.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful revealed on Twitter that despite her status as the Knockouts Champion, Mickie James is not signed to a full-time contract with IMPACT Wrestling.

Mickie James won her fourth Knockouts Championship at Bound For Glory in 2021 - defeating the top woman in IMPACT Wrestling, Deonna Purrazzo. She has even dabbled in and about with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where her husband Nick Aldis became a two-time world champion - with his second reign surpassing 1,000 days.

What is the most surprising aspect of Mickie James' WWE return?

While Mickie James' return to WWE isn't a full-time one, it's still quite surprising given the circumstances of her departure. She wasn't utilized too well during her second tenure and failed to capture any of the two women's championships.

Additionally, James posted a tweet that went viral, showing how WWE sent back all her belongings in a garbage bag after she was released. This led to a lot of outrage, and Senior Director of Talent Relations Mark Carano was blamed and fired immediately.

While the aforementioned situation has made Mickie James' return to WWE a bit surprising, she will surely be welcomed by fans.

How will WWE treat the current IMPACT Knockouts Champion at the 2022 Royal Rumble? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.