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Mickie James is one of the greatest female superstars that has ever stepped foot in a wrestling ring. She has played a massive role in shaping the Women's division of both WWE and IMPACT Wrestling (formerly known as TNA).
Her feuds with names like Trish Stratus and Gail Kim are considered by many to be some of the most entertaining wrestling rivalries of all time.
In 2016, James returned to WWE programming. She stayed with the company for the next five years before being released in April 2021.
During her five-year-long stint, James became a part of several memorable moments. Although she couldn't win any championships, Mickie managed to entertain the WWE Universe as much as she could.
In this article, let's take a look at Mickie James' second WWE run and relive some of its best moments.
Mickie James' WWE return in 2016 saw her become a part of WWE NXT
In July 2016, Mickie James returned to WWE as part of WWE NXT, where she became the newest challenger for then NXT Women's Champion, Asuka.
The duo had a heated rivalry that concluded at NXT Takeover: Toronto. She looked impressive in the ring, proving why she's one of the best female wrestlers on the planet. Although Mickie lost the match, she received praised from the WWE Universe for putting Asuka over.
She finally got called up to the main roster in January 2017. Mickie aligned herself with then Smackdown Women's Champion, Alexa Bliss, who was involved in an intense feud with Becky Lynch.
James had a short singles feud with Lynch, which concluded with the latter coming out on top. After this program, Mickie turned face and ended her alliance with The Goddess.
Mickie later moved to WWE RAW, which remained her home for the next two years
In April 2017, Mickie moved to WWE RAW as part of the WWE Superstar Shakeup. She stayed on the red brand for the next two years and became a part of several historic moments. In the fall of 2017, James also challenged for the RAW women's title a few times.
Unfortunately, she didn't succeed in capturing the prestigious title. She later became a part of the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble, where she had a confrontation with her arch-rival, Trish Stratus. Mickie also competed at the first-ever all-women's WWE pay-per-view, Evolution.
In 2019, James was drafted back to WWE Smackdown, where she hoped to capture championship gold for the seventh time in her career. However, her run on the blue brand was interrupted by a gruesome knee injury.
Mickie's final days in WWE were underwhelming
Despite her injury, James managed to entertain the fans in a different form. She temporarily joined the broadcast panel on WWE Main Event, where she impressed the WWE Universe with her commentary skills.
She finally made her in-ring return in August 2020 and entered into a feud with Natalya and Lana on WWE Raw. The following month, James challenged her old rival, Asuka, for the RAW Women's Championship. Unfortunately, Mickie could not win the title this time either.
After months of absence, Mickie James made her WWE return in January 2021, when she became a part of RAW Legends Night. She later competed in the Women's Royal Rumble match as a surprise entrant.
Unfortunately, it proved to be Mickie's last in-ring appearance as a WWE Superstar. She was released from the company on April 15, 2021 as part of WWE's annual budget cuts.
Her release led to a lot of controversy when Mickie revealed that WWE had sent her belongings back in a trash bag. Many wrestling personalities expressed their frustrations regarding the whole matter and extended their support to Mickie James.
WWE later fired the official who was responsible for this unfortunate incident. Top WWE officials Triple H and Stephanie McMahon also offered public apologies to Mickie James soon after.
Mickie James returned to IMPACT Wrestling at Slammiversary
IMPACT Wrestling's Slammiversary pay-per-view has got the whole wrestling world talking. The show proved to be a huge success, all thanks to some incredible matches. The event also saw the arrival of several ex-WWE talents, including Mickie James.
Mickie returned to the promotion after almost six years and confronted current IMPACT Knockouts Champion, Deonna Purrazzo. She invited the champ to wrestle at NWA's upcoming all-women's pay-per-view NWA EmPowerr.
The duo then got involved in a heated war of words. Mickie didn't take the champ's words lightly and laid her out with a vicious Mick Kick. Mickie James' return is a good sign for IMPACT's Knockouts division, as the roster will benefit from the presence of such an experienced veteran.
