Multi WWE Women’s and Divas Champion Mickie James recently spoke with Landon Buford of The Hype Magazine to discuss her upcoming anticpated match with Lita at Evolution, being considered a locker room leader, what she would like achieve at this point in her career and more. Highlights of the interview below.
On Charlotte Flair’s progression as a performer over the years: I think it is incredible, especially being that this wasn’t her dream. I think she was totally content with the life she was living at the time. I feel like Reid’s death was really the catalyst in her decision to go full force and pursue a career in wrestling after his passing. Obviously, Ric flair’s shoes are such big shoes to fill. He is considered the greatest of all time by many and certainly one of the greatest of all time, in my opinion, like Shawn Michaels, and the list goes on. I think that was certainly the catalyst for her desire to try to be the best. She recognizes that she’s going to be constantly compared to her father and she wants to be at least perceived somewhat on that same level. Obviously, she’s done well for herself thus far.
On being considered a locker room leader: It’s incredible. I think it’s humbling and it’s an incredible honor. I think that it has always been prominent in the male locker room. They have always had the tiers of veteran leadership from the individuals who have been there for 12 years to mentoring the upcoming talent. Now, to have that in the female locker room provides strong leadership to younger female talent who are now just coming up. Hopefully, I can encourage them through our life experiences to not make some of the same mistakes that we’ve made in the past. Both inside and outside of the ring it’s a massive benefit for them because a lot of the time they learn by trial and error. Hopefully, if you have someone who’s already been there, done that, then you could learn from those mistakes or learn from all the successes they have had in the business. You can be so successful if you use those lessons in your own career. So, to answer your question I am incredibly honored, and I love Bayley so much. She is such a good person, super sweet, and she loves wrestling. Like, loves it within her deepest part of her soul. She’s great, always very complimentary and very respectful in the locker room.
On her upcoming match with Lita at Evolution: Most people know that Lita has been, as far as my wrestling career is concerned a big influence even before I came to the WWE. We met when I was working the independent scene in North Carolina. She’s always been so kind to me and helped me out a lot. For example, she pulled me aside back then when I was working my way up and gave me advice on what to do and what not to do in the ring. This was even before I got hired and kept coming in for tryouts. Telling my boss, “maybe you should look at this girl,” and she didn’t have to do that! Then also obviously allowing me to pitch ideas that ended up getting me on television and working with Trish Stratus. I’d always looked forward to being able to work with Lita. We didn’t really get a chance to work together until she was getting ready to retire. So, our big stint of finally being able to be in the ring together was when she was on her way out, which was bittersweet for me. I’d always wanted to work a program with her and she’s saying goodbye as I’m getting to the height of my career. I think we have some unfinished business because of the way she left, and I think for her to have been able to come back and provide the girls with her focus when she was announcing, helping produce, and doing things backstage. Lita has so much knowledge she really paved the way both in the ring and how she’s made money. She was able to separate herself. Before Lita, women weren’t doing moonsaults, hurricanrana, and other highflying maneuvers. I think she really changed the game in the women’s division. I’m excited to work with her and to maybe give these young girls a little competition.
Rumors of WWE Women Tag Team Titles: I hope it is true because I’ve been saying and asking about bringing back the women’s tag team championships. I know I’m not the only one who’s asked about it, but I certainly have been saying we should bring back the women tag team championships. They’ve been retired for so long, it was in the early nineties when they retired Jumping Bob Angels, The Glamour Girls. I don’t know if a lot of people know who these people are but I’m aware because I have been in the business. Now they are putting three women’s matches on the show, but aside from a personal issue, the only thing that is valuable to grab a hold of is the Raw and Smackdown Women’s Championships there can only be one person going after those championships at a time, in the reality of things. So, what is it that will give everyone a different way of fighting and getting more camaraderie and storylines? In the same way that they do with the men who have the tag team championships, the Universal Championship. They have a plethora of championships and storylines to be able to go after where the women only have one per show. I think the tag team championships, even if it’s just one belt that’s then defended on both shows, but you have the IIconics now that are coming up. Think about it like when Layla and Michelle were together it would have been a great storyline when they were with the company. Or Alicia Fox and I can be the veteran team in the division. It would just give everyone, I think, a different catalyst for things too and ideas from different stories. Storylines could also spawn off from those stories. It would also show how diverse the women’s division could be because tag team wrestling is a whole different dynamic. You would be building towards different moments than there are in singles competition.
On Alexa Bliss facing Trish Stratus at Evolution: She has not asked me for any advice in preparation for her match against Trish. I can tell you she is excited about it and she is a big fan of Trish Stratus. I also think she is confident in her abilities and she is a fan enough to know what Trish has done and can do. I can confirm that she has expressed her excitement for the match. She has also expressed her gratitude for me standing beside her and working with her during our storyline. She’s a very sweet girl and a hard worker. She works so hard. This is my personal opinion. For fans to truly love you, you must get them to really hate you first. When I first debuted in the WWE I came in as a heel first. Fans did not know what to think because I wasn’t playing your typical heel role and then I turned into a baby face and was one of the biggest baby faces.
On what else she would like to achive in her career: I still want to win the women’s championship again or twice, not just tie Trish’s record, but break it. Now that Charlotte has tied it, I want to tie her as well. I have tons of goals and it would be cool to do a storyline that rivals the way I came in. If I can have one more storyline that is in that echelon with anybody on the roster, I don’t only want to say with Trish. I would love to work with Trish. Again, I’m so honored to be able to work with Lita again. I was in her retirement match and I worked with Trish on her last match on RAW. Well not technically. She’s come back a few times, but as a talent at the time. So, break the Women’s Championship record, headline a Wrestlemania, add a tag team championship in there and become the great tag team champions of all time with Alicia Fox are all goals of mine that I would like to achieve at this point in my career.
Mickie James also discusses wanting one more match with Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria), Ronda Rousey’s progression in WWE so far and wanting to win one of the men’s championships.
You can the full interview here.
What did you think of the interview? Are you excited to see Mickie James vs. Lita at Evolution? Have you been enjoying her current run with WWE? Let us know in the comments below!
