Knockouts Champion Mickie James recently sat down with the Big Wrestleshark Show to discuss TNA’s recent downsizing, her new album and who she thinks TNA should hire.
Recap courtesy of LordsofPain.net:
On TNA’s recent releases, including that of Tara: “It’s always very sad to see your friends and colleagues go, it’s kind of bitter sweet because you know you’re going to run into each other somewhere down the road. Just because they were such a staple of the locker-room for so long and to still be so over, with so much left to offer so to see them go…I just hope…although you always know it means there’s going to be a bit of change and some new faces will perhaps start coming in, I just hope those fresh faces can hold a candle to the girls they are replacing. Those are some rather large shoes to fill.”
Who she’d like to see return: “I’m open to whoever wants to come back. It would be really cool to have Kharma back in TNA; I think it would be cool to see Gail Kim vs. Kharma round two but with the roles reversed. Also I’ve never had a chance to work with Kharma and I would love to, so I think that would be really cool.”
On talent that’s waiting to be tapped in the indies: “There is so much talent out there that deserves to get a shot, that deserves to be seen. Most of the girls that are there, I’ll say most not all, came from humble beginnings and trained and worked their way up the indy’s to make a name for themselves, a respected name and finally caught an amazing break. There are so many girls out there that are just like that, so hopefully this is an opportunity for them to step up.”
Which indy performer should get a TNA spot?: “I always say Serena. She’s one of the girls who reminds me so much of myself, I had kind of taken her under my wing a long time ago and to just see how far she’s grown on her own, and I just feel that when she was in the public eye and really getting a mainstream push she never had a chance to show how great she was and better than pretty much everybody in the ring. She’s one of the best I’ve ever stepped in the ring with, she’s technically solid, it’s ridiculous, I’ve seen her outwrestle some of the guys! So to see that level of talent go un-noticed is a sad thing. Hopefully I’d like to see her be able to shine. It’s hard to find someone who has it all… like myself.”
How wrestling affects embarking on a music career: “It has definitely been an advantage at some points. It’s a catch 22, obviously you want to be taken seriously as an artist but being fortunate enough to have had the career I had in wrestling has paved the way for so much in terms of opening a lot of doors, and people I’ve met, and been fortunate enough to work with and write with. However, on the other hand you have the stigma of ‘oh, it’s that girl who wrestles’.”
Will she ever switch to music full time? “I would love to be a full time musician, I don’t understand why I can’t be a full time both. I think wrestling will always be a special part of my life, I love it too much to just walk away. I mean I know I can’t physically get in the ring and wrestle and compete for the rest of my life, nor would I want to. I still want to be a part of this business…I guess that’s what will figure itself out along the way.”
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