Join Joey Karni as he gets The Angle with the current IMPACT Wrestling Knockout's World Champion, Hardcore Country, Mickie James! We thoroughly discussed her appearance in the 2022 WWE Women's Royal Rumble, the meaning of entering at #20, using Hardcore Country entrance theme and Knockout's Championship in WWE, Chelsea Green & Tasha Steelz drama, possibly going after the Knockout's Tag Team titles, forbidden door dream matches, NWA and EMPOWER 2, & SO MUCH MORE! Mickie James is still at the forefront breaking down barriers for women's wrestling! Mickie James is the 1st woman to become a 2x guest on the show!
On how she’s having the most fun in her career and doesn’t plan on leaving for a long time:
“It is a balance, it’s a struggle sometimes. I do feel over the last couple of months as champion I’ve been busier than ever, you know, It comes with great responsibility; however, I’ve been having so much fun and of course you have to enjoy it, enjoy the ride while it lasts, I hope and intend for it to last for a very long time. I’m excited! I’m excited to be doing so many different things.”
On taking in all her success with the WWE Women’s Royal Rumble:
“It really look the week after to sit back and take it all in to think it really did happen because I didn’t want to celebrate the thing because anything could happen, it’s wrestling, card subject to change! It was beautiful.”
On significance of being #20 in the Royal Rumble :
“To be number 20, which was kind of ironic because we’re celebrating 20 years of IMPACT. I went out there I wanted to represent IMPACT, I wanted to represent Mickie James, I wanted to represent Hardcore Country. It was awesome, it was so awesome! It was a real good night.”
On realizing Hardcore Country wasn’t ready to be used when she was last in WWE:
“It was magical because it was one of the things I didn’t get to do. I really would’ve to have presented and now I have, Hardcore Country, to the WWE audience because I feel like they really would’ve fallen in love with that character. It just didn’t make sense with the stories or whatever to do it there, even though we talked about it or pitched it, but it’s so weird. And I think it was also that we didn’t know if the audience would recognize that character and that showed that they really loved it.”
Giving props to WWE and now having the door open for other dream matches:
“That moment kind of created this idea because everyone said this would never happen in WWE, she’ll never use her music, she’ll never be Hardcore Country, she’ll never come out with the championship, they’ll never acknowledge it and it’s all the things that they did do. And it’s like oh crap this is a reality that can happen so these other dream matches that I kind of have booked in my head that I thought would never happen, now, you never know, maybe it could…”
On what words she has for free agents who could make their way to IMPACT:
“There’s definitely a few I’d love to see, come on home, but I think that our division is strong but it has the ability to have all of these first-evers and these different style matches that aren’t necessarily given the time for or fought for. That’s not one of those things we ever have to worry about because we also have Gail Kim, who is the head of the Knockout’s, who is always since day one has fought to be seen as equals “
On thinking the world of Chelsea Green and why:
“I love Chelsea (Chelsea Green) so much. From her journey in NXT and the stuff we were kind of doing together or hoping to do together, and then be separated and released on the same day and then watching everything she’s done since then. She’s killing it and I’m jus so proud of her. She’s got so much passion and is definitely one to watch and I think the world of her because she’s good people too and she genuinely loves this business and she loves me and I get her, because I’m a little whacky too.”
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoMx1auPi28
LISTEN TO APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mickie-james-shoots-wwe-royal-rumble-chelsea-green/id1477487697?i=1000552581305
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1b0v2y6NmpkgUzX86EZWi0?si=f451f9228b294e04