Mickie James Lays Out Remaining Dream Matches
Hours after defeating Jordynne Grace to win the Impact Wrestling Knockouts World Championship, Mickie James was interviewed on the weekend edition of SiriusXM's "Busted Open Radio." During the interview, co-host Mark Henry asked James if she had any interest in going on a "world tour" of sorts as champion since this is more or less her retirement tour, making stops in other promotions around the world. She answered in the affirmative, listing off some matches she'd love to have before she winds down her career.
"You talk about that match with Sasha [Banks/Mercedes Moné], that's one match we never got at WWE," she said. "We never had a singles match and it's one thing we always wanted. With her at Stardom and New Japan, that opportunity to be able to finally have that singles match that we both always wanted would be incredible. To be able to go against someone at AEW, that's a door I've never walked through before. But a Britt Baker or Jamie Hayter, she's the champ, I love Jamie Hayter. I saw her in England for 1PW when I wrestled out there. She's fantastic. Or someone like Jade Cargill, who's an anomaly. She's an attraction. That would be two parallel universes, two different worlds colliding. That would be so cool."
The 1PW card Mickie referred to was A New Twist of Fate from this past October 1, where she defeated Lizzy Evo and Jamie Hayter was upset by Session Moth Martina.
'I really never had a chance to be me'
Mickie also gave her thoughts on the kind of matches she could have in WWE, particularly if she was fully allowed to be herself.
"I was blessed to go back to WWE for the [Royal] Rumble last (year), but there's a lot of women, there's Charlotte [Flair], there's Bayley, there's Becky [Lynch], people who I really never had a chance to be me [with] in that ring and show what I could truly do," she explained. "That match with Asuka [at "NXT" TakeOver: Toronto] is probably my greatest match when I was back at WWE the last time, and I had some really incredible moments and got to do WrestleMania with Alexa [Bliss] and stuff, but I didn't really have that opportunity to present 'Hardcore Country' until the Rumble, but also remind people of who Mickie James truly is in that ring.
"I would pray for something like that, Mark," she continued, circling back to the larger "world tour" idea. "I would really like to make this title reign something remarkable and something special, because I don't know how many more I've got left in me, Mark."
'Blaze of Glory'
"I want to go out in a blaze of glory. [...] It's not about wins or losses, obviously, I want to be a champion's champion, I don't want to lose, but to be able to have the opportunity to test myself against a whole new class of women when there's opportunities now that were never available before, it's exciting. It's so exciting, and it would be a really good, not only wrap-up to my career or whatever that is, but [for] this title run to be really, really special for me and for the fans. And I think it would be an opportunity, like you said, to give the fans something different, something unexpected all the way around. I absolutely love when companies work together to give the fans something special."
James' current reign as Knockouts Champion is her fifth, having last held from October 2021 to March 2022, when she lost the belt to Tasha Steelz.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.