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| Mickie James | |
|---|---|
 James in 2019 | |
| Birth name | Mickie Laree James |
| Born | August 31, 1979 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | www |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Alexis Laree Mickie James Princess Alexis[1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm)[2][3] |
| Billed weight | 124 lb (56 kg)[3] |
| Billed from | Richmond, Virginia Norfolk, Virginia[2] |
| Trained by | Funking Conservatory[4] KYDA Pro Training School[5] |
| Debut | August 28, 1999 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Country |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Entertainment One (2010–2013) Sony (2016–present) |
Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979)[6][7] is an American country singer and professional wrestler. She is currently signed to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) as Creative Director, Head of Female Talent and Executive Producer. She is best known for her tenures in WWE, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
James began her wrestling career in 1999 as a valet on the independent circuit, where she was known under the name Alexis Laree.[8] She trained in several camps to improve her wrestling abilities before working for NWA: Total Nonstop Action (NWA: TNA, later Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, later Impact Wrestling, now Total Nonstop Action Wrestling again) in 2002, where she gained national attention.[8][9] After only a few appearances, she joined a stable called The Gathering and was written into storylines with the group. She is the only woman to be involved in the promotion's Clockwork Orange House of Fun matches.[10]
James made her World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) main roster debut in 2005 and was placed in a storyline with Trish Stratus, in which James' gimmick was that of Stratus' biggest fan turned obsessed stalker, an angle which ran over eight months.[11][8][12] She received a push and she won her first WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania 22, a title she has held a total of five times. James also won her first Divas Championship defeating Maryse Ouellet at Night of Champions in 2009, to become the second of five Divas to hold both the Women's and Divas titles.[13] She was released from the company in April 2010, after which she returned to TNA, where she became a three-time TNA Knockouts Champion. James returned to WWE in 2013 as a guest trainer, then officially returned in 2016 before she was once again released in 2021. James would then make occasional appearances and would ultimately return to Impact Wrestling in 2021, winning her fourth and fifth Knockouts Championship, making James a total 11-time women's world champion between WWE and Impact.
Early life[edit]
James was born at Richmond Memorial Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, the daughter of Stuart James, a retired wastewater-treatment worker, landscaper, and VAIL League Division 3 Championship coach and Sandra Knuckles, a teacher and real-estate agent.[14] Her parents divorced while she was young. She has a sister, a half-sister, a half-brother, and three stepbrothers.[14] She grew up in Montpelier, Virginia, and graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1997.[14][15] While growing up, she spent a lot of time on her grandmother's horse farm, and developed a keen interest in equestrian sports.[15] She played violin for five years.[16] James is a Native American of the Powhatan tribe.[17][18]
Professional wrestling career[edit]
Independent circuit (1999–2003)[edit]
A fan of professional wrestling from an early age, James attended a professional wrestling school in the Washington, D.C., area at the suggestion of a friend.[15][19] She made her professional debut on the independent circuit on 28 August 1999, as a valet for KYDA Pro Wrestling under the ring name Alexis Laree, a name created as the result of a combination of her stage name from when she was a dancer and her middle name.[5][8][20] Laree went on to manage several male wrestlers, including managing Tommy Dreamer to win the KYDA Pro Heavyweight Championship.[10][21] In March, she wrestled in her first match, an intergender tag team match with Jake Damian against American Mike Brown and Candie.[10] She trained to improve her wrestling abilities by attending training camps such as the Funking Conservatory, a workshop run by Dory Funk Jr., and an Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) dojo. She also started competing for Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW), where she trained at camps run by Ricky Morton and Bobby Eaton.[8][10] Beginning in 2002, she also made appearances for Ring of Honor.[3]
Due to the low salary of the independent shows, James supplemented her income by working as a waitress at an Olive Garden restaurant, and posing nude for adult fetish magazines Leg Show and Naughty Neighbors in the early 2000s,[22] before gaining fame and being subsequently signed by World Wrestling Entertainment in 2003.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002–2003)[edit]
While working in Ring of Honor for a year, James also debuted as Alexis Laree in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on the company's first ever weekly pay-per-view, introduced as a participant in the lingerie battle royal, which occurred the following week.[23][24] She was not prominently featured until March 26, 2003, when she teamed with Amazing Red as part of his feud against the X Division Champion Kid Kash and Trinity. Laree competed in her first singles match with the promotion on April 2, 2003, in a losing effort against Trinity.[8][25] Weeks later, she became the first member of The Gathering, a stable led by Raven in his feud against NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett.[8] On April 16, Laree became the first (and thus far, only) woman to compete in a Clockwork Orange House of Fun match, after the Gathering challenged and defeated Jarrett.[10][26] She continued to wrestle with the stable while they feuded with The Disciples of the New Church, taking part in an angle with Father James Mitchell burning her with a fireball and wrestling in another Clockwork Orange House of Fun match before leaving the company.[27][28][29]
World Wrestling Entertainment[edit]
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2003–2005)[edit]
After two years of sending tapes and making phone calls as well as wrestling a tryout dark match with Dawn Marie, James was signed to a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), who sent her to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), their then-developmental territory, in August 2003.[8][10][20] Still using the ring name Alexis Laree, she began making television appearances for OVW on January 29, 2004, and competed in several tag team matches throughout the year.[30][31] She also won a Halloween costume contest on October 30, and defeated Jillian Hall in a $1,000 match on November 12.[32]
On May 17, 2005, Laree was placed into a tournament for the OVW Television Championship. She defeated Mike Mondo in the first round, only to lose to Blaster Lashley in the next round.[30][33] She began a feud with Beth Phoenix on July 20 after Phoenix interrupted Laree during an interview, setting up a match on July 29, which Laree lost.[30][31] Their angle continued into September, with Shelly Martinez being added to the storyline to side with Phoenix against Laree. On October 12, she appeared in OVW under her real name, and finished the year on the losing end of matches against Martinez and Jillian Hall.[30]
Storyline with Trish Stratus (2005–2006)[edit]
Under her real name, she debuted in WWE on the October 10, 2005, episode of Raw as a face under the gimmick of WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus' biggest fan.[11][34][35] The angle had the two Divas competing together in tag team matches, with James' character becoming increasingly obsessed with Stratus.[36][37][38] The storyline included a Halloween costume contest, in which James was dressed like Stratus and helped Stratus retain the Women's Championship in a Fulfill Your Fantasy battle royal at Taboo Tuesday by eliminating herself and Victoria at the same time.[39][40] James even began utilizing Stratus' signature finishing moves as her own during matches. James later became the number one contender for the WWE Women's Championship on December 12, by defeating Victoria in a match to determine who would face Stratus at New Year's Revolution.[41] Subsequently, the storyline between Mickie and Stratus developed into a lesbian angle, after James kissed Stratus[42] under a sprig of mistletoe.[11][12][43] In the championship match at the pay-per-view, James lost to Stratus.
Despite the defeat, James continued to be enamored of Stratus, which made Stratus uncomfortable.[44] On March 6, 2006, the storyline had Stratus confronting James, telling her that they needed time apart from each other.[11][12][45] Through the early part of 2006, Mickie would attack Ashley Massaro several times due to Massaro calling her "crazy". At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, James defeated Massaro with then-Women's Champion, Trish Stratus, as the special guest referee. James would also confess her love for Stratus at the event.[46] Massaro got revenge one week later on Raw.[47]
James and Stratus teamed together at the March 18, 2006 Saturday Night's Main Event XXXII to defeat Candice Michelle and Victoria. After the match, James agreed to honor Stratus' wishes and attempted to kiss her. After Stratus pushed her away, James attacked Stratus and vowed to destroy her.[11][12][48] The feud between James and Stratus culminated in a Women's Championship match at WrestleMania 22, which James won, to earn her first Women's Championship in what was looked at as one of the best female matches ever produced at WrestleMania.[49] Her angle with Stratus continued into Backlash during a rematch, after Stratus legitimately dislocated her shoulder when James threw her out of the ring.[50][51] The feud would come to an end on the June 26 episode of Raw, when Mickie defeated Stratus in a Women's Championship match.
Women's Champion (2006–2008)[edit]
James dropped the WWE Women's Championship on August 14 to Lita, after Lita hit James with the title belt.[52] After the Women's Championship was vacated due to the retirement of Trish Stratus, James entered a tournament to determine the new champion.[53] She defeated Victoria and Melina en route to the finals at Cyber Sunday, where she lost to Lita. James transitioned into a face after she and Lita wrestled in a series of matches in which Lita chose stipulations to hinder Mickie's wrestling ability.[54] The feud between James and Lita ended at Survivor Series, where James defeated Lita, in the latter's retirement match, to win her second Women's Championship.[55]
James then began an angle with Melina on January 29, 2007, when Melina became the number one contender for the Women's Championship.[56][57] Following a successful title defense on February 5,[58] James teamed with Super Crazy in a mixed tag team match against Melina and Johnny Nitro. After Melina pinned James for the victory, she challenged her to a rematch for the title.[59] James would subsequently lose the Women's Championship to Melina on February 19 and, in continuation of their storyline feud, failed to regain the title during the first women's Falls Count Anywhere match in WWE history.[60][61] During the finish of the match, James fell from the top turnbuckle and landed on her neck, which resulted in a rushed finish. James, however, was not seriously injured in the incident.[62]
The scripted feud between James and Melina was rekindled during her photo op on Raw.[63] At a house show in Paris on April 24, James won her third Women's Championship during a triple threat match that also involved Victoria. Since Mickie pinned Victoria and not Melina, an immediate rematch was scheduled, in which James dropped the title back to Melina, giving her the shortest Women's Championship reign in WWE history.[64] James later received a rematch for the title at Backlash, but was unsuccessful. After Backlash, James would only make sporadic appearances on television, wrestling occasionally in tag-matches and rarely in singles competition. On the November 26 episode of Raw, James defeated Melina in a number one contender's match for Beth Phoenix's Women's Championship,[65] setting up a title match between the two at Armageddon, in which Phoenix retained the title.
On the April 14, 2008, episode of Raw, held in London, England, James defeated Beth Phoenix to win her fourth Women's Championship.[66] At Judgment Day, James successfully defended her title against Melina and Beth Phoenix in a triple-threat match. Mickie re-entered the feud against Phoenix in mid-2008, where she and Kofi Kingston teamed up against Phoenix and Santino Marella at SummerSlam in a Winner Takes All tag team match for both the Women's and Intercontinental Championships, in which Mickie and Kingston lost their titles to Phoenix and Marella.[67] After James lost the championship, she had two rematches for the title, but was unsuccessful in regaining it.[68][69] At Survivor Series in November, James was part of the victorious Raw Diva team which defeated the SmackDown Divas in a five-on-five elimination match; she eliminated Michelle McCool, before being eliminated by Maryse.[70] The following month at Armageddon, James teamed with Maria, Michelle McCool and Kelly Kelly in a winning effort against Jillian Hall, Maryse, Victoria and Natalya.[71]
Divas and Women's Champion and departure (2009–2010)[edit]
Following an appearance in the 25-Diva battle royal at WrestleMania XXV,[72] James began feuding with the WWE Divas Champion Maryse heading into Night of Champions on July 26. At the event, James defeated Maryse to win her first Divas Championship, becoming only the second Diva in history to have held both the Women's and Divas titles.[73] Throughout the Summer, Mickie successfully defended the title against Gail Kim and Beth Phoenix on episodes of Raw,[74][75] and against Alicia Fox at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 4.[76] Two weeks later on Raw, James lost the title to Jillian Hall after an approximate three month title reign.[77] After the show, James was traded to the SmackDown brand for the first time in her career, due to a Diva trade made by Raw guest host Nancy O'Dell.[78]
James made her debut with the brand on the October 23 episode of SmackDown, defeating Layla.[79] On the October 30 episode of SmackDown, a controversial angle began that saw WWE Women's Champion Michelle McCool and Layla, collectively known as LayCool, bully James. On the November 20 episode of SmackDown, after James defeated Layla, McCool gave James the nickname "Piggy James", that sent James to tears, resulting in a five-on-five Survivor Series match at the November pay-per-view Survivor Series, where James' team prevailed over McCool's team, with James and Melina as the sole survivors.[80] On the December 4 episode of SmackDown, James became the number one contender for McCool's Women's Championship by defeating Beth Phoenix and Natalya in a triple threat match.[81] The following week, James challenged McCool for the championship at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, but was unsuccessful after interference from Layla.[82][83] On the January 22 edition of Smackdown, another controversial segment in the feud took place when Laycool beatdown James, force-fed her a pig shaped cake and dumped a bowl of punch on her head, leaving her sobbing and defeated in the ring. The storyline feud continued into the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2010, where James finally defeated McCool in 20 seconds to become a five-time Women's Champion, the second most reigns with the old WWE Women's Championship after Trish Stratus, who has had 7 reigns. Over the following couple of weeks, SmackDown consultant Vickie Guerrero was introduced into the rivalry, choosing to side with LayCool over James. On the February 26 episode of SmackDown, McCool used her rematch clause to face James for the Women's Championship, with Guerrero acting as special guest referee. After Guerrero slapped James, McCool pinned her to regain the title.[84]
On March, James was diagnosed with a staph infection on her right knee, putting her out of action for three weeks.[85] She returned on the March 22 episode of Raw, where alongside Kelly Kelly, she accompanied Eve Torres, Beth Phoenix, and Gail Kim in their losing effort against McCool, Maryse and Layla, who had Vickie Guerrero and Alicia Fox in their corner.[86] This set up a 10-Diva tag team match at WrestleMania XXVI, in which James made an unsuccessful in-ring return after Vickie pinned Kelly.[87] James made her last appearance on Raw during a rematch, where her team was victorious. James' final match in WWE aired on the April 23 episode of SmackDown where she teamed with former long-time rival Beth Phoenix against LayCool in a losing effort when she was pinned by Layla.[88] James was released from WWE one day earlier on April 22, having pre-taped her SmackDown match.[89] According to James, WWE explained the decision as due to desiring to "move in a new direction with their women's division".[90]
Sporadic appearances (2013)
In November 2013, James served as guest trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, for a week, training NXT's female wrestlers. James also attended that week's NXT live event in Tampa, Florida.[91]
Return to the independent circuit (2010–2016)[edit]
James made her return to the independent circuit in April 2010, as part of World Wrestling Council (WWC), teaming with Carlito to defeat the team of ODB and Christopher Daniels. James won the bout after pinning Daniels.[92][unreliable source?] On July 11, as part of their Anniversary weekend, she defeated ODB in a singles match. On the last day of that month, James returned to one of her early promotions, Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW), to wrestle Mia Yim in a winning effort.[93][unreliable source?] The following month, she contested for the Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU) Championship against Mercedes Martinez, but she was unsuccessful.[94][unreliable source?] She also returned to Dory Funk's promotion, recording a tag team match for !Bang! TV. James also accompanied Dory Funk Jr. during his match, and sung "The Star-Spangled Banner" during !Bang! TV's tribute to the troops.[95][