Mickie James appeared for an interview on “The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val” with the legendary Mickie James. In the interview, she makes the exclusive announcement of who will be inducting her into the TNA Hall of Fame.
She also discusses her incredible longevity in a business that once told women they’d only last five years, how TNA helped her fall in love with wrestling again, her new film project, and working with legends like The Undertaker and Booker T.
The following are some of the highlights.
On revealing who will induct her into the TNA Hall of Fame: “You’re going to be pleased with this as someone who was pretty synonymous with the whole in production of hardcore country. I think that we made some incredible, historic moments together, and that would be our dear friend, Lisa Marie. I’ve asked her.”
On her career longevity and the advice she received early on: “If anything, they were like, ‘You’ll get five years tops as a female. That’s it. That’s what you get.’ And then it’s next chapter. So if you get an opportunity to make it to TV, make the most of it, because it’s gonna be short and sweet, because that’s just how women’s careers were. So then you think about it now, to go whoa, the to have this type of longevity.”
On how creating “Hardcore Country” in TNA made her fall in love with wrestling again: “To get this opportunity to go to TNA, I don’t even think I recognized how awesome it was gonna be until I got there, and I was able to create and be probably my most authentic self in the wrestling ring than I’d ever been… it almost reminded me of how much I love wrestling and why I love wrestling… It made me almost fall in love with wrestling all over again, and a whole new journey.”
On working as a coach on the reality show LFG with The Undertaker, Booker T, and Bubba Ray Dudley: “When I got asked to do it, I was like, ‘Who the coaches are?’ Bubba, Taker and obviously Booker T, all Hall of Famers. And they’ve been around the business. Booker has his own school. Bubba has his own school. Taker pretty much schooled the entire locker room for decades. So I’m like, where do I fit in here?”
