Mickie James On The Appeal Of ‘Hardcore Country,’ Having A Chance To Reinvent Herself With NWA
Mickie James is excited for her next chapter as a wrestler.
Mickie James recently spoke with WrestleZone about her role as producer for NWA Empowerrr as well as her return to the ring at NWA 73. James is focused on her executive producer role but said there’s a lot to think about in terms of her in-ring return the following night.
Mickie knows that her “Hardcore Country” song and gimmick is still popular with fans, as it’s since been revisited with her appearances on IMPACT Wrestling. Asked if she knows what the “new” Mickie will look and feel like, James noted how she did consider using “Grown Ass Woman” as a theme song, but feels like she has a chance to do something new and show an evolution of the “Hardcore Country” character moving forward.
“We announced that ‘Grown Ass Woman’ will be the theme song of Empowerrr, and originally I was like, ‘oh maybe I’ll use that as my new entrance music.’ I think there is something to [it], and the fans miss the Hardcore Country character,” James said. “I think if I’m going to, obviously NWA 73 is the first time I’m going to be wrestling and so I’m trying to—I have a chance to do something totally different.”
James had previously talked about the decision to return to her ‘legacy’ WWE character for her second return with the company instead of pushing for “Hardcore Country.” James spoke with Pollo Del Mar for Wrestling Inc. and talked about having some regrets in using her throwback character, placing some blame on herself because she thought it was more familiar to the WWE audience. Speaking now to WrestleZone, James expanded on her remarks and said she really just wished things went differently, but now has a chance to do that now starting with NWA 73.
“I just had wished in hindsight that I had made the decision to do ‘Hardcore Country,’ you know, and come back as that character,” James said. “I’m never bitter about anything, I just go, ‘Hmm, I wonder what things would have been different had I came into WWE as my second run as that character’ versus [returning as] ‘legend’ Mickie James. It could have still been ‘legend’ but it would have just been a new version, which was just more authentic to me at that time, but it’s whatever. You never know because it never happened, but I think I have a chance to maybe do something with her. She was a little bit more sassy, you know?”
Mickie recently revealed the full match card for NWA Empowerrr, which you can read at this link. Billy Corgan also praised Mickie for helping mend the relationship between the NWA and IMPACT Wrestling, you can his full remarks on the situation here.