A former WWE star says she was left “heartbroken” after being released by the company for the first time back in 2010.
Five-time WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James has recently been getting involved in the action for a notable pro wrestling promotion once again, with the 46-year-old making a splash in her former home of TNA Wrestling, where she’s been engaged in a feud with Ash By Elegance and The Elegance Brand.
With the TNA Hall of Famer is now back in the fold on Impact, she took the time to do some reflecting on what led to her second run in TNA back in 2010 – that being her release from WWE in April 2010.
Speaking with Jim Conlan on Into The Vault, James recalled being left “devastated” by her WWE release, as she foresaw her long-term future being with the company.
James said:
“I feel like especially with the second time leaving I’m in a much better place with it all than I was then. Because that was my dream, and I felt like I lost my dream, it wasn’t my dream to ever go backwards or feel like I sidestepped or anything, like that was my dream.
“I honestly thought that I would be there for the long haul, I thought that once I got in the door and I was able to make that impression that I would be a part of the family and so when I lost that I was devastated. I was absolutely devastated and I was in a space of like I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I really had kind of lost my desire to do anything in the wrestling business. I was just really heartbroken.
“It was like a breakup, it was a major breakup and you go through that grieving period and you grow through all this and I felt like I’d sacrificed so much and everything to get there and be there and to give them everything I could to be the best me.
“I look back on all of that, especially at that time of my life too, I was really really heartbroken but I was also in a bad place for me because I was also going through a lot of personal stuff from my family, to other stuff and I think I was just burning the candle at both ends in the middle and I was trying to keep it together.
“I was struggling and I probably just could have used a break, and I just never took a break. That was the reality, so in that 90 days or whatever the time frame was, I did, I took a break, I kind of reset and took a break.”
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WWE Hall Of Famer Was “Deciding Factor” In 2010 TNA Move
Discussing her TNA move that came later in 2010, James said that Kurt Angle was the “deciding factor” in her decision to rejoin the company.
“It was Dixie Carter and Kurt Angle who called me and called me, and that was really the deciding factor was when Kurt called me I’ll be honest. Because Dixie had called me a few times, and when Kurt called me I was like, ‘Okay.’ He gave me the little pep talk.”
If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.
Mickie James’ TNA In-Ring Return Confirmed
James was one of three TNA alum to show up to confront The Elegance Brand at last night’s TNA Sacrifice event, with the five-time Knockout’s Champion bringing out ODB and Taryn Terrell for a brawl with the group.
TNA have now announced that The Elegance Brand will compete against James, ODB and Terrell at TNA Rebellion on Saturday, April 11.
While she hasn’t wrestled on a consistent basis since her last TNA run in 2023, James has sporadically competed on the independent scene – with her last match coming in July 2025.
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