Mickie James' Return To WWE In 2016 Was A Bad Joke

Mickie James is undoubtedly in the upper brass of top female wrestlers in professional wrestling history. She has progressed through multiple eras of women’s wrestling, in and outside WWE, and has proven time and time again why deserves the high acclaim that many fans have for her work. Her latest WWE run stretched from 2016 to 2021, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything notable happening in that time. That in itself is absolutely ridiculous on the part of WWE.

Mickie James Is A Huge Asset To The Wrestling Industry

James is a multiple-time Women’s Champion in WWE, with her honors list piling up with wins outside the company too, making her one of the more successful women of all time. This, coupled with her in-ring talents and years of experience, makes her a huge asset for any company to have. She has had standout moments across generations – her feud with Trish Stratus sticking out to fans as one of the more entertaining feuds and subsequent Wrestlemania matches in history. She was also a huge bright spot during the criticized ‘Divas’ era in WWE.

RELATED: Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James: 10 Things Fans Forget About Their Feud

She was originally released in 2010, with WWE wanting to focus on less wrestling, and more on "Divas". WWE, at the time, was not the place for somewhere like James to focus on her craft, especially with awful feuds with Lay-Cool dampening her stock. She instead wrestled around the world on the independent circuit, notably achieving success in TNA, establishing herself as a top name in women’s wrestling with her ever-present likability and years of experience.

With The Women’s Revolution, WWE Felt Perfect For James

She made her return to WWE in 2016, challenging Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship in a very entertaining match. This match in NXT signaled that it was only a matter of time before she made her return to Raw or Smackdown. At the end of 2016, she revealed herself to be the masked ally of Alexa Bliss under the moniker ‘La Luchadora’. It was a peculiar way to bring in James, but it was unique, nonetheless.

The Women’s Division was in a completely different place than it was when James previously left. The Women’s Revolution was in full swing, and superstars like Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks were main eventing Raw and headlining PPVs. It seemed perfect for James to finally have standout, longer matches on the WWE platform, and for WWE to recapture what they missed out on the first time around.

Mickie James' Momentum Stopped After Her Return

Instead of being presented as an experienced veteran, acting as a mentor to the younger Bliss, James was nothing more than a lackey. She wasn’t given much or attention or time to even explain her role, as the spotlight was given to Bliss. She did eventually turn face on the heel champion, but WWE didn’t capitalize by having a feud, even to put over Bliss. James wandered around the lower card, going missing for several weeks or months at a time, before reappearing now and again for an inconsequential title match.

RELATED: Mickie James Was 'Brokenhearted' To Be Released By WWE, Thought She'd Retire There

Over a year after her dud of a return, she inexplicably realigned with Bliss, which didn’t serve any benefit to anyone. Despite a notable tag match against Lita and Trish Stratus at the Evolution PPV, James had nothing to shout about. She would return to being kept off TV, at times sidelined with injuries and undergoing surgery, meaning she was rarely seen.

Her next ‘return’ was on the often-ignored Main Event, where she was just a commentator. Having her become a manager for someone younger and up and coming would have been a better use of her, but she was confined to a show that not many people take notice to. James had a few matches in 2020 but then went undrafted later that year.

RELATED: Raw's Ruthless Aggression Era Women's Division Was WWE's Best Before The Revolution

Despite What WWE Claimed, They Did Not Treat Her Like A Legend

Whilst she was technically still listed as an in-ring talent, she was presented as one of the ‘legends’ on Raw’s “Legends Night”. Although this was likely intended to be a sign of respect towards James, WWE hadn’t treated her like a legend during this stint in the company, and it felt like a cheap way to pretend they’d booked her even the remotest bit well. She was eventually released during the pandemic in 2021 amid controversy in which her belongings were thrown into a trash bag and given to her.

James is such a talented individual, something which she has once again shown after leaving WWE this year. With a wealth of experience and still so much to give, WWE didn’t even do the bare minimum of having her put over stars in good matches on Raw and Smackdown. It would have been better than nothing, with James having barely any actual storylines in the near five years she spent in the company following her return. It's baffling that WWE couldn’t find anything for her, especially with so many hours of TV to fill – it was simply a joke.