WWE Rejected Idea Of All-Female Brand From Former Star

Mickie James was one of the surprise WWE released from April 15 this year, with many fans questioning how WWE could let someone with Mickie James’ experience and ability slip through the cracks.

Speaking to GAWTV for the first time since she was released from the company, Mickie James has revealed that she actually pitched for an all-female brand in WWE, which she was told wouldn’t work.

“There was this moment in all of this where I go, ‘What if we do an all-female branded product? What if we just do an all-female branded show, there’s different shows and stuff that we could do within it or whatver. And if I could help lead up and head up that, and we have an awesome team of women that we could really lean on – we have the talent, we have all these people, we have the tools, we have the facilities. We have everything that we need. It could literally be – all these little things that would really really help a lot of these girls who aren’t getting the television time.’

“And I shit you not, this one person said literally – cause I kept getting, I felt like I’ve talked about this several times to different people in different roles… just to kind of feel it out. Finally over the weekend while I’m sitting back there just evaluating where I’m gonna fit in, he says to me, ‘They’re never going to do it. Ever. Women’s wrestling doesn’t really make money. The Women’s Evolution PPV – the lowest-rated PPV ever in the history of WWE PPVs. I get what you’re trying to do, but I don’t understand why you’re fighting so hard for it. You should just kind of like play the cards you’re kind of dealt, and then see if there’s a way to incorporate that within a different show rather than fight for it to be its own show.’

“I just realized that every decision and everything that they do, there is some genuine stuff behind, and they do some really really amazing work, but at the end of the day a lot of it is business, and just how it falls in line with business. So it’s hard to think like that, but then you go like, okay, every decision here on out that I make – no hard feelings, totally get it, grateful for the opportunities, I’ve had a long career, like longer than a lot of women, as you know. We all busted our butts for a long time, and it’s awesome to see all these strides, but – I’m just disappointed.”

This time last week, Mickie James was at the centre of a controversy with WWE after her former employers appeared to send back her belongings in a trash bag, something that Vince McMahon personally apologised to James for.

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Thanks to Cageside Seats for the transcription.