Sports
 

Mickie James

From Pro Wrestling

Mickie James
Statistics
Ring Names Alexis Laree
Mickie James
Vickie Adams
Princess Alexis
Queen Alexis
Superball
Height 5 ft 4 in (162 cm)
Weight 124 lb (56 kg)
Born August 31, 1979
Montpelier, Virginia, USA
Died:
Resides Aylett, Virginia, USA
Billed from Richmond, Virginia, USA
Trained by Dory Funk Jr.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Funking Conservatory
OVW
KYDA Pro Training School
Debut 1999
Retired


Mickie Laree James (b. August 31, 1979) is a WWE Smackdown superstar, and is a 4 time WWE Women's Champion and a 1 time WWE Divas Champion, making her the second diva to hold the Divas and Womens Championship. She made her WWE debut in 2005 as psycho obsessed fan of Trish Stratus.


Contents

Latest News

  • James recently guest-starred as a rollerderby girl on an episode of USA Network's Psych.
  • In a recent video interview with Kevin Ecks of the Baltimore Sun, James said she didn't remember anything about the WWE booking a mini-storyline with her and John Cena. She goes on to say "It was kind of one of those storylines they just did for a few weeks and then, I really don't know". [1]


MAGAZINE COVERS EVENT HISTORY TOYS


Videos

Trish Stratus and Mickie James Under the Mistletoe Mickie James Loves Trish Stratus


Trivia

  • As a child, Mickie James was a violin-playing honors student. [2]
  • A failed trigonometry course was what took James off the path to college and got her into the sports entertainment world instead. [2]
  • Macho Man Randy Savage was James' wrestler growing up. In fact, after watching him on Monday nights she'd often drop an elbow on her brother on the trampoline or wrestle her brother in the backyard. [3]
  • When James retires from wrestling, she plans to teach horseback riding to children. [3]
  • Mickie James' first tattoo was an Asian symbol that means love. She also has a dragon tattoo that wraps around her ankle. [4]

Quotes

High-energy, sexy, swift, in-your-face and ready to roll. Just remember that I'm going to kick your ass! I am cocky and confident in my abilities, but I'm one who never lets my aggression in the ring get the best of me. [5]



OVW was awesome for me. In the two years I was there, I pretty much re-learned everything that I learned in the previous five years over again, and polished everything. It changed me.[6]



When I first came in, there were the girls who could wrestle and the girls who didn't know how to... Girls who could wrestle were then pulled into the pillow fights and lingerie (matches)... Our women's division has really strengthened... We can go out there and put on just as good a show as any of the guys.[7]


On Trish Stratus:

She's awesome, very professional and very nice, and she's very talented. It's definitely a treat to work with someone who's talented, and they know what they're doing, and they know what they're talking about. It helps out a lot because then you have two minds coming together trying to work something together that's going to be entertaining and tells a story. [6]


When asked what kept her in the independent circuit for years:

The people. The fans. When you walk through the curtain and get in the ring and standing in front of all those fans. Just hearing them cheer you or boo you is such a rush. It's like a drug. Once you go out there and feel it, it's in your blood. There's nothing like it in the world. It's like an addiction. Being able to go out and get people to feel something. Whether it's to get them to hate you or get them to love you or make them feel sorry for you. Just to make them emotional is kind of powerful.[8]



Career history

Early career

After a suggestion from a friend, James attended a professional wrestling school in the Washington, D.C. area. She made her professional debut on the independent circuit in 1999 as a valet for KYDA Pro Wrestling under the ring name Alexis Laree, a name created as the result of a combination of her stage name from when she was a dancer and her middle name. As Laree, she managed several male wrestlers, including managing Tommy Dreamer to win the KYDA Pro Heavyweight Championship. In March, she wrestled in her first match, an intergender tag team match with Jake Damian against American Mike Brown and Candie. She trained to improve her wrestling abilities by attending training camps such as the Funking Conservatory, a workshop run by Dory Funk, Jr., and an Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) dojo. She also started competing for Maryland Championship Wrestling, where she trained at camps run by Ricky Morton and Bobby Eaton. Due to the low salary of the independent shows, James supplemented her income by working as a waitress at an Olive Garden restaurant, and in May 2000 she posed nude for an issue of Leg Show magazine.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

While working in Ring of Honor for a year, James also debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on the company's second ever weekly pay-per-view under her Alexis Laree gimmick as a participant in a lingerie battle royal. She was not prominently featured until March 26, 2003, when she teamed with Amazing Red as part of his feud against Kid Kash—the X Division Champion—and Trinity. Weeks later, she became the first member of the Gathering, a stable led by Raven in his feud against NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett.[9] On April 16, Laree became the first (and thus far, only) woman to compete in a Clockwork Orange House of Fun match after the Gathering challenged and defeated Jarrett. She continued to wrestle with the stable when they feuded with the Disciples of The New Church, taking part in an angle with Father James Mitchell kayfabe burning her with a fireball and wrestling in another Clockwork Orange House of Fun match before leaving the company.

Ohio Valley Wrestling

After two years of sending tapes and making phone calls, as well as wrestling a tryout match with Dawn Marie, James was signed to a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment, who sent her to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), their farm territory, in August. Still using the Alexis Laree name, she began making television appearances for OVW on January 29, 2004 and competed in several tag team matches throughout the year. She also won a Halloween Costume Contest on October 30 and defeated Jillian Hall in a $1,000 match on November 12.

On May 17, 2005, Laree was placed into a tournament for the OVW Television Championship. She was booked to go over Mike Mondo in the first round, only to lose to Blaster Lashley in the next one. She began a feud with Beth Phoenix on July 20 after Phoenix interrupted Laree during an interview, setting up a match on July 29 which Laree lost. Their angle continued into September, with Shelly Martinez being added to the storyline to side with Phoenix against Laree. On October 12, she appeared in OVW under her real name and finished the year on the losing end of matches against Martinez and Jillian Hall.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Raw (2005-2009)

James debuted in WWE on the October 10, 2005 episode of Raw, continuing to use her real name, under the gimmick of WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus' biggest fan. The angle had the two WWE Divas competing together in tag team matches, with James' character becoming increasingly obsessed with Stratus. The storyline included a Halloween Costume Contest in which James was dressed like Stratus and helped Stratus retain the Women's Championship in a Fulfill Your Fantasy Battle Royal at Taboo Tuesday by eliminating herself and Victoria at the same time. She even began utilizing Stratus' signature finishing moves as her own during matches. James became the number one contender for the Women's Title on December 12 by defeating Victoria in a match to determine who would face Stratus at New Year's Revolution. Subsequently, the storyline between James and Stratus developed into a lesbian angle after James initiated an intimate kiss with Stratus under a sprig of mistletoe and complimented Stratus on her breasts. In the championship match at the pay-per-view, James jobbed to Stratus but continued to be enamored of her the next night on Raw, and she confessed her love for Stratus at the Royal Rumble.

On March 6 2006 the storyline had Stratus confront James, telling her that they needed time apart from each other. The duo teamed together at the March 18, 2006 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event to defeat Candice Michelle and Victoria. After the match, James agreed to honor Stratus' wishes and attempted to kiss her. After Stratus pushed her away, James' character made a complete heel turn by attacking Stratus in the ring and later vowing to destroy her. The two women wrestled each other at WrestleMania 22, where James was booked to win the match to claim her first reign as Women's Champion. During the match, despite the fact that James was playing the heel character, the fans frequently cheered James and booed Stratus whenever Stratus hit an offensive maneuver. The angle ended at Backlash during a rematch after Stratus legitimately dislocated her shoulder when James threw her out of the ring. James dropped the Women's Title on August 14 to Lita after Lita hit James with the title belt while Lita's on-screen boyfriend Edge distracted the referee, resulting in a face turn for James' on-screen persona. After the Women's Championship was vacated due to the legitimate retirement of Trish Stratus, James entered a tournament to determine the new champion. She defeated Victoria and Melina in the qualifying rounds before making it to the finals at Cyber Sunday, where she lost to Lita. The two Divas wrestled in a series of matches where Lita kayfabe chose the stipulations, all of which involved hindering James' wrestling ability. The storyline feud ended at Survivor Series, where James defeated Lita to win her second Women's Championship.

An angle was created between James and Melina on January 29 2007 when Melina became the number one contender for the Women's Title. Following a successful title defense on February 5, James teamed with Super Crazy in a mixed tag team match against Melina and Johnny Nitro. After Melina pinned James for the victory, she challenged her to a rematch for the title. James dropped the Women's Championship to Melina on February 19 and, in continuation of their storyline feud, failed to regain the title during the first ever Women's Falls Count Anywhere match in WWE history. Near the end of the match, James fell from the turnbuckle and landed on her neck but was not seriously injured.

The scripted feud between James and Melina continued on April 2 when James interrupted and attacked Melina during a photo op on Raw. At a house show in Paris, France on April 24, James won her third Women's Championship during a Triple Threat Match that also involved Victoria. Since James pinned Victoria, however, and not Melina, Jonathan Coachman announced that a rematch would take place immediately. James dropped the title back to Melina, giving her the shortest Women’s Championship reign in WWE history.

On the November 26 edition of Raw, James defeated Melina in a number one contenders match for Beth Phoenix's Women's Championship, setting up a title match between the two at Armageddon, a match in which Phoenix successfully defended her Women's title. On the April 14, 2008 edition of Raw, held in London, James defeated Phoenix to win her fourth Women's Championship. Phoenix got a rematch on the May 5 edition of Raw, but James retained her title. At SummerSlam in a Winners Take All tag team match she lost the Women's Championship to Phoenix, with Kofi Kingston's WWE Intercontinental Championship being on the line as well, losing it to Santino Marella. After James lost her Women's Championship, she had two rematches for the championship but was unsuccessful in regaining the title.

After the WWE Divas Champion Maryse was traded to Raw during the annual draft, James entered into a feud with her for the title. James defeated Maryse for the title at Night Of Champions.

Smackdown (2009-present)

After an approximate three month title reign; James dropped the title to Jillian Hall on the October 12 edition of Raw. Due to a Diva trade made by then-guest host, Nancy O'Dell, James was then moved to the SmackDown! brand for the first time in her career and Jillian lost the title to Melina. She made her SmackDown! debut on October 23 by defeating Layla El.


Wrestling facts

  • Finishing and signature moves
  • Mickie-DT/Laree DDT (Jumping Implant DDT)
  • Kiss Goodnight (Reverse roundhouse kick preceded by a kiss)
  • Stratusfaction (Springboard Bulldog)
  • Mick Kick (Roundhouse kick)
  • Tag teams and stables
  • Wrestlers managed
  • Wrestlers trained
  • Theme Music

Championships and Accomplishments

External links and references

  1. WWE News: Mickie James discusses current state of women's wrestling; re-visits John Cena love interest storyline, James Caldwell, PWTorch. December 4, 2008.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Mickie James, usanetwork.com.
  3. 3.0 3.1 From Horse Shows to World Wrestling, Official Women of Wrestling.
  4. Divas dish on their ink, Zack Ziegler, www.com. December 13, 2007.
  5. Alexis Laree of G.L.O.R.Y Wrestling, glorywrestling.com
  6. 6.0 6.1 Mickie James quick to dish out credit, Greg Oliver, SLAM! Sports. May 26, 2006.
  7. WWE News: Mickie James discusses current state of women's wrestling; re-visits John Cena love interest storyline, James Caldwell, PWTorch. December 4, 2008.
  8. Pile-driving Diva's a Hanover horse lover, Andy Thompson, Richmond Times-Dispatch. June 17, 2007


World Wrestling Entertainment roster
Raw
Alicia FoxBeth PhoenixBig Dick JohnsonBig ShowCarlitoChavo GuerreroChris MastersCody RhodesEvan BourneFestusGail KimHacksaw Jim DugganHornswoggleJack SwaggerJamie NobleJerry LawlerJillian HallJohn CenaKelly KellyKofi KingstonMark HenryMaryseMelinaMichael ColeMickie JamesMontel Vontavious PorterMr. McMahonPrimoRandy OrtonRosa MendesSantino MarellaShawn MichaelsTed DiBiaseThe MizTriple H
SmackDown
BatistaCharlie HaasChris JerichoCM PunkCurt HawkinsDavid Hart SmithDolph ZigglerDrew McIntyreEdgeEve TorresFinlayJim RossJimmy Wang YangJohn MorrisonJTGJustin RobertsKaneKung Fu NakiLaylaMariaMatt HardyMichelle McCoolMike KnoxNataylaR-TruthRanjin SinghRey MysterioShadSlam Master JThe Great KhaliTheodore LongTodd GrishamTyson KiddThe Undertaker
ECW
Abraham WashingtonBrie BellaChristianCourtney TaylorEzekiel JacksonGoldustHurricane HelmsJosh MathewsKatie Lea BurchillMatt StrikerNikki BellaPaul BurchillSheamusShelton BenjaminTiffanyTommy DreamerTony AtlasTony ChimelTyler ReksVladimir KozlovWilliam RegalYoshi TatsuZack Ryder