10 On-Screen Wrestling Couples You Never Knew Existed
3. CM Punk & Mickie James
Mickie James was far from brand new to pro wrestling when she was brand new to WWE in 2005, but her contributions elsewhere were easy were easy enough to miss in an industry less than half as visible as it is today.
As Alexis Laree, James spent four years working for the likes of Ring Of Honor and TNA before the company brought her into their developmental system, allowing her to share several major moments with a number of fellow future stars. A partnership with CM Punk was, oddly enough, one that briefly occured in WWE too.
The duo were paired in TNA in 2003 by virtue of their place in The Gathering - Raven's contemporary take on his Nest/Flock gimmick previously successful in ECW and WCW. Alongside Julio Dinero and Cassidy Riley, they were his minions and worshippers as he attempted to wrestle the NWA Championship from lead babyface (obviously) Jeff Jarrett during the early days of the organisation.
It was the last role Laree had before she travelled to Stamford, but she'd make her debut as Punk's valet when the pair wrestled on an unaired Sunday Night Heat clash just months before her actually arrival. Punk, infamously, had another year to wait for his ECW bow.