10 Truly Awful WWE Divas Storylines, Angles And Gimmicks
6. Piggy James
Mickie James was one of WWE's top divas between 2005 and 2009. She was a consummate in the division and was involved in some very engaging feuds and matches, not least of which her 2006 series with Trish Stratus. Backstage, however, all was not well and WWE management grew displeased with James. One of their biggest criticisms was that James had gained weight. Was Mickie fat? No, she absolutely was not. She was still in great shape, by anyone's standards. She looked athletic and wasn't a stick figure. This rubbed WWE, who apparently believed that James should start counting her calories and hitting the treadmill, the wrong way. Believing that James wasn't quite getting the message, WWE conceived the 'Piggy James' angle where LayCool would come out and berate James for her physique. James was released in April 2010, apparently one of the reasons was that she hadn't toned up her physique enough. Reflecting on the Piggy James angle, she said:
Were they ribbing me or just poking fun? I sat back and prayed about it. Theres still not one female that can go out there and get a reaction I can [..] maybe they were trying to pull the fanbase away from me, but I got the championship, then they took it away. After six months of embarrassment and ridicule, thats the payoff? I had to swallow my pride.
In an era where WWE was trying to change its image and promote anti-bullying messages, this was the wrong angle to go with. It presented the wrong message and was mean-spirited.
