10 Wrestlers Who Don’t Need WWE Or AEW

6. Mickie James

Matt Cardona WWE AEW
ImpactWrestling.com

HARDCORE COUNTRY!

Sorry, this writer has an instinctive need to bellow that whenever Mickie James' name comes up in conversation. The veteran surprised many by making a cameo in the 2022 Royal Rumble match whilst still IMPACT Knockouts Champ, but that didn't lead to another full-time run with the promotion.

It was probably never going to, because James likes her freedom and the chance to dip in and out of bookings whenever she pleases. Her work in IMPACT gives her that flexibility, which must be great for someone who has really seen and done it all since bursting onto the scene back in the early-2000s.

It is possible that Mickie will arrive in AEW for a tournament (or something) in the future, sure. Does she need to do that? Nah, not really. Decades of top work have set James up for life, and she's very family-oriented outside of the wrestling biz anyway.

Mickie is an inspiration, basically.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.