10 Wrestlers Whose Weight Problems Became Gimmicks

2. Mickie James

There's little that can be said about the "Piggy James" angle to properly encapsulate just how ridiculous and offensive it was. Simply put, multi-time Women's Champion Mickie James began feuding with Michelle McCool and Layla, and WWE higher-ups felt that the best way to have the feud progress was for the catty tandem to make fun of James's weight problem... despite the fact that she didn't have one. The angles between the two sides became increasingly uncomfortable, with LayCool calling James "Piggy James" and driving her to tears. They continued by showing insulting graphics of her, and on one episode of Smackdown, Layla dressed as a pig. All the while, someone backstage who thought that James had gained a few pounds was undoubtedly amused, but fans were confused and offended. James ended up winning the feud, and ostensibly, that was how WWE would justify the whole program - bullies picked on a good guy, and in the end, they got their comeuppance. Still, in an era where the horrors of body-shaming were being brought to light, creating a storyline around the fact that James may have put on a pound or two was seen as incredibly crass and out-of-touch.