WWE Black Wednesday 2021 Releases - Where Are They Now?

9. Mickie James

Tucker Eddie Kingston
WWE.com

Mickie James subverted all expectations at the 2022 Royal Rumble when she made her first WWE appearance since her release as the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion.

When WWE announced her participation, most assumed she’d don the gear sent to her in garbage bags and embrace her old gimmick for a Big Four payday, but this was a talent exchange unlike most in recent history.

Entering to her Hardcore Country theme, James walked through a forbidden door of sorts and got some additional exposure in the process.

She lost that title in March, but appearances for both Impact and NWA since her release have kept in her in all contemporary conversations.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett