Mickie James is fully aware of the challenge she faces at No Surrender.
Knockouts Champion Mickie James spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard ahead of her title defense at IMPACT’s No Surrender event on February 19. James will defend against Tasha Steelz, who earned her title shot by winning an Ultimate X match at Hard To Kill in January.
James and Steelz have talked trash to each other in the ring and on social media, leading to a fun and competitive dynamic. James says she’s not taking her opponent lightly and sees a star in Steelz, but she’s also having some fun in her current run as champion too.
“She talks a lot of trash. She talks so much trash. I think that you have to have fun with it. If it’s not fun, I don’t wanna do it…because I don’t have to. I’m really at that point [in my career], I want to have fun and tell good stories and make magic out there and do it with people that wanna do that with me. Tasha does talk a lot of trash and she’s a great talker and obviously, in the Ultimate X match, she proved that she can back it up without Savannah’s [Evans] help and I’m very cognizant of that,” James explained.
“I’ve watched Tasha from afar because she was teaming with Kiera [Hogan] — and everyone knows that I admire Kiera so much — I watched her [Tasha] as a tag competitor in that sense so I really didn’t see her as a singles competitor until I was commentating for Knockouts Knockdown. Even then I went back and saw that she’s a star…she’s a star. She’s got the look, she’s got the chops,” James stated. “Her in-ring ability is amazing and she checks all the boxes to be that next-level star now that I can see her on her own [in singles competition].
? #SaltySteelz ? https://t.co/hjt0Nn9sss pic.twitter.com/uiypZfOAIt
— Mickie James~Aldis (@MickieJames) February 17, 2022
“Sometimes that’s a real difference-maker and I think that alliance with Savannah is perfect to have that muscle and obviously she’s impressive. She’s a strong girl and good in her own right, both of them separately [are imposing] but putting them in this alliance together, it’s pretty powerful and I’m aware of that. It’s a tricky question [about having fun during a feud] in a sense,” James noted, “but if you’re not having fun out there, what are you doing?”
Mickie went on to say that pro wrestling is art, and you need to not only have a strong desire to paint those pictures, but work with people that want to reach the same goal. She added you’ll butt heads with people over time, but wrestling is meant to be fun in the end.
Mickie will be at IMPACT’s set of “Battle In The Bayou” tapings on February 19 and 20 in New Orleans; tickets are available now. Fans can also check out Mickie at “Mardi GAW” with Chapel Hart in New Orleans on Friday night; tickets are still available for the performance and meet-and-greet at this link.
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