Mickie James said her return to WWE was a surprise for her after being released in 2010.
In an interview with ESPN, James expressed delight about being back in WWE after being gone for almost seven years.
“It’s pretty incredible to be back, it’s not what I expected at all," James said. "It’s funny how things happen in life. I had pretty much accepted the fact I was going to be a stay-at-home mom and do my other adventures in life. I thought coming back to the WWE was out of the cards for me. It’s weird how things work out, but it has been amazing. The fans have been great, and so receptive.”
In James' first run with the company, she won the WWE Women's Championship five times, second most in the previous title incarnation's history behind Trish Stratus. As far as James' legacy is concerned, she hopes it is a positive one that could result in a WWE Hall of Fame induction.
“I’ve been doing this close to 19 years now and I always dreamed of being in the WWE," James said. "So when you leave and come back you want your legacy to be something positive and helped change the business in a good way. I’m very happy to see people I know and have worked with and admire get into the Hall of Fame, and that’s obviously one of those things we all secretly hope for. That would be pretty awesome. It’s an acknowledgement of everything that you did and sacrificed and gave to the company, and a chance to acknowledge everything they gave to you, too.”
James came back to the company full-time after unsuccessfully challenging Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: Toronto last year. She had been competing for the SmackDown Live brand since the start of the year.
