Mickie James Weighs In On TNA Return, How Her Feud With Ash By Elegance Is Personal

Mickie James made her return to TNA at No Surrender for a feud with Ash By Elegance, and she recently spoke about what it was like to be back. The TNA Hall of Famer made her return to the company at this month’s TNA+ event after Ash helped her stablemates retain the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships against Indi Hartwell and Xia Brookside. James ended up brawling with The Elegance Brand and sent them out of the ring.

The feud continued on last week’s Impact when Ash was on commentary and took personal shots at James. She said she wanted to see James show up at this week’s show. James will appear on this week’s episode.

James spoke with Gabby AF for a new interview and spoke about what it was like being backstage at TNA Impact. She also spoke about her feud with Ash, noting that they were friends and that she doesn’t like how Ash has turned her back on everyone who supported her through difficult times. Ash retired from the ring due to a medical condition last year but has since been cleared to compete again. You can see the highlights below:

On Being Backstage At TNA Impact:

“Yeah. Well, I mean, I think it’s just the growth of the business as a whole too. It’s just like, so many familiar faces too that you’ve seen them in other positions. Whether it was — because I have done appearances and signings or even some independent shows and stuff too, so I’ve seen some of them at those places. And then to see, ‘Oh, they finally got a job and TNA’s given them an opportunity.’ It’s cool, because I feel like those were my same steps.

“So it’s nice to see guys and girls win when they get an opportunity, right? And it’s just cool to see. And it’s also cool to see TNA expanding, I think, their Knockouts division and really trying to grow it. And like, get some young and upcoming talent that really needs an opportunity, and needs to learn how to wrestle on television, and with AMC and all these cool things that are happening now. I just think it’s really exciting. It’s exciting for the company, and it’s exciting for everybody involved that’s there, and that’s getting opportunity because of it.”

On Ash’s Comments Toward Her On Last Week’s Show:

“She’s mixing me up with someone else, because I’m a phone call away obviously. And I hope she doesn’t think she’s going to start Twitter beefing with me, because that’s not happening. We’re not doing that. [laughs] We’re not doing that, honey.

“I’m happy to show up next week. I will be there with bells on, and boots for sure. The best boots. Because I do have a lot to say. And I wasn’t even trying to be — I was just going to let them know that she pushed the foot off the rope, and to restart the match. And like, it escalated quickly. Tensions were high.”

On Her Relationship With Ash:

“It’s a lot deeper than what people just kind of think on a surface level of like — no. Ash, you know, I love Ash. We traveled together, we wrestled together. And I think if she thinks about it and she really thinks deep down — like, she called me when she got let go with WWE and she really didn’t know what to do and what she was going to do. And I talked to her some, and then I was like obviously, ‘Let me call Tommy. Let me talk to Tommy. Let me see.’ Because that’s something a friend would — and I don’t do that for a lot of people, you know.

“And not for nothing but just it’s like, once you give someone your validation or your credit or something like that, you would hope that they would then do right by that and not make you look like a fool. And so — I love Ash, I think she’s extremely talented. I just don’t know where her — as a friend, and I haven’t talked to her in a while. As a friend, I don’t know where her head’s at or like where this turn happened. Because it’s really frustrating when you put your word on somebody, and then you’re made to look like a fool. And she’s out here not being the Ash that I know, and not being the Ash that I called Tommy, asked him to give her a chance.”

On Ash’s Behavior In TNA:

“It’s just a shame to watch it, like she was doing so wonderful. Like, really killing it. And I think the people, it was wonderful to see the people get behind her. Because I think that they wanted to see her get an opportunity to truly shine, and she was living in it. And she was like — it was so awesome to see. But then to turn around and like kind of — not just deceive the people. It’s — okay that sucks. Just kind of deceive the people, and as a friend, she also knows that I myself also laid down that title in the middle of the ring and had to walk away, and never got the chance to go after it again.

“So then for her to turn to the internet like a fan like in a chat room — dating myself here, but for real, like where are we at? Are we Twitter beefing now with former Knockouts? Former Knockouts champions who — also, Teryn [Terrell] was injured in the ring. So to make light of that, it’s not only disrespecting me, our personal whatever, okay? So that’s personal, that’s me. It’s also disrespecting an entire locker room who has been injured with and for that title, and still kept fighting through or could no longer compete… I don’t like that, it’s not cool. It’s not cool. And I was happy to address that with her, and I would have been happy. And I’m certainly happy to address that with her next week. Face to face, woman to woman.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Gabby AF with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.