WWE News: Big Update On Mickie James Ahead Of Rumored ‘SmackDown Live’ Debut

It might not be much longer before we see Mickie James on SmackDown Live, as rumors have been suggesting. After years away from WWE, the veteran wrestler has just re-signed with the company, and the latest updates suggest that she’s just a few medical tests away from officially rejoining the main roster, months after her surprise NXT TakeOver match against Asuka.

It has been more than six years since Mickie James was last on WWE’s main roster. In the years that have passed since 2010, women’s wrestling has come a long way, from the time when Mickie was one of WWE’s best female workers in a division filled with lots of previously-untrained models-turned-wrestlers, to an era where the “women’s revolution” is led by talented in-ring competitors such as Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch. It’s going to be an entirely different women’s wrestling scene that James will be returning to next month, and all that talk of a WWE return started in October, when she was announced as Asuka’s next challenger for the NXT Women’s Chamnpionship.

Although James lost her match against Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Toronto on November 19, her return, then reported to be a one-time deal, was well-received, with rumors swirling about a potential full-time return to WWE. A few days before the event, James was quoted by Uproxx as saying that she wouldn’t mind returning to the main roster.

“I would be completely open to being on WWE’s main roster again. I also recognize that people talk about WWE’s young talent and they’re all hungry and I totally agree with that because there’s a lot of amazing talent that’s both signed and unsigned. I feel like there’s something unique, special and different that I can bring to the roster.”

Earlier this month, the rumors turned into reality, when it was reported by PWInsider that Mickie James would likely be on the SmackDown Live brand by January 2017, as she had just signed a multi-year contract with WWE. And now it looks like she’s taking the next crucial steps in ensuring her debut pushes forward as planned.

According to WrestlingNews.co, James tweeted earlier this week that she was headed to Pittsburgh to undergo WWE’s standard medical tests. If she passes the tests, she will be “officially back on the main roster,” most probably on SmackDown Live as was previously rumored.

Pittsburg bound on @SouthwestAir like… c17 & still got that isle seat!! Whaaaaaat?! #InShock #ThankYou #IStillWantMyStatusBack ??? pic.twitter.com/nUAtBPUJC0

— Mickie James~Aldis (@MickieJames) December 21, 2016

Should she be debuting as planned, the 37-year-old James would add another veteran presence to the SmackDown women’s roster, where longtime WWE mainstays Nikki Bella and Natalya have just began feuding. With that in mind, it’s possible she feuds with a younger talent instead.

The Inquisitr reported in November that Becky Lynch is “absolutely” willing to face Mickie James on SmackDown Live, which would make sense if she’s brought in as a heel. But if she re-debuts in WWE as a babyface, there’s a chance she may start a rivalry with reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, who is currently feuding with Lynch.

Aside from potentially making a big impact after six years away from the company, Mickie James’ WWE return may also open the doors for her husband, English wrestler Nick Aldis, who is most famous for his time in TNA as Magnus. WrestlingNews.co also speculated that if Aldis joins his wife in WWE, that may encourage “soon-to-be free agent” Drew Galloway, a.k.a. Drew McIntyre during his WWE run, to return to the company, as they could turn out to be “huge assets for (WWE’s) planned U.K. TV show.”

Without a doubt, she’s one of the biggest signings WWE has made in 2016. But will Mickie James, whether she joins SmackDown Live as rumored or shows up on the RAW brand instead, live up to expectations now that she’s one of the company’s more senior female talents? If the match against Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Toronto is any indication, she’s still got it.

[Featured Image by WWE]