Report: Mickie James Interested in a WWE Return?

As ProWrestling.net noted earlier this week, TNA management failed to come to an agreement with Mickie James to extend her contract, meaning the former WWE Diva is now a free agent.

It's a shame to see James go.

Her conceited musician act—a play on her real-life singing career—was one of the few highlights of the company's depleted Knockouts Division. And it's yet another blow to TNA, which recently has lost far too many great wrestlers to count, mostly due to extreme budget cutting.

But now that James isn't under contract to any major company, what are the 34-year-old's options?

She could, of course, work on the U.S. indies. She could go back to negotiating with TNA and try to come to a deal.

One other potential option is a return to WWE, where she worked from 2003 to 2010.

In this week's  (subscription required) Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer mentions that James does indeed want to return to America's No. 1 wrestling promotion, writing: “We’re told she has interest in going back to WWE if the opportunity is there.”

Meltzer then goes into details about James' controversial release:

"

She was fired the last time, which was a very unpopular move among fans at the time. There were several issues involved, none of which had to do with her ability as a performer. She was let go due to an outside the ring things including an incident that happened on a European tour where she was late and held up the bus from leaving. It was blamed on behavior issues strong enough that she lost her job.

"

Will the circumstances surrounding James' exit hinder a potential comeback? Possibly. WWE might decide she's simply not worth the trouble.

Of course, it's worth noting that Divas like Tammy “Sunny” Sytch and Rena “Sable” Lesnar were also accused of having bad attitudes during their WWE tenures in the '90s—Sable even sued the company—and both ended up getting brought back one way or another.

WWE management could decide the former Women's champion is worth the risk. As noted, she was incredibly popular during her peak, and it's not like the current division is full of charismatic and over performers.

Notably, AJ Lee is the only Diva who garners real cheers—and she's a heel!