Projections, Best Booking Options for Mickie James After WWE SmackDown Return

WWE SmackDown's women's division changed in an instant when Mickie James stepped into the steel cage on Tuesday night.

The former women's champion made her return to WWE's main roster under a mask, posing as La Luchadora. She aided Alexa Bliss, preventing Becky Lynch from escaping the cage. The collusion kept the SmackDown Women's Championship in Bliss' grasp.

Lynch yanked off the mystery woman's mask to reveal what many fans expected: She was back.

The blue brand grew stronger in that moment. Lynch now has a top-tier rival in her path. And WWE has a healthy supply of intriguing options for booking the SmackDown women's division moving forward.

After five WWE women's title reigns, James left the company in 2010. She has spent the majority of her time away competing for TNA, which, for a long stretch, had a superior women's division.

James signed on for a one-off appearance at NXT last November, battling Asuka at TakeOver: Toronto. Rumors soon swirled about a full-time comeback.

She now returns to find the WWE women's scene revitalized, with a number of promising talents in the early stages of writing their legacies. What will James do as part of SmackDown? How can WWE best make use of her name and skill set?

One certainty is that James will improve the blue brand.

An Edge in Brand Warfare

James' presence will allow the SmackDown women's division to pull away from Raw's. 

While the red brand boasts an advantage in its top-level female stars, SmackDown is the deeper of the two. Injury has kept Paige, Summer Rae and Tamina out of action. Those absences and SmackDown's superior use of its available talent have made Tuesday nights the better spot for women's wrestling.

And now, Team Blue has added an ace to the mix.

Snagging James is huge for the brand. After La Luchadora turned out to be the former women's champ, Tim Fiorvanti of ESPN.com called the unmasking "a revelation that immediately gives the SmackDown women's division even more credibility going forward."

James is a skilled performer with more experience than most of her new peers. She will give Bliss, Lynch, Carmella and others some of the best matches of their careers.

The buzz around her return is a boost for SmackDown as well.

Battling Becky Lynch

The Lass Kicker and James are on a clear collision course.

James blocked Lynch's rise to the mountaintop, siding with her archenemy. An intense feud is on the way. 

WWE is better off saving their clash for WrestleMania. It's a matchup befitting The Show of Shows and would represent the SmackDown brand well.

The best route would be to have Lynch go on a long chase for revenge between now and then. WWE can maximize the drama that way, making the Irish grappler's triumphant moment bigger by way of anticipation.

A Tenuous Partnership

WWE cannot do with this story what it did when Triple H betrayed Seth Rollins. Fans are still waiting for an explanation for that August attack.

James has been assisting Bliss for weeks disguised as La Luchadora. Now that we know who was under the mask, a logical explanation needs to follow. 

Does James see herself as a mentor to Bliss? Did the champ buy James' bodyguard services?

This is an interesting element of the story to explore. And James' reasoning will provide a basis for what comes next. We need to see what is holding the relationship together so that it makes more sense when it begins to unravel.

Bliss and James should fight for position eventually, tangling over who becomes the alpha of the pair.

Bliss is too selfish to be trusted. James can't be content with being the sidekick after being champion in the past. That's a recipe for an exciting explosion that has to happen.

Babyface Run, Measuring Stick

James can't remain heel for long. She's a better fit as a fan favorite, especially after her long WWE absence. 

Fighting Spirit Magazine wondered if audiences will want to root against her:

The obvious move is to eventually split James and Bliss up, allowing the former to move into a more suitable role. That would also make for an easy story to tell, with the partners colliding after Bliss betrays her ally.

Once James has gone solo, she can help elevate younger talent as a gatekeeper of sorts.

She can pull a John Cena and declare to the up-and-comers that the future runs through her. Carmella can push her to her limits. Eva Marie can look to prove herself against the former champ, falling short but getting the best match of her career out of it.

And Bliss can put an exclamation point on her rise by outlasting James in a long feud. 

Going this route, James can be a bridge to the future for WWE, creating some lasting memories along the way.