Mickie James Goes from WWE Raw's Forgotten Woman to Compelling Title Contender

Since April's Superstar Shake-up, WWE Raw has kept an all-star sitting on the end of the bench. But on Monday night, WWE finally remembered what it had in Mickie James and put her in the game.

In one tense exchange with Alexa Bliss, James made it clear she's going to be quite the intriguing presence in the Raw Women's Championship picture.

Bliss needed a fresh foil and someone to push her. James sauntered in and did just that. In an instant, the five-time women's champ went from afterthought to key piece of the title scene.

Until Monday night, James' return to WWE after years of working for Impact Wrestling has been a story of underutilized talent. Night in and night out, she was passed over. An established veteran with a pre-existing fanbase got no love from WWE Creative.

James has had only two wins on Raw since joining the red brand in April, per CageMatch.net. Her televised record for the year is an unimpressive 6-14. She hasn't been a jobber, but she hasn't been allowed to look like a contender either. 

WWE had no opportunities to offer James at Payback, Extreme Rules, Great Balls of Fire, SummerSlam or No Mercy.  

And on Raw after Sunday's pay-per-view, James emerged to confront Bliss. Her not being part of the event's Fatal 5-Way title match became part of the onscreen narrative.

The 38-year-old reminded the champ that she didn't beat her at No Mercy.

The back-and-forth between the young lioness and the former titleholder was stellar. Bliss dismissed her former ally as past her prime. James pushed back, reminding The Goddess of WWE just how far she had left to go.

Former WWE Creative member Andrew Goldstein raved about the segment:

The writing allowed the enemies to thrive. Bliss certainly did her part, verbally kidney-punching the woman she reintroduced to WWE back in January. But James was equally impressive.

She showed off the presence she has developed over years. She sounded hungry, focused and plenty pissed off.

Daily DDT remarked that James flourished opposite Bliss: 

And just like that: The potential of a James vs. Bliss rivalry has ample appeal. Their story feels a bit like when youthful Chris Jericho looked to shove the older Shawn Michaels aside and take his spot in 2003.

Bliss will go from tangling with the same string of familiar foes to facing someone she's only met one on one a handful of times. James will be one of the most experienced and decorated opponents the champ has faced in her career to date.

WWE can dredge up their past alliance to add to the feud, too. 

James came back to WWE by way of disguising herself as La Luchadora and helping Bliss win the SmackDown women's title. After their partnership later dissolved, insufficient drama came of it. That's now set to change.

Now the company can finally tap into James' talents. Her spark and heart will finally be on display again. And she will be hitting DDTs rather than twiddling her thumbs.

That's all going to be a welcome sight on the Monday nights ahead.