Mickie James Wants To Defend The IMPACT Knockouts Title At WWE WrestleMania 38

Saturday will see history made when reigning and defending IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James will compete in the WWE Royal Rumble.

Ahead of her return to WWE, James took the mic on the January 27 edition of IMPACT Wrestling to give a state of the Knockouts division address, reassuring that she does not belong to WWE, and declared that after she wins the Rumble, James will bring ‘hardcore country’ to WrestleMania 38, putting the Knockouts Championship on the line in a title vs. title match.

WWE’s promotion of James in the Rumble has been somewhat unprecedented for the company, with commentary referring to James as the Knockouts Champion on air, and across social media.

As James is a free agent she can technically work wherever she pleases, as she is not tied down to full time deals with either IMPACT or the NWA. Whether WWE would push a title vs. title match on their biggest show of the year, with a championship they don’t own, and a wrestler not under contract is possibly a step too far. However, stranger things have happened.