As we previously wrote about, Mickie James is the newest inductee into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The news was delivered to the former five-time Knockouts Champion as a surprise during her appearance on “Notsam Wrestling Live” on SiriusXM, in a moment orchestrated by her longtime friend and mentor, Tommy Dreamer.
James appeared on the show alongside Dreamer, believing it to be a standard interview with host Sam Roberts. During the conversation, TNA Wrestling President Carlos Silva made an unannounced appearance on the video call to deliver the news directly to James. “It’s my pleasure to announce your induction into the 2025 TNA Hall of Fame Class,” Silva stated.
Visibly emotional and caught completely by surprise, James reacted to the honor. “Wow. I don’t know what to say,” she said. “Tommy, that’s messed up. Wow. Carlos, thank you so much… I’m so honored and grateful.”
She then reflected on the importance of TNA to her career, particularly during times when other opportunities were not available to her. “I can’t think of what my career would have been ever without TNA,” James said. “TNA probably gave me my first start. They gave Hardcore Country her first start, and they gave me opportunities when no one else would, you know, and it’s always been a home for me, and I’m super grateful. Thank you.”
Later in the conversation, James spoke about the difficulty of appreciating major career moments while they are happening. “When I look back at my career… My biggest piece of advice to up-and-coming wrestlers is enjoy the moment while you’re in it,” she said. “Because there’s a lot of times I had some really incredible moments, but either because of where I was, personally or professional or whatever, or my own insecurities, you don’t always actually embrace them… And the fans always remind you of that, but it’s not often that a company will remind you of that. And so when you get that honor, it’s huge.”
James also discussed her 2022 WWE Royal Rumble appearance, where she entered as the reigning TNA Knockouts Champion, an unprecedented crossover at the time. “I don’t think we realized the magnitude of the effect it was going to have after that,” she reflected. “I think that we kicked that chain loose a little bit, you know, that night, and it certainly created this mystique and this aura of like, ‘Okay, so now these possibilities are endless.'”
Carlos Silva officially invited James to the Bound For Glory pay-per-view on Sunday, October 12, in Lowell, Massachusetts, to formally accept the honor and deliver a speech. James accepted the invitation. Check out the video below.
