Most people know that Lita has been, as far as my wrestling career is concerned, a big influence even before I came to the WWE. We met when I was working the independent scene in North Carolina. She's always been so kind to me and helped me out a lot.
— Mickie James
The key is that you never check the championship. You always carry it on. So when you're going through TSA, it's always a treat because, for some reason, they always like to pull it out and hold it way above their head and throw it over their shoulder and put it across their waist, see what it looks like on them.
When I retire, I want to retire the right way.
I would like to take on Charlotte. That would be fun because I've been friends with Ric Flair. He does nothing but brag about her. He is proud of her, as he should be.
To see how far female wrestling has come is just inspiring and incredible.
I feel like my music at least allows me to release the other side of me, a more vulnerable and sensitive side.
I came from the independent scene, and I've wrestled in front of a crowd of four people in a car lot in 104 degrees in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
I could never see Jeff Hardy as a bad guy, because I just want to hug him. He's an awesome person and super multi-talented.
To be a true star, you need to find that balance in between shining the light on the professional wrestling aspect, of being the absolute best in the ring, but also being the best character and finding that balance in between them.
I'm good at wrestling, and I love it with all my heart.
When I fell in love with wrestling, I fell in love with the characters and the over-the-top kind of personalities and the wrestling aspect of it.
Wrestling will always be a part of me and a part of my life. I just love it too much.
I would love to work with Charlotte Flair.
You can teach anybody wrestling moves, hopefully, if they have an athletic bone in their body. However, the ones that are going to make money and be different are the ones with personality.
With my second album, eOne Music really wanted me to rock it up a little bit.
I started at a small school in Virginia, and I learned how to wrestle - at least take falls - in a boxing ring.
I had the desire to be the best in the world.
I've learned to not have expectations. If you don't expect things from anyone, you can't get let down.
Obviously, my wrestling boots end up going with me everywhere, because you just never know.
I watched WWE as a child. I was a fan.
I think what GFW is doing is cool and unique. They're taking some of the talent you've seen elsewhere or haven't had a chance to see before because there's so much talent everywhere.
I wanted to be one of the best in the business, whether it was male or female.
I've been doing this close to 19 years now, and I always dreamed of being in the WWE.
I had pretty much accepted the fact I was going to be a stay-at-home mom and do my other adventures in life. I thought coming back to the WWE was out of the cards for me.
I love being on the road. I sit at home too long, and I start to go a bit stir crazy.
I've always loved music. I've worked on music and written music, but, it wasn't until I was actually on the road full time with WWE that I put my first album out.
Do I want music, or do I want wrestling? I wanted both.
I've been fortunate enough to really work with amazing people and have incredible people lead me along the way.
I was always writing - whether it's ideas, poems, whatever - because we spent so much time in the car traveling from city to city.
I was honored to be part of the movement in the mid-2000s, and it was definitely a transitional period of women's wrestling because, you know, Lita and Trish were putting on incredible matches and main eventing even before I came up and debuted.
I wanted to start a family, but it wasn't something that I was going to take a break to do.
I didn't want to be Trish Stratus, I didn't want to be Lita, but I wanted to be on their level and to be seen in people's eyes at that level.
I'm going in with the mentality that I'm going to win. If you don't go in there thinking that, you've already beat yourself.
When people have a passion and desire, it burns through and shows.
I have known Kofi for such a long time. We were in developmental together in Louisville.
I do have little trinkets. I'm a little bit of a hippie, so I have my wisdom rock - it goes with me; it's always in my purse, wherever I go. That's just me, being a hippie.
I got into wrestling to be a WWE superstar - that was my goal.
I just love working.
My mom is my best friend. She's been my biggest supporter through everything.
I don't want to retire on the independent scene. I don't want my legacy to be remembered as that.
The indie shows are tons of fun. And for the fans, having that up close and personal experience is so different to watching wrestling on television at home.
I don't really look at myself as a mentor.
I didn't want to be good for a girl: I wanted to be as good, if not better than, all the guys.
I try to remember who I am and what I come from, because I didn't come from super means. I had to work and pray and try really hard to succeed and get everything that I wanted out of life.
You want to be taken seriously as an artist and not just known as 'that girl wrestler who sings.' So you want to go out and stand on your own legs. But at the same time, I don't negate the fact that without everything I've accomplished in wrestling, I wouldn't have been given so many really cool opportunities on the music side.
I'm very proud; I have such loyal fans, and they would follow me to the ends of the Earth, and that's an amazing, amazing thing.
Sasha Banks stood out. She had tons of personality. I thought she was really good in a sense. I liked her sass and personality.
I always focus on what is next in my career.
WrestleMania was one of my greatest matches in my career.
I know who Asuka is, I've seen her work in Japan and NXT. She is incredibly talented.
