Many pro-wrestling fans and insiders talk about the “forbidden door”: an imaginary door that exists between promotions that prevent them from working together. WWE, Impact, NJPW, AEW, AAA… they rarely have inter-company competition. Rare, but not never. Except now, Mickie James is showing up in a WWE match as an IMPACT Wrestling champion.

The most famous company vs. company competition was probably in the 1990s when ECW wrestlers showed up on RAW. Now, shockingly, the Impact Knockout Champion and former WWE Diva Mickie James will be competing in the Women’s Royal Rumble. Impact Wrestling is essentially the number three promotion in the US, behind WWE and AEW. It’s roughly the equivalent of having an ECW Champion show up on RAW in the 1990s. There are 30 women total, so Mickie James has tough competition ahead. She has a Knockouts Championship defense before the Rumble as well.

WWE fans know Mickie James as a one-time WWE Divas Championship and five times WWE Women’s Championship winner. She has also competed in Impact Wrestling, NWA, and TNA. This won’t be the first time a TNA/Impact performer (they are basically the same company) appeared on WWE or vice versa. Years ago the WWE famously had Ric Flair show up to a Hall of Fame induction ceremony while under contract with TNA. It is exciting to see a fantastic woman wrestler and certainly, future WWE Hall of Famer shows up in both Impact and WWE for matches.

Will AEW be next to work with WWE?

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