Before she was a WWE Women’s Champion, Mickie James got her start in TNA and even appeared on the first-ever edition of the company’s weekly pay-per-view in 2002, where she took part in a lingerie battle royal. Over 20 years later, James was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame over Bound for Glory weekend. The star recently sat down on “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” to talk with the host about her career. She said it was “crazy” to even call herself a Hall of Famer and said that TNA was always about giving its women’s division, or the Knockouts, a chance. Timothy Norris/Getty Images

James debuted in the lingerie battle royal in June 2002 in Huntsville, Alabama in front of around 3,000 people. It was Taylor Vaughn to emerge victorious to become the first “Miss TNA,” and in addition to James, ECW legend Francine was also in the match. Looking back, James said she was just excited to get the opportunity.

“I could go out there and it’s going to be on pay-per-view and it’s this young, upstart company and everybody’s excited about it,” she said. “Especially as an independent performer and you’re making nothing. That exposure, what that could do for you, but also, the opportunity to have another place, another place hopefully for us all to go and grow. You could already feel in the building that there was so much excitement and love behind it. It was crazy, but I had no idea what I was doing.”

She acknowledged it was crazy that her debut was in a lingerie battle royal, but said it was a sign of the times. Despite the match type, James said she was just trying to be what she thought what the most awesome female wrestler at the time could be.

“I went through so many phases,” she said. “For that… it was lingerie, I was like, ‘Okay, what can I wear cute, and lingerie, sexy, but also wrestle, and I want to be a serious wrestler out there and show that I can be a real wrestler. I didn’t know who I was. I was trying to figure that out.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.