Michelle McCool recently appeared on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, where she discussed a variety of topics, including the controversial 2009 WWE storyline in which she and Layla targeted Mickie James, mocking her weight and referring to her as “Piggy James.”
McCool admitted she personally hated the storyline but credited Mickie James for handling it with professionalism.
“And I give credit to this day, and I said this to somebody the other day, and I said it to her, but the whole ‘Piggy James’ storyline, like me at heart, hated it just because of what it was, right? Like you’re bullying somebody supposedly that they’re supposedly overweight, and that has never been me. Every week, I’d go up to her like, ‘Mickie, I’m so sorry. This is what they want us to say.’ Complete professional. Not once does she try to change things, which often girls did. Not once did she’s like, ‘No, it’s good, it’s cool.’ She knew that it took two to tango. She knew what her role was. She knew what our role was. And she really, I think, put us on the map with that storyline.”
When asked whether WWE would ever consider running a similar storyline in today’s climate, McCool quickly dismissed the idea.
“Oh, gosh, no. Could you imagine?…That’s how it was every week. I couldn’t believe they wanted us to do this.”
As for how the storyline originated, McCool admitted she didn’t recall the exact pitch but speculated it may have stemmed from internal politics.
“I don’t remember it. A lot of times back then, things started with personal digs at somebody, or, you know, maybe somebody got in trouble, and they wanted to make fun. I don’t know what it was, but it just came out of the blue. Layla and I were young and a bit naive; we did some silly things, we had a lot of fun. But when that storyline came about, I was like, ‘Oh, this is just mean.’ But it did get us over. And I give all the credit in the world to Mickie for that. She easily could have said, ‘Guys, this is too much, too far, I’m not doing it.’ She was already over, but she knew how the business worked, and it got her more over, and she helped us.”
Despite its controversial nature, the Piggy James storyline became one of the most memorable women’s angles of the era. However, given WWE’s current focus on a more progressive and inclusive product, it’s clear that this type of angle would not fly in today’s landscape.
