Vince McMahon allegedly did not react kindly to Mickie James and Trish Stratus pushing boundaries at WrestleMania 22. IMAGO / MediaPunch

Mickie James Reveals Vince McMahon's Reaction To Infamous WWE WrestleMania Moment

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Jon Alba | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 4:17 PM ET

Mickie James may be a WWE legend, but that doesn't mean she was immune to the ire of Vince McMahon in one of the biggest moments of her career.

The recent inductee to the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame is one of the most respected wrestlers in women's wrestling history, often seen as a trailblazer by those in and out of the industry. She made an impactful WWE debut 20 years ago, engaging in a feud with WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus that culminated at WrestleMania 22 in Chicago.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on his podcast, James discussed her infamous spot during the match that saw her reach between Stratus' legs and lick her fingers after. She noted the spot was approved by producer Steve Keirn, and she anticipated it would go over well initially.

"I thought in my heart and in my soul, I honestly believed I was going to walk back through that curtain, and I had never received a high five. I'd seen other women get high fives from Vince and thumbs up and all these things. I got thumbs up before. I got a few thumbs up. I thought I was going to get the biggest hug of a lifetime, and fist bumps, maybe even a hoist on a shoulder, and out the door, something for being so brilliant," she said.

McMahon Blows Up At James

WWE

Needless to say, the former WWE chairman is known for a crass sense of humor, and James figured that McMahon would find the entertainment value in the stunt. However, he very much did not.

"It's not what happened at all. Go back through the curtain, and Vince is pissed. He's like, 'That was crass! Do you know what we're gonna have to do? How much money it's gonna cost to edit that and to pull it from everything? We're a publicly traded company! What are you thinking?'" she said.

Though the former WWE Women's and Divas Champion was greatly disappointed with the reaction, she believes there is still a chance McMahon did actually enjoy what he saw, but put on the public face to prove a point.

"So if you can imagine, the high of a lifetime, and then walking through and just shanked right through the curtain, I was like, 'Oh.' But clearly he didn't hate me too much, because I still was the champion, so maybe deep down he really loved it," James said.

James defeated Stratus in the match and would go on to work for McMahon twice over a 15-year period. Her feud with Stratus is still seen to this day as one of the most memorable in WWE history.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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