Mickie James On Britt Baker & Thunder Rosa's AEW Issues That've Been 'Able To Fester'

Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker were oil and water even before Rosa was injured and had to vacate her AEW Women's World Championship. On the latest "Busted Open Radio," Mickie James says that the animosity both helped their feud and was ultimately its untimely undoing.

"Thunder Rosa probably gave Britt one of the best matches of her career, in my opinion," James said. "Thunder is very good. It's unfortunate that she got hurt. I think the reason why the whole thing was able to fester was because Thunder already had a bit of a [reputation]." 

James believes that said reputation did not help when rumors around her began to swirl, and says there are similarities between the ways Thunder Rosa and CM Punk both courted controversy during their title runs, which both ended in injury. However, Punk was able to avoid being tarred with the same brush as Rosa. While James respects that Punk and Rosa are outspoken advocates for their passions, she also agreed with co-host Tommy Dreamer that sometimes wrestlers have to work with people they don't like.

"At the end of the day, this is a business," James said. "Whether you get along with someone or not, you should still be able to go out there and do business, and do good business."

James also believes that the AEW women's locker room didn't see Thunder Rosa as "one of them," due to Rosa's tenure in the NWA, opting to take Britt's side in the issue. The former Knockouts Champion believes both women are too set in their opinions to ever budge.

"It's unfortunate that they didn't get to do better business together," James chided, noting that the women's locker room helped feed the rumor mill, which has been running on overdrive recently following comments from veteran independent wrestler LuFisto.