WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus recently spoke with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald while promoting this weekend’s Women in Wrestling Fan Expo & Banquet in Wilmington, N.C.
Stratus talks about her former rival turned “Team Bestie” partner Lita, Total Divas the NXT Divas division, and more. You can read a few excerpts below:
Trish talks about Lita and their rivalry:
“We started a few weeks apart from each other. The focus was on us and our tag teams. I was with T&A (Test and Albert), and she was with the Hardys. We had a similar focus that was put on us as performers. Then of course we had that long-term rivalry. In order to have success, you need to trust each other and work with each other. There is this relationship that is necessary. The matches we had made us closer. We were just excited all the time when we had a program together and making that the best program. The lead-up to a pay-per-view match we wanted to give the fans what they wanted.”
Her retirement match with Lita; who picked her opponent?
“I think it really became more special during the end of my career when I had the retirement match with her. To me, it meant a lot. Did I hand pick her as my opponent? Yes, I did. I proposed that idea to Vince [McMahon], and he loved it. I thought, ‘Great, I can’t think of a better way to go out than with my best friend, a fellow co-worker who I had this rivalry with my entire career.'”
Trish Stratus talks NXT Divas, offers praise:
“People are really talking about them. They are the next generation that will be something to talk about. We talk about the golden era that was my time. They may have the platinum era from what I have seen. They are doing amazing.”
How women’s wrestling has changed:
“You are seeing the women have longer matches on TV. My whole thing is 10 or 15 years ago we were striving to have that match that wasn’t a chick match. I always said I didn’t want to fight like a girl. I wanted to fight like a man. Now I feel it’s more done. There is no such thing really of having a girly match. It’s just two athletes having a match. I read a cool quote from Triple H who talked about the first female trainer in Sara [Amato]. Then he goes on to say he doesn’t call her the first female trainer, but a trainer.
