Photo Credit: World Wrestling Entertainment
It’s been just over 3 years since Trish Stratus made her first WWE TV appearance. Appearing twice on an episode of Sunday Night Heat (dressed in a different outfit for each segment), Trish "scouted" Test and Albert and began the first stage of creating (and managing) a new tag-team.
However, Trish has come a long way since the days of T And A (the team name for the duo of Test and Albert). She is a 4-time (and current) WWE Women’s Champion, she’s been voted the WWF/WWE Internet Babe Of The Year for 2 years running (2001 and 2002, respectively), and has also had the prestigious honour of being the WWE Raw Diva Of The Decade.
Most impressive though, is Trish’s progression from a valet and occasional "gimmick" performer to a fully-fledged, full-time wrestler, and how she has contributed to making the new and improved Women’s division so interesting. 3 years ago, nobody could have (or would have) predicted just how far Trish could come as a performer. But did we underestimate Trish Stratus? After all, she wasn’t a typical "girlie" girl growing up.
Born Patricia Anne Stratigias on December 18, 1975, the Canadian beauty grew up (and still resides) in Toronto, Canada. Somewhat of a tomboy, Trish played soccer from the age of three and also played field hockey. She also had a keen interest in science and enjoyed dissecting frogs and the like and examining them with her microscope. Her interest in wrestling began at an early age, but she never envisioned a career for herself in the wrestling business.
Trish’s goal in life was to become a doctor. She studied Biology and Kinesiology (the study of muscle movement) at York University and looked set to achieve this goal until a teachers strike put her education on hold. Stuck, Trish took a job as a part-time receptionist at a gym and it was there that her first door to fame was opened.
By chance, someone at the gym knew the Musclemag International publisher, Robert Kennedy and arranged for Trish to meet him, as they thought that Trish had the looks of a fitness model. Kennedy told Trish to get in shape for a photo shoot in a few months time, and although Trish had an interest in bodybuilding and was fit, the shoot still required her to train in the gym for 6 days a week.
Trish was up to the task and managed to get into the modelling business. She still had aspirations to return to York and complete her studies (the strike eventually ended), but with her foot firmly in one of the toughest to break into businesses, she decided to stick with the modelling and finish her schooling later on in life.
One thing led to another. Through her fitness model work, she landed various media opportunities, such as being the co-host of a fitness radio show. She also began to regularly appear on On The Record alongside WWF Superstars. Rumours began to run rampant that she would be signing a WWF contract, but at the time there was no truth to this.
The LAW (Live Audio Wrestling, the Wrestling Observer’s Internet-based radio show) even phoned Trish up to see for themselves, but she said that the rumours weren’t true. However, they still offered her a job as a co-host, so that she could give a fan’s perspective on the wrestling business.
Her work with The LAW led her backstage at a WWF show and several WWF wrestlers (recognising her from her Musclemag fame) told her to send a resume and promo tape to Jim Ross (Head of Talent Relations). Trish did this and was told by JR that she would be considered if she got some wrestling training.
Trish enrolled at Sulley’s Gym in Toronto and was trained by Ron Hutchinson. For a year, she trained vigorously and was often the only female in the gym. Eventually, she was signed to a WWF contract in November 1999.
Trish was meant to debut in January 2000, but Visa problems prevented this, and so she didn’t appear on TV until March 19th. On Heat, she observed the matches of Test and Albert and looked good in the process. However, the next part of the plan required Trish to talk, and like many females in wrestling, she was not up to it.
Stumbling over her words and looking very uncomfortable, Trish’s announcement on the following Raw that she was forming a new tag-team called T And A was an embarrassment for all concerned, as Trish will freely admit (her speaking skills have since improved). However, apart from that setback, Trish’s 1st year with the WWF ran more or less without a hitch.
She allowed herself to get driven through a table by Bubba Ray Dudley at Backlash in April and had an entertaining feud with Lita over the summer months. She also offered her managerial services to Val Venis, but this affiliation didn’t last long.
In January 2001, T And A split up. Trish managed Albert for a while, but had her eyes on Mr McMahon, who she started flirting with at Christmas time. This storyline is probably best forgotten, as it was WWF Ego at it’s worst.
Poor Trish had a foul-looking pea-soup substance poured all over her and was forced to strip and bark like a dog in the middle of the ring as a way of "apologising" to Vince McMahon.
The best part of this controversial storyline was the match Trish had with Stephanie Mcmahon-Helmsley at No Way Out. To everyone’s suprise, Trish and Stephanie (with the help of HHH) knocked up an entertaining and incredibly physical encounter, which Stephanie won after William Regal turned on Trish. The Vince/Trish relationship saga continued until Wrestlemania X7, where Trish turned face by slapping McMahon (Vince’s wife, Linda also got her revenge by kicking her husband in the "grapefruits", after rising from her wheel chair after supposedly being drugged-up for months).
As a babyface, Trish’s career appeared to have no real direction. She teamed with Too Cool and Steve Blackman (and became the first WWF female to do "The Worm"), but she was never given anything that would keep her busy in the long term. When the WCW/ECW Invasion took centre stage in July, she teamed with Lita to fend off the invading WCW babes, Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson. Then, in August, she suffered an ankle injury and missed in-ring action for 3 months.
Trish used her time away from the ring to decorate her new house, and of course, prepare for her comeback. She also co-hosted the ill fated Excess show with The Coach, but presenting wasn’t her forte. It wasn’t really her fault, as Excess was a live show at first, and Trish had no prior experience of presenting live television. When the format of the show was changed to pre-taped, she did improve a bit.
At the Survivor Series in November, Trish won the vacant Women’s Title in a 6-Pack Challenge featuring Lita, Ivory, Mighty Molly, Jazz, and Jacqueline. The victory came as a huge shock to many people, as Trish was the least experienced of all the women in the match. She also unveiled a new finishing move (The Stratusfaction), and used it to finish off Ivory.
Trish’s critics argued that she was only given the title as a "reward" for becoming the WWF 2001 Internet Babe Of The Year, but Trish proved her worth by vacating her spot on Excess to regulary defend the belt. She had shown improvement in the ring, but when Jazz returned in January to challenge Trish to a match at Royal Rumble, many fans feared the worst.
Everyone expected Trish to be shown up in her match with Jazz, and due to the difference in their experience levels, fans expected the match to be poor. But Trish proved them wrong again and had a good match with Jazz. The feud continued for the next few months, with Trish impressing everyone with her ring work each time, before Trish aided Bubba Ray Dudley in driving Jazz through a table in May, giving a storyline excuse for Jazz’s absence over the next 9 months (really, she was having knee surgery).
By now, Trish was a 2-time Women’s Champion (she lost the belt to Jazz in February but regained it in May). She was challenged by the "virtuous" Molly Holly and had a good feud with her over several months, although it did go on a bit. Trish lost her title to Molly at King Of The Ring in June but won it back at Unforgiven in September.
The arrival of former fitness model, Victoria gave Trish a new challenger to work with. Portrayed as a psycho who was bitter at Trish for become a WWE Superstar before her (although Victoria was in the WWF in 2000 with The Godfather and Too Cool, but why let the truth get in the way of a good story, eh?), and belted Trish in the head with a steel-chair shot in October (Trish proved her toughness and willingness to try new things again).
At Survivor Series in November, Trish and Victoria competed in a Hardcore Match for the Women’s Title and put forward a great effort. Trish lost the match, but did not lose any momentum. She eventually won the title back at Wrestlemania in a commendable Triple Threat Match against Jazz and Victoria.
Recently, WWE fans have seen a previously unseen side of Trish on MAD TV. Although her segments on the show were short, she received glowing reviews and has already been signed for another guest appearance.
So what does the future hold for Trish Stratus? Well, according to the interview she did for Toronto Life magazine recently, once her WWE career comes to a close, she would like to start a family and go back to York University to complete her courses, possibly during her pregnancy. When this time comes, Trish can hang up her boots with a smile on her face, as she would have achieved so much in her wrestling career, especially for a woman.
Infact, if Trish Stratus was to hang up her boots tomorrow, she still would have achieved a hell of a lot in her career, much more than what many people expected. As a female in the wrestling business, she could have easily have relied on her good looks to speak for her, rather than her actions in the ring. There is no doubt that Trish Stratus is a name that no wrestling fan will ever forget. Her career has been one Stratusfying experience, and it’s not over yet.
Previously posted on Smash Wrestling:
http://www.firetank.com/smashwrestling
