WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus is one of the most influential women’s wrestlers of all time.
Among many other accomplishments, Stratus and Lita became the first women to main-event WWE RAW in 2004. In recent years, women’s wrestlers have main-evented WWE TV multiple times, so it’s fair to say that Stratus paved the way for today’s stars.
During a recent appearance on The Bellas Podcast, the seven-time WWE Women’s Champion was asked about how she feels seeing today’s generation build off the foundation she helped establish. In response, she focused on the way the women’s wrestlers in her era had to work hard to change the game. Specifically, she brought up how WWE was reluctant to book her and her peers in hardcore matches, but she was determined to receive the same treatment as her male counterparts.
“I just sort of go, ‘You’re welcome’ to everyone,” said Stratus. “No, I mean listen, of course, [it was a] collaborative effort for sure, but it really was, it was the laying of a groundwork and you know, like from the beginning, it was everything from re-educating the fans on what to expect from a female performer, it was the acceptance of the fans, it was acceptance of the producers backstage for them to go okay, maybe we can give them this.
“I remember one time to have a hardcore match was, it was a big deal, mostly because they were like, they were like, ‘I don’t think they can handle it. Well, why can’t we handle it when they can handle it? We can handle it too. I remember one time I took a chair shot from Victoria and it was like a really like, let’s just put it this way, some people were unhappy that that happened, but why? Like the guys take chair shots all the time and I wanted it. I consent to this.”
Stratus then named some of her colleagues, such as Jazz, Victoria, Molly Holly, and Mickie James, as other trailblazers. She went on to describe how earning her co-workers’ respect was one of the most important accolades she received in her legendary career.
“So yeah I mean, what a journey, and so many players along the way to help make it happen,” said Stratus. “You look at Jazz and Victoria and Molly Holly and Mickie James, so it’s cool to watch. And then you know you hear people talking about looking back, and they’re like, ‘This inspired me,’ or, ‘This event inspired me’, and it’s touching.
“That’s honestly when you set out to do what you do in your world, the aim is to please or to get the accolades from what you do what you love, but from your co-workers. That was a big part of it for me, to earn the respect of my co-workers, that was a big part of it. So yeah we definitely, I think we got there, we did pretty good.”
Years after Stratus finished her career as a full-time wrestler, WWE’s women’s wrestlers continue to honor her legacy as the Women’s Evolution continues.
Related: Trish Stratus Says She’d ‘Love To Whoop Sasha Banks Butt’ And Prove She’s The Best
