While their on-screen partnership may now be over, Zoey Stark still holds much gratitude for the time she spent under the wing of WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus.
Amidst her feud with Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus enlisted the help of a newly promoted superstar to serve as leverage. That star, of course, was recent WWE NXT call-up Zoey Stark, who quickly forged a mentor-protégé relationship with Stratus.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated Fan Nation, Stark reflected back on the massive learning opportunity she received upon aligning herself with Stratus.
“She’s helped me grow my game.,” Stark said. “Trish is so smart. Her knowledge of small details and how to project those, that separates from everyone else. When I see Trish wrestle, it all just makes so much sense.”
Stark also recalled her initial reaction to finding out that she’d be paired up with Stratus on WWE programming. “I still remember finding out I’d be working with her. I’d just worked out with my husband, and we were going to Whole Foods–and that’s when I got the call. My heart stopped when I found out I’d work with Trish. It’s the opportunity I had been working for. My husband was next to me, and he threw his hands in the air. We were extremely happy,” Stark said.
At WWE Payback, the working relationship between Stratus and Stark took a dramatic turn. After Stratus lost to Lynch inside a steel cage, she and Stark started to argue, which prompted Stratus to slap Stark in the face. Stark wasn’t folding, though, as she answered back by delivering a Z-360 to her now-former mentor.
Zoey Stark also spoke with WrestleZone about sitting under the learning tree with Trish. She said every day they spent together was a good learning experience.
“It’s actually been really amazing to sit back and watch and really learn from her. She’s really amazing at what she does,” Zoey Stark said. “I’m so glad that she’s back and actually helping me out. She’s doing a big thing for me and I appreciate every single day that I get to spend with her.”
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