How Trish Stratus is still setting the wrestling world on fire at 47

Wrestling isn’t so much a career choice but a way of life it seems, and retired stars usually like to keep one foot in the game. So while it’s not unusual to see part-time or guest appearances for Hall of Famers, it’s rare they ever go back to a regular in-ring gig – let alone at the age of 47! Well, Trish Stratus is definitely an exception to a lot of rules.

A trailblazer in women's wrestling, Stratus has reignited the flames of her legacy and is once again leaving an indelible mark on the wrestling world since her return to WWE this year.

Trish Stratus first burst onto the scene in the WWE during the Attitude Era, a time when women's wrestling often took a backseat to other aspects of the industry. However, Stratus refused to be confined to the traditional role of a "diva." She pushed the boundaries, showcasing her athleticism, charisma, and remarkable in-ring skills.

Image Credit/Instagram @trishstratuscom

Her determination and talent led her to become a seven-time Women's Champion, a record that still stands today.

The WWE Hall of Famer, inducted in 2013, retired all the way back in 2006 largely to focus on her family. And while she had done a few spots here and there, including a match with Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam 2019, there was no sign she was poised for a serious comeback after spending so long on the sidelines.

Image Credit/Screenshot – YouTube @WWE

That all changed in April this year, when Stratus teamed with Beck Lynch and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Lita at 'WrestleMania 39' in a match up between Bayley, Sky and Kai. While many thought it would be another one-off, Stratus had other ideas.

Image Credit/Instagram @trishstratuscom

"I'm constantly proving myself to myself," Stratus told Busted Open Radio in April. "And when I got the call to do WrestleMania, that was fun. It was fun to be in that capacity to do it at that level and at that stage. I'm all about layers and it was like, I hadn't dipped into this territory again, you know, for a long time. And it was like, can I do this? And when I did it, I loved it.”

“To be able to go back to this capacity, it felt like it's fun and it's a good story," she said. "I think it's interesting. I always say whenever I went back, it has to check a few boxes. Like, is it interesting? Is it challenging for myself? Will the fans be intrigued by it? Will it tell something different than we've told before, a story that's different than we've told before?"

Image Credit/Screenshot – YouTube @WWE

Stratus has dazzled WWE since her full return, with fans surprised that a person approaching 50 could be as athletic and skilled on the mat as she still is.

Image Credit/Screenshot – YouTube @WWE

But the remarkable thing about this is that Stratus, real name Patricia Anne Stratigeas, didn’t really do anything different or new to prepare herself for a return to the ring, telling the ‘WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves’ that she has just always been ready for a potential return as she loves to keep herself in tip-top shape.

Image Credit/Instagram @trishstratuscom

“Everyone’s like, ‘How did you get into ring shape?’ I just was,” Stratus told Graves. “I don’t let it go and then get ready just for the WrestleMania thing. This is my life. I do yoga daily, I work out constantly. I eat clean, I take care of the vessel, so to speak, and it’s prepared me for this opportunity. That’s been my motto, it’s been sort of my mantra for my entire life."

Image Credit/Instagram @trishstratuscom

“I feel like this is what I was born to do. I made a career out of being the best, like I want to be the best at what I do, no matter what I do. I’m a hardcore, when I mom, I am [a] hardcore mom [laughs]...A healthy lifestyle, a good mindset, a positive outlook, all that is my M.O. This is how I live my life,” Stratus told the podcast.  

Aside from the fun and the physical challenge of returning the industry, Stratus said that she also felt she had a lot of expertise she could pass on by working with current and upcoming talent.

"I love passing the torch and passing on my knowledge," she explained, "Was I the greatest wrestler? I don't know, but I knew how to make people take notice,” Stratus told Sports Illustrated.  "When you hear Sasha Banks or Charlotte or [Natalya] talk about our influence... [It makes me] want to keep doing this, and now with them."

Given her original run was just six years, it will be interesting to see how long Stratus intends to work in-ring for WWE this time – especially on top of a busy schedule running her own yoga business, working as a judge on Canada’s Got Talent and being a mother to two children.

But it’s fair to say based on the reception she’s received so far, the fans are happy just to see her back doing what she does best.