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From one of the biggest sex symbols in pro wrestling history to the longest reigning Women’s Champion of all time, this is the story of Trish Stratus.
Trish pretty much did it all, and many were surprised to see her retire at such a young age but the truth is at the end of the day, Stratus had nothing left to prove. Her resume speaks for itself; 7 time WWE Women’s Champion, winner of the Diva Of The Decade, 1 time Hardcore Champion, Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Woman Of The Year 4 times, and Woman Of The Decade. To top all this off, Trish became the youngest inductee ever when she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Stratus however, as she received a lot of criticism throughout her career as well. In 2002, her tag match with JBL taking on Jackie Gayda and Chris Nowinski was named the worst match of the year in 2002 by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The match was an absolute trainwreck. Trish came a long way in improving her skills from year to year, later becoming one of the best in the business. Let’s now take a look at 15 other things you may not know from the career of Trish Stratus. Enjoy!
15) She Married Her High School Sweetheart
Despite being one of the biggest sex symbols in pro wrestling history (and likely being able to get any guy she wanted), Trish Stratus actually married her high school sweetheart Ron Fisico. The couple had been dating since the age of 16 and in 2006, the couple decided to tie the knot. Trish and Ron went on to have their first child Maximus, in September of 2013. The couple have now been together for 19 years. Truly remarkable stuff.
14) She Studied In Biology and Kinesiology
As a child Trish loved pro wrestling, falling in love with characters such as The Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. Though, heading into University the goal was not to become a pro wrestler, it was to pursue a career as a doctor. Trish attended York University in Toronto studying in biology and kinesiology. She also played in the field hockey and soccer teams. Due to a faculty strike in 1997, Trish was forced to drop out of her program and ultimately change career paths. It’s like Trish was destined to be a WWE superstar.
13) She Aspired To Become A Fitness Model
As you might have already assumed, becoming a pro wrestler wasn’t always in the cards for Trish Stratus. Following her University’s strike, Trish decided to switch her main focus on becoming a fitness model. She succeeded in doing so, appearing on the cover of MuscleMag in May of 1998. Her run as a fitness model came to an end in November of 1999 when she signed a multi-year contract with the WWE.
12) Her First Big Break Happened When She Was Working As A Receptionist
Sometimes in life you just never know. Trish Stratus ended up catching her first big break while working at a local gym in Ontario as the receptionist. She was approached by the publisher of MuscleMag International, asking her if she was interested in working a test shoot for the magazine. As you can imagine Trish agreed. The test shoot was a success and she went on to sign a two-year contract with the company appearing on several magazine covers.
11) Her First Experience With Pro Wrestling Came On The Radio
While working with MuscleMag as a fitness model, Trish joined The FAN 590, a Toronto Sports radio station. Trish appeared as a third host along Big Daddy Donnie and Jeff Marek on the show, Live Audio Wrestling. On this show her passion for wrestling was quite obvious, and this later ended up being a huge factor in the WWE contacting her for a position. Her love for the business along with her modelling career sealed her faith, as in 1999 the WWE offered Trish a multi-year contract with the company.
10) Trained By Fit Finlay
Fit Finlay was the man behind Trish Stratus' improved wrestling skills. When Finlay took over, Trish really began to find her way as one of the most talented in-ring divas the company had ever seen. Ron Hutchinson also deserves a lot of credit for Trish’s initial development. Trish admitted in several interviews that she gives a lot of credit to Ron for his work with her in the past, toughening her up in the ring and ultimately turning her into a professional.
9) She Was Put In The Ring Because Of Her Popularity
Believe or not, Trish was actually forced into the ring because of her popularity with the WWE universe. The initial plan for Trish was to strictly have her as a valet. She began managing the team of T&A, which featured Jason Albert and the late Andrew Martin (aka Test). Her popularity later skyrocketed when she worked a storyline with the CEO of the WWE, Vince McMahon. Following the end of her storyline with McMahon at WrestleMania X-Seven, Trish began to wrestle part-time as a face teaming up with Lita.
8) She Rose To Fame As A Heel
Many wrestling fans tend to remember Trish as the sweetheart of the WWE. What many seen to have forgotten is the fact that Trish actually began as a heel and rose to fame with this heel character. Trish began working with strictly heels, the likes of T&A (Jason Albert and the late Andrew Martin), Val Venis and Vince McMahon. It wasn’t till Stratus slapped McMahon in the face at WrestleMania X-Seven that she finally turned into a crowd favorite.
7) She Holds The Record For The Longest Reign With Women’s Championship
448 days; that is how long Trish held the Women’s championship for. It wasn’t till Mickie James ended her run at WrestleMania 22. Her 6th title reign was truly epic, defeating Lita at New Year’s Revolution in 2005. Despite some injuries Trish was still able to carry the title in the midst of a weak Divas Division. She ultimately held the title for more than a year. Truly remarkable. After losing to Mickie, Stratus would later once again reclaim the title and retire as a record breaking 7-time Women’s Champion.
6) Youngest Hall of Fame Inductee
In 2013, Trish Stratus made history when she had the privilege to be inducted into the Hall of Fame (surpassing Edge who was 39, and who was the former title holder for the youngest inductee) as the youngest wrestler inductee at the age of 37. Trish was inducted alongside iconic names such as Bruno Sammartino, Mick Foley, Bob Backlund, Booker T and even celebrity Donald Trump.
5) She Appeared In Several Movies and TV Shows
Trish Stratus did what very few wrestlers are able to do following the end of their wrestling careers; she successfully appeared in TV and films. Trish appeared on the CBS reality show Armed & Famous, and she also starred in the film Bounty Hunters as the main character. Recently in 2014, Trish also appeared in the film Gridlocked alongside popular Hollywood actor Danny Glover. She worked several other TV shows and independent films during and following her time with the WWE.
4) Charity Work
Trish Stratus' charity work over the course of her career has been truly remarkable to see that least. Trish has done some extensive charity work donating and helping out charities like the Ronald McDonald house, Special Olympics, Dreams Take Flight, Dignitas International and many other organizations. In addition to all the charity work, in 2001 she was also named the spokesperson for the World Natural Sports Association. As if we didn't already have enough reasons to love her.
3) She Created The Largest Eco-Friendly Yoga Studio
Located in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada, the former WWE star opened up the largest Eco-friendly yoga studio in all of Canada. The studio (which is appropriately named Stratusphere) features an eco-friendly environment with low-voltage lighting, grasspaper wall tiling and a floor made out of cork. The studio won numerous awards including the Top Choice Awards’ Best New Business Award and in 2013, Trish also took home the award for Best Yoga Studio.
2) Lita Is The Godmother Of Her Child
It’s no secret that Trish and Lita are still to this day the best of friends. Trish also inducted her long time rival into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
They both still keep in touch on a regular basis, often posting pictures of one another together. Not only are the two former Divas extremely close, but in addition Trish named Lita as her son Max’s godmother. This just goes to show how close the two long time rivals really are outside of the ring.
1) Turned Down Playboy
Rumor has it that Trish allegedly turned down several offers to pose nude for the infamous Playboy magazine, despite several of her colleagues doing so. According to speculation, Trish would have turned down the offers because she didn’t want to be remembered for posing nude, she wanted to be remembered as one of the greatest female in-ring workers in WWE history. Had Trish posed nude for Playboy though, surely the internet would have broken back in her prime.
Sources: miamiherald.com, thesportster.com, imdb.com, bleacherreport.com
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