Why Trish Stratus Turned Down WWE Offer & Strives for New Start

Trish Stratus is not one to make a comeback in the pro wrestling world just for the sake of it. She wants to deliver nothing less than pure “Stratus-faction.”

In a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, the WWE Hall of Fame legend shed light on why she turned down an offer to return to WWE back in 2009, as well as how she wanted her return to the company in 2023 to be a unique experience.

When asked about rejecting a previous offer to return to WWE in 2009, Trish explained, “I always said when I retired, if I go back, it’s gotta be for something special. I want to work with someone new, challenge myself as a performer, and elevate another person. I want to do things differently and present something unique. I just didn’t feel like coming back at that time would have added anything significant. It wouldn’t have made a big impact if Trish Stratus was just thrown back in there.”

Looking back at her return to WWE in 2023, she reflected on wanting the experience to be different, saying, “I didn’t want to do the typical babyface comeback. I wanted to surprise people and challenge myself by stepping into a heel role after so many years. It had been 18 years since I last did a heel promo. So when Becky approached me about a match at WrestleMania, we decided to shake things up by having me turn heel first, with the twist of involving Lita in the storyline. Turning on a friend of 20 years added more depth and emotion to the narrative than just a feud with Becky, who I had no prior history with on television. Initially, I was only supposed to be back for a short while post-WrestleMania, but ended up in a storyline every week for the next six months.”

For more insights from Trish Stratus, check out the full interview at ITRWrestling.com.