Trish Stratus remains open to another WWE comeback, but the Hall of Famer says several important conditions would need to be met before she steps back into the ring.
Speaking with PostWrestling.com, Stratus explained that any future WWE appearance needs to serve a meaningful purpose rather than simply providing another opportunity for her to return to television. “There’s many boxes that must be checked in order for me to do this.”
For Stratus, one of the biggest considerations is whether her involvement can benefit somebody else. She pointed to her 2023 program with Becky Lynch and Zoey Stark as an example, noting that Lynch was already an established star who did not need the credibility that could come from working with a WWE legend. “And it’s everything, like, I don’t want to be self-serving. What’s the point in that? It has to give back. It has to, you know, like when I went back and worked with Zoey [Stark], like I wasn’t—I’m not, like, doing much for Becky, so to speak, except for giving a neat storyline or something for fans to see that they hadn’t—oh my God, fantasy matchup or things like that. So, we were giving that to the fans, but like I’m not giving her the rub. She’s Becky Lynch, for God’s sakes, right?”
Stratus found a different opportunity with Stark, who became aligned with her during the rivalry. The seven-time WWE Women’s Champion recalled helping Stark develop her promos behind the scenes and said that mentoring aspect of the storyline was something she particularly enjoyed. “And then, but having—when I got to bring Zoey on board, that was cool because I’m like, ‘Okay,’ and that, you know, teaching her promos. I mean, when I left, she would still, you know, she’s like, ‘Okay, this is my promo.’ Like, ‘All right, let’s work on it.’ You know, we would still be working on the promos and stuff like that. So, I loved being able to do that.”
Stratus also highlighted the appeal of working with wrestlers she has not previously had the opportunity to share the ring with. “I love the opportunity to work with people that, you know, I remember. I mean, even the match in Toronto with Nia [Jax] and Candice [LeRae], like I was just—I was so excited with Candice. I’m like, ‘Dude, you’ve been actively wrestling like so much longer than me.’”
Stratus specifically praised Candice LeRae and said she was excited about the opportunity to help showcase what LeRae could do in front of a larger audience. “Like, I’m so excited that we get to share this spotlight and people can be like, ‘Damn, look what she can do.’ Like, I’m excited about that. You know, I think she deserves so much more of a spotlight, to be honest.”
Stratus has made a number of returns to WWE since initially retiring from full-time competition in 2006, but her comments suggest that simply offering her another match would not necessarily be enough to bring her back.
Whether it involves mentoring another talent, providing a fresh matchup for fans or helping someone receive a bigger spotlight, Stratus wants any future comeback to contribute something beyond nostalgia.
