The alliance between Zoey Stark and WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus ended at Payback, and Stratus is said to have hand-picked Stark’s role.
Stratus and Becky Lynch’s feud came to an end at WWE Payback, when Stratus won their Steel Cage match despite interference from Stark. Following the match, Stratus blamed Stark and slapped her. Stark fought back, leaving Stratus laying with a Z360 for a cheer from the audience. Stark recently spoke with Sports Illustrated‘s Justin Barrasso about how she constantly learned from the WWE veteran during their three-month collaboration.
“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.”
It was revealed that Stratus preferred Stark to play the role of her muscle on the RAW brand. Stark recalled learning about the program while out shopping with her husband Tom Howard, who wrestled in Japan as Green Beret.
“Trish is so sweet,” Stark continued. “She’s a genuinely nice person and she wants to help. 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.”
On this week’s RAW, Stark fell short against Shayna Baszler in a rematch of their August 7 RAW match, which ended in the same result. For those who missed it, a new report on how Stark is perceived within WWE can be found by clicking here.
