WWE/wwe trish stratus summerslam 2019
By Andrew Ravens
Contributing Sports Writer
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The WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus recently revealed she had internal conflicts about participating in her planned match at the Evolution 2025 Premium Live Event. The show featured a singles match where Stratus challenged Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship. It turns out that the Hall of Famer was close to turning down the bout entirely.
Stratus was reluctant to participate because she was focused on her mother’s renewed battle with cancer. She remembered that her mother had originally been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma back when Stratus initially retired in 2006. Her first retirement decision was partially influenced by her desire to be with her mother during her treatment.
She explained the difficult position she was in when WWE asked her to return this time. Stratus told Bill Apter in a new interview: “Somehow, Evolution comes up. I remember they proposed to me to fight Tiffany for the championship belt. Evolution, headlining this amazing pay-per-view, which they finally brought back.”
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The wrestler in her understood the significance of the event. “Fans were waiting for I think seven year. Remember when it first happened, everyone was like, ‘Oh, look at this annual event’ and then it never happened.” The thought of missing the opportunity was difficult.
She continued: “I remember, what an opportunity but I can’t leave my mom. Ironically, my mom got diagnosed with cancer back when I retired in 2006 and she beat it. She fought that, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”
Stratus had to make difficult decisions even before the Evolution match. “I remember that was one of the reasons I did retire because I was I know that I needed to step away because I wanted to be with her during treatment. So here I was now her doing treatment, we did radiation and now they’ve asked me to come back.”
She had to cancel other scheduled commitments in case of an emergency. “I remember talking to Lita, I had to cancel one of my appearances, it started to happen where — I made the decision not to go to Wales for example. Just too far in case something happens, we’re starting to be in that sort of thing,” Stratus said.
More news: WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match
Despite her initial inclination to say no, Stratus eventually received the encouragement she needed from her mother. Her mother was the one who insisted that she take the match and the opportunity presented to her.
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“Fast forward the story, my mom said to me, ‘Do it,’. Not even a question. She was like, ‘Oh my god, do it,’.” The wrestling veteran in Stratus wanted to ensure the story justified the match.
“Of course, the wrestling people in us was like, ‘Yeah but mom, the storyline is not even there, they’ve barely promoted it,’. This is the fans, right, the fans are like, ‘They haven’t even promoted Evolution,’. I was saying the same thing. I’m like, ‘I don’t know, do people care?’.”
Stratus noted that the feud had a solid, if subtle, foundation. “Luckily, Tiffany and I had a built-in storyline that have kind of been percolating and people were starting to see the friendship and people were like, ‘Oh, are they going to turn?’.” She stated that the heel turn never happened, which was entertaining in itself.
She seriously questioned whether she should delay the match. “I was like, ‘I don’t know, I don’t really have a big storyline. Maybe I’ll just do it another time’ and my mom’s like, ‘It’s the women’s pay-per-view, you have to be — you’re the evolution of it,’.” Her mother's final advice to her was a moving one.
“I said this in my speech, it was, ‘Do it,’. She goes, ‘Do what you can while you can,’. Do what you can while you can because you never know what’s going to happen, you never know what’s going to change. Situations can change, health can change, anything can change in your life, right?.”
Stratus said she now views the experience as a great opportunity she was fortunate to have. “Now I look at it like, what a great opportunity. I had a fantastic match with Tiffany.” She then stated that she would be happy if this turned out to be her last singles match.
“If that was my last time in the ring, I’d be happy if it was. If it isn’t, sure, there’s more story to be told. It just felt like she was right, I escaped,” Stratus concluded. Stratus finally revealed that her mother was able to see her wrestle for the final time at WWE Evolution.
More WWE News:
- Released WWE Superstar Retires From Pro Wrestling
- Released WWE Star Breaks Silence On Departure
- Released WWE Star Wants To Join AEW
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