Trish Stratus Says Any WWE Return Must Serve Long-Term Storytelling

Trish Stratus isn’t interested in coming back to WWE unless her involvement genuinely adds something to the story. During a conversation with POST Wrestling, Stratus explained that she approaches every potential return with a checklist, making sure her presence benefits the talent involved and contributes to long-term planning.

Stratus reflected on her 2023 run with Zoey Stark during her rivalry with Becky Lynch. She said she didn’t view that stretch as something designed to elevate Lynch, but rather as a chance to give fans a fresh dynamic and a matchup they hadn’t seen before. She said, “There’s many boxes that must be checked in order for me to do this, and it’s everything, I don’t want it to be self-serving. What’s the point in that? It has to give back.”

Why Trish Stratus Values Purposeful Storytelling

Stratus explained that working with Stark gave her a chance to help a younger talent grow. She said, “When I went back and worked with Zoey, I wasn’t… I’m not doing much for Becky, so to speak, except for giving a neat storyline… But I’m not giving her the rub. She’s Becky Lynch for God’s sakes.”

She added that mentoring Stark was one of the most rewarding parts of the run. Stratus said, “When I got to bring Zoey on board, that was cool… teaching her promos… We would still be working on the promos and stuff like that. So I love being able to do that.”

Stratus also pointed to her 25th anniversary in 2023 and how she used that milestone to build long-term plans. She revealed that the early seeds of her story with Tiffany Stratton were planted months before their eventual clash. She said, “The Tiffy and Trish thing was started way back in Money In The Bank in Toronto… that seed planted was not a coincidence… that’s what I am about, long-term story planning.”

Stratus and Stratton eventually teamed up at Elimination Chamber before their paths split. The story later circled back at Evolution, where Stratus challenged Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship. For Stratus, that kind of layered storytelling is exactly what makes a return worthwhile.