Examiner.com: My talk with Trish Stratus about Tough Enough and being back with WWE
04/18/2011 09:37
WWE recently had their reality series Tough Enough return to the air after a long hiatus and it has been a smashing success with only two episodes so far. The series is much more entertaining this time around as changes were made and also a new host of trainers were brought in.
One of those trainers was WWE Divas' legend Trish Stratus who I recently had the honor of talking to and let me tell you ladies and gentlemen that she truly is as kind and fantastic as she appears to be.
There had been something stuck in my mind ever since Trish came back to the WWE to be a trainer on Tough Enough, but then started getting in the ring a little more each week. Then came the six-person tag match at WrestleMania and it appeared as if one of my favorite female wrestlers would also return full-time to the ring.
"{laughs} Well, it kind of is a day-by-day thing. First I came back just as a Tough Enough trainer and then they wanted me to get back in the ring for a match. Then the whole thing happened at WrestleMania with Snooki. Then I had another match after. It all depends really and it comes down to whatever Vince decides upon."
It is true though that Trish was brought back to be a trainer on Tough Enough first and foremost and she has to evaluate what could be new talent in a WWE ring some day. When asked if anyone stood out to her just yet, she had a few names that have jumped to the front.
"Jeremiah, the MMA guy. He is someone that has experience fighting but he is listening to every single thing he says and does what he is told to do. He has the size and power and puts it all out there. If we say jump, he looks at us and says 'how high.' You saw him...he lost his teeth in the first episode and just kept on running the ropes without even stopping.
Ivelisse is someone that knows her way around the ring and she is tough. She never asks any questions and just does what she is supposed to and does it well.
Rima, Miss America, is another one that has impressed me because she has no formal or even any prior wrestling training at all. For never having done any of this a single day in her life, she is out there every day getting tossed and thrown around hard...but she takes it and keeps getting back up."
Trish has been retired from wrestling since 2006 and is on a show with other superstars (Steve Austin, Bill DeMott, Booker T) that are all no longer active in the main wrestling scene. Having watched since I was a kid, they are all well known to me but I asked Trish if she thought maybe younger viewers may have problems associating with them.
"I don't think so because fans have the ability to go on the internet and youtube now and pull up anything they want to learn about us and see our matches if they wish. I have young kids coming up to me all the time and saying, 'Hey you're Trish Stratus...your matches were awesome.' I have to look on in shock because I retired five years ago, but people today have access to everything.
With Steve, well everyone knows Steve. The same goes with Booker because he is still on Smackdown and he's just very well known. I think some may have a hard time knowing Bill because he has been away from the business the longest, but he's still so well known by a large audience and you can go pull up anything he's done before."
In the first episode of Tough Enough, Rima tried to "cheat" by padding her hip for in-ring work but she got busted by the trainers. I asked Trish if this really set her off or got to her more than anything else by trying to get an advantage.
"Well, she did cheat but I can't say that I blame her. She's never had a single day of wrestling training and this stuff hurts. She needed some help so she tried to take it and I think Booker said it...Booker had a great line when it happened, what was it. Yeah..if you ain't cheating then you ain't trying. That is a brilliant line and I think says it best. She was out there busting her butt and tried to do what she could, but she simply got caught.
Divas have come a long way since I started. When I began we really were nothing more than eye candy and had to go a long time before our division became relevant for the action in the ring too. She just has to learn with all of the trainers. I learned from and fought boys so this is good for her. Rima could have that because she is beautiful and if she gets her skills down then she could really be something."
Trish has been doing such a great job since her return to the WWE both on Tough Enough and in the ring so it has been a true gift for me to see her back. Before finishing our conversation, I had to ask if there was one particular DIva on the WWE roster right now that Trish would love to have a match with and her answer was awesome.
"If there was to be one big match with a diva on the current roster, it would be Nattie (Neidhart). It's really great to watch someone like her be so fluid in the ring and it is beautiful to see the things she can do. She's so tough and talented and beautiful and just great at what she does. I'd really like to have a match with her because well...then there's the Canadian Connection as well."
Folks, not only is she beautiful and one of the best female wrestlers to ever step into the ring, but she is also one of the kindest and sweetest I've ever spoken too. It does my wrestling heart a world of good seeing her back on my television screen every week and nothing is greater than seeing Trish Stratus back in action.
One of those trainers was WWE Divas' legend Trish Stratus who I recently had the honor of talking to and let me tell you ladies and gentlemen that she truly is as kind and fantastic as she appears to be.
There had been something stuck in my mind ever since Trish came back to the WWE to be a trainer on Tough Enough, but then started getting in the ring a little more each week. Then came the six-person tag match at WrestleMania and it appeared as if one of my favorite female wrestlers would also return full-time to the ring.
"{laughs} Well, it kind of is a day-by-day thing. First I came back just as a Tough Enough trainer and then they wanted me to get back in the ring for a match. Then the whole thing happened at WrestleMania with Snooki. Then I had another match after. It all depends really and it comes down to whatever Vince decides upon."
It is true though that Trish was brought back to be a trainer on Tough Enough first and foremost and she has to evaluate what could be new talent in a WWE ring some day. When asked if anyone stood out to her just yet, she had a few names that have jumped to the front.
"Jeremiah, the MMA guy. He is someone that has experience fighting but he is listening to every single thing he says and does what he is told to do. He has the size and power and puts it all out there. If we say jump, he looks at us and says 'how high.' You saw him...he lost his teeth in the first episode and just kept on running the ropes without even stopping.
Ivelisse is someone that knows her way around the ring and she is tough. She never asks any questions and just does what she is supposed to and does it well.
Rima, Miss America, is another one that has impressed me because she has no formal or even any prior wrestling training at all. For never having done any of this a single day in her life, she is out there every day getting tossed and thrown around hard...but she takes it and keeps getting back up."
Trish has been retired from wrestling since 2006 and is on a show with other superstars (Steve Austin, Bill DeMott, Booker T) that are all no longer active in the main wrestling scene. Having watched since I was a kid, they are all well known to me but I asked Trish if she thought maybe younger viewers may have problems associating with them.
"I don't think so because fans have the ability to go on the internet and youtube now and pull up anything they want to learn about us and see our matches if they wish. I have young kids coming up to me all the time and saying, 'Hey you're Trish Stratus...your matches were awesome.' I have to look on in shock because I retired five years ago, but people today have access to everything.
With Steve, well everyone knows Steve. The same goes with Booker because he is still on Smackdown and he's just very well known. I think some may have a hard time knowing Bill because he has been away from the business the longest, but he's still so well known by a large audience and you can go pull up anything he's done before."
In the first episode of Tough Enough, Rima tried to "cheat" by padding her hip for in-ring work but she got busted by the trainers. I asked Trish if this really set her off or got to her more than anything else by trying to get an advantage.
"Well, she did cheat but I can't say that I blame her. She's never had a single day of wrestling training and this stuff hurts. She needed some help so she tried to take it and I think Booker said it...Booker had a great line when it happened, what was it. Yeah..if you ain't cheating then you ain't trying. That is a brilliant line and I think says it best. She was out there busting her butt and tried to do what she could, but she simply got caught.
Divas have come a long way since I started. When I began we really were nothing more than eye candy and had to go a long time before our division became relevant for the action in the ring too. She just has to learn with all of the trainers. I learned from and fought boys so this is good for her. Rima could have that because she is beautiful and if she gets her skills down then she could really be something."
Trish has been doing such a great job since her return to the WWE both on Tough Enough and in the ring so it has been a true gift for me to see her back. Before finishing our conversation, I had to ask if there was one particular DIva on the WWE roster right now that Trish would love to have a match with and her answer was awesome.
"If there was to be one big match with a diva on the current roster, it would be Nattie (Neidhart). It's really great to watch someone like her be so fluid in the ring and it is beautiful to see the things she can do. She's so tough and talented and beautiful and just great at what she does. I'd really like to have a match with her because well...then there's the Canadian Connection as well."
Folks, not only is she beautiful and one of the best female wrestlers to ever step into the ring, but she is also one of the kindest and sweetest I've ever spoken too. It does my wrestling heart a world of good seeing her back on my television screen every week and nothing is greater than seeing Trish Stratus back in action.
Tags:
WWE | Examiner | Tough Enough | Trish Stratus
