Trish Stratus Confirms Nixed WrestleMania Plan For Beth Phoenix

Trish Stratus returned to WWE television to join Lita and Becky Lynch in their feud against Damage CTRL. This was a big deal for fans who miss having that Stratusfaction on television every week, and it seems that WrestleMania 39 will be a big event for them as well.

Trish Stratus doesn’t wrestle very often anymore, which makes her coming out of semi-retirement such a big deal. Lita and Becky Lynch are currently WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, so that places them in a different category on the roster as active champions.

Obviously, this is not Trish Stratus’ first run in WWE. In 2005, she had a feud with Mickie James that showcased the WWE women’s division’s top talent. That being said, the plan did not go down without some changes.

Trish Status and Mickie James’ feud saw the introduction Beth Phoenix. While speaking to SHAK Wrestling, Stratus reflected on the plans for Phoenix.

“Yeah, she was going to be the enforcer of the group.

“It’s funny because they wanted her to be like a strong, silent type, which is cool and powerful. When we looked at how she ended up coming back, it was much better.”

Beth Phoenix was originally set to debut on the WWE main roster as Trish Stratus’ sidekick, but a fractured jawline forced her to take time off for recovery and training in OVW, the company’s developmental territory at the time. Stratus shared that she provided comfort to Phoenix, who was understandably upset about the injury, and reminded her that everything happens for a reason. Despite the setback, Phoenix went on to make her successful debut on WWE Raw in 2007, and Stratus saw the delay as a blessing in disguise.

“I think she didn’t need to be in our thing and it just worked. It would’ve been a fun trio for sure, and especially when the storyline turned, it would’ve been interesting to see how it played out between us.

“But, yeah, I think everything played out the way it should’ve when I look back at everything.”

We will have to see how long Trish Stratus stays around WWE this time around. Her return might only be for a short-term WrestleMania program, but you never know what can happen in WWE.

What’s your take on Trish Stratus’ WWE return? Would you rather see her or Beth Phoenix come back? Sound off in the comments!