Why Trish Stratus Extended Her Run After WWE Royal Rumble Return

WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus made her triumphant in-ring return during the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event and impressed fans in a big way. That’s not all, as Stratus will be competing at the Elimination Chamber event, and now Stratus has explained why she decided to make her WWE return.

While speaking to Busted Open Radio, Tommy Dreamer asked Trish Stratus why she decided to return. He knew the Royal Rumble was a big moment but wanted to know why she was staying longer. He also asked if Toronto and the Elimination Chamber played a role in her decision.

Trish Stratus said she talks to WWE writers often, and they would probably have her back every week if possible. She always keeps the door open but wants to make sure it makes sense. She doesn’t just want to come back for a quick reaction from the crowd, she wants to help others as well.

Since it was her 25th anniversary in wrestling, WWE wanted to celebrate that, and she thought it was special. She pointed out that WWE had never really honored a female superstar for being in the business that long, so she liked the idea.

“I think it was, you know, talking to the writers. I think they might have me back every week if they could. I talk to them often, we keep in touch, and if there’s an opportunity, I’ve always said, ‘Let me know.’ I’m up for it, right?

There are a couple of things I have to check off first. I have to make sure it makes sense—like, is it good for whoever I’m working with? Does it help them? I always want to make sure it’s not just self-centered, like I’m coming back just for a little cheap pop.

It was my 25th anniversary, and we felt like they’ve never really had the opportunity to celebrate a woman being in the business for 25 years. I thought it was really cool that they wanted to celebrate that milestone.”

Stratus noted that Toronto was part of the reason she returned, but they also planned things backward—if she was going to be at Elimination Chamber in Toronto, they needed to build a story leading up to it. The Royal Rumble was a great way to start. She made sure to eliminate Candice LeRae, and then Nia Jax eliminated her. These moments were done on purpose to set up their upcoming match at Elimination Chamber.

“Toronto was definitely a factor, but we also kind of reverse-engineered it—like, if there was an opportunity in Toronto, how do we build toward that? The Rumble felt like a great way to kick things off because you can start anything with a Rumble. No one realized, which I loved, that it just looked like a one-off. But we were actually planting seeds—with Nia, with Candice. I eliminated Candice, and then Nia eliminated me, which ended up paying off. Now, with the match, everything makes sense.”

Stratus also talked to Bubba Ray Dudley, who was backstage, and told him she didn’t want to return if she couldn’t perform at a high level. She didn’t want people saying, “She’s good for her age.” She wanted to be good, period and after the match, she asked Bubba to be honest with her. He told her she did great, which was nice to hear, even though she didn’t need his approval.

“Bubba was backstage for the Rumble, so I told him, ‘If I can’t come back and contribute 100%, I don’t want to do it.’ I don’t want people saying, ‘She’s really good, but she’s slow now.’ I don’t want to be good for an older person—I want to be good, period. So I said, ‘Let’s just get through the Rumble first.’ I wanted to make sure I could still go at that level.

Bubba was there, and I knew he’d be honest with me. I told him, ‘You need to tell me if it’s time to hang it up.’ And he was like, ‘No, dude, that was great!’ I didn’t need Bubba’s approval, but it was definitely good to hear.”

Trish Stratus and Tiffany Stratto will be teaming up against Nia Jax and Candice LeRae at the WWE Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event on March 1st. We’ll have to wait and see how Stratus will fare in the match and whether it will lead to more appearances in the future, as fans would love that.

Are you excited to see Trish Stratus back in action? Do you think she should have an extended run in WWE, or should this be her final chapter? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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