Trish Stratus left WWE fans stunned as she made a shock return to SmackDown.
The 49-year-old Hall of Famer, who first introduced the wrestling world to Stratusfaction 25 years ago, made a comeback during last night’s broadcast on Netflix, which was pre-taped earlier this week
Stratus’ return set the stage for an in-ring appearance at the upcoming all-women’s premium live event Evolution, which airs on July 13.
Fans were blown as she interrupted a segment between Queen of the Ring winner Jade Cargill and WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton to set up a title match with the latter next week.
She shared photos from her comeback branding herself ‘your first crush’, and viewers insisted she hasn’t aged since her debut back in 2000.
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‘Trish Stratus is ageless,’ wrote @EJRockSolid24 on X, as @IBPRI24 said: ‘Looking better than ever and ready to grace the ring once more.’
‘So good to see Trish back. I don’t think she aged a second,’ agreed @bengal4everson, while @sigmapoet1914 added: ‘You haven’t aged at all Trish. Go take down Tiffy Time at #WWEEvolution.’
Despite initially retiring in 2006 after winning her seventh Women’s Championship, Stratus has made several comebacks over the years.
In 2018, she was a surprise entrant in the inaugural women’s Royal Rumble, and in October of the same year she and fellow Hall of Famer Lita teamed up to beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James at the first Evolution event.
At SummerSlam 2019, she lost to Charlotte Flair in her first proper singles match since her retirement, and when she returned in 2023 Trish embarked on five-month stint feuding with the likes of Becky Lynch.
She had 10 matches that year, ending the run with a loss to the current Women’s Intercontinental Champion in a Steel Cage Match at Payback.
That was the last fans saw of her in a wrestling capacity before her appearance in this year’s Rumble on February 1.
A month later, the Canadian hero would team up with Tiffany Stratton as the duo beat Candice LeRae and Nia Jax at Elimination Chamber: Toronto.
Charlotte previously opened up about what it meant to face Trish back in 2019, and the pressure she was under.
‘It’s one of those moments that I don’t think you’ll ever be able to recreate,’ she recalled while chatting to Metro in 2021. ‘Who’d thought that you’d see Trish Stratus versus Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam?
‘It was just incredible, and to see her in her hometown – she didn’t miss a beat. I was very honoured.’
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