Trish Stratus: A Pay-Per-View Retrospective Part I
Posted by TWV Guest Columnists
on 09/08/2006
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Guest Column By Jakey Emmert
As we head into September, the month of
Unforgiven and what will be the last pay-per-view appearance of Trish Stratus, a look back is warranted at the past Pay-Per-View appearances of the six-time Women's Champion.
Counting international pay-per-view matches,
Unforgiven will mark Trish's 39th match on Pay-Per-View should she wrestle. Trish has also made non-wrestling appearances that will receive honorable mentions due to their historical importance (her turns at WrestleManias X-7 and XX come to mind).
So with no further ado, here is Part I of the "Trish Stratus Pay-Per-View Retrospective." Presented in chronological order, the matches will be graded on an A to F scale of the following criteria:
Match Quality
Importance In Trish's Career
Importance In WWE History
2000
HONORABLE MENTION: WRESTLEMANIA 2000
Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California
April 2, 2000
The Match: T & A (with Trish Stratus) Vs. Al Snow & Steve Blackman
Card Placement: 3rd of 10, between the Hardcore Title Battle royal and the Triangle Ladder Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship
Background: A random feud that began a week before WrestleMania that promptly ended at the show.
Match Quality: Entertaining but forgettable; the match is best known for the post-show antics of Al Snow beating up a little person dressed as a piece of cheese.
C
Importance In Trish's Career: Her first Pay-Per-View appearance also showed she was willing to exploit herself for the sake of promoting an angle - hence the extreme close-up of her breasts as she escorts T & A backstage. Trish didn't do much at ringside other than stand there, but an appearance at WrestleMania is something not every valet can put on her resume.
B
Importance In WWE History: None.
WrestleMania 2000 was known as a hodgepodge of survivor and tag team matches (Terri vs. The Kat was the only singles match on the card) and this was seemingly a last-minute match to get some guys on the show.
F
HONORABLE MENTION: BACKLASH
MCI Center in Washington, D.C.
April 30, 2000
The Match: The Dudley Boyz Vs. T & A (with Trish Stratus)
Card Placement: 5th of 8, after Big Show Vs. Kurt Angle and before European Champion Eddie Guererro Vs. Essa Rios
Background: Trish's first real storyline involved her being the object of Bubba Ray Dudley's affection. Having previously put several women through tables, Trish was the one that he could never catch, as he was either thwarted by T & A or by Trish's own seduction.
Match Quality: This match was all post-show. The in-ring action was typical WWF Dudleyz...which, without the aid of tables or antics, isn't saying much.
C-
Importance In Trish's Career: Although she was hardly the first woman to take the Bubba Ray Dudley table bump, Trish's bump was noticeably much harsher than those before her. Rather than Bubba breaking the fall with his legs like the way he delivered the move to Terri Runnels, Trish took the full brunt of the table with her back, making the action look much more violent. It was also the first time her evil character received a comeuppance. In her DVD, Trish says it was the first physical thing she had ever done for WWE and proved that she was willing to do whatever it took to sell a hot angle.
B+
Importance In WWE History: Slight. Bubba's gimmick of putting women through tables lasted all the way to 2002, but few were more memorable than when he finally put his hands on Trish Stratus.
C+
FULLY LOADED
Reunion Arena in Dallas, TX
July 23, 2000
The Match: The Hardy Boyz & Lita Vs. T & A & Trish Stratus in a Six-Person Intergender Tag Team Match
Card Placement: Curtain Jerker
Background: Having had her first match just a month before (ironically, the same as this one), Trish found her first feud with Lita. Six days before the Pay-Per-View, Trish famously pushed Lita off of a ladder and through a table. Later that week on SmackDown!, Trish violently whipped Lita with a belt.
Match Quality: Much better than expected with the Hardyz and Lita memorably delivering a triple suplex to Test and Trish. An entertaining match that was given thirteen minutes, it ended with Lita pinning Trish with a Moonsault. After the match, Trish again whipped Lita with a belt, only to suffer a run-in from the avenged woman later that night in the Rikishi Vs. Val Venis Steel Cage Match.
B+
Importance In Trish's Career: Her first Pay-Per-View match, Trish showed that (when protected) she could hang with the big dogs. Despite not being an accomplished worker, Trish didn't look out of place during the melee and played her bitch character to a hilt.
A-
Importance In WWE History: An intergender match that didn't rely on gimmicks, but not very much remembered or talked about.
D+
SUMMERSLAM
Entertainment and Sports Complex in Raleigh, NC
August 27, 2000
The Match: Intercontinental Champion Val Venis & Trish Stratus Vs. Chyna & Eddie Guererro in an Intergender Tag Team Match; if any of the challengers made the pinfall, he or she would become the new Intercontinental Champion
Card Placement: 3rd of 9, between Road Dogg Vs. X-Pac and Jerry Lawler Vs. Tazz
Background: Though the four competitors in the match had a memorable confrontation in June that resulted in Trish being powerbombed by Chyna, that was for Eddie's European Title. Val and Eddie went off into their own feuds until two weeks before this event, when Chyna powerbombed Val during an Intercontinental Championship defense against Eddie Guererro. Trish retaliated by hitting Chyna over the head with a glass pitcher and commissioner Mick Foley signed the match.
Match Quality: Like her previous Pay-Per-View effort, this match was better than expected. Chyna and Eddie had an undeniable chemistry with the Latino Heat/Mamacita gimmick, a spot with Trish attempting a short-arm clothesline on Chyna only to fall backwards provided giggles, and the crowd was dying to see Trish finally get hers - which she did when Chyna pinned her after a press slam.
B
Importance In Trish's Career: Proved to be the end of her alliance with Val Venis and frankly sent her in oblivion for a few months as T & A were growing stale. Nevertheless, she again proved her mettle, taking Chyna's bumps like crazy. Though Chyna may not have been convinced of Trish's talent (she infamously would go onto say that Trish only got where she was via looks - where is she now?), she showed a willingness to get beat up when she had to.
C+
Importance In WWE History: Resulted in a title change, so gets a high mark. Also went on to be the catalyst for Eddie's heel turn as he would defeat Chyna for the IC Title just eight days later.
A-
NO MERCY
Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY
October 22, 2000
The Match: APA & Women's Champion Lita Vs. T & A & Trish Stratus
Card Placement: 2nd of 9, between the Dudley Boyz Table Invitational and Chris Jericho Vs. X-Pac (steel cage match)
Background: None as the match was signed by Mick Foley during the
Sunday Night Heat pre-show.
Match Quality: The match proved to be a No Contest as APA was taken out backstage by T & A and Trish later ran out and attacked Lita. This was due to the APA needing time off for injury.
N/A
Importance:
N/A
SURVIVOR SERIES
Ice Palace in Tampa, FL
November 19, 2000
The Match: T & A & Trish Stratus Vs. Crash, Steve Blackman, & Molly Holly in a Six-Person Intergender Tag Team Match
Card Placement: Curtain Jerker
Background: Two weeks prior, Molly made her WWF debut showing up as Crash's cousin and nailing Trish with a springboard cross-body. The next weeks were spent with the men fighting each other as this was to be Molly's first official match.
Match Quality: Fine for what it was, but one of Trish's most forgotten matches. Molly won it with a springboard Sunset Flip on Trish.
B-
Importance in Trish's Career: Being trusted with a worker that wasn't Lita was a sign that WWF higher-ups viewed her as a competitor with potential, moving her on to a feud with someone else. However, this match was more to build up Molly Holly as a strong face character, as T & A was heading towards its last days anyway.
D
Importance in WWF History: This was a rare show in which two matches with women were on the card, alongside Ivory Vs. Lita - three if you count Chyna's appearances in the following Survivor Series Elimination Match. But who the hell is going to remember that?
D
ARMAGEDDON
Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, AL
December 10, 2000
The Match: Women's Champion Ivory Vs. Molly Holly Vs. Trish Stratus in a Triple Threat Match
Card Placement: Pre-main event, after Intercontinental Champion Billy Gunn Vs. Chris Benoit and before the 6-man Hell in a Cell Match
Background: Trish and Molly fought each other in a #1 contender's match on the previous SmackDown! with Trish finding herself disqualified after attacking Molly with a trash can lid. Crash was livid so Lt. Commissioner Debra, a former Women's Champion herself, signed the Triple Threat Match for
Armageddon.
Match Quality: Only went two minutes, but a very entertaining two minutes. Trish and Ivory double-teamed Molly, but Ivory double-crossed Trish after a hi-five. Molly hit both a double dropkick and a double cross-body. Molly had the match won after a powerbomb to Trish, but Ivory dumped Molly out of the ring and made the pin. Post-match antics featured the return of APA, whose protection agency had been hijacked by T & A.
C
Importance In Trish's Career: The first time she was vying for the Women's Championship on Pay-Per-View and only the third time in her career. However, this match is forgotten by many and was placed on the card as a buffer before the main event.
D+
Importance In WWF History: Another show featuring two matches with women (Lita teamed with The Hardyz to take on The Radicalz) and three if you count Chyna's match with Val Venis...but still hardly anything to write home about.
D
Up next...with her most celebrated match and first title win, it's arguably the most important year of Trish Stratus' career: 2001!
Send feedback to
jakeyintampa@yahoo.com.
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