Early Friday morning, October 30. Trish knew that she and her good friend, Chris Jericho were going to be cutting it close for his podcast deadline. He needed to get it to his people in order to edit it down and post it by its airtime. So Trish sat, pre-makeup and hairstyling, still in an oversized sweatshirt and sleep shorts. Chris’ hair was disheveled, and they each had a coffee in front of them. It was just past dawn, so the sun was rising. Everyone had been out a little late the night before at the Make-A-Wish fundraiser.

Chris Jericho: You ready?

Trish nodded. Jericho hit a button on his MacBook Pro.

Chris Jericho: Welcome to the Pod of Thunder, and Rock N’ Roll… it’s Talk is Jericho on Podcast One. And today, live with me in studio is the Quintessential Diva, four-time EBWF Women’s Champion, one of those reigns, of course, the longest of all time. The one, the only, my good friend, Ms. Trish Stratus. Trish, welcome to Talk is Jericho.

Trish Stratus: Thanks for having me. I’m happy to be here. I’m disappointed though that you weren’t all “Podcast is Jericho” there in the beginning.

Her smile shone through, even on the recording.

Chris Jericho: I’m sure I’ll get to that if you listen long enough. Thanks for being here. We both have a very busy weekend here in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona where EBWF is hosting Fanniversary. You will take on Sasha Banks in the co-main event. How does it feel to be back on top?

Trish Stratus: I’m close. I’m getting there. I don’t think I’ll really feel like I’m back on top until I actually get that title in my hands, but I feel like I’m well on my way.

Chris Jericho: You’ve been wrestling for 15 years.

Trish Stratus: Ouch. Honey, your listeners might be able to do that math.

She chuckled, Chris laughed.

Trish Stratus: Congratulations on celebrating 25 years in wrestling last month. Very impressive.

Chris Jericho: Hey, with your genes I think you could get there. Did you always want to get into wrestling? As a kid?

Trish Stratus: It was a pretty natural move for me. I was a tom boy. I had cousins who loved wrestling. But, no, I always thought I was going to be a doctor. I was pre-med, studied biology and kinesiology at university.

Chris Jericho: What do you think made you switch gears?

Trish Stratus: You know, it was school that eventually led me that way. Doing those studies, I became so enamored with the way that the human body worked that I started working out and doing yoga. I got some small jobs as a fitness model, which turned into bigger jobs for Oxygen, MuscleMag and things like that. I worked out. I studied poses. I just immersed myself in that world. Those shoots were how I got noticed by the wrestling world.

Chris Jericho: For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve sort of lived by this moto. What do you say? Preparedness meets opportunity?

Trish Stratus: Right, I look at it this way, many people are given opportunities in life, but they aren’t willing or maybe able to prepare for them. People think I’m lucky because I’ve had all these opportunities, but really opportunities happen for everyone more than they think. They just really have to be ready for them.

Chris Jericho: You took the bull by the horns though. You started in WWE…

Trish Stratus: That nightmare, yes…

She laughed again.

Chris Jericho: Why do you say that?

Trish Stratus: You know how it is, or at least how it was.

Chris Jericho: Right, you were a mouthpiece, a valet, for Test and Albert.

Trish Stratus: Right, T&A those were the days. And I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to wrestle. I thought maybe if I stuck around I might get a chance.

Chris Jericho: And when they really brought the women’s division back in 2001, you got that chance.

Trish Stratus: We had to make our mark. We had to show that we could do what men do.

Chris Jericho: And that was an uphill battle.

Trish Stratus: Of course it was! You’re going out there every night, and they’re chanting “We want puppies! We want puppies!”

Chris Jericho: And they weren’t talking about dogs.

Trish Stratus: Right? It was so brash. And I never thought anyone was going to take us seriously. We were busting our butts out there and I knew I had to keep working. Eventually, those chants went away, and the fans started to recognize me as a great wrestler. I’ve had the opportunity to represent strong, powerful women in a male-Chris Jericho dominated world…

Chris laughed hard at that.

Trish Stratus: No, really, you’re the gold standard for what we do in EBWF. Really, there’s no one better.

Chris Jericho: I believe you’re probably that for the women’s division, but thank you. That’s a nice compliment coming from Trish Stratus.

Trish Stratus: Well, I feel very lucky for having been able to perform the way that I have, and for being credited with being a part of the golden era of women’s wrestling.

Chris Jericho: So having played this Trish Stratus character for 15 years. Do you think you’re one in the same now? Is Patricia, Trish and vice versa?

Trish Stratus: You know as well as anyone else, that pro wrestling is entertainment. Having the personality, and being able to play this blown-up version of yourself is an important skill. Of course, sometimes Wes or creative will create characters that are just totally different from the wrestlers themselves, but I think I’ve found that the best ones- the ones that resonate the most with the audience, the ones that have very long careers, are almost always an amped up version of themselves.

Chris Jericho: Who? Can you name a few?

Trish Stratus: Hmm… umm, well you. Even when you play a bad guy, you promo how you talk in every day life. That constant professionalism. Stone Cold Steve Austin, that’s who he is. The Rock, meet him in person…

Chris Jericho: Oh yeah, way over the top. Larger than life. Exactly.

Trish Stratus: Wes Ikeda. He’s exactly who he is in the ring as outside of it.

Chris Jericho: That’s because he’s a terrible actor.

They shared another laugh.

Trish Stratus: But, yes, Trish Stratus is the one who has her eyes on the prize and she is going to do whatever she has to do to get there. That’s me in and outside of the ring.

Chris Jericho: You’ve invited me to go to Dinner with the Divas with you tomorrow night. Thank you, by the way.

Trish Stratus: Well, you know, Wes and Natalie are going to be there, and honestly it isn’t a party without Chris Jericho.

Chris Jericho: We do have a good time at these things. Speaking of Wes and Natalie, you and I also had the honor of standing with them when they were married a couple of months ago.

Trish Stratus: I was happy for them. That was a lovely wedding. And I was glad that you and I cold stand with them when they made that commitment to each other. It’s kind of hard in this business to have long lasting, friendships and relationships, and we’ve all been friends for so long, I thought that was a nice gesture.

Chris Jericho: I did too. They’re great. That was a long time coming.

Trish Stratus: It certainly was.

Chris Jericho: We’re celebrating the 14th anniversary of EBWF. You had a few short stints in EBWF toward the beginning, but you came here to stay in late 2006. 9 years. What, professionally, are you most proud of in that time?

Trish Stratus: I’d say being the 2010 Female Wrestler of the Year at the Slammy Awards, capped off off an incredible year for me. I defeated Layla for the EBWF Women’s Championship at Survivor Series 2009, and I had no idea what kind of whirlwind that was going to be. I had that championship for 274 days.

Chris Jericho: A lot of people don’t know this, but 274 days is the same amount of days that Randy Orton’s historic World Championship run is.

Trish Stratus: He and I mentioned that just last night. We were meeting with a Wish kid who mentioned our title histories and we realized that. It’s definitely a strange coincidence.

Chris Jericho: Any favorite opponents stick out in your mind?

Trish Stratus: That’s something else I’m proud of. Just the incredible, incredible matches I’ve had with Torrie Wilson. She ended that title reign at Summerslam in 2010, and I just remember at the time thinking how special that match was.

Chris Jericho: How are you feeling about the new guard in the women’s division here in EBWF.

Trish Stratus: That’s an interesting question. You know, I turned around the other day and sort of realized that girls I recognize as “the new girls” have actually been around a while now.

Chris Jericho: Like who?

Trish Stratus: Velvet, Brooke, even Natalie. They’ve been grinding here for years now. There are a couple of girls on the roster that need some more practice, but they’re certainly on their way to becoming incredible talented wrestlers. It was excited to see Kong show up…

Chris Jericho: I thought that was pretty badass. How do you feel about The Mean Girls?

Trish Stratus: I’m doing an in character interview later, so I think for purposes of this podcast, you know, I can say that I’ve been impressed with them, especially their mic work. I think Sasha is wonderfully talented. I’m excited about facing her. I think that Summer and Eva have a lot of good chemistry. I love how they got Stacy involved. I think they’re making women’s wresting relevant in a company that hasn’t necessarily always valued women’s wrestling.

Chris Jericho: You think there’s a bias against the women’s division?

Trish Stratus: This isn’t exactly a popular thing to say, but it’s pretty well known backstage and in the industry that Wes Ikeda isn’t a huge fan of women’s wrestling. I’ve come to understand that it’s not because he thinks we’re incapable, but more because the fans have a history of being pretty hard on the girls. The fans sort of dictate what they want to see, and they’ve made it pretty clear that they only tolerate short women’s matches, which we have to deliver, because the outfits we wear wouldn’t even accommodate a longer match. I think women could turn that around if we were given the opportunity, but the boss has evidence that other stars make the company more money, and it can be hard to argue with that.

Chris Jericho: But you think if the ladies were given longer matches that the EBWF Universe could be persuaded?

Trish Stratus: Oh, absolutely.

Chris Jericho: That’s why it’s kind of a big deal that your match with Sasha is being billed as a co-main event at Fanniversary.

Trish Stratus: I think that’s a very classy, and very respectful thing that the EBWF administration is doing. I’ve worked very hard this year to solidify my spot near the top of the women’s roster. Sasha has been a flawless champion, and I think, despite the general feelings about women’s wrestling, that the company is doing the right thing by giving us a prominent spot on this card. It’s nice to be recognized for the months and months of work we’ve put in.

Chris Jericho: I couldn’t agree with you more. We have to take a short break, when we come back, we’ll have more with Trish Stratus, including her thoughts on that infamous scene with Vince McMahon and her time with The Dream Team. That’s next on Talk is Jericho.

Listeners of Podcast One heard a few advertisements before Chris and Trish returned with the second half of their interview. When the program was over, the two firmed up their plans for Dinner with the Divas and then Trish left to return to her room and get ready for the first round of Fan Access signings.

****

Saturday morning in Arizona, and the EBWF fans had packed in around a wrestling ring inside the Phoenix Convention Center. There was a short ramp set up, with a smaller sized stage. It looked a little like an indy setup, with no video screens. The simplistic nature made Fan Access all the more intimate as Corey Graves stood in the middle of the ring, and a familiar them music filled the PA system.

“You don’t have to love me.
You don’t even have to like me.
But you will respect me.
You know why?
…Cuz I’mma Boss!”

Corey Graves: Ladies and Gentlemen, she’ll be challenging Sasha Banks for the EBWF Women’s Championship at Fanniversary, she is The Quintessential Diva… TRISH. STRATUS!

Trish got a big pop from the fans standing around the ring. Fans at the exhibit booths, turned and began to come closer too. Trish did her signature arm point on the stage, and proceeded down the ramp. She got into the ring under the bottom rope. Her black t-shirt read “100% Stratusfaction” and she wore a pair of light washed distressed jeans, tucked into a black pair of knee high boots. As the fans quieted down, Corey Graves handed Trish an extra microphone.

Corey Graves: Trish, thanks for joining me out here.

Trish Stratus: Truth is, they made me, but at least you aren’t Michael Cole.

Corey Graves: How has Fan Access been treating you so far?

Trish Stratus: Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have the longest line of any of the EBWF Divas! They’re still lined up over there to see me, and I’m going to be right back over there when I’m done answering all of your silly little questions about how I plan to decimate Sasha Banks.

Corey Graves: We’re celebrating EBWF’s 14th year. You intend to leave the event the Women’s Champion. Sasha Banks has been the Women’s Champion for months, in fact, when she steps into the ring with you on Sunday, she will have been champion for 253 days. She’ll only need to hold onto the championship for three more weeks after that. If Sasha beats you, there’s a good chance she’ll beat your streak.

Trish Stratus: Being the longest reigning women’s champion in EBWF history has defined my career, Mostly because the announcers, such as yourself, have made it that way. I don’t want Sasha Banks to beat my championship record, but this match tomorrow isn’t really about defending my record. It’s about Sasha defending her title. It’s about me taking it from her. Last week, I had the opportunity to defeat Sasha’s little friends, Summer and Eva, and when it looked like Natalie and I had that done, Sasha had to interfere. I’ve said all I can say about poor Summer, and silly little Eva, in the last few months. They’ve been given all of the information. They know that Sasha is only looking after herself. Still, they do her bidding and allow her to embarrass them.

Corey Graves: Sasha has been unstoppable lately…

Trish Stratus: What are you, sweetheart, the president of the Sasha Banks fan club?

Corey looked a little taken aback.

Trish Stratus: What do you call yourselves? I mean, Edge fans are called Edgeheads. Jericho has the Jerichoholics. President of the Boo Boos are ya?

That got a laugh from the audience.

Trish Stratus: Sasha Banks has been unstoppable. That’s no lie. But she also hasn’t had too many challenges thrown her way, has she? Half those girls couldn’t hack it in the EBWF, so they’ve left. Then there was that long, painful feud with Brie Bella. Sasha isn’t going to know what to do with herself when she gets into the ring with someone who actually knows how to wrestle.

Corey Graves: What do you say to a very confident Sasha Banks going into this title matchup at Fanniversary?

Trish Stratus: I say that I paved the way for her to be as successful as she is today. So much so that she’s modeled her career after mine. My theme music played just before I stepped out here. The hook says it all, I’m the boss. Sasha has made that her brand. When I’ve been the original since I got here. Sasha is going to hit a roadblock tomorrow night, and I intend to embarrass her so badly that she won’t ever be able to resurrect her career again. Sasha Banks isn’t confident. She’s scared. If she doesn’t try to completely avoid me, she’ll talk about how old and washed up I am. How I should just hang up my boots. Those are the words of a person with very, very little confidence. She’s so worried about distracting the EBWF fans from how tasteless and classless she is, that she has to state the obvious. I’ve been in wrestling for a long, long time. But I’m far from old, and this is far from over for me.

Corey Graves: You intend to be wrestling for many years to come?

Trish Stratus: You can say that again. I have a lot of gas left in the tank, and I will be here in EBWF to school these ladies for a long, long time.

Corey Graves: What’s the key to your longevity?

Trish Stratus: Sasha Banks has an attitude problem. Mean Girls isn’t just a name. It’s who she is. She isn’t grateful to this business, or the EBWF fans. She’s one of those sad people who has to degrade others in order to feed this fantasy that she’s better than everyone else. She thinks she’s just “it” doesn’t she? Though, she, and that title she wears around her waist haven’t been seen anywhere since Destiny and I haven’t heard anyone around here missing her. Sasha thinks this is all about her, but tonight is about showing off the EBWF Women’s Division, tonight is about someone who appreciates the championship earning that title. The EBWF Universe is going to get one hell of a show tonight. 100% Stratusfaction Guaranteed and you. can take that. to the Bank.

Trish grinned. Her music started again, and she popped up on the turnbuckle to do her taunt, as the gathered crowd cheered her on.

****

Fanniversary was about to go live when Trish was sitting in Wes and Natalie’s dressing room in The Talking Stick Resort Arena. Neither of them had matches, but they had a private area they were sharing. Trish had a suspicion that one, if not both of them, would appear on television later tonight. She was wearing black spandex pants, with a hot pink stripe up both legs. Her crystal studded “Trish” belt buckle highlighted her bare midriff, and the hot pink laces that cinched up her black top. Her brunette hair was styled down, and she’d already completed her time in the makeup chair. She heard a soft knock on the door, and said “Come In”. She smiled at her friend, Natalie Neidhart, as she ducked her head in. Seeing Trish was ready, she entered the room.

Natalya: They just played back her promo in the arena. They’ll probably play it again in a promo package later.

Trish nodded.

Trish Stratus: What did she say?

Natalya: Besides what you thought she’d say about you being old and useless? Just the usual. That she’s been working hard. Then she said there were three secrets to being the best, but only revealed two of them.

Trish chuckled.

Trish Stratus: Really?

Natalya: Yeah, it was a play on words, but it still made her seem like she couldn’t count.

Trish Stratus: She’s a nice woman.

Natalya: I don’t know. I’m sure she is. Her promos always seem so personal though.

Trish Stratus: I am old. And I have been here since the dawn of time.

Natalya shook her head, but couldn’t help but laugh a little.

Natalya: She said in her little message, in a nutshell, that your only in this main event because of her.

Trish looked up at Natalie and blinked slowly for a moment.

Trish Stratus: What?

Natalya: Yeah.

Trish Stratus: She’s kidding right? How many women’s matches have ever been promoted as co-main events?! There’s no way she would get this opportunity if it weren’t for me. Your husband would bury her somewhere in the mid card. Does she know how lucky we are to be going on AFTER Punk/Styles/Jericho/Storm. What the hell is wrong with her. Miz and Sami are lucky that THEY aren’t main eventing.

Natalya: Wes considered that. He had to be talked down.

Trish Stratus: I don’t doubt that.

Natalya: Speaking of AJ…

Trish Stratus: Oh, God. What now?

Natalya: Apparently, Ronda tried to get into Dinner with the Divas last night.

Trish Stratus: She did?

Natalya: Yeah. Security turned her away because she wasn’t on the list. Jessica told them not to let her in.

Trish Stratus: Oh my goodness. The poor thing. How embarrassing. What was that about?

Natalya: Wes hadn’t talked to Dana White about Ronda appearing, and he said he didn’t want to deal with any legal ramifications that might come up with her appearing without authorization at an EBWF event. Not to mention that Wes doesn’t really want to mix UFC and EBWF. He likes the product, but he doesn’t want to do business with Dana White.

Trish Stratus: That’s Wes’ deal. It’s probably not a bad decision. The products are similar enough that cross promotion might backfire, but what’s that have to do with me?

Natalya frowned.

Natalya: AJ confronted Lynne about it. I guess he wanted to talk to Wes, but Lynne was the only one around. He apparently thinks that you and I had something to do with that. That you wanted to embarrass her out of spite.

Trish Stratus: What? Are you kidding? I don’t care who he’s sleeping with. And I don’t care if Ronda Rousey wants to date someone completely void of emotion. Why would he think you had something to do with it. Like you just whispered in Wes’ ear and he did whatever you asked him to do. Like you care what Ronda Rousey does?

Natalya: If Wes thought she was good for business she would have been there no matter what I thought. I’m curious what she sees in AJ. But her love life is her business. I respect her as an athlete. I wouldn’t have minded if she was there.

Trish Stratus: He’s such a joke. So hung up on me that he thinks I care where his girlfriend shows up. He needs to keep my name out of his filthy mouth.

Natalya: You going to tell him that.

Trish Stratus: Nope. Then I’d have to acknowledge his existence. And I don’t intend to do that. I don’t care who he dates, or if she shows up with him at EBWF events. I’ve moved on. And while I’m not dating anyone right now, unlike him, I don’t need a significant other to fill a void in my life.

Natalya: I’m sorry I brought this up, girl.

Trish Stratus: It’s no problem. I’d rather focus on Sasha though. He can think what he wants. Tell Wes that I don’t care where Ronda is, if that helps him at all.

Natalya: It won’t. He feels pretty strongly about this. Have a good match out there tonight. I can’t wait to see it.

Trish Stratus: Thanks, Nattie. I’ll see you after?

Natalya: Yeah, we’ll go get a drink afterward. Want to come home with us tomorrow?

Trish Stratus: On your fancy jet, Mrs. Ikeda?

Natalie smiled.

Natalya: It’s the only way I travel.

Trish laughed, as Natalie gave her a big hug.

Trish Stratus: I’d love to. I’ll have a new piece of hardware though.

Natalya: I think we can accommodate that.

Trish smiled back at her and watched her friend leave. Trish sat back on the couch and grabbed the remote to the monitor in front of her. She turned it on, and watched Fanniversary as it began to broadcast live all over the world.

I'm glad you wrote this, Ashlee. I enjoyed it!