Trish Stratus on still being people’s first crush and how many WWE returns she has left

Trish Stratus has told talkSPORT that she doesn’t want to be a watered-down version of herself following her latest WWE return.

The 50-year-old, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, hasn’t competed in the ring since appearing at Evolution last July.

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The seven-time Women’s champion unsuccessfully challenged Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.

It was the Canadian’s first world title match since 2006, when she first retired from in-ring competition.

Two decades later, Stratus is still appearing sporadically in WWE and still looks as if she has never missed a step.

222 days after her appearance at Evolution, the mother-of-two joined talkSPORT as part of WWE 2K26 Creator Fest held this month.

How many more times will Trish Stratus be in the ring?

“Once I start losing the step, I will not be coming back,” she exclusively told talkSPORT. “I always say if I can still do it, I’m going to do it.

“But I also want to come back and be very cognizant of the fact that I want to give 100 per cent.

“I don’t want to come back and be like a dialled-down, watered-down version of me. I want to go and be able to do it full on.

“And so believe me, when I get the call, before I agree, I’m like in the ring watching back going, ‘Oh, that’s pretty good’, so I make sure that I can go back and deliver at the level that these guys expect.”

Stratus, who received a standing ovation following her efforts at Evolution, remains one of the most popular stars in WWE history.

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Trish Stratus on being ‘people’s first crush’

Stratus – real name Patricia Anne Stratigeas – found early fame as a fitness model before making her WWE debut in 2000.

For over two decades, ‘Canada’s Greatest Export’ has regularly been told that she is everyone’s ‘first crush’.

Stratus herself has even turned the affectionate nickname into a full-time business venture with tours and t-shirts.

“The first crush tour has just kicked off for me,” she added. “And it’s an interesting thing to be like people back in the day were like, ‘Oh, my God, you’re my first crush’.

“Now the crazy thing is, because I got to go back, I’m actually still people’s crushes, which is kind of cool. So that’s a neat thing.”

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Stratus also touched upon the viral picture she recreated with Dominik Mysterio, who was a child during her iconic WWE run.

She added: “I text him all the time. I tell him I’m so proud of him. You know, obviously, it’s hard to follow in the footsteps of… You know, it’s very difficult.

“His dad’s still there, but he’s found his own lane, which is so cool. Obviously, it’s in his blood. And so he was expected to do it or whatever it was, but he wants to do it.

“He’s passionate about it, and he’s found his own vibe. And it’s just amazing to watch to see him evolve and get so confident.

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“I remember watching him first starting and then just you saw the confidence – There’s that moment where you kind of just see a click that happens with the character.

“And it’s like he just found his stride and he’s there and he’s arrived and I’m so, so happy for him.”

Future Hall of Famer? “Oh, hands down!”