Greatest Of All Time: Trish Stratus

The early 2000s, during WWE's infamous Attitude Era, weren't exactly the greatest times to be a woman in the professional wrestling industry's biggest company. The then-WWF wasn't exactly focused on spectacular in-ring action when it came to women, but many female stars of the time were able to break out and get over with fans, using everything from their looks and sexuality to their athletic abilities, utilizing the limited time they got in the ring, in addition to their overall minutes on screen and on the microphone.

One of the era's most popular stars, who transcended WWE into the main stream, was Trish Stratus. The seven-time Women's Champion and WWE Hall of Famer has gone on to remain a part of WWE for 25 years now, and despite her initial retirement in 2006, she can certainly be considered one of the Greatest of All Time.

Stratus made her debut as a heel in 2000 as a valet for Test and Prince Albert, and it wouldn't take long for fans to fall head-over-heels for the blonde beauty, with many fans today describing the star as their "first crush." She'd go on to win her first title in 2001, and she even held the WWF Hardcore Championship for a brief moment in 2002. Stratus has also had numerous WrestleMania moments, her most recent taking place in 2023 when she teamed with her real-life best friend Lita and Becky Lynch.

There have been plenty of top female stars to come out of Stratus' time, including Lita, Jazz, Victoria, Ivory, Jaqueline, and more, but Stratus' numerous title wins, big moments, and mainstream appeal cement her Greatest of All Time status. And, as fans saw in 2025 during her 25th year in the business, Stratus may not be calling it quits entirely just yet, furthering her GOAT status.

As previously mentioned, Stratus won seven WWF/WWE Women's Championships, including her final victory over Lita during her retirement match in 2006. Stratus first left WWE to care for her sick mother, and went out a champion in a fantastic match against her best friend. Before that championship victory, the pair were the first women to main event an episode of "WWE Raw" when they competed in an excellent, memorable match for the title in December 2004. It would be the final women's main event on WWE TV until 2016.

If GOAT status can be determined by the number of championship reigns, it can also be helped by WrestleMania moments. Stratus has wrestled in six total WrestleManias, with her most famous perhaps being her 2006 bout against Mickie James, where she lost the Women's Championship to her challenger, who was playing her crazy stalker at the time.

In 2011, she came out of retirement to team with John Morrison and "Jersey Shore" star Snooki at WrestleMania 27 in a viral victory over Dolph Ziggler and LayCool. At WrestleMania 39, Stratus, Lita, and Lynch defeated Damage CNTRL, and her overall 'Mania record is 4-2.

In her most recent runs, Stratus has been able to accomplish many things that weren't achievable for women back in her heyday. She competed in the 2023 Money in the Bank ladder match, her first-ever ladder match, and during her feud with Becky Lynch that same year, she also competed in her first cage match at Payback.

Stratus has wrestled at both Evolution events, as well. She and Lita defeated James and Alicia Fox during the 2018 show, and in 2025, Stratus had her first match for a championship in almost 20 years against WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton. The loss to Stratton was Stratus' most recent match for the company.

Stratus came to fame during a time where women weren't exactly the top draw in WWE, and while many fans who grew up in the Attitude Era into the Ruthless Aggression Era may remember her as their "first crush" due to her stunning beauty, Stratus was a pioneer for the women who came after her. She proved that she wasn't just a pretty face over the last 25 years, evolving from a fitness model to one of the Greatest of All Time.

She served as a coach on "Tough Enough" in 2011 in an effort to give back to the business. Stratus was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, the sixth woman to have received the honor, in 2013 ahead of WrestleMania 29.

Stratus can be considered one of the GOATs of WWE for many reasons, including her seven women's championships and excellent matches over the years when women weren't really having them, from her "Raw" main event alongside Lita, to her WrestleMania 22 match against James. As wrestling retirements often go, Stratus wasn't done after first stepping away from the ring, and proved herself in today's world of female stars, mixing in up in unfamiliar match types years removed from her full-time career, and when her two children could see her mix it up in the ring. Her popularity spilled over outside of the ring, as well, and she has appeared in various TV shows and movies over the years, including a run from 2022 to 2024 as a judge on "Canada's Got Talent."

She's been a role model for many stars of today, including Alexa Bliss, Deonna Purrazzo, Mandy Rose, Shazza McKenzie, and more. Through her continued work in WWE, it's safe to say this GOAT will be an inspiration for many more stars in the future.