Profile of Patricia Anne Stratigias on Famous Like Me

Trish Stratus
Statistics
Stage names	Trish Stratus
Height	5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Weight	125 lbs (57 kg)
Born	December 18, 1975
Hometown	Richmond Hill, Ontario
Billed from	Toronto, Ontario
Trained by	Ron Hutchinson
Debut	March 19, 2000

Patricia Anne Stratigias (born December 18, 1975 in Richmond Hill, Ontario), better known by her stage name, Trish Stratus, is a Greek Canadian fitness model and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment under its RAW brand; she is the brand's current Women's Champion.

She is the first woman in WWE history to have held the Women's Championship six times, more than the four title reigns of The Fabulous Moolah in which WWE recognizes. Stratus's ability as an in-ring performer has evolved over the years and she is generally seen as one of the best women professional wrestlers in the business.

As a fitness model, she has been featured on the cover of many major health and fitness magazines such as Musclemag, Flare and Total Women's Fitness. She also released a popular calendar series called "Dream Team" with fellow model, Stacey Lynn. As a sports entertainer, she was proclaimed the WWE Diva of the Decade on RAW's 10th Anniversary show, indicating her position as one of professional wrestling's most influential women. She was voted as the three time WWE Babe of the Year (2001-2003) but was defeated by Stacy Keibler in the 2004 competition.

Career

Background information

In 1997, with the World Wrestling Federation experiencing a change in "Attitude"--rougher-edged characters like Stone Cold Steve Austin replacing the clean-cut heroes of yore like Bret Hart--Patricia Anne Stratigias was a student at York University in Toronto, majoring in biology and kinesiology in hopes of reaching her goal of attending medical school. However, York University went on strike, leaving Stratigias with no other choice at that time but to pursue other career options. After accepting a job at a local gym, Stratigias found herself responding to the urging of her peers there and became a fitness model. Under the stage name of Trish Stratus, Stratigias quickly risen as one of the most popular models in the fitness industry, having appeared on over twenty fitness magazine covers around the world. At one point, she also co-hosted a Canadian pro-wrestling talk show called Live Audio Wrestling. This caught the attention of the WWF, whose agents told Stratus that if she felt she had more to her than her looks alone, then she should start training for a wrestling career. Soon afterward, Stratus began her training at the gym of Ron Hutchinson, the same facility where Superstars like Edge and Christian had also trained for the ring. The WWF again had contacted her in late-1999, and this time, Stratus was ready to start her career in sports-entertainment, having been a fan since her childhood. Growing up, Stratus idolized Hulk Hogan, and also had siblings and relatives who helped increase her interest in sports entertainment.

2000

Her first WWF appearance took place on March 19, 2000 on Sunday Night Heat. Stratus appeared on the runway, appearing to scout certain WWF Superstars, in particular Test and Prince Albert. Not long after, Stratus began her first role in the company, managing Test and Albert in the tag team T & A. It was during her stint managing T & A when Stratus had her first taste of punishment in the ring, being driven through a table by the Dudley Boyz after weeks of taunting the team, in particular Bubba Ray Dudley, notorious for his fondness for putting females through tables. However, unlike many Divas before her, it only served to whet Stratus' appetite for in-ring action.

More and more, Stratus found herself getting physically involved in the action, taking her lumps from Superstars like The Big Show and Chyna, and even suffering a stink face from Rikishi. It was not long before Stratus began competing in actual matches, one of the earliest examples being a six-person tag team match at Fully Loaded on July 23, 2000, as Stratus teamed with T & A to face The Hardy Boyz and Lita. Although Stratus and her team lost the bout, she was not about to leave that night without making her mark, and proceeded to whip Lita with a leather strap before exiting the ring. Stratus would go on to manage Val Venis to the Intercontinental Championship, but by that time, Stratus seemed to be outgrowing managing, as she had bigger aspirations on her mind.

2001

In early 2001, Stratus became involved in a storyline with WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, during a time when Vince's wife Linda was "institutionalized" following a demand Vince had made for a divorce during a live show in Madison Square Garden in November 2000. Vince and Stratus' relationship increasingly angered the boss's daughter, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. At No Way Out on February 25, Stratus and Stephanie squared off, with "The Billion-Dollar Princess" scoring a tainted win via the interference of William Regal. In the midst of a tag team match that pitted Vince and Stratus against Regal and Stephanie, Stratus found herself the victim of a grand set-up by Vince, Stephanie and Regal. Regal executed the Regal Cutter on Stratus, and Stephanie then dumped mud over Stratus' prone body. Vince stood over Stratus, and he told her she was a toy that he had grown tired of playing with.

The following week on RAW, Stratus actually gave Vince an apology for the disruption she felt he had caused in his life. Vince then said that the apology would only be accepted if she stripped down to her undergarments, got on all fours, and barked like a dog. Shockingly, she did. Few knew however that this was all part of a master plan Stratus had set into motion to embarrass her antagonist, and at WrestleMania X-VII a month later, it all became crystal clear. During a Street Fight between Vince and his son, then-WCW "owner" Shane McMahon, Stratus rolled out a seemingly catatonic Linda McMahon in a wheelchair to the ring. When the action was taken to the floor, Stratus walked up to Vince and slapped the taste out of his mouth before chasing Stephanie from ringside. Shortly thereafter, Linda stood up out of her wheelchair and kicked Vince in the groin, enabling Shane to gain control of the match and eventually pin his father.

After her episode with the McMahon family, Stratus began focusing wrestling in the ring full-time. Her journey was temporarily cut short in the summer of 2001, however, when Stratus chipped a bone in her ankle and underwent surgery to repair it. It would be at least four months before Stratus would fully heal and be able to continue her pursuit of wrestling glory. As she rehabbed, Stratus kept herself visible by co-hosting "Excess" on TNN. When she was not doing the show, Stratus continued training and rehabilitation, preparing herself for her comeback in the ring. She received extensive ring training from Dave "Fit" Findlay, a former WCW Television and Hardcore Champion. Findlay's schoolings served Stratus well. By the time she returned to the ring, she was better prepared for in-ring combat than she had ever been before.

Her return came at the Survivor Series on November 18, 2001, in a six-pack challenge for the vacant WWE Women's Championship, with Stratus facing off with Lita, Mighty Molly, Jacqueline, Ivory, and former ECW mainstay Jazz. Stratus pinned Ivory after unveiling her new Stratusfaction finisher--an updated version of the classic Bulldog headlock which saw Stratus apply the headlock, climb the ropes, and in mid-air, catapult herself backwards to the canvas with her opponent's head still gripped in her arms. Trish Stratus had won her first WWE Women's Championship.

2002

Stratus would go on to show significant improvement between the ropes, winning the Championship on two more occasions in 2002, from Jazz and Molly Holly, respectively. She even managed to win the Hardcore Championship from Crash Holly, on May 6, 2002, before losing it the same night to Steven Richards. Stratus also became WWE's most popular Diva, gracing the cover of WWE Divas 2002 swimsuit magazine (an alternate cover with Lita), and also winning the Woman of the Year achievement award as voted by the readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine.

2003

At WrestleMania XIX on March 30, 2003, Stratus won her fourth WWE Women's Championship, in a triple threat match against two of her greatest rivals, the psychotic Victoria and Jazz. Despite losing the Championship back to Jazz the following month, Stratus stayed in the hunt for the fifth Women's Championship. Stratus was engaged in a heated feud with newcomer Gail Kim, who won the Women's Championship on her first televised WWE match, by winning an battle royal. A miscommunication between Stratus and Kim during a tag team match on Raw--in which Stratus misfired a Chick kick and accidentally nailed her partner--left Kim embittered.

Two weeks later, the now former Champion Gail Kim, who lost the title to Molly Holly the previous week, appeared to be saving Stratus from a two-on-one assault by Molly and Victoria. Kim helped Stratus to her feet before viciously clotheslining her to the mat. Soon, Molly approached Kim with the idea of forever ending Stratus' wrestling career, and for a time, it seemed as though it would happen. Thanks to an assist from the returning Lita, however, it would be Stratus who gained the last laugh.

October 2003 would mark the beginning of what would be Stratus' most emotional WWE saga; the triangle between Stratus, Chris Jericho, and Christian. One night on Raw, as Stratus was being attacked by Victoria and Steven Richards, Jericho inexplicably rushed the ring and warded off the attackers. Even Stratus seemed dumbfounded initially. Soon, however, Stratus started to slowly warm up to Jericho, seeing a side of him that many fans and fellow competitors did not see very often. One which apparently showed warmth, caring, and compassion. Stratus and Jericho appeared smitten with each other. At the same time, Jericho's friend and tag team partner Christian was courting Stratus' close friend Lita. To many fans, neither courtship looked to be on the up and up. As it turned out, they were anything but. On the December 1, 2003 RAW, Jericho and Christian were overheard in the locker room mocking Stratus' and Lita's affections, and revealed a bet the two of them had with one another--for one Canadian dollar--to see which man could sleep with their chosen Diva first. Stratus, who was to present Jericho with a handmade Canadian hockey jersey as a gift, heard every word and every laugh from outside the dressing room, and it brought her to tears.

The following week, Stratus and Lita confronted and assaulted Jericho and Christian in front of a nationwide viewing audience on Raw, leading to a "Battle of the Sexes" tag team match held at Armageddon on December 14, 2003. While Christian seemed to take pride in beating down his female opponents, Jericho seemed to want no part of it. Apparently, Jericho was starting to develop true feelings for Stratus, and was having a difficult time going through with the match before him. In what now can be viewed as a harbinger of things to come, Stratus seemed to take a lot more pleasure in beating down Jericho than Jericho had in facing her in a match. Soon, it became obvious that Jericho was feeling an enormous amount of guilt for initiating the Canadian dollar bet.

At first, Stratus was unwilling to show Jericho any forgiveness, but appeared to accept his apologies enough to at least accept him as a friend. Meanwhile, Christian appeared to be harboring jealousy, accusing Stratus of driving a wedge into his partnership with Jericho and labeling her "Yoko Ono". But soon, Christian also appeared to have something of a change of heart, albeit a very condescending one. To the face of Jericho, he was very accepting of his feelings for Stratus...but to Stratus' face, Christian seemed to be courting her affections.

2004

It looked like everything became crystal clear on the February 23, 2004 RAW, when Christian was booked to face Stratus in a one-on-one match by Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff. In the dressing room prior to the contest, Christian--feigning friendship with Stratus--promised her he would lay down and allow her to pin him. In the ring, however, Christian instead plowed Stratus down with a clothesline, and locked her in Jericho's submission hold, the Walls of Jericho. Stratus was taken out of action for several weeks with injuries, and Christian gloated over his actions. A match was soon signed for WrestleMania XX on March 14, 2004, in Madison Square Garden, pitting Chris Jericho against his former best friend, Christian.

It appeared this long and intense angle would reach its conclusion on this night. Unbeknown to the fans in attendance, it was only just getting warmed up. Stratus surged toward the ring late in the match, appearing to be firmly in Jericho's corner. Christian, apparently disgusted by Stratus' presence, pulled her violently into the ring and attempted to attack her. Jericho made the save, but when he leaned down to assist his fallen friend, Stratus thrust forth an elbow, apparently believing that it was Christian. Her elbow jabbed Jericho's temple, and Christian scored a roll up pin for the three-count. After the match, Stratus appeared to be all apologies, but as she and Jericho argued in the ring, Christian came running back down the aisle, to seemingly get his hands on Stratus in a violent and hateful manner once again. As Jericho tried to hold Stratus back, though, the fans witnessed the turn of Trish Stratus.

Stratus suddenly reared back and throttled Jericho with a vicious haymaker, which Christian followed with the Un-Prettier. Christian and Stratus walked away holding hands, mocking their former friend who sat in the ring looking on with an expression of disbelief. Before they departed, Christian grabbed Stratus' hair, pulled her to his lips, and passionately kissed his new girlfriend.

The following night on Raw, after the two squashed Spike Dudley in an unprovoked attack, Stratus revealed on how she had never forgiven Jericho for the Canadian dollar bet, how her feelings of sadness and hurt ate away at her for months as she plotted her ultimate revenge. She also revealed to the fans how much she "likes it rough". She ended the promo by proclaiming to Jericho and to the world, "You can't get no...Stratusfaction."

The Stratus-Christian union would continue for several more months, and even saw the addition of a "problem solver" to their mix, the hulking Tyson Tomko. As the Jericho-Christian feud reached its conclusion, Stratus refocused herself on the Women's Championship. At Bad Blood on June 13, 2004, the Women's Championship was defended by Victoria, in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match. Lita appeared to have victory at hand following a DDT to Gail Kim, but Stratus moved in for the kill, rolling up Lita from behind for the win and the title. This win was historic for Stratus, as she became the first-ever five time WWE Women's Champion. Stratus would continue to hold the title for the next six months, fending off all challenges and even tying the record for the fastest match in wrestling history, pinning Nidia in just three seconds on the July 5, 2004 RAW.

As Stratus' reign continued, her union with Christian dissolved, and her bitter feud with Lita escalated. Their confrontations became more violent by the week, at one point even seeing Stratus' nose broken during a match between the two at the 2004 Survivor Series. On the December 6, 2004 RAW, Lita finally managed to win the title from Stratus, in a hard-fought main event.

2005

On January 9, 2005 at New Year's Revolution in Puerto Rico, Lita defended her title against Stratus. Lita tore her ACL when she connected with a Lou Thesz press off the ring apron, onto the arena floor. Stratus quickly took advantage of the situation, nailing Lita with a "Chick Kick" to the head to win her record sixth Women's Championship. Stratus successfully defended her title at WrestleMania 21 on April 3, 2005 against 2004 Diva Search winner Christy Hemme.

In May 2005, Stratus was removed from competition, due to a herniated disc. Storyline wise, she was attacked by Viscera after he failed to take out Lita's "husband" Kane. She berated him after the match and he gave her a bear hug and followed up with a big splash.

On September 12, 2005 Stratus returned to RAW and turned face once again by joining forces with Ashley Massaro against Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle and Victoria. On September 18 at Unforgiven 2005, Stratus and Ashley defeated Victoria and Wilson in a tag team match. At WWE Homecoming The duo defeated Wilson, Candice, and Victoria in a Bra and Panties Match. A week later, Trish Stratus's "number one fan" Mickie James made her debut, saving Stratus and Ashley from an attack from Victoria.

Taboo Tuesday 2005

She will be involved in a Diva Battle Royal at Taboo Tuesday 2005 for the Woman's Title.

Outside of wrestling

Stratus has appeared on Mad TV twice and various comedy shows in Canada including Royal Canadian Air Farce and performing on stage at Second City. Stratus has also recorded a song called "I Just Want You", as part of the WWE-produced compilation album, WWE Originals.

Stratus has repeatedly declined to pose nude for Playboy. In a March 15, 2005 interview with Byte This! (an online talk show), she was quoted as saying;

"I just feel that I want to leave my mark in the ring. And I want to walk away, [unlike how] people will say about Torrie Wilson, 'Oh yeah, she's the one that did Playboy.' And I don't want that to be overshadowed by anything I do in the ring. I want people to go 'Oh right, Trish Stratus. She was the greatest Women's Champion ever.'"

Stratus' catchphrase is "Stratusfaction Guaranteed" (which she has made a registered trademark), in which True Stratusfaction is the feeling of constantly being challenged and meeting those challenges. Her motto is, "Preparedness meets opportunity."

Stratus's mother, Alice is a teacher of Polish descent and her father, John is a real estate agent of Greek descent. She has two sisters, Christy and Melissa.

Additional statistics

• Natural Hair Color: Brunette
• Eye Color: Hazel
• Measurements: 36-24-36
• Shoe Size: 7 & 1/2
• Dominant Hand: Right

Finishing and signature maneuvers

• Chick Kick (roundhouse kick)
• Stratusfaction (springboard bulldog)
• Bulldog
• Stratusphere (handstand frankensteiner)
• Air Canada (Lou Thesz press)
• Spinebuster
• The MaTrish (bridges backwards to an arch position to evade an attack, as in The Matrix)

Championships and accomplishments

World Wrestling Entertainment

• 6-time WWE Women's Champion
• 1-time WWE Hardcore Champion
• 3-time WWE Babe of the Year (2001-2003)
• WWE Diva of the Decade

Title lineage

Job titles

• Trish Stratus Enterprises - Fitness Model
• Live Audio Wrestling - Co-host / Sports Entertainment Analyst
• Apocalypse Wrestling Federation - Sports Entertainer
• World Wrestling Entertainment - Excess Co-host / Color Commentator
• World Wrestling Entertainment - Sports Entertainer

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Patricia Anne Stratigias