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And so there we have it: Trish Stratus has been officially booked to face Charlotte Flair in the second biggest PPV that WWE has to offer. While rumors had predicted this match to take place, it was made official on SmackDown Live in the last episode.
The show itself was a solid one as quite a lot happened. Ali beat Shinsuke Nakamura in a non-title match, Sami Zayn challenged Aleister Black to a match at SummerSlam while Roman Reigns was all set to announce his opponent at SummerSlam but was ambushed by an unknown Superstar – ending the show in a cliffhanger.
Amid all of this, Charlotte Flair challenged the legendary Stratus to a match at The Biggest Party of the Summer and the latter accepted it gladly. As a result, we are set to witness two of the greatest athletes from the past and the present face each other in Toronto.
Stratus hasn’t been an active Superstar since 2007 and has only made appearances here and there after that. So why is she coming back? Here are 4 possible reasons…
#4 SummerSlam at her hometown
This is the most obvious reason. Trish Stratus hails from Toronto and incidentally, this year’s SummerSlam takes place just there. The Canadian will be at her hometown facing one of the biggest names in WWE right now – and that is sure to grab more eyeballs than if someone else had been in place of her.
In fact, Natalya, too, is set to face Becky Lynch for the RAW Women’s Title, giving the home crowd a lot to cheer for because, after all, national pride is at stake here.
Whether Stratus will win her match is a different issue altogether but the fans will surely cherish the chance to witness their legendary daughter in action another time.
See WWE Smackdown Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE Smackdown Results page
#3 Much needed kick for the women’s division
Let’s be honest here, ever since reaching the peak at WrestleMania 35, the women’s division has taken a massive hit. Ever since the Show of Shows was concluded, WWE seemed to have run out of ideas about what next to do with the women’s division.
Becky Lynch has had somewhat of a stale feud with Lacey Evans and has now been pitted against Natalya. The match between Ember Moon and Bayley promises a lot but it can’t be dubbed as a match between two big-names.
However, when Trish Stratus enters the fray, it becomes an entirely different thing altogether. Stratus is a legend and having a match at SummerSlam against Charlotte Flair is certainly a kick for the women’s division as this is a match that everyone is looking forward to.
Maybe, this is just the kickstart the women’s division needs.
#2 She is still very fit
It would be safe to admit that Trish Stratus was the first WWE Women Superstar that I knew of and I have been in awe ever since.
She might have been away from wrestling for a long time now but one look at her and it is easy to deduce that even in her 40s, she is still as fit as she could be. Last year at the Evolution PPV, Trish Stratus, alongside Lita, took on Mickie James and Alicia Fox to defeat them in a Tag match.
It was apparent in that match that Stratus was still good enough to put out good bouts. While fans might be skeptical about legends returning after witnessing the nightmare of Goldberg taking on The Undertaker at Super Showdown, Stratus is almost certain to put out a great match as she has still got it.
#1 Original Queen facing the new Queen
“It’s in my blood, it’s in my heart and soul – that is why I know I can pull this off.
“Charlotte said some stuff that… you know… I think she is forgetting a lot of the work we did back in the day for what the girls are doing now and if we sit back and we watch it and, god, do we wish we could be a part of it so much.
“So it means a lot to, sort of, like remind her who the queen of queens is.”
The message from Stratus is clear – she is the original Queen facing the current Queen. Indeed, if Stratus hadn’t retired at her peak, she would definitely still be ahead of Charlotte Flair in terms of Women’s Titles.
Stratus has 7 Women’s Titles to her name while Flair has 9 and this is a dream match between two of the most successful female athletes in WWE’s history. It’s the original Queen taking on the current Queen.
