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WWE SummerSlam 2019 is in the history books, and so is the legendary career of Trish Stratus. In her hometown of Toronto, the WWE Hall of Famer came up short against Charlotte Flair, in an emotional last match for the Canadian star.
Flair's victory came as a shock to many fans, who expected Stratus to pick up the win in her retirement match, especially with the Pay Per View happening in her native land. But WWE does have a method for their madness.
Here's a look at five reasons why Charlotte Flair beat Trish Stratus at WWE SummerSlam 2019.
#5 Because she's returning to the title hunt
Though Trish Stratus once held a record-breaking seven WWE Women's Championships, that number has been eclipsed by none other than the woman who beat her tonight, Charlotte Flair.
Flair, a nine-time WWE Women's Champion, hasn't been in the title picture much this year, only being added to the WrestleMania 35 main event by defeating Asuka for the SmackDown Women's title.
Though she won her ninth title at Money in the Bank with a victory over The Man, Becky Lynch, that reign was even shorter than the one prior, as she would lose the gold mere moments later to Bayley.
Defeating Trish (by Submission no less) proved that there is still a champion in the body of the Queen, and it seems with the legendary Canadian out of the way, it's finally time for Flair to aim to do what no woman in WWE history has ever done. To have their title reigns go into double digits.
See WWE Summer Slam Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE Summer Slam Results page
#4 They needed a heel women's victory
WWE SummerSlam 2019 was a big night for the women of WWE, as a total four different women's division matches took place at the show.
On the pre-show, new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss retained their titles against The IIconics, and though the new champs aren't true faces, their entertaining partnership has earned them a legion of fans.
In the show's opener, RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch returned to SummerSlam, one year after becoming The Man to retain her title. On the Blue Brand, Bayley was able to hold on to her SmackDown Women's Championship against Ember Moon.
With so many babyfaces winning, a balance was needed and though Flair isn't a full heel (anymore), it's clear that she was before the show, demanding a match against the best of all time, and was certainly a heel in this match against Toronto's own Stratus.
With a hard-fought victory over the Hall of Famer, Flair proved that when it comes to being a woman in WWE, sometimes it still pays to be bad.
#3 She's a full-time Superstar
WWE SummerSlam 2019 may have seen the return of Trish Stratus, but the seven-time Women's Champion wasn't the only Hall of Famer in action last night. Goldberg returned to the ring for the first time in months to flatten Dolph Ziggler in less than two minutes.
Goldberg, who was last seen in his woeful match against The Undertaker at Super Showdown, clearly wanted to scrub the match in Jeddah from the mind of fans. While the former WCW World and WWE Universal Champion was dominant, he was another example of a part-time Superstar winning at the expense of a full-time member of the roster.
This has been a major problem with fans for years, as several part-time Superstars have gotten wins fans thought they didn't deserve, such as The Rock's WWE title victory in early 2013, or Batista's Royal Rumble win the next year.
With one Part-time Superstar already getting a win at SummerSlam, perhaps the company was hesitant to repeat the action on the same card, or face the backlash of fans online.
#2 You go out on a loss
Retirements in wrestling are a funny thing, and a decision that can't come easy to any legendary Superstar. And though every single retirement from the squared circle is different, many Superstars have spent their final matches on their backs for the three-count.
Though some Superstars have been able to win their final matches (look at Stratus herself in Toronto at Unforgiven 2006), the general consensus is that you lose in your retirement match, for the good of the company.
Fans only need to look back to WrestleMania 35, where Kurt Angle, a former WWE World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, lost his retirement match to Baron Corbin. It may not have been the most popular decision with fans, but the win definitely helped Corbin get a heel reaction by the crowd, as now, nearly six months later, he is still bragging about the victory.
Having Flair win at SummerSlam will do a lot more for her career than Stratus winning would have done for the Canadian's, as the Queen continues to build a legacy for herself in WWE.
#1 They're building her to be the next greatest woman's wrestler
There's a saying that all good things must come to an end, and it seems the time has come for Trish Stratus to no longer be considered the greatest women's wrestler of all time.
That's not to say her career wasn't good, far from it. From her debut in 2000, Stratus would capture an astonishing seven Women's title reigns along the way, feuding with stars like Lita, Molly Holly, Victoria and Jazz and has been regarded for years as the best of all time.
But given Flair's actions mere hours ago, it's clear the WWE are grooming the Queen for big things.
Flair is already a nine-time WWE Women's Champion across RAW, SmackDown Live and NXT, and was also the final holder of the Divas Title.
The Queen was also the woman who broke the incredible near-three year undefeated winning streak of Asuka, as well as one of the first-ever women to main event WrestleMania.
Tonight's victory over Stratus has sent a clear message: move over Trish, there's a new greatest female Superstar of all time, and it's Charlotte Flair.
