5 things you didn't know about Trish Stratus

On the recent episode of SmackDown Live, Charlotte Flair lost her match against Ember Moon in quick fashion, after WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley came out and distracted The Queen. Soon after, Charlotte appeared in a backstage interview and ranted on being left out of the SummerSlam card. She demanded to be at SummerSlam and added that her opponent would be better than Ember Moon.

At the same time, reports began coming in regarding WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus coming back at SummerSlam. Tonight on SmackDown Live, a returning Trish Stratus was confronted by Charlotte Flair, who challenged her to a match at SummerSlam. Stratus accepted the same and the showdown is on! This is bound to be an intriguing matchup between two of the all-time greats.

On the occasion of Trish's big return, let's take a look at 5 things about her that you probably didn't know.

---

#5 She was a receptionist at a local gym

Trish during her WWE run

Real name Patricia Stratigeas, Stratus didn't dream of becoming a professional wrestler when she was growing up. After finishing up secondary school, Trish enrolled at York University and studied Biology and Kinesiology.

Trish wanted to become a doctor, but a winter strike in 1997 resulted in a change of plans. She decided to look for work until things calmed down a bit. She went on to bag the job of a receptionist at a local gym. The publisher of MuscleMag International noticed Trish at the gym and offered her a test shoot. Stratus accepted the offer and eventually got noticed by WWE. One wonders where would Trish be today if it hadn't been for York University's faculty strike back in 1997.

#4 Trish once met Owen Hart, way before her debut

Owen with Trish

Owen Hart is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers WWE had in the 90s. His match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 10 is a strong contender for being the greatest WrestleMania opener of all time.

A rare image from the 90s emerged years ago on the web, showing Trish Stratus hanging out with the late, great Owen Hart. There's little information on the photo, as to when it was taken, and how well did the two know each other, but it's certainly a cool piece of wrestling history, featuring two of the all-time greats and masters of their craft.

Unfortunately, Trish would never get the chance to work with Owen, as he died in a tragic accident at Over The Edge 1999. Around 6 months after the incident, Trish made her WWE debut. She went on to work alongside fellow Canadian greats like Edge, Christian, and Chris Jericho.

#3 Lita is the godparent to Trish's son

Trish and Lita

It's no secret that Trish was one of the most popular divas of her time, and was a heartthrob to millions of pro-wrestling fans across the world. Throughout her entire WWE career, little was known about Trish's personal life and her relationships.

Trish got married to Ron Fisico in 2006. She was in a relationship with Ron since the time they were in high school. Trish was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, as the youngest inductee in history at that time. Ron was mentioned by Trish during her Hall of Fame speech in Madison Square Garden, and she went on to announce that the couple was expecting their first child. The boy was named Maximus and Trish chose fellow Hall of Famer Lita to be his godparent. Looking at the history these two women share together, it was a no-brainer for Trish to choose Lita.

#2 Her Yoga studio won an award in 2013

Trish's Yoga studio

One of the biggest risks associated with pro-wrestling is the fact that this lifestyle doesn't last forever, and there comes a time when a wrestler has to hang up their boots and bid goodbye to the business. While some stars struggle to make ends meet, after not being financially sound during their time in the spotlight, there are many who make it a point to set themselves up for life.

Trish opened up a yoga studio around 2 years after she retired from professional wrestling. Based out of Toronto, Trish's venture was named 'Stratusphere'. The studio is dubbed by many as Canada's largest eco-friendly yoga studio. Trish has won a bunch of awards for her efforts towards making people's lives better. She won the 2010 Top Choice Awards Business Woman of the Year, and her studio won the Best Yoga Studio award around three years later.

#1 Trish declined to be a part of the WrestleMania 25 Diva Battle Royal

Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal

At WrestleMania's 25th Anniversary in 2009, WWE decided to have a 25-Diva Battle Royal to crown the first-ever Miss WrestleMania. The match featured a bunch of WWE divas who were employed at the time, plus several divas from the past. The free-for-all was won by Santino Marella, who donned the persona of Santina Marella to participate in the match.

Many popular past names were absent from the match, including Trish. While speaking about the match, Trish said that she was offered a spot, but she declined.

Actually, I wanted to stay home and watch WrestleMania for one time with my family. That was part of it. [Also], I had just made a return recently and I never want to wear out my welcome.