"Your first crush" has returned to WWE

This week's episode of WWE SmackDown provided two big returns. We saw Drew McIntyre make an appearance for the first time since Saturday Night's Main Event in May, as he confronted Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. However, another surprise awaited the fans.

WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton came out on SmackDown to mention that she will be picking her opponent for the Evolution PLE. She was interrupted by Queen of the Ring Jade Cargill before the champion invited Trish Stratus to the ring. Stratton then challenged the seven-time Women's Champion to a match at Evolution.

After accepting the challenge, Stratus later dropped a message on X/Twitter, confirming her return.

"Your first crush is back. #SmackDown #WWEEvolution," she wrote in the post.

Breaking Vince Russo and Jim Cornette update HERE.

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Stratus was a staple of the women's division during the Attitude Era and the early part of the Ruthless Aggression Era. The veteran holds a special place among the fans, and her feuds with the likes of Lita, Mickie James and Victoria defined that era of women's wrestling.

Her elegant and stylish presence made her a heartthrob for many fans, and she was quick to remind them that she is back.

Stratus also had a warning for Stratton, expressing that her kids have never seen her as a champion, and she would also love to be an eight-time champion.

Trish Stratus's last match in WWE

Since she retired from WWE in 2006, Trish Stratus has made multiple appearances in the promotion and even had an extended run in 2022.

She most recently competed at the Elimination Chamber PLE earlier this year, where she teamed up with Tiffany Stratton to take on Nia Jax and Candice LeRae in a winning effort. Her last singles match in the company came at the Payback PLE in 2023, where she lost to Becky Lynch in a Steel Cage match via pinfall.

Stratus will now compete at Evolution, having been part of the first iteration of the event in 2018.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Brandon Nell