3 reasons Trish Stratus should return to WWE and 2 reasons she shouldn't

There is no doubt that Trish Stratus is one of the greatest WWE Superstars in history, but should she return to the ring?

The 45-year-old debuted in WWE as a valet in 2000 with no real wrestling experience. Nonetheless, through her hard work and dedication, she became a wrestling legend, winning seven Women's Titles in the process. Stratus then retired as Women's Champion at Unforgiven in 2006, after defeating Lita for the title.

Since her retirement, the Hall of Famer has made several WWE appearances. Many fans have urged her to return to the company full-time. A few current WWE Superstars have also expressed their desire to see the Diva of the Decade back in the squared circle.

Although a return to WWE could have its advantages for Stratus, it could also have some disadvantages. Here are three reasons Trish Stratus should return to WWE and two reasons she shouldn't:

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#5. Trish Stratus is in great shape for a WWE return

Although she officially retired from WWE 15 years ago, Trish Stratus is still taking great care of her body. Following her retirement, she established her own yoga studio. She has also been on the cover of several fitness magazines and released fitness and yoga DVDs.

The mother-of-two regularly posts training routines and shows off her in-shape body on her Instagram. Stratus recently posted a photo of her shredded abs stating that she is always ready. The post received many positive comments from several wrestlers and fans. A few of Stratus' followers even expressed their desire to see her back in a WWE ring.

The seven-time Women's Champion has not closed the door on a possible return to WWE. In an interview with the Women's Wrestling Talk podcast last December, Stratus revealed what it would take for her to get back in the ring.

"If there is a chance for something that will brew in a certain way, then I'm open to it. I've always said since I have retired, if there was an opportunity for me to go back it would be for something that's challenging, stimulating, the fans want it. Something that's exciting and it does something for both parties involved," she said.

In her current shape, it seems Trish Stratus could return to the ring at any time and go toe-to-toe with the current generation of superstars. WWE would also probably welcome her back. But we will have to wait and see if the Hall of Famer desires to make that long-awaited comeback.

#4. Trish Stratus shouldn't return to WWE to avoid Mickie James' fate

Trish Stratus and Mickie James had one of the most historic feuds in WWE history. Like Stratus, James had a legendary career in WWE during her first run. Nonetheless, her second WWE run ended up being a disappointment.

Despite the hype that preceded her comeback, James did not have a legend-worthy second WWE run. According to the six-time Women's Champion, part of the blame fell on her shoulders as she failed to reinvent her character:

"I came back as my old-school wrestling, with the bell-bottoms and stuff. A throwback which was, honestly, on me because I felt the WWE audience knows her (...) I feel the actual excitement of Mickie James coming back was kind of… I don’t know if that was a huge thing," she explained to The Wrestling Inc. Daily.

James disclosed that the "legend character" limited her story options. That same problem could occur with Trish Stratus. If Stratus returns as a legendary superstar of the past, many young fans may not connect with her character. After all, many of them have not seen her in her prime. Her return could be forgettable, like James' second run.

Although seeing Stratus back in WWE is a dream for many, maybe staying retired could be a better decision for her long-lasting legacy.

#3. Trish Stratus should return to WWE to answer pending challenges

One of the main reasons Trish Stratus should return to WWE is to answer a few pending challenges. The Hall of Farmer is a role model and an idol to several current WWE Superstars. Few have even expressed their desire to square off against Stratus in the future. One of those superstars is Alexa Bliss.

The former RAW Women's Champion was scheduled to face the WWE Hall of Famer a few years ago at Evolution. Nonetheless, WWE canceled the match after Bliss suffered a concussion at a live event. In an interview with ViBe & Wrestling show last year, Bliss said that she still wants to have that match against her hero in the future.

The Hall of Famer also has another challenger urging her to return to WWE. In the past few months, Sasha Banks has expressed her desire to have a match against Stratus. The two had already squared off in the 2018 Women's Royal Rumble match, where The Boss eliminated Trish.

Last month, Sasha Banks challenged the WWE Hall of Famer to a match during an appearance on The Bump:

"I’m waiting for Trish, it's all on her...I feel like she’s dodging me, not answering my calls. I’m all game, I’m all ready, I’m always ready! When Trish is ready for me, she knows where to find me. It’s time to rock and roll, Trish. Let’s do it," Banks said.

The Boss called out the seven-time Women's Champion again a few days ago during her appearance on the Kurt Angle Show. Banks urged Stratus to put her kids to sleep and return to WWE to fight her. The former SmackDown Women's Champion stated that the match would be the greatest of all time and would make millions of dollars.

On her side, Stratus praised Alexa Bliss, saying she saw shades of herself in the former RAW Women's Champion. The WWE Hall of Famer also recently addressed the possibility of facing Banks:

"She's an amazing athlete. People sort of fantasize about that match because we had a little face-to-face at the Women's Royal Rumble. That is appealing to me," Stratus told Toronto's VIBE 105 Sports.

Trish Stratus has not competed in a WWE ring for two years. Her last match came against Charlotte Flair at the 2019 SummerSlam pay-per-view. Despite putting in a fierce fight, The Hall of Famer lost to The Queen.

#2. Trish Stratus should not return to WWE to allow younger talents to shine

Trish Stratus has had an illustrious and legendary WWE career. Nonetheless, returning to Vince McMahon's company today could mean taking away the opportunity of others to achieve the same.

The current roster is now full of young female talents who have so much potential like Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, and Toni Storm. Stratus' return, even as a part-timer, could affect the opportunities given to such talent.

The return of WWE Hall of Famers like Goldberg as part-timers has been a controversial matter in recent years. Some superstars have expressed their disappointment at WWE giving title shots and opportunities to older wrestlers instead of younger ones.

If she decides to make a comeback, Stratus could face similar criticism. Giving her title shots and opportunities to main-event major pay-per-views could also spark dissatisfaction inside the WWE Women's locker room.

Hence, it might be a better decision for the Hall of Famer to stay retired and spare herself the controversy and drama that would follow her full or part-time return.

The best-case scenario for the 45-year-old would be returning for a match once every few years like she currently does. Although it would be bad news for her fans, the decision would go with WWE's current policy of hiring younger talents.

#1. Trish Stratus should return because she still has a few things to achieve in WWE

Trish Stratus has won seven Women's Championships and one Hardcore Title. Nonetheless, there are several things she has never achieved in WWE.

During her time in Vince McMahon's company, there were no tag team titles in the women's division. Hence, returning to WWE to win the Tag Team Championships could be one of Stratus' objectives. While she could team up with any of the current WWE Superstars, Trish could also return alongside her best friend and fellow Hall of Famer Lita to go for the titles.

Winning the Women's Royal Rumble match could be another objective Stratus should return to achieve. The Diva of the Decade participated in the 2018 Royal Rumble match, entering at number 30. She lasted nearly five and a half minutes and eliminated five superstars before getting eliminated by Sasha Banks.

Winning the Royal Rumble match could also give the seven-time Women's Champion an opportunity to main-event WrestleMania, which would be another achievement she has never done.

Stratus also once held the record for the most women's championship reigns in WWE history. Nonetheless, Charlotte Flair broke her record a few years ago. The Queen is now a 12-time Women's Champion.

The Hall of Famer could now return to WWE to try to break Flair's new record. However, that would be a tough challenge, considering that Stratus would need to win six more Women's Championships.