Trish Stratus reveals a legendary WrestleMania match almost never happened
Trish Stratus is one of the original female superstars who revolutionized what it meant to be a woman in wrestling. She hardly needs an introduction, but it's safe to assume that had it not been for Trish Stratus, the women's division wouldn't have reached where it has today.
She's a certified Hall of Famer and is one of the women who influenced many of the rising female stars on the WWE roster today. While Lita is undoubtedly her greatest career rival, Mickie James stands firmly at #2.
One could even argue that Lita and Trish Stratus didn't have a match as significant as the WrestleMania 22 encounter between Trish Stratus and Mickie James.
There were a lot of things that was unusual about the match - from the build to the somewhat controversial finish.
Trish Stratus and Mickie James had a virtual reunion on WWE's The Bump and spoke about their unforgettable classic at WrestleMania 22. Mickie James was just surprised that the match turned into one that fans never forgot (H/T WrestlingInc):
"This was definitely a moment for me where I was so happy," Mickie exclaimed. "I think I've said this before, but when you work so hard and think you've connected to the fans, especially as a woman [performer], you don't know what that level really meant. It wasn't until that moment when we finally collided. It was great to see that the fans do remember us. That was really special to me."
Trish Stratus let the viewers know that the match almost never happened:
"We almost did not end up in the ring together," Trish informed viewers. "You [try] to leave an impression on your fans every time you go out there, but aren't sure. To go out there and be validated that many years later was an incredible feeling."
Did Trish Stratus vs Mickie James change the course for Women's wrestling in WWE?
While Trish Stratus vs Mickie James at WrestleMania 22 was a classic, it took many years for WWE to start taking the women's division more seriously. Ten years later, the Women's Championship was brought back and an incredible Triple Threat match between Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch did justice by stealing the show.
With that said, it's hard to imagine the women's division being where it is without a match of such significance. The duo of Stratus and James would only understand later on exactly what they created.