Vince McMahon allegedly changed plans for Trish Stratus' on-screen relationship with current AEW star to swerve fans
Vince McMahon allegedly changed plans for Trish Stratus's on-screen relationship with Chris Jericho in an attempt to swerve fans.
Trish Stratus is one of the most iconic and influential women’s wrestlers of all time. But her career could have taken a different turn if Vince McMahon had not changed his mind on the night of WrestleMania 20.
Trish Stratus was involved in a storyline with Chris Jericho and Christian that culminated in a shocking heel turn at WrestleMania 20. The original plan was for her and Jericho to become a couple and form a quirky Canadian comedy duo called “Trishtopher”. However, McMahon decided to swerve the fans by having her betray Jericho and align with Christian instead.
Stratus recalled the whole incident in a recent episode of the Getting Over podcast.
"There are a couple of crazy things. I believe everything happens for a reason. During that storyline, it was supposed to be, the whole beginning of the storyline was for Chris Jericho and I to end up together and we were going to be Trishtopher, and we were this quirky Canadian comedy duo, which people get annoyed with but find endearing," Trish said. "That was supposed to be the whole thing. When Vince came to us, the night of WrestleMania, and said, ‘I think we’re going to change things up."
She continued:
"We’re going to have... and he explained I would go heel. ‘What? This is so many months of storyline to get to this moment.’ We were excited about it. We thought fans wanted this, and they did, and that’s why he changed it. Fans wanted it so bad, he thought no one ever expected me to turn. For me, personally, it was a great moment and I was able to turn." [H/T Fightful]
Trish Stratus chooses Christian over Chris Jericho,turning on Jericho and costing him his match vs Christian at WrestleMania XX https://t.co/oIq74T8lX1
The heel turn was a blessing in disguise for Trish Stratus
The heel turn proved to be a blessing in disguise for Trish Stratus’ character development as it brought out a different side to her character. She also explained how she benefited from Christian’s injury shortly after WrestleMania 20 as she became “the one” in their feud with Jericho.
"That was the first change that allowed for something positive," she continued. "Christian ended up getting injured, I hate to say it, it helped my character because I wasn’t a side piece anymore, I was ‘the one.’ It was basically Jericho vs. Trish Stratus. The guys were fighting on my behalf, maybe Tomko would have a match, but the storyline was Trish and Jericho."
She continued:
"It allowed me to grow as a heel, work alongside Jericho, who is amazing and I learned so much working in that capacity. It could have been really good, but I think everything happens for a reason. That was my best work as a heel, and my most enjoyable time, for sure. Who knows what it could have been had Christian continued, but it was what it was, and I think it worked out pretty good." [H/T Fightful]
Trish Stratus went on to win the Women’s Championship seven times in her illustrious career and retired after defeating Lita at Unforgiven 2006. She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, and has made sporadic appearances since then. She will return to action at WrestleMania 39 where she will team up with Lita and Becky Lynch against Damage CTRL.
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