Trish Stratus talks retirement, if wrestling is fake, more

Trish Stratus

Former WWE Diva and Hall of Famer Trish Stratus talked to LFPress.com recently. Here are some of the highlights.

Was it hard to retire in 2006 at the top of your wresting career?

I had a robust career. … I had done it all. The wrestling world has a short shelf life and there were all the injuries. I have no knuckle on the middle finger of my right hand, a couple of missing teeth, herniated disc in my back, broken ankle … my mom was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was time to move on and concentrate on my personal life.

How did you handle the transition from wrestling superstar to entrepreneur?

Wresting was not my life. It was part of my life. I got into yoga, practiced all over the world and got certified and turned my passion into a business in 2008 … I produced my own television show and that allowed to me to control my image and my brand.

Are professional wrestling matches scripted?

We know the beginning and the end. What happens in the ring is a dance that we do and a lot too is improv, staying in character and based on the reactions of the audience. It’s scripted, but the performances are real with real athletes.

It’s very much like Shakespeare with the fans cheering for the good guy and booing the bad guy. There’s a lot of buildup to the story lines so we can create characters that the fans can relate to.