WWE: Why Trish Stratus Could Help Revitalize the Divas Division

Trish Stratus is arguably the most important woman to ever perform in a WWE ring. Her ability, her personality, her look—she had the complete package and helped redefine women’s wrestling for a new generation of fans.

Man, those were the days.

It’s a very well-documented, very painful fact that women’s wresting in the company is not what it once was.

In place of hard hitting matches like Trish versus Lita, which at one time main-evented Monday Night RAW, we have Kelly Kelly versus one of the Bella Twins.

Yeah, it’s that bad.

The transition from female wrestler to WWE Diva is an agonizing process now, as in-ring ability has quickly faded away in favor of sexy star appeal.

Of course, this is WWE we’re talking about here, and the same problem has existed for years on the men’s side.

The truth is, for many fans, Kelly is the John Cena of the Divas Division, a performer who is perhaps lacking in overall ability but has other assets that keep her at the top.

She looks great, she’s very likable, has a great smile and is the all American girl. But in the ring, she is not exactly a technician.

However, the image is what Vince McMahon sells, and with Kelly he has a face that he can put on magazines, on talk shows and in movies. She is a star.

But the drama is gone. The excitement is gone. All of the silly lingerie matches, the stupid gimmick matches when the Divas were stripped down to nothing—at the end of the day, those events were just fluff. The real showing for the women came later in the program when Trish stepped into the ring. She made it all worth it.

Granted, she had a lot of help. The aforementioned Lita, who blossomed as an in-ring performer, Molly Holly, Victoria, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Ivory, Jacqueline—all of these women wanted to be taken seriously as wrestlers, and made women’s wrestling something fun, and entertaining, to watch.

But it was Trish who led the way. Think of her as the Shawn Michaels of the Divas division, a talented performer with a lot of talent to back her up.

Now before I get any hate mail from Kelly Kelly fans, I assure you that I do not lay the blame at her door. She is a young worker who is being given the opportunity of a lifetime, and she is making the best of it. She is doing what she can, like anyone else in her position.

And the problems of the Divas division as a whole does not necessarily stem from her being champion. For me, she is just an extension of the blandness and disinterest that the division has earned by bad booking and the performance of workers who simply cannot do what is needed to be relevant.

Imagine Trish’s era of women’s wrestling without her. Without Lita. Or Molly, Victoria or any of the others who made it a legitimate part of the company. If it had been nothing more than ridiculous gravy or mud matches featuring women like Torrie Wilson and Stacy Carter, what would we have?

Well, we would basically have what we have now. Except now, most of the clothes would stay on.

What the Divas need is a spark, something to re-energize the sport for women, to build a new fire for their matches and either finally get some of the women who perhaps are not performing up to snuff, or just move on with new talent altogether.

The Divas need Trish Stratus.

Triple H’s new role as the COO of WWE has placed him in the unique position of being a top draw who is now running the company in the eyes of the fans. He is doing great so far, thanks in large part to the CM Punk storyline. But the guy in charge could always use a hand, right?

Enter Trish Stratus, who could be introduced as the Divas Division Director, a former top worker who can bring her reputation and name recognition to a fanbase who is jonesing for some Attitude Era Superstars. She would fit right in.

Trish has a full life now that she’s moved on from WWE. I get that. And yes, the door is likely open anytime she wants to make a guest appearance or when the company needs her.

But for me, it’s not enough. I want to see her back, and having her as the on-air leader of the division that she helped rebuild from the ground up would be very beneficial for the company, for the women and for the fans. She was made for that role. And, I hope that one day, this angle will actually play out.

Bring back the good old days. I’m more than ready for them.