Trish Stratus is one of the most important women in modern professional wrestling. Her work helped move the women’s division into bigger storylines and main events. Here are five of her most important matches and why they mattered.
Raw Main Event: Stratus vs. Lita (December 6, 2004)
On the night of December 6, 2004, Trish Stratus and Lita headlined an episode of Raw. This was the first time a women’s match topped Raw, and both women knew the moment mattered. Stratus came in as a heel and had been WWE Women’s Champion for more than 170 days. In a fast, hard-hitting seven-minute match, Lita won the title from Stratus.
The match stood out for its pace, near-falls and strong crowd reaction. Stratus’ work as the frustrated heel helped make Lita’s win feel huge. The match proved women could carry a main event on Raw when given the chance.
WrestleMania 22: Stratus vs. Mickie James
At WrestleMania 22, Trish Stratus faced Mickie James in a story-driven title match. The rivalry began with Mickie entering the division as an obsessed fan of Stratus. Their storyline moved from friendship to stalking and psychological attacks.
At WrestleMania, Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus to win the WWE Women’s Championship. The match is remembered more for its story than for technical wrestling. Mickie’s celebration on the entrance ramp and commentator Jim Ross’ reaction — “The nutjob has won the title” — are vivid moments from the show. The Chicago crowd’s response showed how well the story had connected with fans.
Unforgiven 2006: A Toronto Moment
Two years after their Raw main event, Stratus and Lita met again at Unforgiven 2006 in Toronto. The match was built as Trish’s retirement match. In Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, the roles were reversed: Lita was the heel and Stratus was the fan favorite.
With more time to tell the story, Stratus forced Lita to tap out to the Sharpshooter and won the WWE Women’s Championship. This victory gave Stratus her seventh WWE Women’s title and was one of the biggest moments of her career in front of a roaring hometown crowd.
Big Returns: SummerSlam 2019 and Payback 2023
When Stratus returned to the ring at SummerSlam 2019, she faced Charlotte Flair in Toronto. It was her first singles match in eight years and was presented as a potential retirement match. Stratus moved well for the return, used her signature moves, and showed she could still perform. Charlotte Flair won the match by submission with the Figure Eight.
In 2023, Stratus had a long feud with Becky Lynch. The rivalry began after they failed to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles together following WrestleMania 39. Stratus turned on Lynch and the two fought through the summer. Stratus beat Lynch at Night of Champions, but their feud culminated at Payback in September 2023 inside a steel cage. After a hard, 20-minute cage match filled with big spots, Becky Lynch won following a Manhandle Slam.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Trish Stratus | Lost to Becky Lynch at Payback (steel cage, Sept. 2023); lost to Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam 2019; won at Unforgiven 2006 vs. Lita (Sharpshooter) |
| Lita | Won vs. Trish Stratus on Raw (Dec. 6, 2004); lost to Stratus at Unforgiven 2006 (tapped to Sharpshooter) |
| Mickie James | Defeated Trish Stratus at WrestleMania 22 to win the WWE Women’s Championship |
| Charlotte Flair | Defeated Trish Stratus at SummerSlam 2019 by submission (Figure Eight) |
| Becky Lynch | Defeated Trish Stratus at Payback (steel cage, Sept. 2023) after earlier loss at Night of Champions |
Stratus was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. She returned for short runs after that, including a return five years later and a full part-time run from 2023–2025. Her matches helped raise the profile of women’s wrestling and opened doors for the next generation.
