One of Trish Stratus’ most iconic feuds began in 2005 when Mickie James made her WWE debut as Stratus’ biggest fan.
The two were teammates for some time before James’ admiration became too much for Stratus, who said she needed space. After James eventually turned on her idol, the two fought at WrestleMania 22, where James ended Stratus’ historic 448 day reign as WWE Women’s Champion.
The story between the two women was originally supposed to include fellow legend Beth Phoenix, who signed a developmental contract with the company in late 2005 and debuted as Stratus’ ally in May of 2006, attacking Mickie James. However, the following month, Phoenix broke her jaw in a match against Victoria, taking her out of action for over a year as she underwent numerous procedures.
Speaking in a recent interview with SHAK Wrestling, Trish Stratus opened up about the scrapped plans to have her team with Phoenix, saying she would have served as an enforcer with her incredible power.
“Yeah, she was going to be the enforcer of the group. It’s funny because they wanted her to be like a strong, silent type, which is cool and powerful. When we looked at how she ended up coming back, it was much better.”
“Everything Played Out The Way It Should’ve” – Trish Stratus On Scrapped Plans For Beth Phoenix
Stratus also recalled comforting Phoenix after her unfortunate injury, assuring her that everything happens for a reason. Looking back on the situation, Stratus believes Phoenix was in a better position when she re-debuted on Raw in 2007 as the Glamazon.
“I think she didn’t need to be in our thing and it just worked. It would’ve been a fun trio for sure, and especially when the storyline turned, it would’ve been interesting to see how it played out between us. But, yeah, I think everything played out the way it should’ve when I look back at everything.”
Phoenix went on to have an incredible career in the WWE and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2017. She most recently competed at the Elimination Chamber, teaming with her husband Edge to defeat The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley.
h/t WrestlingInc