So my family has had to make so many adjustments to our daily life since I have started season thirty four of Dancing with the Stars.

I'm just not able to be there as often as I used to be.

You know.

I used to regularly pick both of them up from school, take them to karate, take them to baseball.

On the weekends.

I was always at their baseball games, and we could have playdates, and we would, you know, do movie nights.

And now I just haven't really been able to be too present.

I am if I'm not at rehearsal, I'm doing an interview for Dancing with the Stars, like our master interviews or our ot or I had high press, I'm doing one of the many podcasts that we do, and I you know, or I'm seeing the PT you know, or I'm in a wardrobe fitting, or I'm at a hair and makeup fitting, or we're in camera blocking, like there's always something to do.

And my dad called maybe about two weeks ago, and he said, what I really want to know is how are the kids handling it?

Because this is such a total change for them.

And at the time, the very honest truth was they were thriving, like Jensen was doing.

Great, Moody's get along fine.

I mean, everyone was stoked, and like, I felt really good being able to be like, wow, it's such a relief to not have all of this, you know, day to day constant house pressure, like taking care of the house pressure, taking care of the kid's pressure.

And I've really what a selfish but like selfish in a great way thing I've been able to do to just really like, what a gift.

I've been able to focus on this and it's been just about me, and it's felt really good, and like everyone was doing really great.

Jensen was loving it, even though it's been you know, we're all exhausted, but everyone seemed fine.

And I'd come home from work and the kids would say, how is your dance and do you have a video?

Let me see it, and they'd want me to walk them through what the dance was about or whatever.

And then a couple of days pass after I have this conversation with my dad and we get a call from Adler's school and it's his teacher and she says, so, we had a little bit of an issue today with Adler, and I wanted to talk to you about it.

And we're like Okay, what happened?

And she said, well, he's been having a little bit of trouble self starting on some of his work.

Welcome to the club, and she.

Said, And so I started asking him, like what was going on?

And he told us that he is feeling very stressed because his dad input it a lot of information on the computer wrong and then got fired.

And he his dad is very nervous that he's never going to get another job.

And none, none of this is true, a.

Single a computer programming job we're unaware of.

No, none of that's true.

And the teacher was like, oh, well, that does sound stressful, and he said, yeah, my dad's very upset about it and he's very nervous.

And then he said and also my mom died, and the teacher said I'm sorry, and he was like, yes, my mom.

My mom is dead.

And I just saw her last week.

And the teacher was like, well, why don't you tell me more about that, because didn't want to shut him down, didn't want to be like oh she didn't, just like, why don't you tell me more about that?

And he kept going, but then at some point just said, well, maybe that's not true, and then moved on and like wow, and she said, so, I just wanted to talk to you guys about it.

So I get out of rehearsal that day at like two pm and was supposed to see the PT and was like, not going to go see the PT.

I'm just going to go pick up Adler from school.

And so I get to your school, right.

So I get to the school and he sees me on campus and he comes running to me.

He goes, Mom, what are you doing here?

This is a Friday night, and what are you doing here?

And I go, I got out of rehearsal and I just I missed you.

I wanted to pick you up and so, you know, yeah, let's go.

And he goes, great, what are we doing tonight?

And I said, you've got movie night with your friends?

Remember you've you know, you were seeing you wanted to get together with these people and you're doing a movie night.

And he goes, oh, yeah, I remember that, but that's okay.

You know what, I just want to hang out with you tonight.

I said, well, actually, while you are at movie and I I have to go back to rehearsal.

And he bursts into tears and says, I hate this job.

Why did you take this job?

All you do is dance, dance, dance, dance, that's all you do.

You never get to hang out with me and Keaton anymore.

I want you to quit.

Are you going to quit or not?

God?

And I said, I was like, oh, it seems like maybe you've been feeling this way for a while and maybe you just haven't been telling anybody.

Yes, I have been feeling this way for a long time.

And you even got hurt.

Your leg was purple, and you and then all this just apparently everything just came out.

And I like reached my hand into the back because you know, he's sitting behind me in his car seat, and I reached my hand into the back and he kicked my hand away, and I was like, okay, I like pulled my hand for it, and I said, I I can tell that this is really hurting you.

And I said, and I'm sorry because I have obviously not done a good enough job of being able to connect with you when I have been able to see you.

And I know that I haven't seen you as much as I was able to be with you before.

But my love for you doesn't change when we're apart.

And he was like, I just need to know if you're going to quit.

And I said, Mommy is not going to quit her job.

And he said, why why won't you quit your job?

And I said, well, a couple of reasons.

One mommy really loves her job, and two because this job is not forever, and i made a commitment to the job, so I'm not going to quit.

And he was like, but you even got hurt, and I said, and you got hit with a baseball and baseball, but you still play baseball.

And when you're in karate, you have heard you've rolled your angle in karate, and you still continue with karate.

I said, I'm okay, and I'm and I'm going to continue the job.

I said, but no matter what, this job is over by Thanksgiving and we've got you know, then things will go back to normal.

And I said, and in the meantime, you and I will find special ways to connect when I am able to be with you.

But for the next few weeks, it's still going to be really hard.

And it's totally understandable that you're angry, and and I love you very much and I'm thankful, thank you so much for telling me, and you can always tell me when you're upset.

And I said, and so do you think maybe that this is the reason why you told your teacher that daddy got fired and mommy died.

And he was like yes, and I said okay.

And then we get home and he walks in and as he walks in, he goes, one last chance, are you going to quit?

Oh?

And I said, mommy is not going to quit her job.

And he walked in, slammed the door, went into the other room.

Keaton's there, and so Keaton's like, mommy, and I grab Keaton.

I talked to Keaton a couple of minutes past and the nather goes, mom I said, yeah, He's like, come in here, I need you.

I said okay.

So I go around the corner and he goes, I'm sorry.

I said, all of that's tough, all man.

And I gave him a hug.

And anyway, we're still we're still working through it.

Yeah.

A couple questions.

One when he kicked your hand away, did he pull the kick back in a good snap.

Give kick onration?

I was wondering if the other call was going to be, you know, your school calls and they're like, we've had a problem with Adler.

He got in a fight with another boy and he did an Argentine tango on his face.

Oh man, well yeah, I mean again, you're you're busy rider and I have been wanting you to quit this job.

And we had that whole crying thing with you too.

Yeah.

We announced on our other podcast that Danielle had died, right, yeah, Jason.

Computer job.

That's how moral people act out.

That's what we do.

We don't express that we miss you.

We just make up lies for further attention him.

And I'm Wilfredell and our partner just flew to the moon.

So here it is.

Your schedule is ridiculous, though, I mean it is.

It is really ridiculous.

And I know it's a finite schedule, but I mean, damn it's This has become basically a twenty four to seven job for you.

Yes, literally.

Well that's the other thing I forgot all about factoring in social media posts.

We have to like twice a week, meet with meat, meet and spend an hour each time just coming up with posts.

That's what makes jealous, that's what makes to get there.

The party loves he's got up here.

They just can't get out all up here.

My next favorite thing that happened was yesterday.

Adler.

For the last couple of days, like right after the live show, Adler wants to watch Dancing with the Stars every morning.

He wants to like rewatch all the performances.

So we were watching it a couple of times in this last week.

When Elaine was in the ambulance, Adler looked at me and he said, I want you to have to go in an ambulance so that you can come home.

Please.

Well, you basically would have gotten the same scores.

So anyway, my kids want me injured.

I know.

Well, the good news is if the if the worst happens and you get kicked off Dance with the Stars, they're going to be so happy.

Homecoming when that.

Happens, exactly like I know it is.

It is very sweet.

Yeah, yeah, just hang the mirror ball in their room.

I'm just gonna have to buy two mirror balls.

So you actually have to keep a mirror ball if you win.

Like that's oh yeah, I'm sure it is.

It like a big disc, it's a trophy.

It's it's it's got a big round bass and then it's got you know, like a stand and then a ball that sits on top of it, and it says dancing with the stars across it.

It's like the logo all rhyin stoned out.

Wow?

Is it more opulent than when I was the UH in the parade and Christmas in Louisville, Kentucky in nineteen ninety three?

I got this little plaque?

Is it?

Yours?

Is probably better?

It's not nearly as Film Award though, Wollhard our paper.

Look at that it has a golden seal on it.

Oh wow, Oh that's just your nomination though.

This is just what I was nominated.

It's an honor just to be nominated.

Yeah.

Really, that is.

What I really want to do, is direct kids.

Welcome to bond Reads World.

I'm Danielle Fischl, right or Strong.

And I'm Will Ferdell.

To be considered a goat in your chosen profession is as much of a burden as it is a blessing, whether you're Michael Jordan in basketball, tiger Woods and golf me in ballroom dancing.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, And somehow this week's guest is not only a goat in her field, she continues to set the standard twenty five years later.

She's a WWE Hall of Famer who holds the record for longest reign of any women's World champion in the twenty first century at four hundred forty eight days.

Widely regarded as the greatest female wrestler of all time, she's a record seven time Women's champion who has returned to the WWE now mixing it up with the wrestlers she inspired, celebrating her twenty fifth year in the industry.

She is an absolute icon who brings fans not only a sense of nostalgia, but an example of strength and perseverance that goes well beyond championship titles and pile drivers.

And she's been on enough magazine covers to personally offend trees.

Welcome to pod meets World.

The quintessential WWE diva, Canada's greatest export, the Queen of Queen's and the best diva ever.

It's Trish Stratus.

Yeah, Hey, hi, Trish, how are you?

This is awesome?

Thank you so much for doing this.

Of course I was like, I know this is gonna happ one of these.

Days, right absolutely.

I just as my first question to you, I just want to know, have you also been told somewhere around thirty thousand times that we look alike.

It's a massive honor every time it happens.

But I want to know if it happens to you too, I feel.

Exactly the same way.

I think maybe thirty three thousand times thirty three I remember.

I don't see, I don't I was gonna say, glasses, I don't even know who she is.

Clark Clark, that was John.

I got the reference, I got the yes, will.

I have been a fan for a very long time, but it was not until this very podcast during my research, did I realize that you went to the university in Toronto to become a doctor?

Correct?

Yes, Oh my gosh, what specific field were you interested in?

So?

I was always wanted to be a pediatrician.

I studied by so first I was biology and chemistry double major, and then I like always was, you know, sports, grew up playing just total tomboy, and so then I kind of merged into some of my passion, which was kinesiology.

So I was biologic kinesiology, and the idea was to become a doctor.

I wanted to be a pediatrician, and that I mean, I really look back when I did.

I did a documentary for Andy, and you know that's when you pull out all these everything when you're like, oh, I actually have stuff when I was a kid, so I like journals and I was like little pictures of me being like, I want to be a doctor since I was as like, you know, tiny as I could remember, so it was pretty cool.

Wow, how did you then make a detour because you started modeling?

So how did you make the detour from school and being becoming a doctor and and then incorporating modeling into that.

So my university went on strike, so I was like, I'm like hyper focused everything I was doing from the time, even before you know, in high school.

I was like I started volunteering at the hospital.

I was prepping to become a doctor from a very young age.

And then my university.

I was three years in and my university went on strike.

So the professors striked and everyone, like the kids just went and we literally just waited for school to come back in session.

So a lot of the art students went back and just did their exams and things like that, but a lot of the science students had to go back and do you know, like the hands on practicums and stuff.

So so during that time, though I got discovered, I was working at a gym.

Just my thought was just to go work at a gym so that I could train for free and you know, keep ready for my sports because I was playing field hockey for university and I was playing soccer for my town and and so I was waiting for them to come back in session.

And so fitness modeling everyone kind of knows it now, but back in yeah, it was not really a thing.

It was sort of like there was women bodybuilding and not really fitness models.

Nothing really like attainable or like achievable or healthy necessarily as well.

And so one of the publishers of the bodybuilding magazine saw this sort of missing niche and he started Oxygen magazine.

You guys might have known it, might know it, but Oxygen magazine.

And so he was like, Okay, I'm going to start this thing.

I think it's a niche.

And he went out and like handpicked a bunch of women to basically be his his supermodels of you know, of the fitness modeling world, to launch this world of fitness modeling.

So he basically slept us on the cover of magazines and said this is Tristratus.

She's the newest and hottest fitness model.

And I was somewhat and there he was, and I suddenly had a career, and then school came back in session and I was like on the cover of magazines.

I was starting to do autograph signings at stores, like you know, it was just it was became this little uh, I had a career suddenly, So going back and like balancing the two, going back to full time school and like you know, I was doing and you know, the bodybuilding thing where you're carrying the lunch in the you know, rotine and chicken and broccoli three to six times a day, so you would be carrying that to class, and it just didn't work out.

So I just at twenty two years old, I was like, I'm gonna I think I'm going to take advantage of this little opportunity have and then focused on fitness modeling.

It did that for a couple of years and banged out half a dozen covers and then ended up from wrestling.

Wow, how did that phone call from WWE come about?

Because now there are tryouts and there are performance centers, but back then they had to contact you.

Yeah, Oh it was.

It was such a different world.

I mean it now it's I mean, as you know, it's a whole thing.

It's they they're grooming their talent to become in the big leagues, right, so it's like the minor leagues.

And back in the day it was like traditionally most people were sort of in the independent scene, wrestling and doing their things, and then they would get discovered or someone would see them or they you know, Internet would make them popular and then people they'd seek them out.

Mine was a little different.

I was on television show with one of my magazine covers to promote it, and so I don't know if you can, so in Canada we had this thing I'm in Canada.

A yeah, in Canada we had this thing called slam Jams.

Do you remember that?

Did anybody?

Okay, So Michael Days, he was basically to the Canadian audience, was like, Hey, Canada, we're coming to and it was like just for the Canadian broadcast, a little like little vignettes for them, right.

And so they were filming it in the studio next to where I had filmed my interview for my for my magazine, and they're like they knew I loved wrestling.

They're like, oh, they're doing And I mean when I say I love wrestling, like they used to come to me, used to come to at the time, used to come pay with gardens.

I used to go when I was a kid.

I grew up watching it.

I was that that was my thing.

And so they're like, we know you love wrestling.

They're actually filming slam jams next door.

If you want to go sit in the audience.

It was like, oh my god.

So I go in there and Michael Hayes, who's well known from back in the day.

He he actually spotted me and said, oh, you're your true stretus from the Fitness Muscle mags.

And I was like, oh, yes, I am cool.

And he says, why did you send your stuff to us?

And I was like like, there was no you know, this is like nice ninety No, this is nineteen nine nine.

There's like not really a flourishing women's anything, right except for the women who walk the men to the ring.

And so I was like, so what do I do there?

I never thought that would be something I could do.

I never saw wrestle, I never watched wrestling.

Assaut like, oh, I can do that like they do now, right, and so I just said, okay, sure, yeah, I'll do that.

So I prepared a press kit.

I sent it to them and I didn't hear back initially.

And when I didn't hear back for a couple months, I was like, well, let me prepare the best possible package AKA me and I went and found where Edge from Toronto as well, and I went found out where he trained and I knocked on the door and said, hi, I'd like to train, and they're like, oh, isn't she cute?

What do you want to do, honey like?

And I said, no, no, I want to be like I want to be treated like the boys.

So I was thrown into this wrestling gym basically with all boys, and I wanted to be treated like the boys.

And I learned to wrestle, and then they called a couple of months later, Jim Ross called me up to Connecticut and then I went and met with him, and then I went okay, I went home to Toronto.

A couple of weeks later, I had a contract offer.

So it was sht off.

Oh that's my compre just meets opportunity, you know, Because there was a moment in the meeting where he was like all right, and it's like because it's like there wasn't women much, right, So he was like, I'm just like, you know, it's a very physical job.

It's you know, you can get bumped.

And it wasn't He wasn't even saying me wrestling.

He was just saying, as the valet on the side, you might get bumped down and someone might throw a shoe at you, like something like that.

Right.

So I was like, yeah, well I've been training for a few months now, and so I had that, and I really feel like he was like okay, you know, and kind of just took a note of that, and I feel like that made a big difference in the interview.

Wow, were you already a fan of wrestling?

Like, oh, yeah, grew up watching it.

Yeah, Mayple Leaf Gardens was like a hotbed for wrestling.

You know, a lot of their they came there quite often, and I saw them quite a bit.

And uh yeah, I mean I had boy cousins.

I tried my best to be hang with the boys even from a young age.

And so yeah, I was a big fan of wrestling and so grew up watching it, and so again like but never saw myself in it.

You know, everyone says, oh, did you grew up saying, you know when I grew up on O'll be arest.

But the girls do that now thanks to what we've done.

But back then, there was nothing really to watch to go okay, I want to do that.

You know, at the time, was your family like okay, wait, hang on, You're going to give up being a doctor to be a professional wrestler and you're like yep, And were they I mean, were they supportive or look?

Ultimately they so luckily the transition wasn't like overnight.

It was like there was that holt in school where they saw me, you know, start training.

Then I was like, oh my god, I got this opportunity to be on a cover, and then I was They saw me like hardcore, doing the training, the eating.

It's a whole discipline, right that you have to endure in order to have that physique and then to do that that discipline.

So they saw that.

Then they saw the result of my hard work being on covers, getting suddenly being booked, making money suddenly with a job of a career.

And so when I kind of transitioned, it was a little bit of a I'm going to give this a whirl.

And they were like, I mean, look, they were just they I was a sports kid, I was a performance kid.

So when I could join my two worlds and do this amazing thing, They're like, yeah, I mean, give it a shot.

I was twenty two years old at the time, like twenty three, actually, you know, let's give it a roll.

So yeah, they're okay, what is.

The learning curve of going from I don't know anything about wrestling to being very proficient in the ring.

How how quickly did you feel you accomplish that.

I was pretty crappy in the ring for a little while.

Why even in front of thousands of people, Like it was like okay, yeah, no, I definitely had you know, in the business, we call you being green.

I definitely had my green phase.

But I'll tell you I think it's really that was what allowed the audience to have that special connection with me where they're like, oh, here's this chick who's like some fitness chick and she's in the restling world.

But hey, I saw her like kind of do a move that's cool, and they saw me try and try.

I said to myself, each week I go out, I just have to like improve.

I have to do better than I did last week.

And so they literally came on this journey where they saw me fall down, you know, stand up again, desk myself off, and like go at it again.

And they saw me do really crappy matches and pretty awful moves at times, but they said, but they saw the improvement.

They watched it.

It was like a true underdog story.

Like they literally watched me go from here to there and they were along for the journey.

So when I eventually won the Women's Championship, which I was the greenest wrestler in that match.

When I first and that Woman's Championship match the first time, I want it and people were like, oh, I did not expect that.

Like it was like you can hear there's a palpable crowd reaction, like, oh I did not expect that, you know, not that one to it.

But they were happy for me, you know, and then they got to see me grow into the role.

So yeah, there was definitely a learning curve and it was tough for sure, because you know, not everyone was supportive and everything, but but I do my connection with the audience was definitely because of that really organic rise that I got to do.

I'm so curious.

But I mean, as somebody who grew up doing sports, you obviously know that there's a very big difference between being hurt and being injured.

And it seems to me that every time I watch a wrestling match, I understand injuries can be rare, but I'm like, how do you not get hurt every single match?

Do you get hurt every match?

Essentially?

You know, It's like, I know, it sounds weird.

It's like a calloused body in a way.

So the first time I went to that, I walked in.

My trainer's name was Ron Hutchinson.

I walked in.

He's like, all right, hit the ropes and you're like, oh my, you think you know you see us bouncing off the ropes.

When you hit the ropes for the first time, it's just like, don't out, Okay, it's not there's no bounce whatsoever.

And people think, you know, the mac goes like it's a it's not a cushion.

Yeah, it has a little bit of give, but that's so you don't biw your knees out.

But it's not a cushion, you know.

And especially I trained, there was a it wasn't even there wasn't a wrestling right at the time, I was in boxing ring, so it was even more you know, solid, but yeah, your body.

So at first it was just like black and blue for weeks on end, and you're just like, okay, let's go keep going, and as long as you can keep them during it.

It's just eventually you learn how to fall.

Property of course, you learn how to you know, take up.

It's like stunt stunts to a certain degree, right, you learn to properly fall into take the fall certain way.

You know.

We always say keep your neck to your chin, you know, so I'm sorry, next to your chin, that's that you'll be like a whole another level, you know.

So it's like little things like that.

So you don't snap.

You're not getting whiplash every time you hit them.

At like that.

So you you know, you train and you learn and you get used to it, and it's kind of like a callous body sort of after a while, you don't get the bruises, you hit the ropes and it's kind of fine, and you know, and then don't don't get it wrong because when you take a break and you retire and then you go back you get the bruses again.

So that's the physical part.

But I want to hear about, like what about getting used to being a celebrity, being a performer, having to do interviews.

Did that come naturally to you or is that likewise a learning curve.

So I was very lucky that I had a little bit of training with the fitness modeling, right, So I was very quickly sort of thrust into the spotlight.

I was like, you know, like I said, I went from like university student and like the most I mean was I was a little bit of a you know, I was a memorable player on my team, so I always kind of was like in the local paper and like things like that.

So I would do little interviews and things like that.

But when I got into the fitness modeling, it was like when I say it was a new industry, like there was only like we always equate it to like the supermodels back in the nineties, where there was Cindy and Naomi and Evangelista.

So there was like me am badly Monica brand.

There was like seven or eight of US and every magazine was US, and so very quickly they just turned this industry into a thing, right, He blew it up.

Suddenly there was fitness magazine.

Suddenly it was an industry, and so we were we had to go.

We were the ones blowing it up.

We are the ones doing the interviews.

We were the ones on you know what was it Access Hollywood?

I think it was back then, right, We were on the all those shows sort of like introducing this new industry and showing what fitness modeling was, and then all just doing all these interviews.

I would do interviews for the magazines and things like that, and so I got those sort of media training.

So I was lucky.

And I think, you know, people kind of you sometimes you have it, you have it.

Some people kind of are smart, right, So yeah, but I mean a different level when, of course you're walking through and there are crowds and there's thousands of people that you meet you at the airport, that was definitely a different level for sure.

Well, I mean around the year two thousand, you become one of the most recognizable faces in the company, and not just for your beauty but for your in ring talents and your personality.

But looking back, so much of that era involved these awkward, like horny storylines for men.

Yes, and you were able to push so far beyond that.

Was it hard though, to get people to see you as more than just the hot chick?

Oh yeah, yeah, I mean it wasn't even that was so it was almost like you have to like reprogram the audience.

They were used to chanting puppies.

You know, I don't know if you guys like who I know, they don't know you are.

I don't know if you guys like back in the day, it was like women would come out and they're like, we want puppies.

That is what we were like that.

So we went through a phase where we're like, we're gonna have wrestling match and they're.

Changing and do you want to tell them what puppies is?

They don't understand.

I'm missing some of the puppies.

Puppies they wanted.

They wanted they were.

Oh god, yes, can you imagine?

And it's so funny cause it's almost like, you know, when you go back and watch a Disney movie like Pinocchio and you're like, is he okay?

So my kid?

You know, so back in the day when you watch that old school wrestling, you're kind of like, did your loller just say yeah, he's referring to breasts.

Yeah, so we had to endure that.

We had to like get through it, you know, we had to like yeah, and my well, the only way to do it was to prove that you deserve to be there more than just those chances you deserve to get.

So I remember there's a turning point.

I remember we started wrestling a little bit more so the audience was kind of like, you know, learning to see us wrestle now, and there was a it was Thanksgiving and so they approached us and we were we felt like we're kind of starting to move out of the the girly stuff like the cat fights and the things like paddle on a pole match like it crazy stuff that you're believe me, and back when we do when we're doing it, we were like, I think we have to like go through the motions fly crador, but start getting some real stuff in.

Like we thought, we're gonna trade those the slaps and the hair pulls for like punches and for like chops, you know what I mean.

And so slowly we started to do that, and like we were kind of like reprogramming the audience to like expect that from me, because they really weren't at first and believe me, even backstage there was producers going, yeah, we don't.

People don't want to see women punch each other.

They want to see hair pulling, they want to see cat fighting.

They don't want to see that from the ash like we were told that were like and it was like literally like stop that, don't do that.

We had to like anyone looking you know what I mean.

Like why not just give you pillows and call it a day.

Honestly, that's what they for sure wanted.

I mean there were many pillow fights.

Yeah, like it was yeah, I mean there was I.

Think wrestle media.

There was like I can't remember.

I think I was out there by them, but I think it was a wrestle media because pillow fire for the women, Like yeah, it was pretty bad for a while, but like so we just knew it was like if we just like keep sort of slipping it and be under the radar.

So they're like, oh, the women's match, Like, don't worry, that's them.

And for a while we were the popcorn match.

We're the bathroom break.

We were that until we started to just deliver and then when we went out there and I think the turning point was like you know a woman, her name is Jazz.

It was Jazz Victoria.

These are women that I worked with, and we were like, we need to change the narrative.

We need to change the conversation, you know, and change the you know, what they expect from us in the ring.

They expect us to just be hot.

So like I even know, there was a point where I was dressing I was dressing down.

I wasn't like wearing what they wanted to wear.

I was like, don't notice what I'm wearing.

I didn't wear shorts.

I was like, I'm putting on full brigade wrestle, you know.

And I was like.

Then we had a guy, an agent who was working with his backstage and he was like, I want to see you guys punch as well.

And he goes, just just do it, just go do it like what you can ask for forgiveness and permission at that point, right, So we just started to go do it, and like slowly but surely that we want puppies.

Chance turned into I remember, so this gravy bul mat.

There was a thanksgiving we had it.

We we thought we were getting out of this you know, crappy little pillow fights and things like that.

But they're like, Okay, we're gonna have a Gravy Bowl match.

And we're like, oh, we thought we were passes.

Okay, but you have to do it.

It's your job, right, So I'm like, okay, we're gonna have a Gravya Bull match.

I'm gonna start it really cool.

So we come out on the stage the time they used to be the ramps to be really high back in the day, and so we had the top and I had Stacey just like she tossed me right off the top and I took a big bump from the top right and the fans were like holy and when we have a whole so you know, like that, we're just kind of slipping in the cool and the good action.

And after a while they just started to become programmed to see us like that, and you know, started to come around, and the puppies chance went away, and the and the cheering for us and matches and false pan for our false finishes started to happen, and it was like We're like, we're doing it, like we were really doing it.

So it's pretty cool.

That's one of my favorite things I think about when when Danielle like brought us into this world.

I love the kind of micro worlds where there's a whole language, there's an entire culture, there's a whole the music all means something.

I mean, every there there'd be one note that would bang out and everyone would go nuts, and I turned to Gensen or Danielle'll be like, Okay, what's happening, Like, all right, here's what's going on.

So, I mean, it's really cool to see that there is an entire culture based around this.

Uh and the idea that you were kind of there at the beginning for the women's side of it is pretty spectacular because I again, I've only seen two matches, but especially in the.

First one in preparation for the interview.

Of course you saw mine, right, of course, of course, no I met live.

I've only seen two matches.

Live, and it was I watched many oh many.

Tons, yes, but the smacked out.

I mean, I said to Danielle, I thought that the women were frankly better than the guys.

I mean, they just they were at the time.

It seemed there was more athleticism at the time, and what I said was like there was just more exciting.

So going in as a neophyte.

I was like, these are just kind of more exciting matches.

Frankly, so, yeah, but it is there that whole world.

Getting into a whole new culture is such a cool kind of experience.

Yeah, well, I feel like the same like with the with them, you know, everyone's like, how what's your what do you attribute your success to?

You?

And I have many things that I do attribute my success to.

But I was very lucky that I did come into these at the beginning of these you know, the beginning of these industries, right, Like fitness one was very new, so I got to like explore before it became oversaturated, and say with wrestling, because before you know, it became like it, I just kind of gotten a chance to like get it to a point where it was like it was talked about and it was becoming mainstream and people were now demanding women's matches and we're getting equal time as the men and things like that.

So it was cool to be a part of that sort of beginnings of things.

One other thing that really maybe sets you apart from some of the other female wrestlers at the time was that you never posed for Playboy, which was almost like a guarantee if you were a female wrestler at the time, what made you make that decision and did you ever second guess yourself?

No, Oh, my gosh, I it just it's just not for me.

When I I'm like a tomboy, Like even though I'm known, I am known as a sex symbol.

I suppose I heard that.

Yeah, it was like, not me.

It is my character you know here, you know, But I mean I pull it off, you know, but if I need to.

But yeah, I know, it was not even an option.

Like I was like, oh, that is just not me.

Even when I had to do the pillow fights and I actually I didn't have a pillow fight one, but I had to do lu Ray stuff.

It was just it wasn't me.

It felt it was very put on.

Even one time they had these annual magazines.

It was called the Divas magazines.

It was like star swimsy illustrated magazine where we'd go down to some exotic location shoot that well.

I don't know if those budget cuts or whatever it was, or maybe like you said, the horny writers or storylines, but suddenly instead of the annual bikini issue, they wanted a lingerie issue.

And I was like, oh, like I didn't want to do it, and I just like it felt so silly to me, so like I made this like whole look it was like sports like it was like sports lingerie where I did like you know, I like I like did the socks and like made it, you know what I mean.

I made it like athletics sexy, like I just said, I just I don't know, so the sexy thing did comfort.

So when Playwood came on, I was like absolutely not interested.

Vince, Oh my god, how did me like like crazy, Like He's like, it's great opportunity.

And I was shown also during that time that but look at the opportunity if you turned this down.

So we're going to give your opportunities to her.

So and I'm like, no, I still don't want to do it, thank you.

And it came to me for years and years and I just was like no, and I do not regret it and never.

It's just it's just not my thing.

And now, my god, now that a kids and everything, like I couldn't even imagine, to be honest, So I know that is my decision to stand by it.

Wow, was there ever a storyline you remember?

Uh?

Just flat out saying no, too.

Oh yeah, lots lots of them.

Yeah, I was.

I had this.

I understood that if you were to say no, it was like say no, but so like I'd be like, I'm not doing that, but how about we you know, I wanted to make sure I can get there, but let's do it this way, you know.

So I most I got away with a lot of stuff if I didn't want to do it, I said no to it and got away with like my suggestion or alternative way of approaching the same sort of outcome.

But there was one time that I flat it said no it would involve me kissing another girl, and I was like, I don't understand why you would no.

I don't know just how.

Does this play into how does this play into my rest of the story.

I don't think my character would do that or myself.

So yeah, I didn't do that, But then I was I got stripped about right away, like literally was shown that this was you were being punished for your decision, like it was crazy.

There was some crazy scenarios where you yeah, they were you know.

Anyway, I was told like you're like, I was like, oh is this happening, because yep, it sure is.

And I was like, all right, so they didn't even try it.

They didn't even try to hide it.

They didn't even try it.

They were but they would be people.

There's so many people backstages, all these producers, there's writers, there's you know, and it kind of like I was like, is this happening because yeah, oh okay, well that's okay.

I still stand by my decision, you know, you know, yeah, I mean, look, eventually waited up at WrestleMania and Toronto, so they need to be back to promote it.

So you know, we have talked about it so much on this show that like from the time you're a kid, if depending on whenever you start, you learn very quickly that being a team player means doing whatever is asked of you, no matter what the cost to your personal life is or what the cost is to anything.

That if you have any sort of boundaries, there will usually be some negative repercussion for it.

And yeah, I mean I don't I'm not definitely not surprised.

It's super interesting though, because what I'm hearing from from Trish and from things we heard growing up and stuff like that is it's usually always put to you as if you realize how good this would be for you?

Correct?

Ye, Like this is for you.

I'm really doing this for you.

And it's like, if you want to turn down that opportunity, you're just shooting yourself in the foot because exactly this is great for you, and it seems like that's kind of the way to go about it.

Like no, I'm I'm good, Thanks.

I'm good.

Yeah, yeah, I missed this opportunity.

I suppose yeah, I get yeah, exactly, yeah.

Yeah.

Who do you think is the most underrated wrestler you've worked with?

Male or female?

Oh?

Wow, uh, probably Natty Nightheart.

I mean I feel like she's getting her her flowers now and but I mean I mean almost maybe not.

I think if you look at her Instagram, like danm this girl's busy.

So Nanny has been with this company for so long, I mean obviously born and bred to be in this business.

She's she's elevated and helped so many people.

She's had she's been the reason many people have had their best match.

You know, she's contributed, she's given back, but she's never ever she's kind of like the bridesmaid always, you know what I mean.

And she's happy, you know, she's one, she's been Woman's Champion, She's had her she's been she's had her moments for sure.

But like even in the last little while, like it's really cool if you guys follow her, like if you go to her Instagram, like she kind of was like, I'm gonna go do my own thing, and she started like creating this new character that was like this bad like like one of those like underground fighting chicks because she can't and it was cool.

Like so people are really resonant, and I'm like, I'm waiting for like WWB, Like, oh that is cool.

That's resoning with people and it's real and authentic.

And then bring it to WI and I hope they don't, you know, tarnish it by bringing it to like you know, sometimes the commercialize things and make it too shorty, you know, when she is like this raw thing she's doing and you know, she's just released a book right now, and so she's she's everwearen and it's just it's great to see she's finally kind of getting out there.

But I would say like in the last little while, she hasn't been the highlight with storylines and things like that, you know what I mean.

Yeah, but she has been the helper, you know, the accessory and like, you know, people helping the talent, which she's happy to do and she loves that.

She actually loves that as well.

But she's amazing and uh man, her and I we were like two Canadians going at it.

I mean, it's it would.

Be no wait not to put you on the spot, but would you answer the opposite question, who's the most overrated wrestler?

Oh?

Oh gosh, that's that's don't have to be mean to some I think no, I know.

That's why I'm saying, you don't have to answer.

I'm just curious, just curious.

Me.

I think people talking about me waiting.

You know, it's like, oh, she's still here, she's doing it for twenty five years and she's still amazing.

Like, oh me, But it would be it would be nearly impossible to be a wrestler man or woman and not have found inspiration in you.

I mean, dozens of superstars in twenty twenty five list you as a major inspiration.

What is your biggest piece of advice for longevity in this industry for some of the young up and coming Allan, I.

Think I always go so my new thing has been that this is just a quirky one.

But I've always so now when people say like because now I'm still I mean I literally this was my twenty fifth anniversary this year and I read and we you know, I looked, I actually have this magazine coming out and they were just putting me on the cover and they're like, once I did the interview, They're like, way, this is a wait.

We didn't realize, Like it's twenty five years and you still had three matches this year.

Like that's insane, right, So they turn this issue now they're like celebrating the twenty five years and so then so the thing is when people are like, how are you still doing it?

Like even you know, talk to someone like Naomi who just at Trinity, who you know, has just left.

She was a woman's champion, finally got to the very very top of the you know, I mean, you know she she's been amazing and contributed so much and she's finally got the women's championship and then she's going to go have a baby, right so she you know, which is yay, amazing.

So we got a chat, like, you know, I hope she's okay.

I'm me telling this story.

But we had a talk chat, you know, just literally months before that when I was back on the road, and she was like, dude, like it's so cool that, like, you know, showing that like I went out, I went, I had my career, right, So two thousand, two thousand and six had my career top of the line, left on top, left as champion, great went started, businesses, started, my family, lived life, travel, didn't wasn't bound to like three hundred days of the year schedule that this.

You know, it's a crazy world.

It's a crazy schedule.

It's not fun.

I mean it's fun, but you cannot like I missed a lot of my friend's weddings, babies been born, et cetera.

Right, so I got to live my life and then lucky me, I got to go back.

But like that's the cool thing.

It used to be like a shelf life for the women.

Now women are actually having their babies and then bring them on the road and then going and wrestling.

You know.

So Trinity was like, that's so cool.

I love that.

Like I'm like, you go have your babies, you there's always room to come back, like at this day and age.

But so my point is I digress.

So my number one thing is do yoga.

Okay, you know, but if you want to be in the business for a long time, if you don't want injuries.

I have been in this business for twenty five years and I barely know touch would but the injuries have been I know not.

I haven't been had too many injuries that have sidelined.

So yoga's number one.

But I always tell people just find and stay as authentic as you can find that character.

Of course, like, yes, it's over the top, it's it's very character driven.

But when you find that that character that like is is you know, rings true with you because the fans, there's something about the fans, no, there's that when there's that authenticity to the character, it resonates with the fans.

They can feel it when when they when somebody's coming from the heart, even if it's you know, amplified twenty five times, because we are characters and we're cricatures of ourselves out there.

That's when people really feel it.

And that's when people say there's a little Jenna sa Qua about it.

There's like, I don't know what it is about the person, it's because it's coming from a true place.

And that's often with actors too, like, you know, how do they pull that roll off?

And then you hear about the story of like I drew from this, you know.

So when when your character out there is drawing from a true place, it really really works.

And I think that is what I mean.

The novelty characters absolutely work as well, but not as not as much as the long term, right, Like the longevity of your personality and your person in the ring definitely true and a dick it goes the longest for sure.

That's so great.

I love that advice about yoga.

I'm like, man, oh, you need to be not everyone.

Like we should all have everybody.

I don't know how old you guys, but I'm old, and yoga I'm keep it is keeping me young.

I'm telling you, like it's I went back and wrestled.

I remember the first match.

I was like, like, okay, So twenty twenty three, I went back and wrestled for six months straight, did like.

It ended up being a six month run which again had a wrestled in you know, one hundred years, and I had a cage match, which back in my day unheard of.

Right, we don't we didn't.

It wasn't an option for the girls.

That's what the boys did.

You guys can have a match, sure, but cool stuff and like the extreme stuff.

I mean women would you would.

Die surely if you had a cad of course you could never do it.

Yeah, right, And so I had.

A cage match.

I was.

It was through.

It was like a bucket list because I know it sounds weird.

I want to be tossed into like a metal uh you know, fence.

But it was a time to come up and do one.

Me and Danielle should have a cage match, but like maybe as teammate anyway.

But I had the match.

The next day, I woke up and I thought, oh my god, and I was like, okay, I feel okay, you know, like I it's the yoga, like the pliability of your body and all that.

So I must need a better I must need a better yoga instructor, because every time I've tried yoga, it's just a very clever way of hiding fifty push ups.

That's what it's like.

Do down our dog again.

Just tell me to do a push up.

Just tell me to do a push up.

That's all you need to tell me.

Then you week biceps, so work on that and then class.

Well, no, my tri SEPs are are weak, but then again, so is the rest of.

My body or why?

But that that leads me to a question, though, I have a question.

So have you had to tailor your performance the older you get?

I mean, can you do all the moves now that you were able to do twenty five years ago?

So the crazy thing is is I can.

So the first one I got called back was okay, so just fro the perspective.

Two thousand and six is when I retired, okay, which is so long ago.

And then twenty eighteen was the first time like they call me and they're like, we're doing an all women's roller rumble and it's the first ever, and we would love you to come back and be in it.

And I was like, oh, well, it's been like eleven whatever the math is eleven years and I have birth two children.

I was like, I don't think and I was like, I'm just gonna pull this off, Like I'm just going to be very minimal things.

I'll do my greatest hits, you know, I'll do that one thing that I point and I do the thing and I practice those four moves.

I did it.

Who I did it?

But then I was like, I kind of did it though, and it was like kind of like riding a bike actually.

So then I went back had another match twenty eighteen, and then twenty three I went back into like a six month's run, and my body was like, yeah, this is fine.

And then now I like to go back.

I love to be like, let me do something that no one's seeing me do before.

So now because my body can, I'm trying things that I have never done before, and I'm presenting a whole different repertoire, a whole new move set nowadays.

And it's been fun to do that actually, because I like shocking the pep.

I just I did a moon salt for the first time in my entire life.

I don't know if you know what that is even, but it's just move that my rival had done, and I always took moon salts my whole life.

It's a it's a move from the top rope and you go backwards, and she would always give it to me.

It was like Lyda was my rival, which is my best die and my rival, and she would just That's how I died, every move, every match, and so I was like, I want to do it as like an homage to her, plus the partner that they're the person that I worked with did a moon salt, So I was doing it as like I know you kind of with the psychology.

There was I know your moves.

I'm going to try your move on you.

And I hit my first moon salt in my entire life, and it was super fun and the fans were like, what the did she just do a moon salt?

And so that was fun to just do things and I like those what the moments?

Those are fun?

Man.

If you could go back in time and tell that med school student but eventual international superstar one thing, what would you tell her?

Oh?

Okay, I think there's two things.

I have to always say two things, because one is stay true to yourself always, and it's things like saying no to play Boy, being like just who you are, I'm being authentic like all that is so important and we'll give you the longevity you need for sure.

Also is enjoy the moment, be in the moment, smell stop and smell the roses like that whole theory, because you know, I'm lucky that I got to go back and then see it from a different perspective.

But back when I was you know, twenty to twenty four years old and you know, in it, I didn't I wasn't like realizing that, oh my god, I got to travel the world.

I went to like I've been to every single state I've been to, all these countries, performed in front of you know, thousands and thousands.

But I was in this like crazy, you know, three hundred days a year of goobo go.

It was like a you know, it was like a frenetic pace where you just didn't stop and then really enjoy stuff.

And it wasn't until I actually got injured towards the end of my career, which made me end up, you know, eventually why I retired.

But I went back after I had an injury, and I went back knowing I was going to retire, and I that was like that last leg there was so great because I really got a chance to be like, you know, instead of being like, oh I got it, go on the red Like no, it's like, oh wow, you get to go to You're going to be in you know, Memphis, Go to Iceland, you know you're there.

Go go see where Elvis lived, just like do things, enjoy things, and like stop and smell the roses and like go out and like when you're in the town, yoused be like airport's, arena's hotels and I was like, no about airport, Go check out the sites, then go to the hotel.

Bend your show, you know what I mean.

So just enjoying the process a lot more and just being present a lot more.

And obviously that's something now is a mom that I'm you know, I carry over that just being it's something I'm just when I'm home.

I'm home, when I'm with mom with my kids, when my mom my mom, and when i'm superstar superstars.

So it's important.

Well, you have a brand new magazine cover dropping and this marks your one hundred and thirteenth cover.

I mean, Will is just stuck at one oh four.

You know you can't get past it because the girth.

That's well, but again, I was just going to say girth magazine and that's going to sound.

Really odd, very very digital though maybe you could work.

Yeah, I'm big on the internet.

Oh wow, at you.

Wow.

It's a Trisha twenty five special.

You helped design it and it details all the year's big WWE Moments just in time for the anniversary, and you have a limited number of signed copies available now at Trish Stratus dot com.

Yeah, it's honestly, I look at that picture and I'm so like, Dana, Oh that's me.

She leans up, good mama.

Like it's funny.

Like I even when you want to go back and wrestle, Like I'll wrestle and I'll be like, oh, it was terrible.

Let me see the video.

I'm like it's pretty good.

Oh guys.

And like when I do those pictures, I'm like, I don't know, is it good?

And then I'm like, oh, that's really good, So you know, it's so funny.

I have also been noticing that with dancing every week that like the way something feels yeah while you're doing it versus the way it actually looks on the outside can be two totally different things, both in a good way and a bad way.

Sometimes you're like, Wow, I nailed it.

Then watch a video and you're like oh no, And sometimes you're like, oh that was awful.

And then you watch it and you're like, hey.

Okay, okay, because somebody because you're in your head too much right Like.

It's like would you ever be interested in doing dancing with the Star.

I would love to do.

You know why?

I love challenges.

Look, I went into wrestling and I'm like, I know, I'm throw a clothesline?

Can I can I do this?

And now I'm a seven time champion, you know what I mean?

Like, I love challenge.

I thrive on challenge.

I'm also a really bad dancer, So I'm like, it's like that, you know under the journey journey thing.

Yes, yes, yes, okay, well you dancer when you No, no, no, not at all.

No.

I had zero dance experience, but like you, I love I had, I have rhythm.

I'm not like completely you know, it's not like I had too much.

Okay you have no rhythm or and just girth all right exactly.

He talks very highly of himself.

I've never you self hating Will, but.

I'll be honest with this entire podcast, Everybody just talking about my girth is not going to be a bad thing for my reputation.

Let's be totally honest.

You know that like Jersey guy who has like rhythm.

It's so weird, so weird.

Trish, thank you, thank you so much for being here with us.

It's been an absolute pleasure to interview you.

I hope to see you at a con again.

We took a picture once together.

I was like, I have to take a picture with you because you know, yes, let's beat again to wrestling.

Yeah, we need we need to make it happen again.

Is like, this is their childhood while we are childhood fantasies, which is kind of cool.

That is very cool.

And one picture, two first crushes A pictures.

I love it so much so I hope to see you again soon.

Thank you so much for spending your time with us.

Congratulations on the cover and you on your anniversary twenty five years.

Thank you about yours had been me.

I'm excited about you.

We're all we're all fans.

Thank you again.

Bye.

She's truly one of the pioneers of especially women in wrestling, being able to do what they're able to do now.

I mean she was, she paved the way.

I mean, she's literally one of those people.

It would be impossible to be a women's a women's wrestler and to not look back and say that Trish Stratus was not one of the reasons One you thought you could do this and two wanted to do it and laid the foundation for her.

Category almost didn't even exist.

It's exactly right, it didn't.

They were, like she said, they were valets.

They walked the men in, they paraded them around, they were involved in storylines about who was sleeping with who, but like they were not doing anything physical.

It was like a battle of inches too, right, Like she just has to get like, okay, I'm not going to do the pillow fight.

Okay, I'm not going to do and you know if that's bigger and bigger until you're finally like, oh wow, you're a champion, Like this is a real I.

Didn't even want to ask what a what a gravy boat match was because I already know.

I already just know by the title.

Yeah what this So it's mud wrestling, it's old screen mud wrestling, Yeah, gravy Like really this is what this.

Is what you're doing.

But the I mean, people sometimes underestimate how important it is to be able to look at something and say I want to do that.

Yeah, and it's the people nothing to look at first that are the ones that are the true pioneers where it's like, well I got to create the category.

I mean that's crazy.

Yeah, exactly.

Well, thank you all for listening to this episode of Pod Meets World.

As always, you can follow us on Instagram pod Meets World Show.

You can send us your emails pod Meets World Show at gmail dot com.

And we've got merch.

Wanted forty something computer programmer because we've recently had to let ours go, so please call us at fakejobs dot com.

Merch Podmeetsworldshow dot com will send us out.

We love you all, pod dismissed.

Pod Meets World is not heart podcast produce and hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfredell and Ryder Strong executive producers, Jensen Carp and Amy Sugarman, Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tara sudbachsch producer, Maddie Moore.

Engineer and Boy Meets World super fan Easton Allen.

Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon and you can follow us on Instagram at Podmeats World Show or email us at Podmeats Worldshow at gmail dot com