Trish talks!

By Alex Marvez

Trish Stratus may be out of action with an ankle injury, but that isn't keeping her off WWF programming. Stratus is one of the co-hosts of the new WWF Excess show from 10 p.m. to midnight E.S.T. Saturday nights on TNN.

Q: How is your ankle and what happened?

Stratus: "The ankle is doing a lot better. I'm walking now, and that's a good thing. It's just a matter of getting stronger and doing rehab so I can be at full speed. I was doing some plyometric training when I got hurt.

I thought I had sprained it, but when you sprain your ankle, you can usually put a little pressure on it. For this one, I could put no pressure at all and my ankle was huge for a couple of days. It turned out I had a bone chip that I had to get removed."

Q: How excited about chance to do Excess, especially considering how valuable air time has become for WWF wrestlers?

Stratus: "That's a good point. I didn't think about that. This came at a good time for me because I was out and off TV for six weeks. What happened was (WWF management) saw me on the Howard Stern show that airs on E! They like the way I came across. I was really relaxed and my personality came across. This was a good opportunity, especially because I was taking some time off. I hope once I get back on the road that I can start a routine where I still do Excess on Saturday nights and then go on the road, like Tazz did for (Sunday Night) Heat.

Q: What do you like about the show?

Stratus: "I actually like the fact I'm going into it a little unsure only because I haven't been on that side of the desk before. I've been a guest and been interviewed and am prepared. But the fact I'm the one asking the questions instead of answering them is difficult. Well, maybe not as difficult as it is uncomfortable. But I'm excited about the fact that people want to see more of me and my personality. It will be so good when I start to relax and not think so much about the script.

They want me to be me and ask questions as a fan. People have a chance to see me rather than just two seconds of my character."

Q: Did you guys do a dress rehearsal before the first show?

Stratus: "We got together on Friday before the first show. We really ran down the basic parts of doing it and then did a little run through with Triple H. He was nice enough to come in early and go through it before the actual run. We did the walk-through this but I don't think we need to be so rehearsed. It's better if it's off the cuff. If it isn't, you start to lose spontaneity. That's a key part to have in a live show."

Q: Can you talk about how you broke into the business?

Stratus: "There are a number of things that helped me break through into the business. I was a fitness model and I had good exposure on a couple of magazine covers and things like that. I had enough notoriety that I got on a couple of talk shows. The one that made the biggest impact was on Off the Record. A lot of wrestlers do that show. When up I had gone up there, TSN and the WWF had just signed a deal where the WWF would be prime time in Canada. They had a huge press conference before a show at the Skydome (in Toronto). They (TSN) asked me as a fitness model would I want to come on that show. They would love to have someone who is a fan and a woman who could role play with word games. It was in front of a live crowd and the response was great. From there, that was when the internet rumors started.

It just so happened that the next day when I was going as a fan (to a WWF show) that I met (WWF Canada president) Carl DeMarco. It's funny how people associate things. They see you in front of a WWF banner with some wrestlers and you're in. But the internet rumors spurred everything. Then I was on LAW (Live Audio Wrestling) as a guest. They liked my point of view on things and the fact I was a fan of the business and a smart mark, so to speak. I kind of enjoyed that and got a pretty good response as a guest. From there, I went backstage to another Toronto show. They (The WWF) said for me to send my stuff. I got a press kit together and sent it to them. It took a little while before we started talking, but in the meantime, I started training at the same gym where Edge and Christian started to get myself prepared and to show I was willing to take a bump. That was it. Basically, I signed the deal, we got some immigration issues worked out and I started.

Q: How did you get educated to the business before being in it?

Stratus: "I'm a big internet fan because I have my own web site (www.trishstratus.com). It was like, 'Ooh, neat a spoiler.' And then I would follow trends and with the (LAW) radio show I got a lot of feedback."

Q: What's the biggest misconception about the business you may have had?

Stratis "I tend to go into things without my eyes being closed, but I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what type of contract they were going to offer me. If they would have offered me a button with a string attached to it, I'd be like, 'Cool! Where do I sign?' Some of the inside stuff I had no idea about. I was used to being on the road at certain times because I was a fitness model and you go to locations to shoot and do appearances. But there's a big difference touring ... A lot of people warned me that this will consume your life and take you away from your family. It really did. Thank God I love it this much and everyone that knows me understands. I'm a fan as much as I am a performer, which is why what I do is worth it at the end of the day."

Q: Did you expect to actually be wrestling or serving more as valet?

Stratus: "I definitely wanted to do the physical side of it. Once I was up to par, I thought I could offer great personality as a character. I knew I could talk, but I wanted to be physical. I wanted to bump and learn to do more. It's a continuous learning process."

Q: How much progress do you think you've made?

Stratus: "Just before I got injured I was getting a lot more TV time in the ring. That helps because when you get there you find out what you can do in the ring. Sometimes you're hesitant to try out new things. I'm more confident now with my repertoire and putting spots A and B together. I'm building on top of each thing. I think because I was a fan for so long that I caught on quickly because I've watched and maybe I know how to sell a little better than someone totally foreign to it. Plus, everyone is great about helping. Everyone from Kurt Angle to the Hardys to Lita, they'll say, 'How about trying something like this? It may look better.' Dean (Malenko) is real good at giving scenarios. It's a learn-as-you-go process."

Q: Who were your favorites growing up?

Startus: "I have to say I was a Hulkamaniac. He was so entertaining to watch. And I've been a fan of Randy Savage forever. I enjoyed him as a character and watching him in the ring. I like his combination of style and athleticism."

Q: What's your proudest in-ring moment?

Stratus: "Two spots stand out. One is the time me and Triple H worked against Lita and The Rock. That was a big moment for me not because of who I was in the ring working with but because it showed (WWF management) had confident in (Lita and me) to go out with those two. We had the spotlight on us and we came through. Also, I would definitely say my match with Stephanie (McMahon) at No Way Out. That was probably my best in-ring work. We both worked real hard in the ring. I don't think people were expecting what they got. Obviously, we're not as trained as some of the other wrestlers are.

But we weren't trying to mess around with lock-ups and doing hammerlock. We were trying to kick each other's ass like the character was supposed to. I was really happy with that match.

Q: Obviously, a lot has been made of the skit where Vince McMahon forced you to strip and bark like a dog in the ring last spring. How hard was that for you to do and did it have a negative impact upon your career?

Stratus: "Gosh, no. There was no negative impact. The fact people are still talking about it is a good thing to me. The initial response from people was, 'Wow.' That's good. That's what we wanted to get from you.

We're happy with that. I just think people sat back and said, 'I can't believe he did that.' ... Before, I just said I was going to go out and be in the moment. I knew Vince was going to be in my face and so into the moment himself. I just said I was going to respond to whatever he gave to me. That's how it came out. Yeah, to be honest, when I watch it back it's a little disturbing. But that's what we were going for. It's almost like taking a certain bump or doing something for a character. It contributed to part of the story."

Q: What are the goals you have set for yourself in the business at this point?

Stratus: "My goals are to keep learning and keep getting better. There's so much room for me to grow in this business and industry. Like with Excess, I never thought this opportunity would come about. I can get so much better with my in-ring stuff. I want to keep improving."

Alex Marvez's weekly pro wrestling column can be found in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Denver Rocky Mountain News, Biloxi Sun-Herald and a host of other newspapers that subscribe to the Scripps-Howard News Service.