20 years later: A storybook ending

The wrestling business doesn't often give us storybook endings, but 20 years ago it did.

On September 17, 2006, Trish Stratus entered the ring in front of family and friends in Toronto for her farewell match at WWE Unforgiven. She stood face-to-face with her greatest rival with the WWE Women's Championship on the line.

It almost seemed too good to be true.


Trish and Lita spent years as both rivals and allies, even making history by main-eventing Monday Night Raw in 2004. So when it came time for Trish to end her career, there was no better opponent.

The Toronto crowd knew they were witnessing a farewell. Emotions soared as Trish locked Lita in the Sharpshooter – a move paying tribute to Bret Hart – and forced her longtime rival to tap out.

Trish became Women's Champion for a record-setting seventh time, taking her final bow in front of 16,000 fans.


via GIPHY

MATCH SPOTLIGHT: READ BREAKDOWN OF THIS MATCH

This kind of goodbye just never happens. More often, the departing wrestler helps pave the way for the next generation. This tradition, known as "doing the honors" is deeply rooted in the business. The idea is that a star gives back by elevating someone else on their way out, ensuring the company's future. Emotional send-offs with a final victory are the exception, not the rule, because wrestling is ultimately about continuity and building new stars rather than perfect endings.

We've seen this tradition with wrestling's biggest stars. Most recently, John Cena and Brock Lesnar both said their farewells in defeat.

That's the business.

But Trish's ending was different – it was a storybook ending – something that may never be duplicated again.