10 Incredible Wrestlers Fans WROTE-OFF Before They Were Famous
3. Trish Stratus
Women's wrestling wasn't anything like it is today back in 2000. Yes, stars like Chyna got lots of screentime on the WWF's bigger shows, and Lita would blow up as a star by mid-year, but most female performers were hired exclusively for their looks. Trish Stratus was no exception. She waltzed in the door due to her blonde bombshell appearance and rock hard body that had earned praise in the fitness industry.
Let's be clear about something straight away. Nobody had 'Trish The Dish' earmarked as somebody who'd go on to help revolutionise perceptions of women's wrestling in the promotion. Hell, nobody had her down as a future WWF Women's Champ full stop. Active wrestling wasn't going to be Trish's role anyway. She was there to work as a valet and that was very much that.
Stratus yearned to work matches and show what she could do, but her earliest forays between the ropes were tentative at best. Everything had to be super simple so Trish could keep pace. That wouldn't change until she started getting more reps as an active talent in 2002. Stratus went from working 39 matches in 2001 to a whopping 134 the following year. She upped her game in a big, big way.
Magazines of the era guffawed when discussing Trish's chances of nailing down a permanent spot in the women's division back in 2001, certainly as anything more than an eye candy "Diva" who was there for her body. Ridiculously driven and talented beyond belief, Stratus shut everyone's mouth with her amazing aptitude for producing hard fought matches that were a cut above what fans had witnessed from the division since Alundra Blayze had departed.