10 Wrestlers Who Suffered From The Curse Of Comparison
4. Kelly Kelly - Trish Stratus
From the Attitude to the Ruthless Aggression Era, WWE’s “divas” were heavily judged on their physical appearance. Trish Stratus and Kelly Kelly both being attractive blondes, who swapped modelling shoots for the wrestling mat, was enough for a correlation. Trish took to sports entertainment becoming the most over and skilled performer in the ‘00s women’s locker room. With her success, the company believed they’d cracked the code in making professional wrestlers out of promo models.
Kelly played into the comparison. In 2008, she told WWE Magazine:
"I would love to follow Trish Stratus’ career […] watching all her old matches, I've picked up on some of her in-ring mannerisms. I really look up to her and how well she connected with the fans.”
Kelly connected with fans as a personality but in the ring left much to be desired. While Stratus embraced wrestling with haste, Kelly never quite found comfort between the ropes. She was better booked in multi-participant matches with brief physical involvement. Kelly’s beauty no doubt caught the eye of casuals, however, she could never become the face of the women’s division. There was, is, and always will be only one woman who can deliver 100% Stratusfaction guaranteed.