Trish Stratus and Lita’s Era-Defining Fight in 2004 Received an Unhealthy Reaction in the Men’s Locker Room

In 2004, Vince McMahon leveled the playing field for the women’s division by pitting Trish Stratus and Lita in the main event on Raw. This was the first time that female wrestlers headlined an event. Trish and Lita’s rivalry etched its stature as one of the best feuds in the women’s division. It is what helped define and revolutionize women’s wrestling in WWE. 

 Their inclusion in the main event did not appear to sit well with a few male wrestlers backstage, despite showcasing their penchant for excellent storytelling. In an interview, Jim Ross described how the locker room, which was full of raging young wrestlers, expressed their disdain for the idea.

Jim Ross recalls how Trish and Lita’s Raw main match event enraged wrestlers

The main event saw then-champion Trish Stratus put her Women’s Championship on the line against Lita. It is safe to say that the duo’s performance captivated the audience from start to finish. One of the high points of the match was when Lita executed a suicide dive, nearly breaking her neck at ringside. During the closing moments of the match, Lita countered the Stratusfaction and hit the Twist of Fate, followed by a moonsault, to pick up the win.  

While speaking on an edition of Grillin’ JR, Jim Ross recalled that not everybody was on board with the idea of watching Trish and Lita in the main event. In fact, male wrestlers who worked hard to be in the main events were “pi**ed off”. 

He said, “They (Trish and Lita) were the first females to main event Raw, which I thought was great. That’s a lot bigger deal even today than people give it credit for. Many pi*sed-off wrestlers with testicles. What the hell is going on here? They [Lita and Stratus] deserved the opportunity, and they delivered.” 

The WWE Hall of Famer also pointed out that Trish and Lita did justice to their opportunity. Despite their doubters, the duo delivered a barnburner of a match to cap off Raw. 19 years later, Trish and Lita are unquestionably the two faces on every wrestling fan’s Mount Rushmore from the Ruthless Aggression Era.

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JR also stated that, unlike most modern-day talents, Trish and Lita were not “five-star” prospects. 

WWE did not regard Trish Stratus and Lita as top stars during their signing

While there is no dearth of exceptional talent in the women’s locker room today, times were different during the Ruthless Aggression Era. Women were perceivably viewed as eye candy rather than ring talent. However, the riveting rivalry between Trisha and Lita altered the trajectory of women’s wrestling. 

Jim Ross also mentioned that neither Trish nor Lita were considered top female talents before signing with WWE. According to him, they were less experienced before joining the Stanford-based company. 

He said, “They [Trish Stratus and Lita] weren’t on top of anybody’s list, they weren’t five-star prospects, and they had not become superstars in the indies.”

Even in the present era, it is rare to see a women’s match in the main event. It was admirable that Trish and Lita were the first to do it. Nevertheless, they wrestled side-by-side at WrestleMania 39 in a tag-team match until Lita was taken out by Stratus after WrestleMania. 

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What are your views on JR’s claims? Let us know in the comments!