trish stratus: growing pains

Growing Pains

This week on RAW, Trish Stratus returned to action after missing nearly two months thanks to a dislocated shoulder. While the initial diagnosis was six weeks of rehab, Trish told WWE.com in an exclusive interview that an injury concurrent with the dislocation cost her couple extra weeks of rehab time.

“There was a small fracture of the humerus that needed to heal, so I had to wait on that,” she said, “but that’s now finally healed and I’ve been hitting rehab pretty hard trying to get my strength back. Luckily I have 100 percent mobility in the shoulder, so it’s just a matter of strengthening it. I’ll be back in tip-top shape in no-time, once again delivering Stratusfaction in the ring.”

While Trish was out, she brought Beth Phoenix to RAW to help her combat Mickie James. Unfortunately, Beth suffered a broken jaw during a match against Victoria , and she will be out of action for a couple months while that injury heals. It was just another in a line of injuries surrounding those that oppose the Women’s Champion; with Ashley breaking her leg, Trish dislocating her shoulder and now Beth breaking her jaw, one has to wonder if maybe there’s some sort of curse surrounding Mickie James.

“Let’s just say that I pity that woman’s love life,” Trish joked. “But you know, maybe in my time off I’ve done a little spell reversing…and maybe she’s going to get injured in my path.”

Hey, if the Boston Red Sox were able to “reverse the curse” in 2004, don’t count out Trish’s chances to do the same.

While she was out, however, Trish got to become part of WWE Shop’s newest line of merchandise: Superstar growth charts. Just about everyone I knew had one as a kid; mine was a poster of Michael Jordan, but I still haven’t quite gotten to 6 foot 6 after all these years. However, today’s youth can now grow up trying to top some of the most recognized WWE Superstars.

Trish is the only WWE Diva making an appearance, joining Carlito, John Cena and Triple H in the initial wave of four. Naturally, Trish was very excited about the new piece of merchandise.

“I think it’s very cool,” she said. “And looking at Carlito’s, I was surprised to see that I’m only about six inches shorter then he is,” she added with a chuckle.

And of course, being the only Diva in the bunch makes it even more special for Trish. “It’s pretty special to have that honor,” she beamed, “and hopefully there will be a number of young and aspiring Divas who try to measure up to Trish Stratus using the growth chart.”

But the growth chart may not be all the new Trish merchandise you see in the future.

“I wear armbands a lot, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I had the Let’s Do It! logo from my new t-shirt put onto an armband,” Trish said. “Armbands are one of my favorite accessories, and in fact, I’m wearing one on the new growth chart. I think some Trish Stratus armbands would be very Stratus-fying for the fans!”

If there is one negative about her new growth chart, it’s that looking at it while rehabbing reminds Trish of the many injuries she’s suffered throughout her career. Regardless, she has taken a licking and keeps on ticking.

“I’ve broken my nose three times, blackened my eye, busted my lip and cracked some teeth…and that’s just my head,” she joked. “I’ve dislocated, separated and torn the labrum in my shoulder, had two herniated discs in my back, broken my right ankle and many toes, the list goes on.” And of course, she later added with a smile that “I’ve had many broken nails and pieces of hair torn out. It’s all part of being a Diva!”

With that laundry list of maladies to her…credit, Trish says that the herniated discs were the hardest to come back from.

“I had to question my future with that, because I couldn’t even sit for more than 45 minutes at a time,” she recalled. “It wasn’t about being in the ring, I couldn’t even travel because of that. It was a little frustrating, because I had two months of physical therapy and it didn’t seem to get better.”

Luckily for Trish, she was able to turn that negative into a positive.

“I look at (the injury) as a pivotal point in my life because that’s when I found yoga,” she said. “It completely healed my back, and I’ve continued practicing yoga for about a year now. It’s completely changed my mind and my body, and I believe I’m more agile than ever now.”

Trish also attributes yoga to helping stem the severity of her most recent injury. “I should have torn something in there, which is what usually happens with dislocations,” Trish stated, “but I think the yoga helped keep that injury to a minimum and helped me heal quicker.”

Of course, now that she’s recovered from her latest setback, Trish says it’s all just part of the job.

“It’s like one of those commercials. You can list all of my injuries, but being a six-time Women’s Champion is priceless,” she said with a laugh. With an attitude like that, it may only be a matter of time before reign number seven begins for Trish Stratus.