The internet rumors were put to rest on this past Smackdown as Trish Stratus returned to face Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam.
Given the WWE’s attempts to right their ship by bringing legends back into the fold, this actually makes a lot of sense. Not only had Flair broken Stratus’ record for most women championships, she also changed the name of her twitter account to the Queen of all Eras.
In short, her ego has grown to epic proportions just like her father’s and with good reason. She’s awesomely talented and has more than earned her way, but there’s been a lack of talent, either developmental-wise or creative-wise. Because of this, bringing Stratus back, especially in her hometown of Toronto, would give ticket sales a boost and keep the average fan interested throughout the pay-per-view.
The trick is will Trish Stratus win or put over Charlotte Flair as her heir apparent? While it’s hard to envision Stratus losing here because it’s her hometown and Flair is firmly entrenched, it could open the door for another return: Ronda Rousey.
Since Rousey’s been semi-retired since WrestleMania due to sustaining a broken hand in the match and prioritizing her family, this would be the perfect opportunity for her to return amid deafening boos following a Flair win. Adding more fuel to the fire is the various online reports stating that she misses the WWE. How true any of this is, is anyone’s guess. It’s the downside of rumors. While this would add some semblance of credibility to the women’s division, she was on the Raw brand, so the switch would most likely be “official,” and potentially driving those of us that keep track of the rosters crazy yet again.
This also makes sense due to the doubtfulness of Stratus returning fulltime. Let’s face it, as much as we’d love a weekly dose of Stratusfaction, there’s little chance of her coming our of retirement to wrestle fulltime again, making Rousey’s return an important moment as the WWE continues to push their women’s division.
Of course, many would, and rightly so, point out they could focus on the talent on hand, but it’s easier to pull someone we all love back into the fold.
While this match is nothing more than a passing the torch moment for Flair, the possibility of Rousey coming back could make it the one to see at SummerSlam.
