Trish Stratus Offers Advice to AJ Lee Ahead of WWE Elimination Chamber (Exclusive)

As Trish Stratus did the media rounds during WWE 2K26 Creator Fest earlier this month, you couldn't help but wonder if and when she'll make her return to the ring.

The WWE Hall of Famer celebrated her 25-year anniversary in professional wrestling last year and kickstarted her First Crush signing tour back on February 7. As Stratus walked the red carpet that was set up inside WWE Headquarters, she consistently stood about four feet away from NXT star Blake Monroe. It was only natural to see visions of future matches start to play out in your mind.

Dream bouts are much easier to book in the realm of a video game, and in fact, that's a major selling point for the WWE 2K franchise this year. Stratus has been able to turn a few dreams into reality over the last few years with matches against the likes of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and, most recently, Tiffany Stratton.

"I thrive on challenges," Stratus told The Takedown on SI during Creator Fest. "My whole life has been, what else can I do? How can I challenge myself, push the envelope a little bit and better myself in certain ways? So, going back was really cool."

Stratus unsuccessfully challenged Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship at Evolution last summer, but that match was less about winning her eighth world title than it was proving that she could still hang with today's generation.

Speaking as objectively as possible, Trish more than 'stratusfied' the Atlanta crowd that night against an opponent 25 years her junior.

"She could be my kid," Trish said with a laugh. "It was amazing. I think it was such an interesting dynamic that people really dug... and knowing that I inspired her, [that] we actually could face each other was pretty great."

Now 50-years-old, Trish Stratus is not going to let her age define her. The match against Tiffany Stratton only further proved that women across the industry can excel at any point in their lives, even if they've spent years away from the ring building a family.

"Back in the day, it was kind of like, do your career, then finish, then go have your babies and your family. I was able to come back after I had a baby, the Bellas were able to do that as well. Becky had a baby and stayed on the road, so now it's a different thing. It's just an indication of how evolved the business has gotten and the positioning of women as well."

Trish Stratus headlines a class of WWE Hall of Famers who have returned to the ring over the last few years, alongside her bestie Lita and Nikki Bella. What do they all have in common? Well, aside from those Hall of Fame rings on their fingers, each of them entrusted Becky Lynch to help them through some of their first singles matches in years.

"You definitely appreciate a good leader when you're in the ring, absolutely," Stratus said, "She's great to work with, very easy to work with. You do definitely need a bit of a leader, and she's the one."

Trust in Becky Lynch

Lynch has developed a reputation for helping the best return to their best. They don't call her the greatest female wrestler of all-time for nothing. And by they, I mean The Takedown on SI... and the Bleacher Report, but we said it first.

The Man will soon face off against another all-time great when she puts her WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship on the line against AJ Lee.

The former Divas Champion has not wrestled a singles match since March 16, 2015. Having experienced her own lengthy absence from the ring, Trish Stratus offered up her best advice to AJ ahead of this Saturday's Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event in Chicago.

AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch WWE Elimination Chamber — AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch | WWE

"Get your reps in, get to the place where you're comfortable. You're gonna think you're not comfortable, but rely on your body. There is this aspect of it's like riding a bike. You literally get to the point where like your body goes, I got this, as long as you can support it. And recovery-wise, make sure that you take care of all the things. I do my yoga, I do all the things to make sure I can support [the performance]. She's gonna be great."

In addition to the Women's IC Title Match and the annual chamber matches, Lee's husband CM Punk will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor in front of his hometown fans.

Elimination Chamber will go live on ESPN this Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT). The Takedown on SI will be offering coverage live from inside the United Center.