- 09/11/2006 (2:59:56 am)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
Also a possible SPOILER for RAW….
On September 17, Trish Stratus will return home to Toronto, Canada, for RAW's Unforgiven pay-per-view, and her final WWE match. On that day, she will challenge her long-time rival Lita for the WWE Women's Championship. But before she makes her final stop at Unforgiven, Trish will return to the home of WWE, Madison Square Garden, to face Mickie James and to bid farewell to Monday Night RAW.
Trish's rivalry with Lita over the years will certainly help to define her incredible legacy, but the saga between the WWE's quintessential Diva and relative newcomer Mickie James will undoubtedly be remembered as the most bizarre, and perhaps the most competitive chapter of Trish's storied career.
It all started in October of last year when an energetic and newly-signed Mickie James made a memorable RAW debut when she stormed the ring and saved her "idol" Trish Stratus from a post-match beating at the hands of fellow Diva Victoria. In the coming weeks, however, we learned that Trish was not just Mickie's "idol", but also the subject of a demented obsession.
In the months that followed, Mickie was exposed as less of a fan, and more of a stalker to the beloved RAW Diva. WWE cameras showed Mickie and Trish in a series of awkward moments. Who could forget when Mickie stole Trish's towel outside of the locker room shower? Or, how about the shocking mistletoe kiss the day after Christmas? And of course, the disturbing homemade shrine that Mickie revealed shortly before WrestleMania 22? The above mentioned were just a few of Mickie's bizarre antics, and were more than enough to drive an ordinary Diva into an extended exile. Trish, however, handled herself with the professionalism of a true WWE Diva, and preferred to settle their differences in the ring.
Their showdown over the Women's Championship at WrestleMania 22 was one of the most memorable women's matches in WWE history. Unfortunately for Trish, that Sunday night in Chicago ended with her shoulders on the mat, and the eccentric celebration of the Diva newcomer over her seizure of the Women's gold.
Since that day, things have cooled off between Trish and Mickie and the two have continued their relationship in the form of a mild rivalry and even a loose friendship. When Mickie found out that Trish was retiring, she expressed her admiration of the legendary Diva to WWE.com.
"I think Trish has been a wonderful performer and competitor here in WWE," said the emotional Diva. "She is truly someone to be admired by the women in this business, and I'm going to miss her dearly."
On Monday night, Trish will leave RAW with one last memory, and maybe one more victory when she faces her young rival at the Garden. What will happen when Trish and Mickie lock it up one last time? Which Diva will leave the Garden with her hand raised? Watch RAW on Monday, live at 9/8 CT and only on USA to find out.
Related Content:
Trish speaks on her retirement
Divas comment on Trish's retirement
Check out a timeline of the Trish Stratus-Mickie James saga
Full RAW Coverage
This Monday on RAW, another chapter in the storied history of the McMahon/Madison Square Garden relationship will be written. For the first time in three generations of McMahons, Vincent K. McMahon, the Chairman of WWE, will step into the ring to headline a match at MSG against one of the most accomplished Superstars WWE has ever seen, Triple H.
The Garden is referred to as the Mecca of sports-entertainment by those fortunate enough to earn the privilege to perform in front of the perpetual raucous crowds that invade "The World’s Most Famous Arena." It’s as if something – an unexplainable elixir of emotion and intensity – has been trapped within the arena walls to evoke more explosiveness and vigor during WWE Superstars’ matches.
Mr. McMahon understands the power of MSG; he's been the driving force behind all WWE events that have taken place at the Garden, and he's been present to see each of them carried out. Mr. McMahon has undoubtedly felt the overpowering aura… which is why there is an oddity to his decision to take on The Game a mere six days before Unforgiven where he’ll compete in one of the most brutal structures that a match can take place in – Hell in a Cell.
Perhaps two of the most qualified people to elaborate on the the potential quagmire that Mr. McMahon may have gotten himself into are Jerry “The King” Lawler and Jim Ross; the voices of RAW for the better part of the late 1990s and into the 21st century.
“WWE and The Garden are synonymous, but to actually be in the ring competing in front of all those New York fans… I can’t think of too many things that Mr. McMahon would be in awe of, but I think he’ll be in awe,” said Lawler. “He won’t have butterflies; he’ll have eagles flying around in there. I remember the first time I wrestled at The Garden. There is no way to describe it. Guys that get into this business dream of one day competing at MSG.”
According to “The King,” in order for the Chairman to avoid embarrassment, he’ll have to feed off of the atmosphere and turn some of those nerves into aggression.“I’m looking for Mr. McMahon to come up with something. He’s got that endless bag of tricks and that long sleeve he can always have something up. I just feel like some way, somehow he’ll pull something out of his bag of tricks to make it an even more memorable first experience competing at MSG,” he said.
J.R. believes the Chairman’s high self-esteem won’t allow him to lose a match with his father, Vincent J. McMahon, and his grandfather, Jess McMahon, looking down at the event at The Garden.
“Ego wise, one would think that McMahon would not want to go in his first venture as the singular main event at Madison Square Garden and come out on the short end of the stick,” J.R. said. “So, I can only wonder what kind of plan the Chairman may have. You have to wonder about strategy because you can bet your ass that whatever Mr. McMahon has to do to beat Triple H, he will do.”
In order to leave with his health intact, Mr. McMahon has got to come up with a foolproof plan to defeat the King of Kings. J.R. recalled the last time RAW was at The Garden when he had to take on Triple H. After a hellacious beating from The Game that left J.R. a “bloody mess,” he said he knew it wasn’t just Triple H's raw aggression that brought the beating on – it was the environment as well.
“It seems like The Garden brings out the best or worst in Triple H – depending on your perspective — but I wouldn’t want to be Triple H’s opponent no matter who it is, especially Mr. McMahon in ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena,’” said J.R. “I thought I was getting hit with a sledgehammer and when I finally peeked, it was his hands. He probably beat me as severely as I’ve ever been beaten in my entire life.”
FIVE YEARS LATER, THE PAIN IS STILL THERE !!
