Guest TSMAdmin Report post Posted July 11, 2003 The Background Back in 2000, Test is in an AOL chat, and for whatever reason, gives out Trish's AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) screen name. This spreads across the IWC, and ends up on some people's buddy lists. One of these people is Retro Rob. He talks to Trish several times, and in July 2002 she agrees to an Interview with TheSmartMarks.com. The interview was plugged by many sites, including 1wrestling, the PW Torch, as well as Rajah. This interview remained as TSM’s most read column up until Dame’s recent EWR 4.0 Preview. The Interview In May 2003 Rob asks Trish for a follow-up interview, which she agrees to. This takes place over AIM, and is again posted on TSM.com, on July 1st 2003. Just over a day later, a message appeared on Trish's official site which read: Recent feedback has brought an interview to our attention here at TrishStratus.com. It seems a contrived interview about Trish's character, recent events, Bill Goldberg, and drug abuse in professional wrestling has been circulating the internet and we feel it is our duty to inform the public that this interview was never conducted and is falsely stating the views and opinions of Trish Stratus. Trish Stratus does not conduct interviews online unless they are WWE approved or appear here on this website via a link or rewritten in whole and its legitimacy is verified by virtue of appearing on this site TrishStratus.com. Because of this message, Dames pulled the plug on the interview and it was removed from the site. TSM's forums came alive at this, with two main theories being put forward: 1) Rob had been conned by a prankster. 2) Trish had gotten into trouble over something she said, and was forced to deny the interview ever taking place. Now we present you with all of the facts and theories surrounding this controversy so that you may draw your own opinions as to what actually happened. First off there is the debate as to whether it was really Trish on the other end of this interview. One proposed theory is that Trish could have abandoned her AIM account due to pestering fans and somebody else resurrected it. Q: Can I delete one of my old AIM Screen Names? A: No, you cannot delete old AIM Screen Names at this time. Courtesy: http://www.aol.co.uk/aim/faqs/AIM_FAQ_Screen_Names.htm " target="_blank">http://www.aol.co.uk/aim/faqs/AIM_FAQ_Screen_Names.htm Nobody REALLY remembers what Test said back in 2000, thus maybe we have been going by false information all this time. Let's face it, it was an AOL interview, three years ago. There's a poster called "TS" at the wrestlingclassics.com message boards, who claims to be Trish. They use the same AIM address in their profile as the person who was interviewed, but a look through their posts would make one doubt that this person is being truthful about their identity. Here are some unedited excerpts from the board: http://wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimate...45#000003" target="_blank">A thread about Mick Foley's interview skills wrestlefan2: I thought one of the best interviews was the 3 week series with Foley telling his life stories in charachter and eneded up with him putting the mandible claw on Jim Ross. TS: Everything he has done has been genius. http://wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimate...29#000000" target="_blank">A thread started by TS about hiring Mick Foley as head writer TS: I know that WWE is hardly in dire straits as the company makes millions of dollars profit each year and still pulls in decent enough TV ratings and PPV buyrates but I think it is agreeable that the shows aren't as interesting as they used to be. I think that it would be a great idea for WWE to hire Mick Foley as head writer. He's a veteran who has worked the territories and been in WWE during it's sportz entertainment phase (i'm sure we all know his history!) well anyway I think that Foely has a great creative mind which can be seen from his writing and he knows the business inside out. What do others think? Reply by HoboBrazil: They already offered him a position on the writing team and he declined. Even if he was hired as booker he would last about a week or two before being removed by Stephanie. TS: Thanks I wasn't aware of that. I think he would have improved things. Additionally, TS http://wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimate...;t=039544" target="_blank">posted at wrestlingclassics.com, identifying herself as Trish for the first time on July 2nd. This is AFTER the interview appeared on TSM, and around the same time her rebuttal appeared on TrishStratus.com. To put this into perspective: TS posted in the http://wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimate...39544;p=1" target="_blank">"welcome Trish Stratus" thread at wrestlingclassic at 07-02-2003 11:08 AM, until 07-02-2003 08:01 PM. The warning on her website appeared at 7/2/2003 5:42:00 PM. She continued posting, despite placing a warning on her own website saying not to trust anyone claiming to be Trish online. http://wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimate...;t=032953" target="_blank">This thread has Trish posting on a Monday, 01-13-2003 at 07:07 PM. This is just a couple of hours before she works the opening match on Raw. There are other posts made by TS that conflict with Raw house show dates. Rob received the following e-mails regarding this matter: From: David A Meltzer Sent: Friday, July 4, 2003 6:38 pm To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Need your help with something It's clear WWE came down hard on her because wrestlers aren't supposed to be doing interviews with web sites so for her to cover herself, she had to say it was a fake. That isn't the first time something like this has happened. You should probably just explain the situation and leave it at that. Dave From: Chris Hyatte Sent: Fri, July 4, 2003 2:28 am To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Trish Stratus Interview So why did you pull it? I know it was a real interview because the girl told you things she has told me in private... and she gave me too much evidence that it was really her (wrestler sn's, general attitude, etc...) I'm guessing she got in trouble from management so she asked you nicely if you could yank it. Furthermore, other renowned IWC writers like Scott Keith and Jay Bower of 411Mania.com share similar opinions, which can be found in Scott’s SmarkDown! Rant and Jay’s News Update. As for Trish on AIM: It has also been noted that Trish was never on AIM at "odd" times, in that she would never show up while the Raw crew is touring. However, there is nothing factual to back this up, so take it for what it is. While conducting the interview, Rob noted that her responses were always timely and consistent. What follows are two conversations Rob had with Trish the day that she posted that statement on her official site. Rob [11:45 AM]: hey, did you get my message earlier? Trish [11:46 AM]: Yes. I'll see but it's not really the type of interview I want to advertise at the site. Rob [11:46 AM]: ok I understand what you mean Rob [11:47 AM]: its just that it would be a good way to verify to everyone that the interview was indeed legitimate Trish [11:47 AM]: I really thought that it would be read by a small amount of people - I could get into trouble over what i've said to you Rob[8:53 PM]: i really would have appreciated it if you were more straight forward with me earlier... i gladly would have pulled the interview if thats what you wanted Trish [8:53 PM]: The damage was done by then. Apologies. Rob [8:55 PM]: i understand, did you get into any serious trouble over it? i really didnt think you said anything too revealing or "wrong" Trish [8:56 PM]: It was my fault for being naive. I'll survive Rob [8:57 PM]: well, i'm really sorry about that then... i would imagine your denial of the interview was the only way to get out of it without a mess Trish [8:58 PM]: It is a mess Rob [8:58 PM]: but didnt you more or less say that i fabricated the entire thing? doesnt that get you out of it? Trish [8:59 PM]: Yes but not with the higher ups Rob [9:00 PM]: i feel pretty badly about this and although i really don't see what was so inappropriate about any of your answers... you had to do what you had to do Trish [9:01 PM]: Thanks for understanding Before you read the actual interview be sure to look over these following questions, which more or less sum up all the information above in a thought provoking fashion. Think about all of these questions while reading the said interview and draw your own conclusions. We are very interested in how you feel about this controversy, so after reading the interview, feel free to e-mail us your thoughts and why you feel the way you do. 1) How could someone get away with such a prank for the last 3 years? 2) Why wouldn't a prankster cause more damage than this? 3) Why would a WWE Diva spend their free time on AIM talking to strangers? 4) What made Trish Stratus and the WWE ignore my first interview, which received more publicity than this recent one? 5) Why would Trish Stratus think that this interview would not spread like wildfire on the internet?6) Trish says on her website that any interviews she gives will be linked to on her site, yet she hasn't linked to ANY in over three years of the site being up. Does this mean she has never given an interview? 7) Lance Storm recently gave an interview to a minor website, and there were no public repercussions from WWE. Why would it be different for Trish? 8) (If you believe TS Is Trish...)What made Trish Stratus post on the Wrestling Classics message board shortly after she got in trouble from management for her actions on a website? 9) (If you believe TS is Trish...) Why would Trish post on the Wrestling Classic's board after stating that the interview in which she claimed that she posted on that said board was a fake? 10) Why would Trish Stratus post in a topic at Wrestling Classics about Al Snow two hours before her match on Raw? 11) What did Trish say that was so incriminating, or was it just the fact the she participated in this interview? 12) Did Rob interview the real Trish Stratus? Retro Rob: Alright, so I'm going to pick up from where we left off with the last interview and we'll work our way to the present day. Trish Stratus: Okay. Retro Rob: Around the time of the last interview an infamous match took place on Raw pitting you and Bradshaw against Jackie Gayda and Chris Nowinski. That match is most well known for Jackie botching several moves. You were visibly upset after the match, but in retrospect what were your thoughts on that match? Trish Stratus: I think that maybe it was a little unprofessional to show my disappointment and I regret that. I think several factors made that particular match pretty bad - Jackie was obviously ill prepared and out of her depth at that point in her career although I think that the powers that be should have realized that. Retro Rob: Do you think that not only Jackie Gayda, but all of the Tough Enough winners from the first two seasons were rushed too quickly into the spotlight? Considering Jackie has been in Ohio Valley for the last year, I would believe she still had much to learn before debuting on WWE TV. Trish Stratus: Yes and no. I think that the momentum from the show (Tough Enough) gave the winners a need to be on our shows from a marketing and fan interest standpoint. Retro Rob: I guess we will see how the TE 3 winners do once they debut as regulars on WWE TV, as compared to winners like Maven and Jackie who were rushed into the spotlight... Your feud with Molly Holly went on through the Unforgiven PPV, where it was finally blown off. How would you compare it to your feud with Jazz? Trish Stratus: Working with both is always a pleasure. I've learned so much from Nora (Molly), and she really is a nice person. I think that the matches with Jazz are always more intense though due to her style, and that as a result the fans react to them more. Retro Rob: One interesting thing I noticed though about the women's division is that it seems like only one feud goes on at a time, so once you defeated Molly she was cycled out, so to speak, and Victoria was cycled in. What do you think of that system? Trish Stratus: I honestly don't think that the fan interest is there to have too many angles going on within our division. I'm more than happy with that method, as I am usually involved although I know it is a little disappointing for others. Retro Rob: Since last September you have regularly been wrestling Victoria on Raw and PPV. The two of you must have wrestled over a dozen televised matches. Do you consider that to be overkill? Do you think we will see the same thing with your current series against Jazz? Trish Stratus: I think it is overkill in the sense that it leaves less left for the blow off at a PPV. In this current run with Jazz, others are involved which spices things up a little I think. Retro Rob: What are your overall thoughts on the feud with Victoria? I think it was interesting from a fan's perspective because unlike Jazz and Molly, Victoria didn't have as many years of experience. Trish Stratus: I loved that feud. Victoria was a new character for fans and it was a joy to help get that character over. Despite having less experience than others she has, I hope she won't mind me saying, really come into her own. Retro Rob: I agree with you entirely; it's great to see how much both her character and in-ring skills have improved. Let's take a look back at 2002; it really wasn't that long ago. Do you have a favorite PPV or match? What would you choose as the overall Match of the Year for 2002? Trish Stratus: I think that Survivor Series vs. Victoria was my favorite although I had so many memorable matches throughout the year. The overall match of the year for me was HHH/HBK at Summerslam. Retro Rob: Last July when we spoke you said, "The women's division is not there to be on the same lines as other titles, to me at least. If we can put together a good match then that's great but the fact is that T&A is what sells." Since then I would say that the division on the Raw brand has come a long way and has not involved very much T&A at all. Do you still feel the same way you did last year? Trish Stratus: I still stand by those comments. I am very pleased that we have strived to make the division more wrestling oriented, and as opposed to Smackdown!, it is. Retro Rob: Speaking of the SmackDown! division, how would you compare the Raw women's division, which is based on wrestling, to its counterpart on SmackDown!, which is heavily influenced by dramatic storylines (Al Wilson or Sable-Torrie)? Would you consider one to be more successful or entertaining than the other? Trish Stratus: It's no marketing secret that sex sells. I really enjoy the stuff that the girls do on Smackdown! but at the same time very content that I'm a part of the RAW brand. Retro Rob: As the Confidential reviewer on The Smart Marks, I feel obligated to ask what your thoughts are on the show. Trish Stratus: I think the show gave a great insight into some of the behind the scenes stuff and personally, I think that that is the direction to go. Retro Rob: Plus it must great for you to be a "regular" on the show every couple of weeks... For the first time since the death of the WCW, a wrestling promotion besides the WWE has had quite a bit of success. That of course being NWA: TNA, which is ran by Jerry and Jeff Jarrett. Do you have any comments on that promotion and do the other WWE employees discuss it in the back? Trish Stratus: I've only had the time to watch a handful of shows but I do read about the company online. From what I have seen and read they seem to be putting on a good product. I think it is fantastic that there is somewhere else for people to work and remain in the spotlight. I personally don't discuss the show but I'm sure others keep tabs on friends there. Retro Rob: How has the WWE locker room taken to Bill Goldberg joining the promotion? Trish Stratus: I've personally had no problems with him and found him to be very professional. I can't speak for others Retro Rob: Do you think the WWE handled his debut well? I thought last night vs. Rodney Mack was the first time we actually saw the "old" Goldberg Trish Stratus: I think that perhaps lessons were learned from Scott Steiner’s introduction. Goldberg has been built up slowly rather than shoved down fans throats. He's going to be huge. Retro Rob: I agree with you in that sense, but Goldberg has seemed to have lost that monster quality which is what brought him to the game in WCW Trish Stratus: I think the way he's been introduced has added depth to his character that wasn't there before Retro Rob: How do you think the brand-only PPVs will affect the current product? I'm looking forward to it because it will be nice to see guys like the Hurricane, Chris Nowinski, Rhyno and Chris Benoit on PPV more often, but there is also the challenge of putting on a decent enough card that wrestling fans will want to see. Do you think Bad Blood accomplished this task? Trish Stratus: I thought that Bad Blood was a great PPV and that the split PPVs will give other people that weren't featured on PPV the opportunities they might not have had before, both financially and career-wise. It now also means that storylines can progress at a steadier pace with 2 months to build instead of one. Retro Rob: What were the future plans for your storyline with Jeff Hardy before he was released? Trish Stratus: Nothing specific, just mixed tag matches. I think that perhaps his future with the company was decided by then. Retro Rob: It was a known fact that The Rock would be leaving wrestling once again to film another movie after Backlash. Do you think that having The Rock return for a few months here and few months there is really helping the WWE, or even the industry as a whole? Trish Stratus: Definitely. There is no other performer like him. I think that when he came back last time it was amazing what he did. He put over/gave the rub to several people whilst maintaining the strength of his own character. He can turn a dead crowd into a hot one with one promo. It's a shame, I think, from the fans and the company's standpoint that he's not around all the time but it does mean that when he does return, his character is fresh and it's something new for viewers. Rock can get a reaction from one promo that other workers would have to go through three burning tables to get. He's a nice guy too. Retro Rob: Mick Foley announced on Byte This that Terry Funk would appear at the Garden last week. Did you hear anything about this and do you know why he was not there? Trish Stratus: I don't know the details but I believe that Terry Funk couldn't make the show for whatever reason. As far as I'm aware it was a one shot deal. Retro Rob: Last week we finally saw Kane unmasked. Did it live up to your expectations or do you think they could have done better? Trish Stratus: I think that it should have been done a year or two ago, maybe earlier, when fan expectation was a lot higher. The de-masking of Kane could have been used to sell a PPV back then. I think that it's a great way to refresh the Kane character though. Retro Rob: Some people seem to think that his makeup job didn't meet their expectations of what a burn victim should look like. What did you think? Trish Stratus: Perhaps not, though I think as part of the storyline he had had reconstructive surgery though I may be mistaken. Retro Rob: If you were given the power to book every aspect of next week's Raw, what are some of the things you would do differently than the current writing team? Trish Stratus: That's a loaded question and not one I think I should go into. Retro Rob: Ok, that is understandable. With Curt Hennig and Miss Elizabeth passing away within the last year, many critics have began to wonder just what the WWE is doing about handling substance abuse problems among the current Superstars. Obviously all we can do is speculate, but is the WWE actively trying to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future and if so what are they doing? Trish Stratus: First of all let me say how sad I was to hear of both deaths. Although I didn't know Curt too well I always found him polite, friendly and helpful and of course enjoyed his work. I never met Miss Elizabeth but she was someone that I idolized for a long while and I think helped pave the way for other females in WWE. I think that today's performers realize the importance of looking after and respecting their bodies a lot more nowadays. Saying that, no one can watch over a grown adult 24/7 and what they do in their own time is their responsibility. Soft drug use, like cannabis, is ignored and that isn't something I agree with. As for harder drugs, well, if I ever became aware of anything going on, I'm not ashamed to say that I would stooge. There's a lot I could say and won't; let's put it that way. Retro Rob: Also, do you think that substance abuse is inevitable in wrestling, like some older wrestlers have said, or are there other ways of coping with life on the road and nagging injuries? Trish Stratus: I don't think that there is anyone on the entire roster that hasn't used painkillers at some point. Personally I take them from time to time, but it's when you need them to be able to perform that it becomes a problem. I don't buy the coping with life on the road excuse at all. There's beer, there's clubs, there's the internet, friends to talk to... a thousand things to while away the boredom. Retro Rob: I also believe that back 15 and 20 years ago when the wrestlers would be on the road for weeks or months at a time it was more acceptable, but now with 4 days on and 3 days off I don't think that excuse holds any water. Trish Stratus: Definitely not anymore, and especially in this day and age where we know the effects of drugs on the body. Retro Rob: How do you think the WWE handled Mick Foley's return and eventual exit from the company? Trish Stratus: Very classy. Mick is the nicest guy you could ever meet, in any walk of life. Retro Rob: Lastly, since this interview will be posted on The Smart Marks.com and obviously you are into the internet, what are some of your favorite wrestling websites to visit and who are some of your favorite online columnists? Trish Stratus: I visit The Torch, Wrestling Observer and PWBTS for show reports and what's going on. I love Hyatte's columns at 411Wrestling.com and chat to him from time to time. Scott Keith's rants are always a good way to while away the time, I even have a copy of his book. I enjoy the tape reviews (especially the shoot ones) at The Smart Marks.com. I visit the Wrestling Classics message board quite often but rarely post; it's a good read all the same. And of course www.TrishStratus.com. Retro Rob: You sure know your way around... Would you say most of the wrestlers are like you in that sense? Trish Stratus: Some are some aren't. I know that Randy Orton, Jericho, Storm, Test, Albert spend a lot of time on the net. Retro Rob: If you have anything to say to your fans or have any plugging to do, feel free to do so. Trish Stratus: Just thank you to everyone that watches the shows. Something new is coming up for me, which I hope that my fans will enjoy. Well there you have it, all of the facts, theories surrounding the interview as well as the interview itself. Now it is up to you to decide if I really interviewed Trish Stratus or was conned by some fanatic fanboy. We at The Smart Marks are very interested in what all you think as pertains to this incident, so feel free to send me whatever is on your mind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
