During a recent interview on Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus shared insights about her interaction with Mickie James during the first women’s Royal Rumble match at the 2018 event. Below are some highlights.

Trish Stratus on fighting for her interaction with Mickie James at the Rumble:

“Initially, there was zero Trish Stratus-Mickie James interaction. There was the match, it was roughly laid out. Trish Stratus and Mickie James were not going to have any interaction whatsoever. We’re like, ‘Woah, woah, woah.’ It’s a hard thing because we’re out of the picture, right? There is the current crop of girls and they’re all on top. We’re being invited back as guests and we’re super blessed and humbled to be dipping our toes into the current landscape of the women and being part of this historical moment, but we had to talk it up. Before we go fight for this, it was like 12 years ago, ‘I think they’re going to remember it.’”

On being confident that fans would remember:

“We were confident, but what if they don’t? What if the fans don’t remember that when these two face off, there is a little something, something? We decided, ‘Yes, I think the work we did back then was important and the fans will remember.’ This is a special moment and when we get together ‘Oh, here we go.’ We pitched it, and we had to fight hard. There were quite a few people who were like, ‘Ummm, it’s 15 years ago.’”

On how wrestling fans remember things from 15 years ago:

“Yeah, but it’s wrestling. We remember things from 15 years ago. We’re very nostalgic as a fanbase, right? We were very steadfast and confident that it was important. We got it in there. We fought for it. We got it in there, we got her moved up, we had to rejig a bunch of things to make that moment happen. If you watch closely, there is an expression of, ‘Oh, I think it’s working.’ Thank God.”