Trish Stratus has identified her dream opponent for a potential WWE return, and the name might surprise some fans.
Speaking with SiriusXM during WrestleMania 42 weekend in Las Vegas, Stratus was asked which current star makes her want to lace up her boots one more time. Her answer was Sol Ruca, the NXT standout who has been generating significant buzz in recent months.
“When I went to John Cena’s final match, I got to see Sol Ruca up close and personal — and I was blown away,” Stratus said. “A lot of great talent. It’s not just the talent, it’s the storyline, it’s the characters, so I need to think on that one a little bit.”
Stratus made clear that any return would need the right creative foundation rather than simply being a match for the sake of it, keeping the door open without making a firm commitment.
Ruca was one of three NXT talents, alongside Oba Femi and Je’Von Evans, that WWE chose to feature on the undercard of Cena’s final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event last December. Ruca picked up a win against Bayley on that show, a result that underlined how seriously WWE was treating her positioning heading into 2026.
On the post-WrestleMania 42 edition of Raw this past Monday, Ruca appeared on the main roster, with the appearance being viewed as part of a potential full-time call-up to Raw. She subsequently competed in a Last Woman Standing match against Zaria on NXT, though that match produced a frightening moment when Ruca took a hard fall and her head connected with a table that did not break on impact.
Stratus last competed in a WWE ring at SummerSlam 2023, making her the only woman to participate in that event’s main event.