Trish Stratus On The Origin Of Her WWE Partnership With Zoey Stark

When Zoey Stark was drafted to "WWE Raw" earlier this year, it caught the attention of many people around the professional wrestling world including AEW's Mark Henry and Thunder Rosa. However, back on their home turf, Trish Stratus also took notice of the up-and-coming WWE Superstar. 

The WWE Hall of Famer enlisted Stark's help at Night of Champions to gain a victory over Becky Lynch. Now the duo has earned coveted spots in the Women's Money in the Bank ladder match this Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, England. 

But what brought them together in the first place? During an interview with Cathy Kelly on "The Bump," Stratus revealed that she was on the lookout for a protege after she broke off from "The Man" and fellow Hall of Famer Lita after WrestleMania 39. When it came to choices, there were no other ones in her mind other than Stark.

"Basically you saw us come together on 'Raw,'" said the Attitude Era icon. "She was drafted to 'Raw' and I had my eye on her. But who wouldn't? If you look at potential in the future generation, she was the obvious choice. When she comes on-screen, what stands out with her? What do people see? They see power, they see intrigue. She dominates, she's confident. She's got a great set of biceps, I'll tell you that. Strong, smart, what else can you ask for in a superstar?"

Before partnering with Trish Stratus, Zoey Stark had some success in WWE. Alongside Damage CTRL's IYO SKY, she got her first taste of championship gold when they won the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships (which were recently unified with the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships courtesy of Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler).

It seemed like she was heading for a second reign with Nikita Lyons, but Stark ended up turning on her new partner. From that point, until she was called up to the main roster, she proudly stood alone and dominated for herself. 

But when the former WWE Women's Champion extended the olive branch, the new kid on the red brand couldn't resist the opportunity to learn from a legend.

"She has been teaching me every little trick in the book," shared the rookie. "How to prepare yourself, how to be ready at all times, how to handle these so-called superstars like Becky Lynch. She's a great mentor and a great leader."

Though they didn't share any more lessons with Kelly, the pair assured the WWE Universe that they have various strategies (or Stratus-gies) in place to ensure a victory for one of them at this weekend's premium live event.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Bump" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription