When Zoey Stark emerged from under the ring at Crown Jewel to help Trish Stratus secure a massive win over Becky Lynch over her rival, it forged a team that few fans saw coming but, at least in the opinion of “The GOAT,” felt like a perfect addition to her presentation in 2023.

Stopping by the Hall of Fame podcast to discuss her decision to get into business with the former NXT standout in conversation with Booker T, Stratus explained that, after working with Tyson Tomko back in the day, she liked the idea of having someone to rely on to help her get her heelish business done.

“Hunter and I talked about it at one point, not necessarily Zoey, but I don't know, something like, ‘Maybe we need to get you some muscle.' We were talking about being a bit of a chicken sh*t heel and what I can do. Back in the day, I had Tyson Tomko, and I hid behind him. Back in the day, it was funny because we think about it. It was in the 2000s; there wasn't any females getting a guy as their heater so to speak, right?” Trish Stratus told Booker T via WrestleZone.

“So I was lucky to have him back in the day, and I thought, ‘Yeah, that worked for me to have that,' and sort of chicken sh*t behind her or whoever we chose, it could be a guy or girl. Then they brought up Zoey, and I think she was just ready from what they and Booker, you would know, but she was ready in NXT to go to the next level. She had proven herself over there. They brought her in, loved the idea. We were super excited about the surprise element because it was just another part of the story to just be like, ‘Surprise,' another turn you didn't expect.”

Asked how it felt to get involved in the maturation of a brand new main roster act, Stratus noted that for her, that's what this return was all about: Giving back to the professional wrestling business.

“For me, going back, it's a little selfish,” Stratus added. “I do it for myself; I want to see a challenge for myself, etcetera, but I'm also making sure that I'm giving back to the business. Like, what am I here for? It's not just to make sure I leave my legacy more than I already have. So working with Becky is one thing, but it's not like I'm not giving her the rub. She's Becky Lynch. We're definitely complimenting each other, but when I got to work with Zoey, and then having that ability to do the stuff, Booker, that we did on Tough Enough.”

While Stark hasn't exactly been featured on television since Stratus' loss at Payback, working the occasional match on television and hinting at a tag team with Shayna Baszler, in the end, the proprietor of Z360 came out of her last program looking like a much bigger star than when she started on the main roster, and she has no one more than the WWE Hall of Famer to thank for that.

Trish Stratus reveals her current relationship with Zoey Stark.

Elsewhere in her conversation with Booker T, Trish Stratus was asked if she still stays in communication with Zoey Stark, who technically turned on her at Payback.

While Stratus and Stark technically aren't good friends in a Kayfabe sense, as Stark did lay out her former friend before leaving the ring, outside of the confines of storyline, they remain in touch.

“Even when I left — well, we still don't like each other right now — but we're still in touch, and I want to help her. ‘Is this t-shirt okay?' ‘Nah, let's go with this or wear the jacket, take the jacket off here,' these tiny details. That's one thing about my career. For me, it's always about the details. Like you're not quite sure what stands out about that segment? It's always those little details you don't think about, but they're in there, and that's why it stands out,” Stratus said.

“So I like to be able to parlay that to Zoey. And for me, that was really good, like not passing the torch, but it was a coming-around moment where I could actually give back to the business, and see this amazing star, and help mold her, and help get her ready for the big time. We had a great relationship, and it was great for the storyline as well.”

Could the day eventually come when Stark and Stratus reunited in the WWE Universe? Maybe yes, maybe no, but for now, it's clear they're at least cool outside of the ring, which is better than some former partners can say after one turns on the other.