Trish Stratus: Hall of Fame 2013 Inductee -- WTF?

I bet that got your attention, eh boys?

Okay, before I get a shitstorm on my wall and on the comments about Miss Stratus, hear me out first. I'm already getting enough heat on my Facebook account about speaking negatively about Trish as it is. She's a 7 time Women's Champion and a definitive cornerstone to the Divas' in the Attitude Era and continues to inspire women in the sport today. I get that. I REALLY do. I'm not discrediting her career nor her achievements in this business in the slightest, but my biggest issue with her being inducted now of all periods.

I'm not allowing my personal distaste for her cloud my judgment on this matter either. This is me just openly voicing my opinion about what's more fair.

"But Z, she's been gone for about 10 years..." Wrong. Do your research, people. Her retirement match was Unforgiven 2006, so that was roughly 7 years ago. Mick Foley, who is being inducted this year as well, has formally retired since 2001, but we know has had occasional appearances in WWE, working as a commissioner, doing some time as a color commentator, briefly feuding with Edge, Randy Orton & Ric Flair and putting them over when they needed the boost in their careers, managing Melina, and ultimately having a final championship run in TNA Wrestling for a brief period before finally returning back to WWE. That's why I don't have a problem with his Legend status.

Instead, Trish Stratus' pre-mature induction seems like a knee-jerk reaction to the bad press that Sunny (Tammy Lynn Sytch) has been bringing towards WWE after her Hall of Fame induction last year. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Sunny has been in rehab and has been arrested at least 3-5 times since her induction last year? Not to mention that she found belittling a fan over Twitter using homophobic remarks. With Trish Stratus' induction, the focus is lifted off of Sunny and her bad press as let's face it - to the eyes of many jaded women's wrestling fans, Trish Stratus does no wrong. She's the perfect living Diva Legend to hold as a testament to their company's good image. I can respect that WWE wants to protect their company's image, but let's face it folks, their reputation died along with the Attitude Era and the XFL.

I personally thought that they would hold off Trish Stratus' induction until WrestleMania returns to Canada (That's been rumored for a while now...) for an event and would allow some of the women who paved the way for Trish Stratus and Lita's careers being put on the map to be inducted first.

A few examples:

• Luna Vachon (died on August 27, 2010) - Before Lita, she (along with Sherri Martel) were the first of few women who paved the way for breaking the mold not being the traditional cookie cutter woman in wrestling.
• Alundra Blayze/Madusa - She's still alive, currently working the Monster Truck Show circuit as an active competitor. Most people will remember her negativity for trashing the WWF Women's Championship to jump ship to WCW during the Monday Night Wars, but that does not discredit her achievements as performer in this sport. 
• Sable - Yeah, I went there. Sure, she has all of this heat with the McMahons and what not, but you can't discredit her achievements for being the woman (along with Sunny at the time) who pulled the Women's Division out of the gutter after Alundra Blayze dropped the title into the trash. We would not have Trish Stratus at all if Vince McMahon didn't see the moneymaking success of Sable first. 
• Jacqueline - The only African-American women's champion in history and she was the only woman in WWE to hold the Cruiserweight Championship before it was retired.
• Ivory - Much like Jacqueline, Ivory has done it all - interviewer, multiple time Women's Champion, and even serving as co-host/commentator on various WWE programs. She was an excellent worker, great on the microphone, and one of the main Divas who kept the scene interesting after Sable's departure. At least she was recently inducted into WSU's Hall of Fame.  
• Victoria/Tara - We know she won't get a Hall of Fame induction as long as she works for Dixie Carter in TNA, but Victoria has pushed several Divas to their limit and help mold them into the champions they are today. Trish Stratus owes the success of her early career to both Jazz and Victoria for them forcing her to her limit and beyond to make viewers believe that she deserved to be Women's Champion. 

All I ask is that the many marks of Trish Stratus take a moment and think about this. The entire WWE Universe knows that Trish Stratus is great and a Legend in the eyes of so many women in mainstream wrestling, but would it kill you guys to let her induction be held off for a few more years?