Lita: No regrets over WWE legacy

Lita is widely regarded as a pioneer of women’s wrestling, having won the world title four times during the Attitude Era

WWE Hall of Famer Lita says she is happy with the part she played in the Attitude Era, but admitted she is excited at the opportunities afforded to the company’s current crop.

The four-time former women’s champion and a genuine legend of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Lita enjoyed a stellar career and remains one of WWE’s most popular female stars.

Understandably, she looks back on her peak era with great fondness, not least because it coincided with arguably one of the biggest boom periods in the history of sports entertainment.

Mickie James and Lita have won 10 WWE titles between them and will go head-to-head at Evolution

The 43-year-old did hint, though, that the huge swing in opportunities for female performers since her heyday would have been something she would have relished, as she spoke to Sky Sports ahead of the all-female pay-per-view Evolution in October.

She said: “The attitude era was such a magical time for wrestling in general, it was a really cool time.

“But, seeing all the opportunities that women are getting (today) that we didn’t get back then; it would be fun to be there in the mix.

“But I don’t want to change my story; I’m happy with the career I had and at the time I had it – I’m just excited for these girls now.”

Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Ronda Rousey are just a few of a host of top female performers in WWE who have enjoyed a fantastic last few years, main eventing pay-per-views and ushering in a well-overdue switch in focus when it comes to women’s wrestling.

Lita has been cited as a key influence for high-profile female superstars on the current roster such as Bayley

Many of those on the roster credit Lita as their inspiration, too, which she describes as “an honour.”

“It’s a really cool time with the generations as they are – the current group of women,” she added.

“They watched me, they watched Trish Stratus, Molly Holly, Victoria and Jacqueline – they watched all of us, and now here they are, not only doing what we did, but progressing our sport.

“It is such an honour to listen to them say ‘I was little at home, watching you, and that’s when I knew that this is what I wanted to do.’

“To watch them in WWE doing it warms my heart.”

WWE Evolution is live on Sky Sports Box Office on Sunday October 28.