Amy Dumas has worked only one singles match in WWE over the past decade. Despite suffering a series of extremely frightening injuries throughout her career, she has still found a way to add excitement to pro wrestling at its highest level.
Teaming with Becky Lynch this winter, Dumas continued her Hall of Fame run as Lita. The two won the women’s tag team titles, then added Trish Stratus into the mix at WrestleMania 39 for a bout against Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai.
“The injuries I’ve had in the past, I can’t say they don’t try to creep their way into my head every time I get back in the ring,” says Dumas, who broke her neck while wrestling two decades ago. “Once I’m in the ring, I usually forget all about that. That’s the only way for me to be successful. If you’re doubting yourself when you’re in there, it’s a surefire way to get hurt again. It plays in my head still, but I’m very fortunate that most days I feel great.”
Dumas’s return was a success. Watching her team with a current star in Lynch was compelling, and they were able to play off Bayley, one of wrestling’s best villains, and two emerging stars in Sky and Kai.
At 48, she also has a different perspective when she now steps into the WWE locker room. After a career of breaking barriers, Dumas sees an entirely different mindset in the women’s locker room in WWE.
“They’re fearless in a way that they don’t know there were boundaries and limitations placed on them subconsciously,” says Dumas. “They have fostered an environment where they meet every challenge and exceed expectations every single time. I love that fearless energy and how infectious it is in the locker room.”
Dumas and Lynch dropped the tag titles earlier this month. The story line saw Stratus attack Lita backstage before turning on Lynch. It is a new twist to the longtime rivalry between Stratus and Lita, yet this time with Stratus as the antagonist.
“We both recognized that we had something the first day we met,” says Dumas, reflecting on her early work with Stratus that dates back more than two decades. “We just had a really nice chemistry and got along so well. In our first rivalry, with Team Xtreme and T&A [Test and Albert] and doing those six-man tags, we knew right away that we had something special.”
Even though she is no longer wrestling, Dumas is still part of WWE. She is one of the lead hosts for the newest season of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures, which premieres this Sunday on A&E.
The show is built around a plot that sees Dumas, Mick Foley and Booker T search to reclaim iconic pieces of WWE memorabilia. Episodes will feature wrestling legends like Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle and Bill Goldberg, and the “lost” collectibles they attempt to trek down include DX’s “invasion” jeep, “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s Mega Powers robe, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s cement truck, Goldberg’s WWE debut jacket and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s bagpipes.
“It’s the physical reminders of moments that were special,” says Dumas. “This show connects memories to something concrete. It’s so much bigger than wrestling. These are memories. It’s real, and that’s what is going to resonate with people.”
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
