Natalya is one of WWE’s best female wrestlers and the only 3rd generation female in WWE. She’s been with the company for a long time and whilst she’s only had two Championship reigns, she’s still a great force within WWE.
Natalya was made in the Hart Dungeon, the Dungeon was a brutal place for a wrestler to train, designed to separate the weak from the strong. Today, Natalya remains the only woman to be in and graduate the Hart Dungeon.
After the Dungeon, she joined the Hart families own promotion Stampede Wrestling. Over the years she wrestled over in England and Japan (where she wrestled in Shimmer) dominating the wrestling scenes there, in 05 Nattie became the inaugural Stampede Women’s Pacific Champion.
In 07, Nattie signed to WWE and began working their developmental territories, first of all she worked with Deep South Wrestling and then she moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling. In OVW, Nattie worked with her cousins Teddy Hart and Harry Smith as the Next Generation Hart Foundation where she accompanied them out to tag matches. In September of 07, the Hart Foundation was moved back to FCW, once back Nattie teamed with Alicia Fox to take down The Bella Twins. Nattie managed her future husband Tyson Kidd and cousin Harry Smith to FCW Florida Tag Team Championship.
When Nattie debuted on the main roster immediately as a heel under the name Natalya Neidhart where she accompanied Victoria to the ring in a match against Michelle McCool. It was at her televised debut she ditched Neidhart and just went by Natalya, she also began to use Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter.
Nattie lost her first chance of being Divas Championship to Michelle McCool, over the following months, Natalya continued to team with Victoria against The Bella Twins. After Victoria retired, Nattie joined the newly reformed ECW managing Tyson Kidd although she was still wrestling. David Hart Smith joined Kidd and Nattie to form The Hart Dynasty.
The Hart Dynasty got transferred back to SmackDown where they began to feud with Cryme Tyme and Eve Torres. Nattie lost a chance to be a number one contender for the WWE Women’s Championship, but with The Hart Dynasty, she helped Bret Hart defeat Vince McMahan at WrestleMania XXVI. The Hart Dynasty won the Unified Tag Team Championship and after a transferal to RAW, they were attacked by a debuting Tamina Snuka with The Usos which ignited a feud between both trios. Tyson Kidd ended The Hart Dynasty by attacking David Hart Smith.
Now back to being a singles wrestler, Nattie once more turned her attention to becoming champion by going after alleged joint Champs Michelle McCool and Layla. It took many attempts, but Nattie finally won the Championship in a 2on1 Handicap match, LayCool responded by attacking her after the match, but Beth Phoenix ran out to make the save.
Nattie teamed with Beth to take on LayCool in the first ever Divas Tag Team Table Match, Nattie lost the Divas Championship at Royal Rumble in what was supposed to be another 2on1 Handicap against LayCool but was turned into a Fatal Four-way when Eve was added, Eve pinned Layla to take the win.
After another transferal back to SmackDown, and an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Divas Championship, Nattie went on to mentor AJ Lee and Kaitlyn. Both RAW and SmackDown rejoined forces and Nattie attacked Kelly Kelly and even turned on her protégé AJ Lee. Nattie declared war on the “perky Princesses” of the Divas Division and aligned herself with Beth Phoenix dubbing themselves The Divas of Doom.
The Divas of Doom tore up the Divas Division, attacking anyone who got in their way. During their teaming, Beth Phoenix became Divas Champion, it took till March 29th 2012 for Divas of Doom to break up when Beth teamed with Eve Torres and defeated Nattie and Tamina.
Nattie began to have various feuds and even had an on screen relationship with The Great Khali and even lost Divas Championship match on NXT to Kaitlyn. Nattie became a cast member of reality TV show Total Divas and even feuded with fellow cast members – The Bella Twins. Nattie continued to work with Khali and also feuded with Fandango and Summer Rae, Nattie had a failed shot at the NXT Women’s Championship and the Divas Championship. After WrestleMania XXX, Nattie entered a tournament on NXT to decide the new Women’s Champion but lost to Charlotte Flair in the final.
After another mentoring this time with Rosa Mendez, Nattie went on to manage her husband Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. Under Nattie’s management, the tag team know as Best Team Ever, won tag gold against The Usos’, the tag team ended when unfortunately Tyson Kidd suffered a career stopping injury.
Nattie took time off to care for her husband and in her absence the Women’s Revolution happened. Nattie had various matches and in January of 2016, she announced that she’d be working with a broken ankle and took time off to recuperate. Upon returning, Nattie and Alicia Fox, were ringside for Paige’s match against Naomi who had Tamina and Lana on her side. This led to a team Total Divas (Nattie, Alicia, Brie Bella, Paige & Eva Marie) vs Team B.A.D and Blonde (Tamina, Naomi, Lana, Emma and Summer Rae) at WrestleMania XXXI. Team Total Divas won.
After WrestleMania, Nattie turned her attentions to Charlotte and the new RAW Women’s Championship. Hart was taking on Flair once again, and whilst Nattie didn’t win, the feud was amazing. It was announced once more that there would be a brand spilt as Nattie was on SmackDown where she had a feud with Becky Lynch after turning on her out of frustration for loosing against Charlotte and Dana Brooke. After winning at SummerSlam with Nikki Bella and Alexa Bliss, Nattie participated in a 6-pac challenge for the new SmackDown Women’s Championship but lost.
Nattie took Nikki Bella’s place as team captain on SmackDown’s Women’s team at Survivor Series after Nikki was mysteriously attacked. Carmella announced that it was Nattie who attacked Nikki and at first Nattie denied it but then admitted it calling Nikki a bitch in the process.
After a feud with Nikki, not much storyline happened for Nattie, she took part in the first ever Women’s Money In The Ba which she lost. Nattie however won a Fatal Five-way to become SmackDown Women’s Championship which she won defeating Naomi at SummerSlam 2017.
Nattie once again went against Charlotte as after a few matches, Charlotte defeated Nattie.
Nattie participated in the Women’s Royal Rumble (2018) but was eliminated by Trish Stratus. After WrestleMania XXXIV, Nattie was once again drafted back to RAW and attacked Mandy Rose, Mandy went to attack her with Sonya Deville but Ronda Rousey made the save. For a while Nattie teamed with Ronda but then Ronda was (kayfabe) suspended so Nattie teamed with Nia Jax who she’s still working with.
Natalya really is such an amazing star within the WWE, she’s like a Mother figure to many wrestlers backstage and hopefully she becomes Championship again. One day, she will take her rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame as the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.
Here are some more pictures from Nattie’s Instagram (@natbynature):
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