In WWE, fans have long known her as Natalya, a respected, third-generation technician hailing from the Hart family. Outside of WWE, though, she is Nattie Neidhart, the “lowkey legend” with a tougher, more shoot-style presentation within the ring. On a recent episode of “Busted Open Radio,” WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray weighed in on the opportunity of seeing the more aggressive character debut on WWE television.
“Nattie’s thing is working under their umbrella, under their roof. It’s right there. It’s almost like this split personality,” Ray said. “You can see Nattie doing promos where she tells people, ‘Don’t make me offended. You would not like Nattie when she’s offended.’
“… Nattie is being given the blessing to go do Nattie the best way you must do Nattie,” he continued. “They’ve access to it at any time when they need. Fingers crossed that they are just allowing Nattie to get some more time under her belt with this Nattie character, this Nattie story, with this Nattie creation. But it surely’s not like Nattie is a spring chicken. It is time to do something with it. Why would not you’ve that Nattie character just show up someday and just start cross facing b****es left and right, dumping them on their heads, completely stripped down in that one piece that she wears? Mouth guard in, hair slicked back, flipping everybody off together with her entourage. There’s something there.”
With WWE’s permission, Natalya has been in a position to compete as Nattie in promotions corresponding to Game Changer Wrestling, Reality of Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance. Given past examples, corresponding to himself and Matt Hardy, Ray is just not confident that WWE will let Natalya fully present her alter ego by itself company programming. In Hardy’s case, he popularized his “Broken” Matt Hardy gimmick in TNA. Upon his return to WWE in 2017, Matt took on a “woken” persona with some changes.
Should you use any of the quotes in this text, please credit “Busted Open Radio” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.