Tag: Natalya

Natalya is ‘blown away’ by Undertaker & Jeremy Borash’s work in AAA

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Natalya recently revealed her reaction to The Undertaker & Jeremy Borash’s AAA work.

Ever since WWE acquired AAA last year, 2025, the promotion has seen a significant rise in mainstream wrestling as well as heaps of compliments on its booking.

WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker is one of the main heads behind AAA’s booking and creative. Recently, fans and critics have heaped praise on the legend for his booking and content direction in AAA. Alongside The Undertaker, WWE’s Vice President of Content and Development, Jeremy Borash, is also one of the names responsible for AAA’s current rise.

Recently speaking on The Busted Open Radio, Natalya heaped praise and exclaimed how she was “blown away” by their work in AAA.

“I will say that [The Undertaker]Taker and Jeremy Borash – Jeremy Borash, he works alongside Taker at AAA. A lot of people know JB as being somebody that puts together the most amazing video packages in WWE. He puts together, if you see some of the best video packages in the company, usually JB is behind a lot of them,” she said.

“And so to see what Taker, who by the way – Taker is not known for being a luchador. When you see what Undertaker has built in just the last six months of booking at AAA alongside Jeremy Borash and, of course, the people that had been in place in Triple A that work with them. Taker is very, very collaborative.

“I’m just blown away. Like, I think that Taker has really stepped into this new role and he is proving why his influence past the ring may be one of his greatest accomplishments,” she added.

AAA recently hosted the Noches de Los Grandes event, which was headlined by the highly acclaimed El Grande Americano mask vs. mask match.

Maxxine Dupri says WWE heel might be ‘a little misunderstood’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Maxxine Dupri addressed her conversations with Austin Theory over the past few months on WWE Raw. 

Dupri told Denise Salcedo during her interview that The Vision was misunderstood and Theory was being perceived in a different light. They have been featured in the background of multiple backstage segments on WWE Raw. 

“I’m a friendly girl. I get along with everyone. I’m friends with all the girls in the locker room. I’m friends with a lot of the guys on the roster.”

“I think that The Vision is doing what The Vision needs to do, and maybe they’re a little misunderstood.”  

“I think that if people took the time to get to know them and get to know Austin that maybe they would feel differently. I just think that I’ve gotten to see that other side.” 

She also talked about her feud with Becky Lynch, winning the Intercontinental Championship and training with Natalya at the dungeon. 

“It was nuts. Being in the dungeon is so spooky. Let me tell you, [laughter] it was, I feel so blessed that I was able to train with Natalya and with TJ (Wilson) and I learned so much from them. And one of the main things I learned, and it’s what we call our dungeon lungs, is really building that stamina because when you’re in there with someone like Becky Lynch, you have to have the stamina to not only keep up with her, but to be able to reverse everything she does and be able to stay active and to have the crowd, you have to be present and have those emotions. And you can’t be present if you’re huffing and puffing, you know? So, it was really that stamina that I built there that changed the game for me.”

Dupri won the Intercontinental Championship, which also marked her first WWE title win in November 2025. She defeated Lynch amid a rivalry that had been simmering for months and eventually implodd into a title feud. 

Her victory over Lynch under Natalya’s mentorship established her as a rising force in the women’s division, proving that she can hold her own against one of WWE’s most accomplished stars. 

AJ Styles visits Florida wrestling school, Nattie’s Dungeon

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AJ Styles spent some time this week passing on his knowledge to the next generation.

The 48-year-old Styles visited Fight the World Wrestling Academy, which is located in Florida and run by NWA wrestlers Bryan Idol, Natalia Markova, and Mike Mondo. He later stopped by Natalya & TJ Wilson’s Dungeon on Wednesday to help out during a training session.

“Most people never even get CLOSE to a ring…our students are learning directly from people who’ve main-evented WrestleMania, traveled the world, and actually lived this business,” FTW Academy posted. “Thank you to The Phenomenal One AJ Styles for a great class! See you again soon.”

Wednesday was Natalya’s 44th birthday, and she said Styles’ visit was the best gift she could have gotten. She and her husband Wilson (Tyson Kidd) hold weekly, invite-only training sessions in their ring at no cost to those who attend.

“I had the most PHENOMENAL birthday today sweating with my Dungeon family alongside [AJ Styles],” Natalya posted. “AJ gave us all the answers to the test… and then some. He got in there, wrestled, pushed us, and shared his knowledge with everyone in the room.

“He’s truly one of the greatest wrestlers of our generation, and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift. Learning. Growing. Being challenged. Feeling inspired all over again to keep chasing my wildest dreams and to never stop striving for greatness.”

Sessions at The Dungeon are attended by up-and-coming wrestlers as well as TV names who are looking to work on things. WWE’s Ilja Dragunov, who is there regularly, was among those in attendance this week.

AJ Styles’ post-retirement WWE role —

Styles had his final match this January, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April, and now works for the company in a behind-the-scenes capacity. His exact role isn’t fully set in stone, but Styles has enjoyed working in recruitment and helping out with the WWE ID development program. Because he has so much experience on the indies, that has been a natural fit for Styles.

Wednesday also saw John Cena, a WWE ambassador in his post-retirement life, spend some time with wrestlers at the WWE Performance Center.

Nattie pays tribute to Owen Hart: ‘There was no one like him’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Nattie Neidhart paid tribute to her late uncle Owen Hart on his birthday.

Owen would have turned 61 years old today. Nattie posted a video to Instagram featuring her and TJ Wilson speaking about Owen along with clips from Owen’s career.

She captioned her post with:

“Happy birthday to the King of Harts, Owen Hart, on his birthday.

I love being able to celebrate what an incredible person Owen was. He was deeply loved, and the impact he had on people is something that still lives on every single day. Owen’s spirit continues to shine so brightly.

I hope you take a moment to watch this and remember Owen Hart today. 🖤👑”

Nattie says in the video:

“As the years pass, I never stopped thinking about Owen. I never stopped thinking about the person that he was, what he brought to this world, what he did, and how he contributed to professional wrestling.

But most of all, I never stopped thinking about what an amazing person he was to his family.”

Wilson spoke about Owen’s sense of humor and how members of the Hart family try to keep that part of him alive:

“We just kind of do our best to imitate Owen in our daily lives. And if at the end of the night, if you came pretty close to imitating Owen, you had a hell of a day.”

Nattie added that she wishes she could ask Owen about growing up as the youngest member of the Hart family and trying to find his own way in wrestling.

“It would be so cool to be asking Owen questions about in a family full of greats, you being the baby, how did you stand out? Like, I wish I could ask Owen those questions about how he tried to make it in wrestling, and like what it was like when he first stepped foot in the dungeon himself.”

Nattie closed by saying that she and Wilson feel it is important to help preserve Owen’s legacy with their work at the Dungeon 2.0.

“It’s really, really important, especially with the dungeon, for TJ and I to help also keep Owen’s legacy alive, because there was no one like him.”

Nattie’s full post is available here.

Natalya wants to revive WWE Total Divas and launch Bloodsport inspired concept

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Natalya laid out her ambition to be the first female promoter in wrestling history and initiate a model after Bloodsport. 

Speaking on the Battleground Podcast, Natalya talked about her long term goal to launch her own variation of Bloodsport style of wrestling inspired by Josh Barnett. She reflected on moving away from the Natalya persona to the hard-hitting Nattie character today, and how Triple H and Nick Khan were supportive of her identity development. 

“I just have so much more that I want to do. I was even thinking like the thought crossed my mind when I heard that Josh Barnett was not doing Bloodsport anymore, there was a big part of me and there is a big part of me that said, ‘Why can’t I do something like that? Why can’t I be the first female promoter in WWE history to start something up of my own that’s comparable to Bloodsport.’ Because what Bloodsport did for me and what Josh Barnett did for me, in competing there and building something new and proving myself, Bloodsport for me is like, what do you have to prove? You’ve got to have a chip on your shoulder to do that and do it great.”

“And so there are people that are going there and going to Bloodsport and fighting to prove something. I was like, man, that would be a dream for me to bring something like that to life. I’ve thought about that quite a bit. Of course, nothing is solidified or anything like that but I was like, that’s a dream of mine to create something all new and be the first female to do that.”

Natalya added that she also wishes to revive Total Divas given the audience interest being at an all-time high.

“And of course, my other big dream is to bring Total Divas back.I think a lot of people really, I mean I get asked about Total Divas more than anything and I would love to do a Total Divas reboot. I would love to spearhead that. I would love to not only be a part of it, but also work behind the scenes with it. And I think now when in a world that’s eating up content more than ever, people really love that deep dive into the women of WWE. So, that is a goal of mine.” 

She introduced the character on Game Changer Wrestling for most of 2025 and in WWE earlier this year. Natalya ditched the hot pink wrestling gear, stylized after the Hart Family’s signature colors, and began donning black gear with slicked back hair, reflecting a tougher, combat driven style image. 

Liv Morgan, Jacob Fatu and more WWE stars discuss impact of training at The Dungeon 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Liv Morgan and other WWE stars shared their experiences and learnings at The Dungeon 2.0 owned by Natalya and TJ Wilson. 

Natalya shared a video on X featuring training sessions at The Dungeon. 

“My grandfather built The Dungeon on heart and grit and finding out who could get knocked down and get back up. I love being able to carry forward what he started with a new generation.” tweeted Natalya. 

In the video, Liv Morgan, Ilja Dragunov, Jacob Fatu and B-Fab shared their experiences training at the center and how it has altered and influenced their wrestling styles. 

Morgan: “I feel like when I started coming, that’s when I really noticed improvements in my wrestling and my performances. You know, just practicing something gives you the confidence that you’re doing better, even if you’re not improving yet. You know what I mean? So just me coming here every single week and spending three hours, it’s like old school sh*t. You just get down to work.”

Dragunov: “First of all, the dungeon has a very big place in my heart because after my ACL tear, I definitely was looking out for a place where I can prepare myself for my comeback, and I picked The Dungeon for it because i have a lot of respect for what TJ and Nattie are putting into the business.”

Fatu: “TJ’s just always boosting me up, always just teaching me the right things, but also since Natalya, man, as soon as I’m up in there, she ain’t giving me the superstar treatment or she ain’t giving me none of that just because I’m on TV. She actually pushes me. It’s something that I need.” 

B-Fab: “Being able to be here and just work on stuff, work on stuff that I’m working on, try new stuff, like just be able to just open myself up, make the ring my canvas, and just paint whatever I want to paint, as well as getting, you know, a good foundation built in, being able to remember things, so many great things we get from coming to the Dungeon.”

Over the years, The Dungeon has had several wrestlers across promotions to hone their in-ring skills. Last year, John Cena visited the training camp to impart wisdom about the industry and knowledge he picked up during his wrestling career.

Natalya has often emphasized the Dungeon is not just another wrestling school but rather her and Wilson’s ‘love letter to wrestling’.

Natalya offers condolences following Marc Izard’s passing

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Natalya offered condolences to Marc Izard’s family after news of his passing. 

Izard attended Natalya’s book signing in Las Vegas on April 16 and was spotted leaving SmackDown the  following night. Natalya had shared a post earlier about his missing status and urged fans to come forward if they had any details. On hearing about his passing, Natalya tweeted that the news was heartbreaking and offered condolences to Izard’s family during this tough time. 

“Hearing about the passing of someone from our wrestling family, Marc Izard, is heartbreaking. Wrestling brings people together in such a special way, and moments like this remind us how precious life truly is. My thoughts are with Marc’s family, friends, and everyone who loved him,” tweeted Natalya. 

Izard was from the United Kingdom who was in Las Vegas for WWE WrestleMania 42 weekend. On Monday, Las Vegas Review Journal reported that the Clark County coroner’s office had announced Izard had passed away on April 18. It happened at the 1730 block of Las Vegas Boulevard South between East St. Louis Avenue and Oakley Boulevard. Further details regarding the cause and manner of his death are pending. 

New match announced for WWE Raw

Posted on by Ian Carey

A new match has been announced for WWE Raw on Monday.

During his weekly rundown of the card, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce revealed that Maxxine Dupri and Nattie, formerly Natalya, will go one-on-one on this week’s show.

The two met on the February 9 edition of Raw in a match that lasted just 1 minute and 35 seconds before both wrestlers were counted out.

Pearce said:

“Maxxine Dupri will go one-on-one with Nattie. There is plenty of bad blood there.”

The February 23, 2026 edition of WWE Raw will take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The show will feature a tribute to AJ Styles. The updated lineup is below.

WWE Raw announced lineup for Monday, February 23, 2026:

  • A tribute to AJ Styles
  • Brock Lesnar appears
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. IYO SKY vs. Kairi Sane
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Bronson Reed vs. Jey Uso vs. Original El Grande Americano
  • Liv Morgan to make her WrestleMania decision
  • Maxxine Dupri vs. Nattie

WWE website makes Natalya’s name change official

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has officially updated its website to reflect Natalya’s recent name change.

As of today, Natalya is officially listed as “Nattie” on WWE.com’s roster page. It’s a persona that she first adopted outside of the company and is now bringing to WWE. She shifted into the Nattie character last month when she turned heel and attacked her protege Maxxine Dupri.

Natalya signed a new WWE contract in 2024 that allowed her to make some outside appearances at places like Bloodsport and the NWA. That’s where she cultivated this hard-hitting and more ruthless version of herself that we’ve seen as Nattie.

Tonight’s episode of Raw will feature a grudge match between Nattie and Dupri. Their feud has played off the real-life dynamic of Natalya mentoring Dupri and helping her become one of 2025’s most improved wrestlers.

After her heel turn last month, Nattie cut a promo explaining her actions and announcing her name change.

“Maxxine, I made you — and you failed. You didn’t fail you, you failed me,” she said. “You’re just like the rest of them. You think because you’ve rolled with a legend that you can roll like a legend. But that will never happen again. This is a whole new me. And when I’m done with you Maxxine, I’m coming for it all. Because Natalya elevates, but Nattie decimates.”

Updated WWE Raw lineup: Natalya segment added

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Following last week’s heel turn, Natalya will be on WWE Raw tonight to explain her actions.

WWE has announced that Natalya will address her betrayal of Maxxine Dupri on tonight’s show. Dupri had been Natalya’s protege, training with her in real life and aligning with her on WWE programming. But that partnership came to an end last Monday when Natalya cost Dupri a chance to regain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship from Becky Lynch.

“One week after shockingly betraying Maxxine Dupri and costing her protege a chance to win the Women’s Intercontinental Title from Becky Lynch, Natalya will address the WWE Universe,” WWE announced. “Don’t miss all the action of Raw, tonight at 8e/5p on Netflix.”

Along with costing her the IC title match, Natalya beat down Dupri and only stopped the attack once an official was able to finally pull her away. Bringing a more aggressive side of her character to WWE television, like she showed last week, is something Natalya has been hoping to do for a long time.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada is hosting Raw tonight, with the episode serving as Raw’s go-home show for this Saturday’s Royal Rumble PLE in Saudi Arabia.

Here is the updated Raw lineup:

WWE Raw (Monday, January 26) —

  • Bron Breakker will discuss his suspension with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce
  • World Tag Team title number one contender’s match: New Day vs. The Creed Brothers vs. Otis & Akira Tozawa vs. Rayo & Bravo Americano
  • AJ Styles appears ahead of his career-threatening match against Gunther at Royal Rumble
  • Gunther interview
  • Natalya addresses her heel turn

Heel turn takes place on WWE Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Natalya could be one step closer to her long-desired character change.

A heel turn took place on Monday’s WWE Raw with Natalya stopping her protege Maxxine Dupri from defeating Becky Lynch to reclaim the Women’s Intercontinental title. Dupri was about to get the three count, but Natalya pulled Lynch’s foot up to the ropes to break the count. As a confused Dupri looked at Natalya wondering why she did that, Lynch connected with a Manhandle Slam tor retain the IC title.

Natalya then beat down Dupri after the match, putting her in the Sharpshooter and refusing to let go. She continued her attack after that until the referee was finally able to pull her away.

This vicious side of Natalya is closer to the “low-key legend” persona she’s displayed in the non-WWE appearances she’s made at promotions like GCW Bloodsport. Bringing that Nattie Neidhart character to WWE is something that Natalya has repeatedly said is a huge goal for her.

An explanation for the heel turn was not given on Raw. Presumably, the storyline will have something to do with Natalya being jealous over the opportunities Dupri has gotten. Natalya has been a mentor to Dupri both in real life and in WWE storylines, with Dupri regularly attending training sessions at Natalya’s Dungeon. Those training sessions helped Dupri become one of 2025’s most improved wrestlers.

Dupri is a former Women’s Intercontinental Champion, having won the title from Lynch in November before losing it back on the first Raw of 2026.

Report: Kevin Owens, Natalya set for roles on WWE LFG

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The next season of WWE LFG will include Kevin Owens and Natalya in mentorship roles.

PWInsider reported today that Owens and Natalya will be featured as mentors in season three of WWE LFG on A&E. The show, which is currently filming, will also have Bully Ray and Booker T back as mentors. A premiere date for the new season has yet to be announced.

WWE LFG is a competition-style show with Performance Center recruits trying to earn their way onto NXT television. Season one was won by Jasper Troy and Tyra Mae Steele, while Shiloh Hill and Skylar Raye were the season two winners.

In season one, The Undertaker and Mickie James were coaches along with Bully Ray and Booker T. Michelle McCool then replaced James in season two.

Owens is unable to wrestle at the moment following neck surgery, but he shared a video of himself last month doing some cardio work at the Performance Center.

This mentorship role should be a natural one for Natalya, who already works with wrestlers both in and outside of WWE at her Dungeon training facility with husband TJ Wilson.

PWInsider’s report says that there will be a slight format change to WWE LFG in season three, with the show set to feature more guest stars.

Current WWE champion says Natalya ‘blessed’ her with knowledge

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Reigning WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Maxxine Dupri is all praise for veteran Natalya.

Speaking on the Battleground podcast, Dupri opened up about how Natalya influenced her and changed the way she worked inside the ring.

“She has completely shifted my aggression and my in-between moments,” Dupri said. “And I think that those are the things that takes a wrestling match from, ‘Ok that was good’, to ‘Wow, I feel so connected to what’s happening in that ring. And she does such a good job of fine tuning and showing you exactly what you need to change.”

“Sometimes that means she’s slapping you across the face, or she’s on top of you, beating you up and showing you exactly the level of intent you need to have. She has hands down changed the way I work in the ring by blessing me with her knowledge,” she said.

Dupri has been by Natalya’s side in recent weeks on WWE TV.

Last month, Dupri defeated Becky Lynch at a Raw episode in Madison Square Garden to win the women’s Intercontinental title. She has wrestled just once since then on a NXT house show.

WWE star Natalya announced for AAA match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Natalya is heading back down to Mexico this weekend to compete at a Lucha Libre AAA event.

This Saturday (November 22), AAA is holding a television taping at Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium in Mexico City. It’s been announced that Natalya will be part of a tag team match at the show. She’s teaming with Faby Apache against Flammer & La Hiedra.

Natalya has made regular appearances for AAA since the promotion was acquired by WWE, most recently competing in a three-way match at Heroes Inmortales last month where Flammer retained the Reina de Reinas Championship against Natalya and Faby Apache.

After the AAA taping, Natalya will be heading right back to the United States for a book signing in Orlando. She’ll be signing her new memoir “The Last Hart Beating: From the Dungeon to WWE.”

“Wrestling in Mexico for AAA on Saturday and then straight off the plane to a book signing in Orlando with @TJWilson — and I couldn’t be more pumped,” she tweeted. “I absolutely love wrestling in Mexico , and I’m so grateful everyone is connecting with my book and wanting it personalized. I never take these moments for granted.”

Here is the updated card for Saturday’s AAA taping:

  • Dominik Mysterio & El Grande Americano vs. Dragon Lee & El Hijo del Vikingo
  • AAA Mixed Tag Team Champions Chelsea Green & Ethan Page defend against Lola Vice & Mr. Iguana
  • La Parka vs. Galeno del Mal
  • Psycho Clown, Pagano, Dave the Clown & Murder Clown vs. El Mesias, Forastero, Mecha Wolf & Sanson
  • Octagon Jr. vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Axiom (number one contender’s match for AAA Cruiserweight title shot)
  • Natalya & Faby Apache vs. Flammer & La Hiedra

Daily Update: The Rock, Natalya, Maxxine Dupri

Posted on by Bryan Rose

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AEW & Other Wrestling

  • A memorial service for longtime NWA announcer Bob Caudle will be held at the Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina on November 25 at 2 pm.
  • The New York Times has a profile on pro wrestling entering its ‘museum era,’ focusing on performances like Choke Hole, a queer and drag artist troupe in New Orleans as well as the recent wrestling-themed exhibit at 52 Walker featuring Darby Allin.
  • Raven’s new documentary, Nevermore: The Raven Effect, launches today on Amazon Prime. 
  • The GoFundMe for George Tahinos, a longtime wrestling photographer who passed away over the weekend, has been launched.
  • KJ Orso vs. Joey Janela has been signed for GCW American Dream on November 22.