Natalya made an appearance on Booker T’s Hall of Fame podcast to discuss a wide range of topics.
During it, she opened up on her longevity in WWE. She’s been with the company since 2007.
“For me, it’s been crazy because time has just flown. I know I started in WWE in 2007 and debuted on SmackDown in 2008, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that a fan, somebody on social media, brought it to my attention that I had the most matches of any woman in WWE history and the most wins. I would also think the most losses too (she laughs). I never bring that up. It was so cool because I was like ‘Wait, that can’t be right’, but then all of a sudden WWE did a fact check for it because I wanted to be able to say it on TV.
It’s so cool because I think what’s going to be so much longevity is finding something extraordinary, and finding something great in every single opponent that I’ve had. To get to WWE, to get to the level we are at in WWE, you have to be great. I believe there is greatness inside of everyone, whether it’s Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Sasha Banks, Naomi, Tamina Snuka, and the list goes on and on. When I had that match with Charlotte Flair in 2014, nobody really knew who she was.
I just saw so much potential in her. That’s what I love about my career in WWE is finding something great inside everybody, and helping people realize something they didn’t know they had inside themselves. In return, I find something great inside of me. That’s been my secret to longevity. Of course, I have Neidhart genetics, knock on wood. When I was growing up, I used to curse my dad. I would be like, ‘Damn it. I’m this thick girl because of my dad.’ My dad was a shot putter. Before my dad came to WWE, he played in the NFL, and he was a world class shot putter. My dad was really stocky. Thank God for my dad’s genetics because those Neidhart genetics kept me really safe.”
