The Women’s Intercontinental Championship will be on the line this Sunday at WWE Clash in Paris, as champion Becky Lynch defends against Nikki Bella in one of the most anticipated matches of the card.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, WWE veteran Natalya gave her take on the high-profile bout and praised Nikki for channeling her personal struggles into the feud.
She said, “Their segment, from what I understand, was one of the most viewed segments on the show and that’s because I do believe there’s real tension between the two of them. I think with Nikki, she’s in a place in her life where she’s been scrutinized, she’s been criticized, she’s been through the wringer up and down and back again.”
Natalya emphasized Nikki’s resilience, saying her friend has never let hardships define her, “Since I’ve known Nikki from day one, she has never ever been a victim, she’s always been a survivor. That’s the thing that Becky doesn’t realize is that Nikki has been a survivor of so many things that she doesn’t even talk about. Things that I know because I’m a close friend of hers — she’s channeling all of that into this feud.”
Natalya also pointed out the personal edge in the rivalry, tracing it back to Becky’s first verbal jab. “We go back to when Becky threw the first shot at Nikki, it was a low blow. Becky knew exactly what she was doing, she was trying to hit Nikki in the heart. Nikki’s already five steps ahead because she’s like, ‘I’ve already been hurt so much that you’re not going to hurt me anymore. I’m gonna take everything that you’re saying and I’m going to channel it into my performance.’”
Natalya closed by saying she’s excited to see how the match unfolds in Paris, “I’m excited to see their match at Clash, I think their story has been fascinating.”
Fans can check out the complete podcast below:
