Nattie Neidhart, a cornerstone of WWE’s women’s division for nearly two decades, has officially joining the Busted Open Radio family. It was announced on the show that Nattie will host her own hour every Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, offering her unique insights and perspectives on the professional wrestling world.
“I’m so excited. I’m so happy that I can finally be a part of the Busted Open family because I love the show,” Nattie shared. “I love everybody that does the show. And it just feels like such a great fit. So I’m very excited. I’m very grateful.” She emphasized her lifelong immersion in wrestling and her extensive network of relationships within the industry as valuable assets she brings to the platform.
A significant theme of Nattie’s discussion was the evolution and emergence of her more assertive and “unhinged” persona” distinct from the more reserved “Natalya.” “Natalya puts up with a little bit of sh*t, but Nattie, Nattie doesn’t take sh*t from anyone,” she declared. This “Nattie” side is one she’s eager to explore further, both on Busted Open and potentially more within WWE.
Natalya highlighted her recent critically acclaimed performances outside of WWE, specifically referencing her match at GCW Bloodsport and a recent NWA encounter against Kenzie Paige at the ECW Arena. “The performance that I gave at Bloodsport, the master class performance that I gave at Bloodsport, that was not a fluke,” she stated. “And so what we did two days ago for NWA was even better than what I did at Bloodsport, because for me, it’s not it’s for me, I’m fighting for my life… When Nattie is out there, she’s in a different world. I’m unhinged. So sh*t is going to go down.”
The veteran performer also spoke about her role in elevating other talents, coining the term the “Nattie rub.” She specifically mentioned her 2014 NXT TakeOver match with Charlotte Flair: “Charlotte wasn’t able to be Charlotte until I brought out a different side in her… When I had that match with her at takeover in 2014, I brought out a different side of her, a side of her that she didn’t know existed. So I did the same thing for Kenzie.” Natalya added, “When you look at some of the greatest female wrestlers that have ever walked through WWE, they usually started with me first, and I was the one that helped them.”
Crediting Busted Open’s own Bully Ray for helping her find this more assertive voice, Natalya explained, “Sometimes people do their best work when they have a chip on their shoulder, or when they’re pissed off, or when they have something to prove… In a lot of ways, you drove me to want to do outside shows in WWE because I was like, there’s just so much more that Nattie wants to do.” She expressed a desire to now empower others similarly.
As the longest-tenured female wrestler in WWE history with 18 uninterrupted years, Natalya feels she is currently at a creative peak. “For me, now that I’m here, 18 years deep, I feel like I’m really firing on all cylinders, and I’ve finally found my voice,” she asserted. “And it’s like I said, Nattie is a little bit of an asshole, but I’m excited to parlay that into Natalya. So stay tuned, because I’ve got some great stuff coming up.”
Fans can anticipate hearing more from this fiery “Nattie” persona and gaining unique insights from her extensive experience when her new hour debuts on Busted Open. Dave LaGreca expressed his excitement, stating, “This fire and I see and you’re getting fired up right now. This is why everybody’s got to tune in to this show.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Busted Open Radio with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
