Nattie Neidhart
Encyclopedia
Natalie "Nattie" Katherine Neidhart (born May 27, 1982) is a Canadian
professional wrestler
, currently signed to WWE on its SmackDown brand
under the ring name
Natalya.
Neidhart is a third-generation wrestler and member of the Hart wrestling family
. She trained in the Hart family Dungeon
under the tutelage of her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart
. In 2000 and 2001, she worked for the Matrats promotion, before debuting for Stampede Wrestling
in 2003. In 2004 and 2005, she wrestled abroad in both England and Japan. In June 2005, she became the inaugural Stampede Women's Pacific Championship
, and won the SuperGirls Championship the following year in October 2006.
In January 2007, she signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to the Deep South Wrestling developmental territory, before wrestling in Ohio Valley Wrestling
and Florida Championship Wrestling
(FCW). While in FCW, she managed
her cousin, DH Smith
, and her boyfriend, TJ Wilson. She debuted on the main roster in April 2008 as Natalya, allying herself with Victoria
. The following year, she moved to the ECW brand to manage the debuting Tyson Kidd. They were later joined by David Hart Smith to form The Hart Dynasty
and moved to the SmackDown brand. In April 2010, The Hart Dynasty won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship
and were moved to the Raw
brand. In September, Natalya began focusing on singles competition, which culminated in her winning the WWE Divas Championship
in November. The following April, she returned to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft.
" from her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart
, becoming the first ever woman to do so. In addition to her professional wrestling career, Neidhart has received training in amateur wrestling
and mixed martial arts
. Neidhart is the first third-generation female wrestler in the world.
In late 2000 through 2001, she served as the host and ring announcer
of the Eric Bischoff
led youth-promotion
MatRats. In 2003, she began working for the Hart Family's own promotion, Stampede Wrestling
, beginning a long time feud
with Belle Lovitz. The pair wrestled each other repeatedly, including a match for the Prairie Wrestling Alliance
, where Neidhart teamed with her father, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
, against Lovtiz and Apocalypse
. In 2004, however, Neidhart and Lovitz formed a tag team
, wrestling several intergender matches
against The Meyers Brothers as well as against Anna and Ma Myers.
Neidhart also began wrestling abroad. In mid-2004 she accepted bookings for a tour in England
, and in March 2005, started on a two month tour of Japan
where she used the name Nadia Hart. When she returned to Canada she promptly turned into a villainous
character, announcing that "Nasty Nattie" had been born. On June 17, 2005 she defeated Anna Marie, Lovitz, and Ma Myers in a four-way match to become the first Stampede Women's Pacific Championship
, though she later vacated the championship. In November 2005, Neidhart damaged her cruciate ligament
while wrestling in Japan, and underwent surgery in early 2006. She was sidelined for six months while she recovered.
On October 8, 2006, Neidhart won the SuperGirls Championship from Lisa Moretti
at a Big Time Wrestling show held by NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
in Newark, California
. She held the championship for 19 days, before losing it to Nikki Matthews
on October 27 in Surrey, British Columbia
. Also in October 2006, she debuted in the all-female promotion, Shimmer Women Athletes
. She lost to Sara Del Rey
at the tapings of Volume 7, but defeated "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel
at the Volume 8 tapings. The following month she competed in the tournament to determine Great Canadian Wrestling
's inaugural W.I.L.D. Champion, and defeated Danyah
and Aurora en route to the final, where she lost to Sirelda
. She had her last match for Stampede Wrestling on January 26, 2007, after she had signed with World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE), defeating Veronika Vice. During the show, she also gave a speech thanking the fans for their support.
and Angel Williams
. She was briefly transferred to Florida Championship Wrestling
when it opened in June, and then moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling
(OVW), debuting in a dark match at the television tapings on July 18, 2007, where she won a battle royal
. She debuted the next week as a member of the Next Generation Hart Foundation, accompanying her cousins Teddy Hart
and Harry Smith
for tag team
matches. In September, she and the rest of the Hart Foundation were moved back to FCW. Initially, Neidhart formed an alliance with Victoria Crawford
to take on The Bella Twins
, but in 2008, the pair began competing against one another, either in singles matches or in tag team matches with various partners. She continued to make appearances in FCW in late 2008, after debuting on SmackDown, and managed TJ Wilson and DH Smith (Harry Smith) to the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
on October 30.
, under the name Natalya Neidhart (later shortened to just Natalya) on the April 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown!, coming out of the crowd to aid Victoria
in an attack on Michelle McCool
and Cherry
. Her televised in-ring debut came three weeks later, in a win over Cherry. When SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
announced the creation of the WWE Divas Championship
on June 6, Natalya was the first Diva to qualify for the championship match. At The Great American Bash
on July 20, however, Natalya lost the match to determine the inaugural champion to McCool. For the rest of the year she competed mainly in tag team matches, sporadically wrestling singles matches. Allied with Victoria, she was also involved in a feud with The Bella Twins.
While still a member of the SmackDown brand, she made her debut for the ECW brand
, via the talent exchange agreement, on February 10, 2009, managing her real life boyfriend Tyson Kidd (TJ Wilson). In her ECW in-ring debut, on the March 3 episode, Natalya defeated Alicia Fox. On April 5, Neidhart competed in a Divas battle royal at WrestleMania XXV
, but the match was won by Santina Marella. On April 15 Natalya was made an official member of the ECW brand, when she was drafted there as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft. On the May 13 episode of ECW, Kidd and Natalya were joined by her real-life cousin David Hart Smith, forming The Hart Dynasty
, although it was originally called The Hart Trilogy.
On June 29, 2009, Natalya was traded back to SmackDown along with the other members of The Hart Dynasty. Natalya's first match back for the brand was in a six-person mixed tag team match on the July 17 episode, when The Hart Dynasty defeated Cryme Tyme
(JTG and Shad Gaspard) and Eve Torres
. Natalya, Kidd, and Smith went on to feud with Torres and Cryme Tyme, with Natalya also facing Torres in singles matches and tag team matches involving other Divas. Natalya was on the winning team when the SmackDown Divas defeated the Raw Divas at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view in October. On December 4, Natalya lost in a triple threat match to determine to number one contender for the WWE Women's Championship
after she was pinned by Mickie James
. The match also involved Beth Phoenix
.
Natalya, along with the other Hart Dynasty members, appeared at WrestleMania XXVI
, helping her uncle Bret Hart
during his match against Vince McMahon
, turning them into faces as a result. On April 26, The Hart Dynasty won the Unified Tag Team Championship from The Miz and The Big Show. The following day, as part of the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft, Natalya was drafted to the Raw brand, along with Kidd and Smith. On the May 24, 2010 episode of Raw, all three members of The Hart Dynasty were attacked by The Usos
(Jimmy and Jey) and Tamina
, who were making their debuts. This provoked a feud between the trios, with The Hart Dynasty attacking The Usos and Tamina the following week in retaliation. At the Fatal 4-Way
pay-per-view in June, Natalya and The Hart Dynasty defeated Tamina and The Uso Brothers in a six-person mixed tag team match, when Natalya pinned Tamina following a discus clothesline. At the next pay-per-view, Money in the Bank
, Natalya helped The Hart Dynasty to retain the championship against The Usos by stopping Tamina from interfering in the match, ending the feud. In September, at Night of Champions
, The Hart Dynasty lost the Tag Team Championship in a Tag Team Turmoil match. The Hart Dynasty split on November 15 after weeks of tension, when Kidd attacked Smith.
, and began feuding with self-professed co-Divas Champions Lay-Cool (Michelle McCool
and Layla
). On the October 1 episode of SmackDown, Natalya won an eight-Diva tag team match for her team when she made Maryse submit. At the Hell in a Cell
pay-per-view on October 3, she defeated Michelle McCool via disqualification in a match for the championship, which meant that McCool retained the championship. She received another championship match three weeks later at the Bragging Rights
pay-per-view, where she lost to Layla after McCool interfered. On the November 1 episode of Raw, she once again became number one contender to the Unified Divas Championship after defeating Michelle McCool in a non-title match. She defeated Lay-Cool in a two-on-one handicap match at the Survivor Series
pay-per-view to win the Unified Divas Championship. She was then attacked by Lay-Cool post-match but was saved by the returning Beth Phoenix
. Natalya soon lost the title January 30, 2011 at the Royal Rumble
to Eve Torres
, who was added into the two-on-one handicap match against LayCool, with Eve pinning Layla. On the February 14 edition of Raw, Natalya invoked her rematch clause against Eve in a Lumberjill match in a losing effort. After the match, Eve and Natalya shook hands.
, which she lost. From May, Natalya would mentor and team with the Chick Busters (AJ and Kaitlyn
). The trio would then begin a feud with Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox and Tamina
. On the August 1 edition of Raw, Natalya took part in a diva battle royal to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Divas Championship
against Kelly Kelly at the Summerslam
pay-per-view, which was ultimately won by Beth Phoenix
On the August 5 edition of SmackDown, after defeating AJ in a singles match, Natalya turned heel
once again by brutally attacking AJ after the match. She declared her allegiance with Beth Phoenix
(who made a heel turn on RAW days prior), echoing Phoenix's sentiment that "the days of the cute, perky little princesses are over." Natalya also stated this on Twitter that she and Phoenix call themselves the Sisters of Destruction (a play on the Brothers of Destruction
), but this name was later dropped as Natalya tweeted that she and Phoenix are called the Divas of Doom (a play on the Legion of Doom
), and about a month later, they began wearing small spikey shoulder pads to the ring like the Legion of Doom did in tag team matches. On the August 12 edition of Smackdown, Natalya and Beth Phoenix
debuted as the Divas of Doom
, and defeated the Chickbusters
in a diva tag team match, and afterwards were attacked with Phoenix brutally assaulting AJ, while Natalya applied the sharpshooter
on Kaitlyn
.
At Summerslam
pay-per-view, Natalya accompanied Beth Phoenix
to her WWE Divas Championship
match against Kelly Kelly, who was accompanied by Eve Torres
, but Phoenix failed to defeat Kelly. On the August 19 edition of Smackdown, Natalya teamed up with Alicia Fox in a losing effort to AJ and Kelly Kelly when Kelly pinned Fox, and was afterwards put in the sharpshooter by an angry Natalya. On the August 30 edition of Super Smackdown, the Divas of Doom
competed against Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox in a winning effort after Phoenix hit Fox with the Glam Slam. On the September 26 edition of Raw, the Divas of Doom
competed against Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres
in a winning effort after Phoenix pinned Kelly, earning herself another Divas Championship match at the Hell in a Cell
pay-per-view. On the September 30 edition of SmackDown, Natalya lost to Kelly Kelly in a singles match, and along with Phoenix, they attacked Kelly in put her in Pin-Up-Strong. At Hell in a Cell
, Natalya helped Beth Phoenix
win the Divas Championship by hitting Kelly Kelly with a microphone. The next night on the October 3 edition of Raw, Natalya and Beth Phoenix
competed in a diva tag team match against Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres
ending in a no contest after Kelly brutally attacked Phoenix. That same week on the October 7 edition of Smackdown, Natalya accompanied Beth Phoenix
in a singles match defeating Alicia Fox, ending with Natalya putting Fox in Pin-Up-Strong. On the October 17 edition of Raw, Natalya was accompanied by Beth Phoenix
in a losing effort to Eve Torres
, who was accompanied by Kelly Kelly. That same week on Smackdown, Natalya and Beth Phoenix
had a segment with the #1 contender Eve Torres
, ending with Eve shoving and embarrassing Phoenix. At the Vengeance
pay-per-view, Natalya was backstage with Beth Phoenix
in a brawl with Eve Torres
and Kelly Kelly, leading to John Laurinaitis
banding Natalya and Kelly from ringside. The next night on Raw, with Beth Phoenix
on commentary, Natalya lost a match to Alicia Fox, who they tried to attack but Fox escaped the ring. On the October 31 Halloween
edition of Raw, Natalya competed in a #1 contender diva battle royal against Beth Phoenix
at the Survivor Series
pay-per-view, but lost due to Eve Torres
winning the match. As Natalya and Beth Phoenix
were about to attack Eve, Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox backed up Eve, leading to Natalya and Phoenix leaving the ring. On the November 4 edition of Smackdown, Natalya lost again to Alicia Fox in singles competition. On the November 7 edition of Raw, Natalya along with Beth Phoenix
interrupted Kelly Kelly's Maxim Magazine
cover reveil and tried to attack her, but Eve Torres
and Alicia Fox ran in to help Kelly, as Natalya and Phoenix again left the ring. On the November 11, edition of Smackdown, Natalya sat on commentary observing a match between Alicia Fox, who was accompanied by Aksana in a winning effort against Tamina
who was accompanied by her partner, Rosa Mendes. On the November 14 edition of Raw, Natalya was accomnpanied by fellow Diva of Doom partner Beth Phoenix
in competing in singles competition in a losing effort against Kelly Kelly, who was also accompanied by Eve Torres
and Alicia Fox. On the November 18 edition of Smackdown, Natalya and Beth Phoenix
defeated the Chickbusters
in a diva tag team match.
Natalya accompanied Beth Phoenix
at the Survivor Series
pay-per-view as a lumberjill in a diva championship match against Eve Torres
. The next night on the November 21 edition of Raw, the Divas of Doom was seen backstage with Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox, who was playing the new WWE '12
game. On the November 25 edition of Smackdown, the Divas of Doom again defeated the Chickbusters
with Alicia Fox on commentary.
and Ellie Hart, who is the daughter of Stu Hart
, which makes Neidhart a third generation wrestler. She has two sisters; her older sister, Jennifer, is a gourmet chef and caterer, and she also has a younger sister, Kristen (nicknamed "Muffy"). Neidhart cites her grandfather, Stu, as her inspiration, both in and out of the ring. As a member of the Hart wrestling family
she is a cousin to Harry Smith and Teddy Hart, who are both professional wrestlers as well. She is close friends with Smith, and the two lived together for a short time as children while their fathers were wrestling as a team. She has been dating Tyson Kidd since November 2001.
Neidhart graduated from Bishop Carroll High School in 2000. She owns a home in Calgary
, but currently resides in Tampa, Florida
. Neidhart is trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
under Gracie Barra
. Prior to signing with WWE, Neidhart worked at a restaurant to supplement her income.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, currently signed to WWE on its SmackDown brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Natalya.
Neidhart is a third-generation wrestler and member of the Hart wrestling family
Hart wrestling family
The Hart wrestling family is a Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family is wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart, amateur and professional wrestler, promoter and trainer, who not only owned and operated his own wrestling...
. She trained in the Hart family Dungeon
Hart House (Alberta)
The Hart House is a residence located in the Patterson Heights neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Once owned by Stu Hart, it was home to his extensive family made world famous for their accomplishments in professional wrestling...
under the tutelage of her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart
Bruce Hart (wrestler)
Bruce Dennis Luis Hart is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. The second son of Stu Hart, Hart is a member of the large Hart wrestling family.Hart substitute teaches for the Calgary Board of Education.-Career:...
. In 2000 and 2001, she worked for the Matrats promotion, before debuting for Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
in 2003. In 2004 and 2005, she wrestled abroad in both England and Japan. In June 2005, she became the inaugural Stampede Women's Pacific Championship
Stampede Women's Pacific Championship
The Stampede Women's Pacific Championship is the major title for female wrestlers in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling.-Title history:-References:**...
, and won the SuperGirls Championship the following year in October 2006.
In January 2007, she signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to the Deep South Wrestling developmental territory, before wrestling in Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
and Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
(FCW). While in FCW, she managed
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
her cousin, DH Smith
Harry Smith (wrestler)
Harry Smith is a Canadian professional wrestler of English descent. He is currently working for Inoki Genome Federation and is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he won the Unified Tag Team Championship along with Tyson Kidd before being released from his contract on August 5, 2011...
, and her boyfriend, TJ Wilson. She debuted on the main roster in April 2008 as Natalya, allying herself with Victoria
Lisa Marie Varon
Lisa Marie Varon , is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder and fitness competitor of Puerto Rican and Turkish descent...
. The following year, she moved to the ECW brand to manage the debuting Tyson Kidd. They were later joined by David Hart Smith to form The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty was a professional wrestling stable that appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment. The unit consisted of the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith, and WWE Diva Natalya...
and moved to the SmackDown brand. In April 2010, The Hart Dynasty won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
and were moved to the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
brand. In September, Natalya began focusing on singles competition, which culminated in her winning the WWE Divas Championship
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Divas. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship...
in November. The following April, she returned to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft.
Training and early career (2000–2007)
Neidhart received formal professional wrestling training in the infamous Hart family "DungeonHart House (Alberta)
The Hart House is a residence located in the Patterson Heights neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Once owned by Stu Hart, it was home to his extensive family made world famous for their accomplishments in professional wrestling...
" from her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart
Bruce Hart (wrestler)
Bruce Dennis Luis Hart is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. The second son of Stu Hart, Hart is a member of the large Hart wrestling family.Hart substitute teaches for the Calgary Board of Education.-Career:...
, becoming the first ever woman to do so. In addition to her professional wrestling career, Neidhart has received training in amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
and mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. Neidhart is the first third-generation female wrestler in the world.
In late 2000 through 2001, she served as the host and ring announcer
Ring announcer
A ring announcer is a paid in-ring employee for a boxing, professional wrestling, or mixed martial arts event or promotion...
of the Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
led youth-promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
MatRats. In 2003, she began working for the Hart Family's own promotion, Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
, beginning a long time feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Belle Lovitz. The pair wrestled each other repeatedly, including a match for the Prairie Wrestling Alliance
Prairie Wrestling Alliance
The Prairie Wrestling Alliance is an independent wrestling promotion based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, since 2001. The PWA is owned, operated, and promoted by Kurt Sorochan and Don Ferguson. Its head booker is Lance Storm.-History:...
, where Neidhart teamed with her father, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
Jim Neidhart
James Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...
, against Lovtiz and Apocalypse
APOC (wrestler)
Eric Thompson , better known under his ring name Rick Victor is a Canadian professional wrestler currently working for Florida Championship Wrestling , the farm territory of WWE under the ring name Rick Victor. He has also worked as APOC for Ohio Valley Wrestling, as well as WFX Wrestling...
. In 2004, however, Neidhart and Lovitz formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
, wrestling several intergender matches
Intergender wrestling
Intergender wrestling, also known as mixed wrestling is a type of professional wrestling match between a man and a woman, and may also refer to tag team matches with both men and women on each team....
against The Meyers Brothers as well as against Anna and Ma Myers.
Neidhart also began wrestling abroad. In mid-2004 she accepted bookings for a tour in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and in March 2005, started on a two month tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where she used the name Nadia Hart. When she returned to Canada she promptly turned into a villainous
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
character, announcing that "Nasty Nattie" had been born. On June 17, 2005 she defeated Anna Marie, Lovitz, and Ma Myers in a four-way match to become the first Stampede Women's Pacific Championship
Stampede Women's Pacific Championship
The Stampede Women's Pacific Championship is the major title for female wrestlers in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling.-Title history:-References:**...
, though she later vacated the championship. In November 2005, Neidhart damaged her cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
while wrestling in Japan, and underwent surgery in early 2006. She was sidelined for six months while she recovered.
On October 8, 2006, Neidhart won the SuperGirls Championship from Lisa Moretti
Lisa Moretti
Lisa Moretti is a retired American professional wrestler. She is best known for her appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment between 1999 and 2005 under the ring name Ivory...
at a Big Time Wrestling show held by NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling is a Western Canadian-based professional wrestling promotion, operating as a member of the National Wrestling Alliance...
in Newark, California
Newark, California
Newark is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in September 1955. Newark is an enclave, completely surrounded by the city of Fremont. Its population was 42,573 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
. She held the championship for 19 days, before losing it to Nikki Matthews
Nicole Matthews
Nicole Matthews is the ring name of a Canadian professional wrestler. Matthews regularly wrestles for Shimmer Women Athletes and NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling...
on October 27 in Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
. Also in October 2006, she debuted in the all-female promotion, Shimmer Women Athletes
SHIMMER Women Athletes
Shimmer Women Athletes is an American, Chicago based female independent professional wrestling promotion which held its first event on November 6, 2005...
. She lost to Sara Del Rey
Sara Del Rey
Sara Amato is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name, Sara Del Rey. She is a mainstay for Chikara and Shimmer Women Athletes. She has also appeared for many other independent promotions in the United States, including Ring of Honor, IWA Mid-South, All Pro Wrestling, as...
at the tapings of Volume 7, but defeated "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel
Ana Rocha
Ana Rocha is an Portuguese-American professional wrestler and manager known by her ring name "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel, who has competed in Northeastern independent promotions including Ring of Honor, IWA Mid-South and the National Wrestling Alliance.-Early life and career:Born in São...
at the Volume 8 tapings. The following month she competed in the tournament to determine Great Canadian Wrestling
Great Canadian Wrestling
Great Canadian Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion company based in Oshawa, Ontario. GCW was founded in 2005 and promotes shows throughout Southern Ontario. The company also hosts since 2005 an annual Great Canadian Wrestling Expo that takes place over several days and...
's inaugural W.I.L.D. Champion, and defeated Danyah
Danyah Rivietz
Danyah Rivietz, better known by her ring name Danyah, is a Canadian professional wrestler. She is best known for her work in Shimmer Women Athletes as well as all-women's promotions in America and Canada...
and Aurora en route to the final, where she lost to Sirelda
Jaime Dauncey
Jaime Dauncey is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known for her appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2006 under the ring name, Sirelda. She is currently employed by Border City Wrestling....
. She had her last match for Stampede Wrestling on January 26, 2007, after she had signed with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE), defeating Veronika Vice. During the show, she also gave a speech thanking the fans for their support.
Development territories (2007–2008)
On January 5, 2007, Neidhart signed a deal with WWE. Upon signing she was assigned to their developmental territory Deep South Wrestling for the first half of the year, competing against wrestlers including Krissy VaineKristin Eubanks
Kristin Eubanks is an American professional wrestler and valet better known by her ring names Krissy Vaine and Kristin Astara.-Professional wrestling career:...
and Angel Williams
Angel Williams
Lauren Williams is a Canadian professional wrestler, who is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Angelina Love. She is a record-setting five-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion and a former a one-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with Winter...
. She was briefly transferred to Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
when it opened in June, and then moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
(OVW), debuting in a dark match at the television tapings on July 18, 2007, where she won a battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
. She debuted the next week as a member of the Next Generation Hart Foundation, accompanying her cousins Teddy Hart
Teddy Hart
Teddy Annis , is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He is currently working on the American independent circuit for promotions such as Jersey All Pro Wrestling and Dragon Gate USA...
and Harry Smith
Harry Smith (wrestler)
Harry Smith is a Canadian professional wrestler of English descent. He is currently working for Inoki Genome Federation and is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he won the Unified Tag Team Championship along with Tyson Kidd before being released from his contract on August 5, 2011...
for tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
matches. In September, she and the rest of the Hart Foundation were moved back to FCW. Initially, Neidhart formed an alliance with Victoria Crawford
Victoria Crawford
Victoria Elizabeth Crawford is an American model and professional wrestler best known by her ring name Alicia Fox. She is signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown brand....
to take on The Bella Twins
The Bella Twins
Brianna Monique Garcia and Stephanie Nicole Garcia are American twin professional wrestlers. The twins are a professional wrestling tag team under the ring names Brie Bella and Nikki Bella, collectively referred to as The Bella Twins, and work for WWE on the Raw brand.Before being promoted to the...
, but in 2008, the pair began competing against one another, either in singles matches or in tag team matches with various partners. She continued to make appearances in FCW in late 2008, after debuting on SmackDown, and managed TJ Wilson and DH Smith (Harry Smith) to the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
The Florida Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling , the developmental territory of WWE. It is contested for in their tag team division...
on October 30.
Alliance with Victoria and The Hart Dynasty (2008–2010)
She made her main roster debut as a villainHeel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, under the name Natalya Neidhart (later shortened to just Natalya) on the April 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown!, coming out of the crowd to aid Victoria
Lisa Marie Varon
Lisa Marie Varon , is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder and fitness competitor of Puerto Rican and Turkish descent...
in an attack on Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
and Cherry
Kara Drew
Kara Elizabeth Drew is a former American professional wrestler and valet, better known by her ring name Cherry. She is best known for working in World Wrestling Entertainment as the manager of former Tag Team Champions, Deuce 'n Domino, and as a performer for its SmackDown brand.After becoming...
. Her televised in-ring debut came three weeks later, in a win over Cherry. When SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
announced the creation of the WWE Divas Championship
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Divas. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship...
on June 6, Natalya was the first Diva to qualify for the championship match. At The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2008)
The Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
on July 20, however, Natalya lost the match to determine the inaugural champion to McCool. For the rest of the year she competed mainly in tag team matches, sporadically wrestling singles matches. Allied with Victoria, she was also involved in a feud with The Bella Twins.
While still a member of the SmackDown brand, she made her debut for the ECW brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
, via the talent exchange agreement, on February 10, 2009, managing her real life boyfriend Tyson Kidd (TJ Wilson). In her ECW in-ring debut, on the March 3 episode, Natalya defeated Alicia Fox. On April 5, Neidhart competed in a Divas battle royal at WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
, but the match was won by Santina Marella. On April 15 Natalya was made an official member of the ECW brand, when she was drafted there as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft. On the May 13 episode of ECW, Kidd and Natalya were joined by her real-life cousin David Hart Smith, forming The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty was a professional wrestling stable that appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment. The unit consisted of the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith, and WWE Diva Natalya...
, although it was originally called The Hart Trilogy.
On June 29, 2009, Natalya was traded back to SmackDown along with the other members of The Hart Dynasty. Natalya's first match back for the brand was in a six-person mixed tag team match on the July 17 episode, when The Hart Dynasty defeated Cryme Tyme
Cryme Tyme
For animated series named Crime Time, visit Crime TimeCryme Tyme was a professional wrestling tag team that was signed to WWE.The team consisted of JTG and Shad , an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs.-Early lives:Of Haitian and...
(JTG and Shad Gaspard) and Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
. Natalya, Kidd, and Smith went on to feud with Torres and Cryme Tyme, with Natalya also facing Torres in singles matches and tag team matches involving other Divas. Natalya was on the winning team when the SmackDown Divas defeated the Raw Divas at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view in October. On December 4, Natalya lost in a triple threat match to determine to number one contender for the WWE Women's Championship
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
after she was pinned by Mickie James
Mickie James
Mickie Laree James , better known simply as Mickie James, is an American professional wrestler and singer of mixed Native American-Caucasian descent, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she is a former two-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion.James began her professional...
. The match also involved Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
.
Natalya, along with the other Hart Dynasty members, appeared at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
, helping her uncle Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
during his match against Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
, turning them into faces as a result. On April 26, The Hart Dynasty won the Unified Tag Team Championship from The Miz and The Big Show. The following day, as part of the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft, Natalya was drafted to the Raw brand, along with Kidd and Smith. On the May 24, 2010 episode of Raw, all three members of The Hart Dynasty were attacked by The Usos
The Usos
The Usos are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso. The Usos appear in WWE, competing on the SmackDown brand. The pair were previously managed by Tamina...
(Jimmy and Jey) and Tamina
Sarona Reiher
Sarona Reiher is a professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE, where she is performing on the SmackDown brand, using the ring name Tamina...
, who were making their debuts. This provoked a feud between the trios, with The Hart Dynasty attacking The Usos and Tamina the following week in retaliation. At the Fatal 4-Way
WWE Fatal 4-Way
Fatal 4-Way was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 20, 2010 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York...
pay-per-view in June, Natalya and The Hart Dynasty defeated Tamina and The Uso Brothers in a six-person mixed tag team match, when Natalya pinned Tamina following a discus clothesline. At the next pay-per-view, Money in the Bank
WWE Money in the Bank
Money in the Bank was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 18, 2010 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The concept of the event was based around the Money in the Bank ladder match, with two matches held at the...
, Natalya helped The Hart Dynasty to retain the championship against The Usos by stopping Tamina from interfering in the match, ending the feud. In September, at Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2010)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on September 19, 2010 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the third annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the tenth...
, The Hart Dynasty lost the Tag Team Championship in a Tag Team Turmoil match. The Hart Dynasty split on November 15 after weeks of tension, when Kidd attacked Smith.
Feud with LayCool and Divas Champion (2010–2011)
On the September 27 episode of Raw, Natalya won a battle royal to become the number one contender to the WWE Unified Divas ChampionshipWWE Divas Championship
The WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Divas. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship...
, and began feuding with self-professed co-Divas Champions Lay-Cool (Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
and Layla
Layla El
Layla El is an English dancer, model and professional wrestler of Moroccan and Spanish descent. She is employed by WWE as a WWE Diva and appears on the SmackDown brand as Layla...
). On the October 1 episode of SmackDown, Natalya won an eight-Diva tag team match for her team when she made Maryse submit. At the Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell (2010)
Hell in a Cell was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on October 3, 2010 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was the second annual Hell in a Cell event. Like the 2009 event, the event featured the Hell in a Cell...
pay-per-view on October 3, she defeated Michelle McCool via disqualification in a match for the championship, which meant that McCool retained the championship. She received another championship match three weeks later at the Bragging Rights
Bragging Rights (2010)
Bragging Rights was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on October 24, 2010 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the second and final Bragging Rights event. Seven matches took place at the event...
pay-per-view, where she lost to Layla after McCool interfered. On the November 1 episode of Raw, she once again became number one contender to the Unified Divas Championship after defeating Michelle McCool in a non-title match. She defeated Lay-Cool in a two-on-one handicap match at the Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2010)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on November 21, 2010 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida...
pay-per-view to win the Unified Divas Championship. She was then attacked by Lay-Cool post-match but was saved by the returning Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
. Natalya soon lost the title January 30, 2011 at the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2011)
Royal Rumble was the 24th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on January 30, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts....
to Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
, who was added into the two-on-one handicap match against LayCool, with Eve pinning Layla. On the February 14 edition of Raw, Natalya invoked her rematch clause against Eve in a Lumberjill match in a losing effort. After the match, Eve and Natalya shook hands.
The Divas of Doom (2011)
On April 26, 2011, Natalya was drafted back to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft. In her return match for the brand, she had a non-title match against Brie BellaThe Bella Twins
Brianna Monique Garcia and Stephanie Nicole Garcia are American twin professional wrestlers. The twins are a professional wrestling tag team under the ring names Brie Bella and Nikki Bella, collectively referred to as The Bella Twins, and work for WWE on the Raw brand.Before being promoted to the...
, which she lost. From May, Natalya would mentor and team with the Chick Busters (AJ and Kaitlyn
Celeste Bonin
Celeste Beryl Bonin is an American model and professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Kaitlyn. She is working for WWE, where she is assigned to the SmackDown brand and also competes in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling...
). The trio would then begin a feud with Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox and Tamina
Sarona Reiher
Sarona Reiher is a professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE, where she is performing on the SmackDown brand, using the ring name Tamina...
. On the August 1 edition of Raw, Natalya took part in a diva battle royal to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Divas Championship
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Divas. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship...
against Kelly Kelly at the Summerslam
SummerSlam (2011)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on August 14, 2011. For the third consecutive year, SummerSlam was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and it was the 24th annual SummerSlam event...
pay-per-view, which was ultimately won by Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
On the August 5 edition of SmackDown, after defeating AJ in a singles match, Natalya turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
once again by brutally attacking AJ after the match. She declared her allegiance with Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
(who made a heel turn on RAW days prior), echoing Phoenix's sentiment that "the days of the cute, perky little princesses are over." Natalya also stated this on Twitter that she and Phoenix call themselves the Sisters of Destruction (a play on the Brothers of Destruction
Brothers of Destruction
The Brothers of Destruction was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of The Undertaker and Kane, both currently wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown roster.-History:...
), but this name was later dropped as Natalya tweeted that she and Phoenix are called the Divas of Doom (a play on the Legion of Doom
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
), and about a month later, they began wearing small spikey shoulder pads to the ring like the Legion of Doom did in tag team matches. On the August 12 edition of Smackdown, Natalya and Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
debuted as the Divas of Doom
The Divas of Doom
The Divas of Doom is a professional wrestling villainous tag team consisting of Beth Phoenix and Natalya, both working for WWE with Phoenix assigned to the Raw brand, and Natalya assigned to the SmackDown brand, but both appear on either show due to Phoenix being the current WWE Divas Champion...
, and defeated the Chickbusters
The Chickbusters
The Chickbusters is a professional wrestling face tag team consisting of Kaitlyn and AJ, both working for WWE and assigned to the SmackDown brand, and also compete in developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling...
in a diva tag team match, and afterwards were attacked with Phoenix brutally assaulting AJ, while Natalya applied the sharpshooter
Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)
The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
on Kaitlyn
Celeste Bonin
Celeste Beryl Bonin is an American model and professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Kaitlyn. She is working for WWE, where she is assigned to the SmackDown brand and also competes in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling...
.
At Summerslam
SummerSlam (2011)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on August 14, 2011. For the third consecutive year, SummerSlam was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and it was the 24th annual SummerSlam event...
pay-per-view, Natalya accompanied Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
to her WWE Divas Championship
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Divas. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship...
match against Kelly Kelly, who was accompanied by Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
, but Phoenix failed to defeat Kelly. On the August 19 edition of Smackdown, Natalya teamed up with Alicia Fox in a losing effort to AJ and Kelly Kelly when Kelly pinned Fox, and was afterwards put in the sharpshooter by an angry Natalya. On the August 30 edition of Super Smackdown, the Divas of Doom
The Divas of Doom
The Divas of Doom is a professional wrestling villainous tag team consisting of Beth Phoenix and Natalya, both working for WWE with Phoenix assigned to the Raw brand, and Natalya assigned to the SmackDown brand, but both appear on either show due to Phoenix being the current WWE Divas Champion...
competed against Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox in a winning effort after Phoenix hit Fox with the Glam Slam. On the September 26 edition of Raw, the Divas of Doom
The Divas of Doom
The Divas of Doom is a professional wrestling villainous tag team consisting of Beth Phoenix and Natalya, both working for WWE with Phoenix assigned to the Raw brand, and Natalya assigned to the SmackDown brand, but both appear on either show due to Phoenix being the current WWE Divas Champion...
competed against Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
in a winning effort after Phoenix pinned Kelly, earning herself another Divas Championship match at the Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell (2011)
Hell in a Cell was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on October 2, 2011 at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the third annual Hell in a Cell event. Like the 2009 and 2010 events, this event also featured the Hell in a Cell match...
pay-per-view. On the September 30 edition of SmackDown, Natalya lost to Kelly Kelly in a singles match, and along with Phoenix, they attacked Kelly in put her in Pin-Up-Strong. At Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell (2011)
Hell in a Cell was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on October 2, 2011 at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the third annual Hell in a Cell event. Like the 2009 and 2010 events, this event also featured the Hell in a Cell match...
, Natalya helped Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
win the Divas Championship by hitting Kelly Kelly with a microphone. The next night on the October 3 edition of Raw, Natalya and Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
competed in a diva tag team match against Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
ending in a no contest after Kelly brutally attacked Phoenix. That same week on the October 7 edition of Smackdown, Natalya accompanied Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
in a singles match defeating Alicia Fox, ending with Natalya putting Fox in Pin-Up-Strong. On the October 17 edition of Raw, Natalya was accompanied by Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
in a losing effort to Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
, who was accompanied by Kelly Kelly. That same week on Smackdown, Natalya and Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
had a segment with the #1 contender Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
, ending with Eve shoving and embarrassing Phoenix. At the Vengeance
Vengeance (2011)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on October 23, 2011 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. It is the 12th event under the Vengeance/Night of Champions chronology and the first event under the Vengeance name since the 2007 edition...
pay-per-view, Natalya was backstage with Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
in a brawl with Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
and Kelly Kelly, leading to John Laurinaitis
John Laurinaitis
John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...
banding Natalya and Kelly from ringside. The next night on Raw, with Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
on commentary, Natalya lost a match to Alicia Fox, who they tried to attack but Fox escaped the ring. On the October 31 Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
edition of Raw, Natalya competed in a #1 contender diva battle royal against Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
at the Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2011)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on November 20, 2011 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was the 25th annual Survivor Series event and the first one to take place in Madison Square Garden since the 2002 event...
pay-per-view, but lost due to Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
winning the match. As Natalya and Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
were about to attack Eve, Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox backed up Eve, leading to Natalya and Phoenix leaving the ring. On the November 4 edition of Smackdown, Natalya lost again to Alicia Fox in singles competition. On the November 7 edition of Raw, Natalya along with Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
interrupted Kelly Kelly's Maxim Magazine
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
cover reveil and tried to attack her, but Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
and Alicia Fox ran in to help Kelly, as Natalya and Phoenix again left the ring. On the November 11, edition of Smackdown, Natalya sat on commentary observing a match between Alicia Fox, who was accompanied by Aksana in a winning effort against Tamina
Sarona Reiher
Sarona Reiher is a professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE, where she is performing on the SmackDown brand, using the ring name Tamina...
who was accompanied by her partner, Rosa Mendes. On the November 14 edition of Raw, Natalya was accomnpanied by fellow Diva of Doom partner Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
in competing in singles competition in a losing effort against Kelly Kelly, who was also accompanied by Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
and Alicia Fox. On the November 18 edition of Smackdown, Natalya and Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
defeated the Chickbusters
The Chickbusters
The Chickbusters is a professional wrestling face tag team consisting of Kaitlyn and AJ, both working for WWE and assigned to the SmackDown brand, and also compete in developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling...
in a diva tag team match.
Natalya accompanied Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
at the Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2011)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on November 20, 2011 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was the 25th annual Survivor Series event and the first one to take place in Madison Square Garden since the 2002 event...
pay-per-view as a lumberjill in a diva championship match against Eve Torres
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
. The next night on the November 21 edition of Raw, the Divas of Doom was seen backstage with Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox, who was playing the new WWE '12
WWE '12
WWE '12 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the first game in the WWE series and the fourteenth overall in the combined series. It is the sequel to WWE SmackDown vs...
game. On the November 25 edition of Smackdown, the Divas of Doom again defeated the Chickbusters
The Chickbusters
The Chickbusters is a professional wrestling face tag team consisting of Kaitlyn and AJ, both working for WWE and assigned to the SmackDown brand, and also compete in developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling...
with Alicia Fox on commentary.
Personal life
Neidhart is the daughter of wrestler Jim "The Anvil" NeidhartJim Neidhart
James Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...
and Ellie Hart, who is the daughter of Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
, which makes Neidhart a third generation wrestler. She has two sisters; her older sister, Jennifer, is a gourmet chef and caterer, and she also has a younger sister, Kristen (nicknamed "Muffy"). Neidhart cites her grandfather, Stu, as her inspiration, both in and out of the ring. As a member of the Hart wrestling family
Hart wrestling family
The Hart wrestling family is a Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family is wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart, amateur and professional wrestler, promoter and trainer, who not only owned and operated his own wrestling...
she is a cousin to Harry Smith and Teddy Hart, who are both professional wrestlers as well. She is close friends with Smith, and the two lived together for a short time as children while their fathers were wrestling as a team. She has been dating Tyson Kidd since November 2001.
Neidhart graduated from Bishop Carroll High School in 2000. She owns a home in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, but currently resides in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. Neidhart is trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
under Gracie Barra
Gracie Barra
Gracie Barra is one of the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu associations, with over 400 black belts and 150 schools or affiliates worldwide. It is headed by Carlos Gracie, Jr., son of Carlos Gracie the first Gracie to ever learn Jiu-Jitsu from Japanese emigrant to Brazil Otávio Mitsuyo Maeda.- History...
. Prior to signing with WWE, Neidhart worked at a restaurant to supplement her income.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Nattie by Nature (Spinning powerbomb) — Independent circuitIndependent circuitIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
- SharpshooterSharpshooter (professional wrestling)The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
, sometimes while bridging - Pin-Up-Strong (Modified inverted surfboard into a double wrist lock)
- Nattie by Nature (Spinning powerbomb) — Independent circuit
- Signature moves
- Discus clothesline
- Front powerslam
- Michinoku driver II
- Multiple suplexSuplexA suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
variations- Belly-to-back
- Delayed vertical
- Double underhook
- German
- Snap
- Wheelbarrow
- Rear naked choke
- Surfboard
- With Beth PhoenixBeth PhoenixElizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
- Double delayed vertical suplex
- Double wheelbarrow drop
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- VictoriaLisa Marie VaronLisa Marie Varon , is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder and fitness competitor of Puerto Rican and Turkish descent...
- Tyson Kidd
- David Hart Smith
- Bret HartBret HartBret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
- Beth PhoenixBeth PhoenixElizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
- Victoria
- Wrestlers managedManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- VictoriaLisa Marie VaronLisa Marie Varon , is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder and fitness competitor of Puerto Rican and Turkish descent...
- Tyson Kidd
- David Hart Smith
- The ChickbustersThe ChickbustersThe Chickbusters is a professional wrestling face tag team consisting of Kaitlyn and AJ, both working for WWE and assigned to the SmackDown brand, and also compete in developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling...
(KaitlynCeleste BoninCeleste Beryl Bonin is an American model and professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Kaitlyn. She is working for WWE, where she is assigned to the SmackDown brand and also competes in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling...
and AJ) - Beth PhoenixBeth PhoenixElizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
- Victoria
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Anvilette"
- "Nattie by Nature"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Yeah Baby" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(2008–2009) - "New Foundation" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(2009–present) - "Glamazon" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(WWE;August 12, 2011–present; uses with Beth PhoenixBeth PhoenixElizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
as The Divas of DoomThe Divas of DoomThe Divas of Doom is a professional wrestling villainous tag team consisting of Beth Phoenix and Natalya, both working for WWE with Phoenix assigned to the Raw brand, and Natalya assigned to the SmackDown brand, but both appear on either show due to Phoenix being the current WWE Divas Champion...
)
- "Yeah Baby" by Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- SuperGirls Wrestling
- SuperGirls Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked her #4 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2011
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- Stampede Women's Pacific ChampionshipStampede Women's Pacific ChampionshipThe Stampede Women's Pacific Championship is the major title for female wrestlers in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling.-Title history:-References:**...
(2 times) - Women's Wrestler of the Year (2005)
- Stampede Women's Pacific Championship
- World Wrestling Entertainment/ WWE
- WWE Divas ChampionshipWWE Divas ChampionshipThe WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Divas. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship...
(1 time)
- WWE Divas Championship