WWE Diva Natalya was the guest on the most recent episode of The Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast (Episode SRW 045) and on the show, she discussed her thoughts on SummerSlam and her efforts to care for cats in need all over the country. Roberts asked Natalya about the ongoing “Divas Revolution” storyline in which three of WWE NXT’s most accomplished female wrestlers — Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch — have been moved up to the company’s main roster.
Natalya shared her happiness for the women who are just now reaching an exciting time in their careers, but she also acknowledged wishing that she was somehow involved in the popular angle. She spoke a bit on how her upbringing has always set her apart from many of the other WWE Divas.
“I had such a hard time getting hired because, trying to get into the WWE there were a lot of models and I wasn’t a swimsuit model,” Natalya recalled. “I just had such a struggle my whole career because I very much embodied wrestling. And that’s just part of growing up in the Hart family. To me, wrestling is just something that pours out of me. It’s something that makes me tick.”
Natalya also noted that her physical appearance distinguishes her from many of the WWE Divas but was quick to add that she has come to terms with the need to step aside for the moment so that others can have a moment in the limelight.
“Beautiful people are everywhere,” Natalia said. “But to be a Diva in the WWE, you have to be very special. You have to be well-rounded and you also have a unique, diverse personality. You have to know how to compete when the bell rings … We are just introducing three new Divas so right now the spotlight is on them … I just have to trust in the powers that be… Right now is not my time and I’ll just help everybody celebrate their time and be supportive and someday it will be my time.”
Although Natalya is clearly a team player with regard to the support she has expressed for her peers, not everyone in the wrestling business is optimistic about the evolution of the WWE Divas division. As reported by WrestleZone and other news outlets, wrestling legend Greg “The Hammer” Valentine recently shared his opinion that female wrestlers have “no place” in the business, adding that if he could, he would “send them all out to the strip bar and fire them.” Valentine was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.
[Image via WWE]