WWE Diva and Total Divas star Natalya recently spoke with our friends at Wrestling INC to promote WWE SummerSlam weekend. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On WWE’s current “Divas Revolution”: “I think it’s something that’s been long overdue. There have been so many talented Divas in the WWE and it’s really awesome and refreshing that we’re finally getting a real chance to showcase our talent. I think it’s a testament to the fact that WWE fans across the world are pretty much demanding that the girls get treated better.
It’s not like anybody ever intended for the Divas to have one minute matches before, but if you’re silent and don’t stand up for yourself and you don’t have a voice and don’t use your reach? You can get whomped on. Nobody wants to be a doormat. Nobody wants to be treated like a doormat. As far as the voices of the Divas being heard, I think Vince McMahon is listening. I think you can really see that in the last month or so with the Divas’ Revolution. It’s something that’s really awesome. I’m really proud of all the girls.”
On her match with Charlotte at NXT TakeOver 15 months ago: “It meant everything to me. It was somebody actually believing in me and understanding that wrestling is not just in my blood. It’s something that I think about constantly. I have a passion for it, I’ve studied the history of it, I’ve wrestled all over the world before I ever came to WWE. When you look at Nattie, the character is really just someone who embodies wrestling. So, for me, to be able to show the world a masterpiece like the match I had with Charlotte, it wasn’t just about Nattie, it was about paying it forward.
And that’s what life is all about, is giving back. It’s about using what you have, your reach, your equity, and also being able to help somebody else shine, too. I’ve talked to Charlotte about this: The way that I paid it forward to her, she needs to use her skill to pay it forward to someone else down the road. So hopefully, all of the girls get the opportunity to do that at some point. That match meant everything to me and I think that people really started to look at women’s wrestling differently when they were saying ‘This isn’t just the women’s match of the year, this is one of the best matches of the year.”
Check out the complete interview at WrestlingINC.com.