Natalya made history last week, competing in the first-ever women’s wrestling match to take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, the Superstar recounted how it came together. She also shared just how much the match meant to her, calling it “one of the most meaningful things that I’ve ever done.”
“We had been hearing rumblings that we were going to get the match, but we still weren’t sure, it was up in the air,” she said. “About two days before we went to Saudi Arabia this time, we were told, ‘Hey, there’s a good chance that you guys get a match. We can’t guarantee it, but it’s looking good.’ For us, we were cautiously optimistic because we didn’t want to get our hopes up and then have them dashed.”
She recalled that, when WWE made the match official with less than 36 hours to go before Crown Jewel began, the first thing she did was call her mom.
“[…] it was three or four o’clock in the morning, but I called her and I just wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Of course my mom was up — she said she was changing the kitty litter — but my mom was so excited, my whole family was so excited.”
When it comes to the impact that the match has had on her, Natalya couldn’t be prouder of being involved:
“This was being the change that we have all been waiting for. Being part of this incredible change that we were able to implement with our work, our body of work, our women’s evolution. It was one of the most impactful moments of my life. It was one of the most meaningful things that I’ve ever done. Knowing that I’m helping change the world.”
