Hart and soul of wrestling in Canada
Natalie Neidhart, better known by her ring name Natalya, was one of several wrestlers from WWE in Oshawa for a show by the promotion. Here, Natalya has a submission move – the Sharpshooter, made famous by her uncle Bret Hart, locked in on her challenger, women’s champion Charlotte.
By Graeme McNaughton/The Oshawa Express
Ask any wrestling fan to name the top Canadian family in professional wrestling, and you will likely hear one name: the Harts.
Among the members of the family are Bret “The Hitman” Hart, one of the biggest stars of professional wrestling in the 1990s, along with his brother Owen Hart, brother-in-law Jim Neidhart, among many others. The latest in the family lineage, Natalie Neidhart, was one of the stars of the WWE who came to Oshawa for the promotion’s latest show at the GM Centre.
However, despite her family’s lineage, Neidhart – who performs as Natalya – says that she was brought into the fold because of her hard work and perseverance, not just because she had a recognizable last name.
“People think I had doors opened up for me because of my family, and really it’s not the case at all. I was lucky enough to be born into a great wrestling family, but it took me about five years to get hired,” she says, referring to her time on the independent circuit.
“It was a time of working hard, sending tapes and getting them rejected and having the door slammed in my face.”
Neidhart finally got her shot in 2007, and since then, has taken part in numerous storylines with the company and has found herself as one of the more experienced veterans among the women in the company.
One thing that has changed in that time is how the company views its female performers, with storylines focusing more so on talent in the ring as opposed to catty rivalries – something that Neidhart says was a long time coming.
“It’s not enough in WWE just to be pretty. There are pretty girls across the world. For us to utilize our skills in the ring, and there’s only a handful of women around the world that can do what we do in the ring. It’s really an extraordinary thing that we do – and for us to be able to showcase that and to be ambassadors for the company…we do so much,” she says, adding a change she was happy to see was the name of the top championship belt for women in WWE – the WWE Women’s Championship – being renamed from the Diva’s Championship earlier this year.
“When you hear diva, you think Mariah Carey who only wants white candles in her dressing room with green M&Ms. It’s nice that we’re getting the chance to shine and perceived as equals to the men.”