Canadian-American professional wrestler (born 1982)
Natalie Katherine Neidhart-Wilson (née Neidhart; born May 27, 1982) is a Canadian-American professional wrestler and columnist. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Natalya. She is a two-time women's world champion, having won the WWE Divas Championship and WWE SmackDown Women's Championship once each. She is also a one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with Tamina. She is a third generation professional wrestler, and is also the daughter of Hart Foundation member and Hall of Famer Jim Neidhart.
Neidhart is a member of the Hart wrestling family through her mother. She trained in the Hart family Dungeon under the tutelage of her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart. From 2000 to 2001, she worked for the Matrats promotion, before debuting for Stampede Wrestling in 2003. In 2004 and 2005, she wrestled abroad in England and Japan. She became the inaugural Stampede Women's Pacific Champion in 2005, and won the SuperGirls Championship the following year.
In 2007, Neidhart signed with WWE and spent time in Deep South Wrestling, Ohio Valley Wrestling, and Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) developmental territories. While in FCW, she managed her cousin, Harry Smith, and her husband, T.J. Wilson. She debuted on the main roster in 2008, allying herself with Victoria. The following year she and Wilson were joined by Smith to form The Hart Dynasty.
In 2010, Neidhart won the Divas Championship. In 2017, she became the SmackDown Women's Champion after defeating Naomi at SummerSlam. She is the first woman in WWE history to hold both the Divas Championship and the SmackDown Women's Championship. From 2013 to 2019, Neidhart was a main cast member of the reality television series "Total Divas". She has set six records as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for female WWE wrestlers – most pay-per-view appearances, most matches, most wins, most Raw matches, most SmackDown matches, and most WrestleMania matches. Neidhart is the longest-tenured female WWE wrestler, actively being with the company since 2007.
Early life.
Neidhart is the daughter of wrestler Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Elizabeth "Ellie" Hart, a daughter of Stu Hart, making Neidhart a third generation wrestler. She has two sisters; her older sister, Jennifer, is a gourmet chef and caterer, and Kristen (nicknamed "Muffy") is her younger sister. She is of Greek descent through a maternal great-grandmother. Neidhart cites her grandfather, Stu, and her uncle, Bret, as her inspirations, both in and out of the ring. As a member of the Hart wrestling family, she is a cousin to Harry Smith, Teddy, Matt, and Mike Hart, who are all also professional wrestlers. 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, The Hart Foundation.
Neidhart attended Vincent Massey junior high school and Bishop Carroll High School, from which she graduated in 2000. Neidhart is trained in Jiu-Jitsu and amateur wrestling, and also participated in dance and gymnastics. She briefly worked as a saleswoman for Kirby vacuum when she was eighteen.
Neidhart received formal professional wrestling training in the Hart family "Dungeon" from her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart, becoming the first woman to do so. In addition to her professional wrestling career, Neidhart has received training in amateur wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Professional wrestling career.
Independent circuit (2000–2007).
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 under the name Nattie Neidhart, 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 Lovitz 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.
In mid-2004, she began accepting 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, labeling herself "Nasty Nattie". 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 Champion, 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 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 delivered a speech thanking the fans for their support.
WWE.
Developmental territories (2007–2008).
On January 5, 2007, Neidhart signed a contract 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 Vaine 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 (Nikki and Brie Bella), 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.
Alliance with Victoria (2008–2009).
On the April 4 episode of "SmackDown" she made her main roster debut, as a villainous character, when she came out of the crowd to aid Victoria in an attack against McCool and Cherry, forming an alliance with her in the process. On the April 11, 2008, episode of "SmackDown!", she introduced herself as the daughter of Jim Neidhart under the name Natalya Neidhart, accompanying Victoria to her match against Michelle McCool. Two weeks later on "SmackDown" she made her televised in-ring debut, under the shortened ring name Natalya, defeating Cherry with her uncle's submission move the "sharpshooter". At the Backlash pay–per–view on April 27 Natalya teamed up with Victoria, Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, Layla and Melina to defeat Mickie James, Maria Kanellis, Ashley, Michelle McCool, Cherry and Kelly Kelly in a 12-Diva tag team match. On the May 2 episode of "SmackDown", Victoria and Natalya defeated McCool and Cherry. ;ref name="SmackDown 02/10/08 results" ; ;/ref ; On the June 6 episode of "SmackDown", SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero introduced the Divas Championship, and that same night the Divas competed in a Golden Dreams match to qualify for the championship match at The Great American Bash. Natalya won and advanced to the Bash, but lost the Championship match to Michelle McCool.
Natalya and Victoria started a feud with the debuting Brie Bella, after Victoria lost to her on the August 29 episode of "SmackDown". On the September 26 episode of "SmackDown", Victoria and Natalya lost to Maria and Brie. ;ref name="SmackDown 09/26/08 results" ; ;/ref ; On the October 31 episode of "SmackDown", Natalya teamed up with Victoria and Maryse during a Divas Halloween costume tag team match in a losing effort to Michelle McCool, Maria and Brie. ;ref name="SmackDown 10/31/08 results" ; ;/ref ; On the November 7 episode of "SmackDown", Natalya accompanied Victoria to her match against Brie, where she was once again defeated. Post-match, Brie ran under the ring to escape from Natalya and Victoria, but they both reached under the ring for her, pulling her and Nicole out. The twins then attacked them and celebrated afterward. ;ref name="SmackDown 11/7/08 results" ; ;/ref ; On the November 21 episode of "SmackDown", Victoria teamed up with Natalya in a losing effort to The Bella Twins. ;ref name="SmackDown 11/21/08 results" ; ;/ref ; At Survivor Series (2008), Natalya competed in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match a part of Team Smackdown where her team lost to Team Raw. On the November 28 episode of "SmackDown", Victoria teamed up with Natalya and Maryse to defeat the Bella Twins and Michelle McCool, before the feud ended. ;ref name="SmackDown 11/28/08 results" ; ;/ref ; Followed this, her association with Victoria also ended after she retired from the company on the January 16, 2009, episode of "SmackDown". ;ref name="SmackDown 01/16/09 results" ; ;/ref ; at Armageddon (2008), Natalya, Jillian Hall, Victoria and Maryse lost to Maria, Kelly Kelly, Mickie James, and Michelle McCool in an Eight-Diva Santa's Little Helper tag team match.
The Hart Dynasty (2009–2010).
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 WWE 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 Uso) 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