Nattie Neidhart - SmackDown!'s Newest Diva
Back
on the 4th April edition of Friday Night SmackDown!, Victoria came to the ring
to display her long-running hatred for Michelle McCool. The latest thing to
rekindle Victoria's hatred was Michelle being named as the winner of a contest
that had been playing out on SmackDown! for the last couple of weeks. As Michelle
received her prize, Victoria took to the ring and started to attack Michelle.
The tables were soon turned and Victoria found herself on the receiving end of a beating. Then out of nowhere a mystery Diva grabbed Michelle and threw her into the side of the ring. The woman then hit Michelle and Cherry (the runner up in the contest) with a series of slaps and punches and left them reeling as she made her way back up the ramp.
This week on RAW (11th April) it was officially announced that the mystery Diva is Natalya Neidhart, or Nattie Neidhart as she's been known in the indy circuit for years. Nattie is the daughter of Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart, a former WWE star and is a third generation wrestler in her own right. Nattie was keen to point out however that it's all about her rather than her rather and what's equally clear is that she intends to make an impact on the division. Her appearance on SmackDown! is a culmination of year's of hard work and this article will try and give you a bit more information on the WWE's newest Diva.
Nattie has been a professional wrestler since 2000 and worked many Canadian indy promotions such as Stampede Wrestling based in Calgary during her formative years. During this time she crossed paths with former WWE Divas such as Jackie Gayda, Gail Kim and Ivory. Nattie clearly went from strength to strength, gaining a reputation as a capable and skilled wrestler. By 2006 and the launch of the SHIMMER female wrestling federation, Nattie was clearly well-known and respected enough to be given a shot. She would have gained additional exposure from these matches but returned to Stampede shortly afterwards.
It
was only by early 2007 that the WWE finally indicated that it had taken some
interest in this up and coming wrestler as they signed her on a developmental
contract and sent her to Deep South Wrestling. This was where I first heard
about Nattie, and after having checked out a couple of her matches was very
impressed.
Like Beth Phoenix, Nattie is another strong blond and it is perhaps for this reason she has debuted on SmackDown! rather than RAW, which is considered by many to be the real home of women's wrestling in the WWE. There's the possibility that the company might not have known what to do with two dominating Divas on one show, or alternatively feared that fans might confuse the two.
Despite her size Nattie is quick and agile in the ring but it's clear she favours the high impact moves, often finishing her matches with big powerbombs and splashes. She had demonstrated her in-ring prowess time and again against the likes of Krissy Vaine (whom she feuded with in Deep South Wrestling) and Awesome Kong (now of TNA fame). It'll be interesting to see how she is used in the WWE and how she'll fair. She has the size and power to become the number one Diva on the SmackDown! brand with the only real challenge coming from her current partner in crime, Victoria.
The women's division on SmackDown! looks ready to heat up and to be taken seriously. Perhaps Nattie can work some of the same magic her father did in a WWE ring and go onto become the woman that helped rekindle interest in women's wrestling on 'the other show'.
