Michael Perry on March 17, 2022
Natalya has been a staple of several iterations of the WWE women’s division. The Canadian superstar has seen the rise and fall of the Diva’s era and a transition into the company taking women’s wrestling more seriously. Through it all, Nattie has been a veteran presence in an ever-changing locker room.
In 2006, things were very different for Natalya. Working in Japan, injuries, and general frustration were setting in for the young wrestler. It was a conversation with Bret Hart and Billy Corgan at the Hitman’s WWE Hall of Fame induction that got Natalya back on track.
Nattie shared her story recently as a guest on “My Love Letter To Wrestling.” The former SmackDown Women’s Champion said Bret Hart and Billy Corgan spoke to her that fateful weekend and inspired her to stay in the family business. Natalya pointed out just how influential Billy has been on her career.
“I remember when I tore my ACL, I think in 2006. I was wrestling in Japan. I remember telling Bret Hart right before his Hall of Fame ceremony, I said, ‘I think this is a sign that I need to get out of this.’ Bret said, ‘No, you have to keep going.’
There were a couple of really influential people including Billy Corgan who I met at Bret Hart’s Hall of Fame ceremony. He’s somebody that I’m really good friends with today.
A lot of people don’t realize how much Billy was influential in my earlier years of pro wrestling because when I met him, that was in one of the hardest times of my career because I was told that I would be out 9-12 months. I tore my ACL in Japan doing a moonsault. I tore my ACL, LCL, PCL, and shattered my kneecap. It was just a mishap, a little language barrier where I thought I was doing a press, and the person that was catching me didn’t’ take the bump. So I did a backflip to my feet with my legs straight,
I remember when I met Billy Corgan at Bret’s Hall of Fame ceremony, we ended up becoming friends. He said, ‘You have to keep going. You have to fight.’ He was telling me stories about his own career and how much he fought. I started listening to more of his music and realized this guy is phenomenal. He produced all this stuff and imagined if he quit.”
Fortunately, Natalya took Bret and Billy’s advice and stuck it out. She has since become one of the most accomplished wrestlers in WWE. If it wasn’t for her conversations on that Hall of Fame weekend, Natalya might not be the household name she has become among the WWE Universe.
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H/T WrestlingNews.co
March 17, 2022 2:22 pm
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