Natalya Neidhart
Natalie Katherine Neidhart-Wilson[10] (born May 27, 1982) is a Canadian-American professional wrestler and columnist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Natalya, and is one-half of the current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions with Tamina in their first reign. She is also a two-time women’s world champion, having won the Divas Championship and SmackDown Women’s Championship once each. She is a third generation professional wrestler, and is also the daughter of Hart Foundation member and Hall of Famer Jim Neidhart.
The first third-generation female wrestler in the world, 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 2000–2001, 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. Since July 2013, Neidhart has been a main cast member of the reality television series Total Divas.
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.[3][11] She has two sisters; her older sister, Jennifer, is a gourmet chef and caterer, and Kristen (nicknamed “Muffy”) is her younger sister.[12] She is of Greek descent through a maternal great-grandmother.[13] Neidhart cites her grandfather, Stu, and her uncle, Bret, as her inspirations, both in and out of the ring.[9] 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.[11][14] 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.[15]
Neidhart attended Vincent Massey junior high school and Bishop Carroll High School, from which she graduated in 2000.[9][16] Neidhart is trained in Jiu-Jitsu and amateur wrestling, and also participated in dance and gymnastics.[17][18] She briefly worked as a saleswoman for Kirby vacuum when she was eighteen.[18]
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.[7][11] In addition to her professional wrestling career, Neidhart has received training in amateur wrestling and mixed martial arts.[2][17] Neidhart is the first third-generation female wrestler in the world.[11]
