A current WWE Superstar and former champion has admitted that towing the company line may have harmed their career.
Natalya is the longest tenured female performer in WWE today, having joined the company back in 2007. She’s been both a heel and babyface as well as SmackDown Women’s Champion. The star has accomplished a lot, and through it all, she remained loyal to the company.
However, she has now acknowledged that there have been consequences to always saying ‘yes’ instead of taking risks.
While speaking on WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves, the self-proclaimed ‘B.O.A.T’ discussed her father’s struggles in WWE and wanting not to make the same mistakes. She mentioned that these difficulties drove her to become a “company girl.”
“For me, as an adult and getting into the industry, I had this different perspective than every other girl or guy. I greatly wanted to succeed in an industry that my parent struggled at. I love the connection that my dad and I have in the ring, we share that bond, but I know that he struggled to have success in this industry. It gave me a different perspective that I had to succeed in it, that I had to be perfect and there for everyone and good at everything. I had to leave no stone unturned and make Vince McMahon happy at every single corner of my career. I kind of became the company girl.”
Although Natalya has seen success, she also had significant setbacks, including more than one less than flattering gimmick. While the Queen of Hearts acknowledges this, she ultimately believes it’s part of the raw deal that comes with remaining a loyal Superstar.
“I’ve been that way for so long and it’s definitely kept me in WWE for 15 years. Talent, drive, passion, work ethic. Being reliable, being consistent. In some ways, it’s actually hurt me too because I’ve been afraid to take risks. I’ve been the girl that is afraid of pissing anyone off backstage. “
Natalya recently challenged Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Money In The Bank. Despite her best efforts, the former UFC star retained her title after forcing her rival to tap out.
But the action wasn’t over there as Liv Morgan used the opportunity to cash-in her newly-won Money In The Bank contract and defeat Rousey.
H/t to Fightful for the transcription.