Nathalie Katherine Neidhart-Wilson is a well-known figure to many city residents. She is a Canadian-American professional wrestler who performs on the Raw show under the ring name “Natalya.” She is a third-generation wrestler. Calgaryski.net will tell you more about her journey.
Childhood
Nathalie Katherine Neidhart (hereafter Neidhart-Wilson) was born in Calgary. She is the daughter of wrestler Jim “The Anvil” (a professional wrestler known for his performances in the 1980s and 1990s) and Elizabeth “Ellie” Hart. Natalya’s grandfather is Stu Hart (Stewart Edward Hart), a Canadian amateur and professional wrestler. It was Stewart Hart who founded and managed the professional wrestling organization based in Calgary, Stampede Wrestling. Therefore, Nathalie Katherine Neidhart is a third-generation wrestler.
She also had two sisters: an older sister, Jennifer, a chef and caterer, and a younger sister, Kristen. It is interesting that her cousins are also professional wrestlers. They even lived together for a short time as children while their parents were wrestling in the Hart Foundation. You can imagine how much the environment she grew up in influenced her.
She attended Vincent Massey High School and Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, from which she graduated in 2000.
A Million Memories
In 2019, Natalya Neidhart visited the house in Calgary that had previously belonged to her family. This is the Hart House, which is now a historical monument and is protected by the city. She recalled playing with her cousins in the yard after Sunday dinners. The memories of her grandparents telling incredible stories about their childhood remained in her memory. The house had many cats and dogs, which instilled in the future local celebrity a love for animals.
The house was an integral part of the Hart family. Natalya’s grandfather bought it in 1951. The love for this place began with her grandparents, and later through their 12 children. Guests of the house also felt this. The house was built in 1905 for the businessman Edward Crandall; it is one of the oldest Calgary landmarks. After the death of her grandparents, the house was sold in 2004.
Universal Skills
At the age of 18, the girl tried her hand as a Kirby vacuum cleaner salesperson. This indicates an attempt to find herself outside of professional wrestling at a young age, but her true calling was different. Natalie Neidhart has a wide range of athletic skills that have been useful in her career.
- The foundation of her technical style in wrestling is jiu-jitsu and amateur wrestling. Natalie uses typical submission and throwing techniques.
- Dance and gymnastics classes helped her develop flexibility, coordination, and artistry. All these elements are an integral part of performing in the ring. Training allowed her to perform complex movements and acrobatic techniques.
- Mixed martial arts (MMA) training demonstrates Natalie’s desire for all-round development. The acquired skills improved her wrestling.
The Hart “Dungeon”
This is a legendary place in the world of wrestling that should be mentioned separately. This is the famous family gym of the Hart family, where Natalie received her professional wrestling training. The Hart “Dungeon” is known for its hard training and unique methodology. For example, her coaches were her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart. An important fact is that she was the first woman to undergo official training in the “Dungeon.” This is a historical fact, a real breakthrough in a traditionally male world.
Early Career
This stage begins in 2000 and lasts until 2007. From 2000 to 2001, she worked as a host and commentator for the youth promotional show MatRats under the direction of Eric Bischoff, and in 2003 she began working in the family promotion Stampede Wrestling under the name Nattie. At the same time, the wrestler’s feud with Belle Lovitz began.
In 2004, Nattie began a tour of England, where she formed a team with Belle Lovitz. They held intergender matches. In 2005, her two-month tour of Japan began. At that time, she used the name Nadia Hart, and after returning to Canada, she changed her image to that of a villain.
On June 17, 2005, she became the first champion of the Stampede Women’s Pacific Championship. This is an important title, but she later relinquished it. During this period, her career suffered a serious injury, which led to her being out of the game for six months (a cruciate ligament injury).
On October 8, 2006, she defeated Lisa Moretti at the SuperGirls Championship. The athlete held this title for 19 days. 2006 was also memorable in Natalie’s career because she debuted in Shimmer Women Athletes and took part in the Great Canadian Wrestling tournament.
On January 26, 2007, she had her last match for Stampede Wrestling. It was a victory over Veronica Vice. The key moment in her career after this was the signing of a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Rapid Career
After signing the contract with WWE, an interesting stage in Natalie’s career began. This is about Deep South Wrestling, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) and Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). At the same time, she performed not only in single matches, but also in a team with her cousins (forming the Next Generation Hart Foundation). In 2008, she began working with Victoria Crawford, performing against the Bella twins (a villainous alliance was formed). At the same time, the wrestler’s debut on SmackDown took place. In October 2008, she became the manager for TJ Wilson and Harry Smith.
From 2009 to 2010, the Hart Dynasty, a professional wrestling team that included Natalie, Tyson Kidd and her cousin David Hart Smith, was active. Initially, it was the Hart Trilogy, and later it was renamed the Hart Dynasty. In 2010, the team won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship, holding the title for several months. The team broke up in 2010. Tyson Kidd became a negative character and attacked David Hart Smith. The feud escalated to the end of the alliance.
Divas Champion
Natalya defeated Michelle McCool and Layla, winning the WWE Divas Championship at the Survivor Series 2010 show. This is the first championship victory in WWE. The period from 2010 to 2011 was characterized by a feud with the team of Michelle McCool and Layla, and after winning the championship, she formed the “Divas of Doom” team. The reign lasted 70 days. In 2011, she lost the title at Royal Rumble 2011, where she was defeated by Eve Torres.
After these events, the wrestler changed her image again, becoming a villain. Then she strengthened her alliance with Beth Phoenix. Natalya began to position herself as a tough and uncompromising opponent. This alliance broke up at the beginning of 2012.
What’s Next?
The next stage was the period of NXT and Total Divas (2012–2014). This period is characterized by the return of a good girl and participation in the reality show Total Divas in 2013. During this period, she had several matches for the Divas Championship title.
From 2014 to 2015, Natalya changed her on-screen image. She became the manager of her husband Tyson Kidd, and later – tag team partner Cesaro. After Natalya’s husband suffered a serious injury, she disappeared from television. Media popularity went into the background, as she took care of her husband.
Since then, there have been many victories and achievements. Since 2025, Nattie Neidhart has been noted for her performances in independent promotions, despite her current contract with WWE.
Wrestling
Nathalie Katherine Neidhart-Wilson has been involved in wrestling since childhood. She is one of the most experienced and respected performers in WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). Her career covers many important achievements, including the Divas, Women’s, and Tag Team Championships. Her technical style is often called the heart and soul of the WWE women’s roster. Natalya’s wrestling combines power elements inherited from her father with the technical skill that is the trademark of the Hart family.