Natalya Reveals Why She Stepped Away from WWE Before Homecoming
Natalya recently revealed that she had been busy with different projects which led to her absence from WWE for several months. “The Queen of Harts” returned on the latest edition of WWE Raw. This marked the season premiere of WWE’s flagship show, where she was revealed as the mystery partner of Lyra Valkyria and Zelina Vega.
Neidhart had a triumphant return as her team defeated the Pure Fusion Collective trio of Zoey Stark, Shayna Baszler, & Sonya Deville. Making an appearance on Growing Up Von Erichs, she reflected on her return to her hometown, Calagary, Alberta, Canada. She then revealed that she had been working on a couple of projects which kept her away from the programming:
“Yesterday, Monday Night Raw, I made my return back to the ring. I took the summer off, I was working on a couple of projects. We were back in Calgary, and that’s where my family started. It was so cool to make my re-debut in WWE back in Calgary. My whole family was there, Bret (Hart) was on Raw. I was able to win my match for my team. It was cool. It’s always nice to be back home.”
She also revealed that she underwent eye surgery and how WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H granted her the time off.
“I took a little time off this summer and the company was so great about it. They were like, ‘Take as much time as you need.’ It’s really changing so much in the best way and the culture is so different now. Our boss, Triple H, he is such a cool boss. I just recently got eye surgery to correct astigmatism in my eye and I needed a little bit more time off to get that done. He’s like, ‘Go get your eyes fixed.’ He’s like, ‘Don’t even worry about it.’ He’s like, ‘Take care of yourself’ and it was like, it’s just so cool to have a boss that’s human.”
During the conversation Natalya revealed that she took time off for her mental health as well. This marked Natalya’s first match since the June 4th edition of NXT where she faced Izzi Dame. Nattie explained that she wanted a little break to refocus as mental health is as important as physical health. She said:
"Even for me, just taking this break from WWE… I had my last match in June, so it was like, not even three months but, I took a little break because I was like, ‘I need a little mental reset.’ Or I just need some time to regroup, recalibrate, refocus… Again, it’s for my mental health because it’s one thing to be healthy and fit, like on a treadmill or you look great or you got abs but, if you’re not right up here, if your head isn’t right, you can’t do any of the fun stuff… And I always try to take the experiences that I’ve gone through and try to be there for the other girls in the locker room that may need guidance or help because life, whether you’re wrestling in WWE or you’re a mom or you’re a teacher or whatever it is that you’re doing, it’s hard. It’s day-to-day. Everything for me is just day-to-day."
The former WWE Women’s Champion’s return on Raw was quite emotional and a ‘full circle moment’ for her. This week’s Raw emanated from the Scotiabank Saddledome in her hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and it also featured an appearance by her uncle and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.
It’s worth noting that the venue was where Natalya first stepped inside a WWE ring when she joined the celebration of The Hart Foundation’s victory at 1997’s In Your House: Canadian Stampede.
During her absence, there has been speculation that the third-generation wrestler might be jumping ship to AEW when her contract expires. However, she is not leaving WWE anytime soon. It has been reported that Natalya re-signed with WWE. She received a new deal from WWE in late June and it is reportedly a multi-year deal.
Natalya has been with WWE for more than a decade and she holds a key place on the high-talented Women’s division. The veteran is in the later stages of her pro wrestling career and also exploring different avenues.
