WWE Superstar Natalya recently appeared on the Inside The Ropes podcast. The Hart family member discussed a number of topics during her time on the show; including her history making match with Lacey Evans at WWE Crown Jewel 2019 event in Saudi Arabia.
“I was on cloud nine. I knew when WWE started doing shows in Saudi Arabia, I had a vision and I told everyone in upper management early on ‘if women are going to wrestle in Saudi Arabia, I want to be the first woman to wrestle in Saudi Arabia.’\” Natalya began on the podcast.
\”I felt very strongly about that\” Natalya continued. \”Because I knew the magnitude, being a woman wrestling in Saudi Arabia, I knew how big it could be for women in the world and women in sports. I knew it was our chance to open a door that had never been open before. It was a dream of mine.\”
Natalya on Crown Jewel 2019
Natalya then revealed that Vince McMahon himself had been pushing for a women\’s match in the region \’for years.\’ Natalya and Lacey Evans did appear on the show in a bout, however Evans had visibly toned down her Southern Belle character and both acted like babyfaces during the match itself.
\”When I was finally told about the match, I was brought into Vince McMahon’s office and he let me know I was going to be a part of it\” Nattie revealed. \”I was like, I can’t believe this is finally happening, but I also know, in WWE and in the world, things can change daily. I didn’t want to get my hopes too high. Vince said it was something he was trying to do for years. It was really a labor of love from him. He personally fought very hard for us to have that match.\”
credit to eWrestlingNews for the transcription