Natalya discusses wrestling in Montreal at WWE Elimination Chamber 2022.
Natalya was sidelined after she had nasal surgery in November. She was written off with an on-screen injury after Shayna Baszler kneed her in the face, and she missed a number of weeks before she returned at WWE Royal Rumble in the women's battle royal. Natalya subsequently qualified for the Women's Elimination Chamber, in which the winner would earn a shot at the Raw Women's Championship.
Speaking with Fightful's Joel Pearl ahead of WWE Elimination Chamber, Natalya discussed competing in the Women's Elimination Chamber Match in her home country of Canada. The Calgary native noted that some fans expressed their belief that she only got a spot in the match because she's Canadian. Natalya emphasized her view that everyone in the match earned their place in it, and the location being in Canada was simply the cherry on top of a special situation. She also hightlighted the Hart family's history with Montreal, as the Montreal Screwjob remains an infamous incident in WWE history. The veteran emphasized that the family has moved past it.
"It’s funny because people online were like—you know how people can be mean online--they were like, ‘Natalya’s only in this because she’s Canadian.’ I feel like every single girl that’s in this Elimination Chamber match has earned the right to be in that match. To me, it’s just a cherry on top, its extra icing on the cake, that we’re doing this in Canada because Canada is so special to me and so special to my family. But I also want to be proud to celebrate this time in my life in Canada. Montreal is also so important to the Harts, the arena where we are is where the Montreal Screwjob happened. So while that was a really challenging time for my entire family, especially for Bret Hart, it’s also something we’ve all moved past. Many documentaries later, we’ve all moved past it," Natalya said.
Natalya went on to highlight how she felt like the stars were aligning, as she was set to compete in her first Elimination Chamber at the event in Canada. She described how she had a different sense of clarity following her absence from WWE. The veteran noted that she had the mindset that her time is now, and she's not going to let anyone make her feel badly about it.
"To be back in Canada, to be celebrating the women who have earned the right to be in this Elimination Chamber match, for the first time in my career, I feel like all the stars are really aligning. It took three months recovering from a nose injury to really have this different clarity that I never had before, where it’s like, ‘This is my time.’ I’m not gonna let anybody make me feel bad about it. I’m going to celebrate with my people tonight and tomorrow when I win at the Elimination Chamber, and if I don’t win, I’m still going to celebrate with my people because we don’t get here alone. As a superstar in WWE, you don’t get this success alone. It’s people that get behind you and really help you find who you are," Natalya said.
Natalya reflected on working with Cora Jade in 2022. Check out her comments here.
Summer Rae previously recalled how she broke Natalya's nose. Click here to see what he had to say.
Check out Natalya's comments about growing up in the Hart Family here.
