WWE Veteran Admits Being Uncomfortable With Vince McMahon Idea 

WWE veteran Natalya recently opened up about the pressures she faced during the company’s “Divas Era.” She also discussed how that period shaped her career choices, including agreeing to one of her most infamous storylines.

Appearing on Chris Van Vliet’s “Insight” podcast, Natalya reflected on the difficulty of fitting the mold expected of female performers at that time. She confessed to struggling with body image and trying to emulate stars like Torrie Wilson.

“It was so difficult because I realized that I couldn’t dance to save my life. I tried so, so hard,” she said. “I was like, I gotta try to lose weight. I gotta try to be thin. I gotta look like Torrie Wilson… I always wanted to look like Torrie, but I couldn’t, because my body’s not like Torrie’s.”

Feeling unable to meet those specific expectations, Natalya decided to carve out a different role for herself. She focused on making her opponents look good in the ring.

“I realized that all these things that I thought that they wanted at that time… I know what they’ll like. What if I made every single girl I worked with look like gold? What if I was the, maybe not the star, but you know what I can do really well, I’ll be the star maker.”

However, this focus on elevating others began to affect her self-confidence. She started to doubt her own worthiness of being a champion.

“I started to look at myself the way that I felt like they were looking at me, where I was like, I don’t really know if I’m worthy of being the champion, I don’t think I am,” she admitted. “I started to feel like I was just lucky to have the job,”

This mindset persisted until fellow Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix intervened. Phoenix encouraged Natalya to advocate for herself.

“Beth really urged me to fight. So I did, and I pled my case,” Natalya recalled, though she admitted feeling embarrassed asking management for a championship opportunity. “I felt so embarrassed… when it’s like, no, we all should f*cking want to be champion.”

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Natalya also addressed the infamous storyline where her character suffered from uncontrollable flatulence. She confirmed the gimmick came directly from Vince McMahon.

She recalled the writer delivering the news: “‘This is not my idea, but this is Vince’s idea, and he really loves this idea.’” Natalya explained McMahon saw her as a serious wrestler and wanted to showcase a more entertaining side.

Despite her reluctance, Natalya agreed to the angle. “But I was like, I don’t want to fart. I just don’t want to do that,” she said. “But in true Natalya form, I smiled. I said, ‘Of course, I’ll do it… I’m going to show Vince that I’m not going to be difficult.'”

While Natalya looks back on challenging times, she remains a respected veteran and cornerstone of the WWE women’s division. ^{She recently appeared on Monday Night Raw confronting Rhea Ripley, showcasing her continued relevance in major storylines and cementing her legacy as a future Hall of Famer who weathered numerous creative storms.}

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