In a new column she wrote for the Calgary Sun, WWE women’s wrestler Natalya discussed the all-women’s WWE Royal Rumble match and possible surprise entrants. You can check out some highlights below:
On her reaction to the Women’s Royal Rumble announcement: “To say I was excited would be an understatement. I can’t begin to describe how important this match is for the entire WWE Women’s division. It’s humbling, awesome and in many ways hard to describe. To be able to share this moment with the other women who share the same passion that I have makes it even more special. We step in the ring against each other nearly every night, but at the end of the day, we all share the same objective, to entertain the WWE Universe and make WWE history.”
On possible surprise entrants: “The possibilities are endless. Could we see the return of Trish Stratus?! Will we see Lita? Jazz? Are any NXT Superstars going to make their debut? The very first Royal Rumble match was January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. It was won by Hacksaw Jim Duggan, who eliminated One Man Gang to be the last man standing. Fans have never forgotten that historic win by Hacksaw. The Royal Rumble takes place Sunday, January 28 from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. It airs live on WWE Network and will officially kick off the road to WrestleMania.”
On her family’s history in the Royal Rumble: “The Hart family has a rich history with the Royal Rumble, with my father, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and my uncle, Bret “Hitman” Hart, having both competed in the very first event way back in 1988 in Hamilton. My father was entrant No. 4. When I told him I was competing in the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match, he was almost as happy as me. Bret has the honor of being the first-ever entrant in the inaugural Royal Rumble Match in 1988, followed by Tito Santana. Bret went on to compete in that match for more than 25 minutes until Don Muraco eliminated him. I asked my Uncle what the Royal Rumble meant to him, and he said, ‘I remember Vince McMahon saying how important it was to start the Rumble off with a bang so he came to me and Tito Santana. Tito was absolutely one of the best workers of his era bar none. The longer I was in there, the better I felt. The Royal Rumble has been a WWE tradition ever since.’”
