Natalya On Her Relationship With Vince McMahon, Pitching Ideas In WWE, Teaming With Tamina

In a recent interview on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, Natalya discussed her relationship with Vince McMahon, teaming with Tamina, and much more. You can read Natalya’s comments below.

Natalya on her relationship with Vince McMahon: “At the end of the day, one of my most treasured things about working in WWE is that I know, when all else fails, I can always knock on Vince McMahon’s door and say to him, ‘Hey, I have an idea, what do you think?’ In my entire time being in WWE, Vince has always made time for me. Being as busy as he is and being in the position he is, he’s always heard me out. He’s always listened, said ‘yes,’ said ‘no,’ said why he liked it or didn’t like it, but I always felt I had a voice. I would go through the proper channels – Fit Finlay is somebody I would always bounce ideas off of. He’s someone we owe so much of our women’s evolution to because he really changed the game on how women competed in the ring.

“I would always bounce ideas Finlay and different writers, but when I couldn’t get answers, I’ve always been able to talk to Vince. I know that takes time to build that kind of relationship, but it’s always been that mutual understanding. Vince trusts me and trusts that I won’t let him down. He’s there and accessible if we need to talk to him. That’s been something I’ve kept with me throughout my whole career. I don’t want to abuse it, but when I need to go to him, I know I can. Certain things in my career never would’ve happened without that aspect.”

On her team with Tamina and the reaction Tamina received at WrestleMania 37: “I chose Tamina Snuka to be with me. I approached her and I said, ‘Listen, I want us to be a team because there’s nobody here in this locker room that understands my journey as much as you do growing up in a crazy wrestling family.’ It’s harder to be a generational kid because you have these expectations about you. I was so scared in my first match in Japan because people wouldn’t like me because I wasn’t Bret Hart. And then I realized I didn’t have to be Bret Hart.

“Tamina, I feel like she’s been the diamond in the rough. She’s been in the shadows because she’s sweet, kind, and giving. But she’s never really put herself first. During WrestleMania, [Tamina] got some of the loudest reactions between both nights of WrestleMania because people felt her story. They felt her journey. They felt her energy. And that was so organic. I was having an out-of-body experience. Tamina and I were just so freaked out. We were in the moment so much in the match. We felt that energy from the fans. After the match, we came backstage, and I could not stop crying. Tamina could not stop crying. We were both bawling our eyes out because we just felt the magic.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Out of Character with Ryan Satin with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.