Charlotte is set to defend the WWE Women’s Championship this Sunday against Natalya. Both the superstars were born into the business, and while Charlotte is a second generation superstar, Natalya – a third generation superstar herself was raised to become a professional wrestler. If there were two superstars in the women’s division who could raise the stakes at WWE Payback, it has to be Charlotte and Natalya. Unbeknownst to them and the majority of the WWE Universe, their match won’t just be for the WWE Women’s Championship. Their bout this Sunday signifies something much bigger, and represents a rivalry two decades in the making.
‘The Dungeon’ and the implications of being a Neidhart
As an 18 year old, when Natalya graduated from high school, she didn’t go to college. Unlike any other 18 year old, Natalya always dreamt about following in her father’s and uncles’ footsteps. Wrestling was in her blood, and true to any clichéd saying, Natalya was born to be a wrestler. Training in the world – famous Hart Dungeon, Natalya soon mastered the art of wrestling; however, much like her uncles, Natalya wanted to be a journeyman.
Touring North America, Europe and Japan, Natalya became one of the best women’s wrestlers on the planet. Being born into the Hart/Neidhart family puts a massive burden on the shoulders of any wrestler – man or woman, and Natalya, much like her father embraced the challenge. When Natalya finally got the call from WWE, all her hard work was validated. Years of injuries and hardships finally paid off, as Natalya set off on her journey to win titles in the company which saw her uncle win the richest prize in the business.
While Natalya had to wait for nearly a decade to get her opportunity, this Sunday will be a pivotal moment in her career. On one hand, it will be the culmination of nearly two decades of sacrifices and hard work, while on the other hand, it could all amount to nothing if Charlotte manages to walk out of the Allstate Arena as still the WWE Women’s Champion.
Charlotte and her ‘flair’ for wrestling
Unlike Natalya however, Charlotte wasn’t always meant to become a WWE superstar. Even when Ric Flair retired, Charlotte had no ambitions of becoming a wrestler. However, all that changed when Charlotte met John Laurinaitis in 2012, when the former authority figure asked Charlotte why she hasn’t thought about becoming a WWE superstar.
It wasn’t a surprise then that the current WWE Women’s Champion wanted to give wrestling a try, and started training to become a professional wrestler. Charlotte then started competing on NXT, and soon became the NXT Women’s Champion. It was during her time in NXT that Charlotte started getting better, and started receiving rave reviews. In 2014, Charlotte and Natalya competed against each other for the NXT Women’s Championship, with Charlotte getting the victory.
This Sunday will be the first time both the women compete on a WWE PPV for the title (with WWE Roadblock being a WWE Network Special), and a lot is riding on the outcome of the match. With Ric Flair giving the unfair advantage to Charlotte, Natalya has called upon her uncle – WWE Hall of Famer and multiple time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Bret Hart to be in her corner, which has now raised the stakes.
A rivalry two decades in the making
So how can this match be two decades in the making? Ric Flair and Bret Hart have never seen eye to eye, with Ric belittling Bret on many occasions – most famously calling Bret’s Sharpshooter a copied version of the Scorpion Death Lock (made famous by Sting). Ric Flair and Bret Hart had faced each other numerous times in a wrestling ring, with Bret Hart defeating Ric to win his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Bret and Flair have faced each other many times since, and when both Ric and Bret worked for WCW, both the legendary grapplers squared off once again. While both of them shared victories over each other, their animosity for each other was well documented and publicized. The key difference is, while both the WWE Hall of Famers competed against each other to see who the better wrestler was during the 90s, this Sunday offers them a chance to see which WWE superstar upholds the family name.
With Ric Flair considering Charlotte as the best pure athlete in the women’s division, and Bret believing Natalya to be the best wrestler in the division, the old rivalry once again comes to the fore at WWE Payback. Charlotte and Natalya aren’t just competing for the WWE Women’s Championship, but for the bragging rights to see who comes out on top – the Flairs or the Harts.
( Image credits: WWE)
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