Natalya Neidhart

Early life and training

Natalie Katherine Neidhart was born on May 27, 1982, in Calgary, Alberta, into the storied Hart wrestling dynasty. Her father was Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart, a member of the famous Hart Foundation and WWE Hall of Famer, and her mother is Elizabeth Hart, a daughter of Stampede Wrestling founder Stu Hart. This lineage makes Natalya a third-generation wrestler, and she has two sisters named Jennifer and Kristen. Growing up in the Hart family, she was inspired by her grandfather Stu and her uncle Bret Hart, citing them as major influences both inside and outside the ring, and she is also a cousin to fellow professional wrestlers Harry Smith, Teddy Hart, Matt Hart, and Mike Hart. Neidhart attended Bishop Carroll High School in Calgary, graduating in 2000, and before her wrestling career took off, she briefly worked as a salesperson for Kirby vacuum cleaners at age eighteen. Her athletic background includes training in Jiu-Jitsu, amateur wrestling, dance, and gymnastics, which provided a foundation for her in-ring style.

Neidhart received her formal professional wrestling training in the infamous Hart family 'Dungeon' under her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart. She holds the distinction of being the first and only woman to be trained in the Dungeon, a fact that highlights her unique place in the family's legacy. This rigorous training, combined with later instruction in amateur wrestling and mixed martial arts, equipped her with a technical and submission-based style that would become her trademark. Her early life was deeply connected to the wrestling business, including living for a time with her cousin Harry Smith while their fathers toured as The Hart Foundation, and she cites her close friendship with Smith as stemming from this period.

Independent and international career (2000 to 2007)

Neidhart's career in wrestling began behind the microphone, serving as a host and ring announcer for the Eric Bischoff-led youth promotion MatRats from late 2000 through 2001. She transitioned to in-ring competition in 2003, debuting for the Hart family's revived Stampede Wrestling promotion under the name Nattie Neidhart, and her early career was defined by a lengthy feud with Belle Lovitz. This feud included intergender tag team matches where she teamed with her father, Jim Neidhart, against Lovitz and Apocalypse, though in 2004, Neidhart and Lovitz surprisingly formed a tag team themselves. Seeking greater experience, Neidhart accepted bookings for a tour in England in mid-2004 and completed a two-month tour of Japan starting in March 2005 under the name Nadia Hart. Upon returning to Canada, she adopted a villainous persona, dubbing herself 'Nasty Nattie', and on June 17, 2005, she defeated Anna Marie, Belle Lovitz, and Ma Myers in a four-way match to become the inaugural Stampede Women's Pacific Champion, though she later vacated the title.

A serious knee injury sustained during a tour of Japan in November 2005 required surgery and sidelined her for six months. After recovering, Neidhart captured the SuperGirls Championship from Lisa Moretti at a Big Time Wrestling show in Newark, California, on October 8, 2006. Her reign lasted 19 days before she lost the title to Nikki Matthews in Surrey, British Columbia, on October 27. She also made appearances for Shimmer Women Athletes in October 2006, losing to Sara Del Rey at the Volume 7 tapings but defeating Ariel at the Volume 8 tapings. The following month she competed in the tournament for the inaugural Great Canadian Wrestling W.I.L.D. Championship, defeating Danyah and Aurora before losing to Sirelda in the finals. Her final independent match before joining WWE was a victory over Veronika Vice for Stampede Wrestling on January 26, 2007, where she delivered a speech thanking the fans for their support.

WWE developmental and main roster debut

Natalya Neidhart signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment on January 5, 2007, and her early years were spent in the company's developmental system, where she honed her skills and adapted to the WWE style. She started in Deep South Wrestling, competing against wrestlers like Krissy Vaine and Angel Williams, before being briefly transferred to Florida Championship Wrestling when it opened in June. She was then moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling, debuting in a dark match battle royal victory at the July 18, 2007, television tapings, and the next week she debuted as a member of the Next Generation Hart Foundation, accompanying her cousins Teddy Hart and Harry Smith. In September 2007, she and the rest of the Hart Foundation were moved back to FCW, where she initially allied with Victoria Crawford against The Bella Twins before feuding with Crawford in 2008. She continued to make FCW appearances in late 2008, managing TJ Wilson and DH Smith to the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship on October 30, even after her main roster debut on SmackDown.

Neidhart made her main roster debut on the April 4, 2008, episode of SmackDown, emerging as a villainous character to aid Victoria in an attack on Michelle McCool and Cherry, forming an alliance with her in the process. She quickly established herself using the ring name Natalya and finished her televised in-ring debut two weeks later by making Cherry submit to the Hart family's signature sharpshooter hold. Her alliance with Victoria led to her first major championship opportunity, as she won a Golden Dreams match on the June 6 episode of SmackDown to qualify for the inaugural Divas Championship match at The Great American Bash, though she lost the championship match to Michelle McCool. After Victoria's retirement in early 2009, Neidhart's career took a new direction when she began appearing on the ECW brand in February 2009 to manage her real-life boyfriend Tyson Kidd, making her ECW in-ring debut with a victory over Alicia Fox on March 3.

Championships and major accomplishments

Throughout her WWE career, Natalya Neidhart has captured several major championships, establishing herself as a consistent top performer in the women's division. Her first major title win came at the 2010 Survivor Series, where she defeated both members of Lay-Cool in a handicap match to win the WWE Divas Championship. She later made history at SummerSlam in 2017 by defeating Naomi to become the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, making her the first woman to hold both the Divas and SmackDown Women's Championships. Beyond WWE, her early career was marked by significant title victories on the independent circuit, including the inaugural Stampede Women's Pacific Championship and the SuperGirls Championship.

• Stampede Women's Pacific Champion (June 17, 2005), Defeated Anna Marie, Belle Lovitz, and Ma Myers to become the inaugural champion.
• SuperGirls Champion (October 8, 2006), Won the title from Lisa Moretti in Newark, California.
• WWE Divas Champion (November 21, 2010), Won the title in a two-on-one handicap match against Lay-Cool at Survivor Series.
• WWE SmackDown Women's Champion (August 20, 2017), Defeated Naomi at SummerSlam to win the championship.

These championship victories are complemented by her record of longevity and consistent performance at major events. She has competed at every WrestleMania since her debut at WrestleMania XXV in 2009, which contributes to her Guinness World Record for most WrestleMania matches by a female wrestler. Her first pay-per-view victory was in a 12-Diva tag team match at Backlash in April 2008. She was also part of the winning team when the SmackDown Divas defeated the Raw Divas at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view in October 2009. She holds the Guinness World Record for the most pay-per-view appearances by a female WWE wrestler. Her career activity since her 2007 debut has led to these unprecedented records.

Notable alliances and factions

Neidhart's career has been marked by several key alliances that shaped her character and in-ring storylines. Her first major main roster partnership was with veteran Victoria in 2008, which helped establish her as a villain on the SmackDown brand. The most famous faction she was part of was The Hart Dynasty, formed in 2009 with her cousin David Hart Smith and her then-boyfriend Tyson Kidd. This group, rooted in her real family legacy, won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship and played a role in Bret Hart's WrestleMania match. Later, her alliance with Beth Phoenix as The Divas of Doom in 2011 represented a powerful force that dominated the women's division and led to Phoenix winning the Divas Championship.

• Alliance with Victoria (2008 to 2009): Debuted by aiding Victoria on SmackDown, forming a villainous duo that feuded with Michelle McCool, Cherry, and The Bella Twins.
• The Hart Dynasty (2009 to 2010): Formed with Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith. Won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship on April 26, 2010, and assisted Bret Hart at WrestleMania XXVI.
• The Divas of Doom (2011 to 2012): Aligned with Beth Phoenix. Feuded with Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, and The Chickbusters (AJ and Kaitlyn), and helped Phoenix win the Divas Championship.

Records, longevity and media presence

Natalya Neidhart's career is distinguished by extraordinary longevity and record-setting volume, which has earned her formal recognition from Guinness World Records. As officially recognized, she holds six records among female WWE wrestlers, all related to her unprecedented career span and consistent performance since her debut in 2007. She is the longest-tenured female wrestler in WWE history, a status that speaks to her resilience and adaptability over multiple eras of the company. Her career also includes a significant media presence outside the ring, most notably as a main cast member on the reality television series Total Divas for its entire nine-season run from 2013 to 2019. The specific Guinness World Records held by Natalya Neidhart are as follows:

• Most pay-per-view appearances by a female WWE wrestler.
• Most matches by a female WWE wrestler.
• Most wins by a female WWE wrestler.
• Most matches on Raw by a female WWE wrestler.
• Most matches on SmackDown by a female WWE wrestler.
• Most WrestleMania matches by a female WWE wrestler.

In recent years, Neidhart has performed primarily on the NXT brand, continuing to compete and serve as a veteran presence. She is currently signed to WWE where she performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Nattie. This allows her to contribute her extensive experience while adding to her already historic match counts. From 2013 to 2019, she appeared in the reality television series Total Divas as the sole consistent main cast member across all nine seasons. The show documented her professional journey and personal life alongside other WWE performers.

Career statistics and milestones

Natalya Neidhart's career includes several key milestones and statistics that illustrate her championship success. She is a two-time women's champion in WWE, having won the WWE Divas Championship and the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship once each. She is also a former one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with Tamina. In her early career, she became the inaugural Stampede Women's Pacific Champion in 2005 and won the SuperGirls Championship in 2006. She has set six Guinness World Records for female WWE wrestlers related to her match counts and longevity.

Beyond these titles, Neidhart has been a constant in WWE's major events. She made her WrestleMania debut in a Divas battle royal at WrestleMania XXV in 2009 and has competed on the grand stage nearly every year since, contributing to her record for most WrestleMania matches by a woman. Her first pay-per-view victory was in a 12-Diva tag team match at Backlash in April 2008, and she was part of the winning team when SmackDown Divas defeated Raw Divas at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view in October 2009. These consistent appearances across all WWE platforms demonstrate her status as a reliable and enduring performer.

Questions about Natalya Neidhart

Is Natalya Neidhart related to Bret Hart?

Yes, Natalya Neidhart is the daughter of Jim Neidhart and Elizabeth Hart, who is a daughter of Stu Hart. This makes Bret Hart her maternal uncle. She has frequently cited Bret as one of her greatest inspirations in professional wrestling, both for his in-ring technique and his conduct outside of it. The Hart family legacy is a central part of her identity in the industry.

What championships has Natalya won in WWE?

Natalya Neidhart is a two-time women's champion and a one-time tag team champion in WWE. She won the WWE Divas Championship once at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November 2010. She also won the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship once by defeating Naomi at SummerSlam in 2017. She is a former one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, which she won with her partner Tamina. She is the first woman in WWE history to have held both the Divas Championship and the SmackDown Women's Championship.

What Guinness World Records does Natalya hold?

Natalya Neidhart holds six records as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for female WWE wrestlers. These specific records are for the most pay-per-view appearances, the most matches overall, the most wins, the most Raw matches, the most SmackDown matches, and the most WrestleMania matches. These achievements highlight her longevity and consistent activity within the company since she signed with WWE in 2007. She is also recognized as the longest-tenured female WWE wrestler actively wrestling with the company.

Was Natalya on Total Divas?

Yes, Natalya Neidhart appeared in the reality television series Total Divas. Her involvement spanned from 2013 to 2019 across the show's run. She holds the distinction of being the sole consistent main cast member throughout all nine seasons of the series. This made her a central figure in the program which documented the lives of WWE female performers outside the ring.

Where did Natalya train to become a wrestler?

Natalya Neidhart trained in the Hart family Dungeon under the tutelage of her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart. She received her formal professional wrestling training there, becoming the first and only woman to do so in the Dungeon. This training ground is famous for developing members of the Hart wrestling family. Her training there prepared her for a career that began in promotions like Stampede Wrestling before she signed with WWE.

What is Natalya Neidhart's connection to Canada?

Natalya Neidhart was born on May 27, 1982, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a Canadian-American professional wrestler. She is a third-generation wrestler and a member of the famed Hart wrestling family from Calgary through her mother. She began her professional career in Canadian promotions, notably debuting for Stampede Wrestling in 2003. She also won the inaugural Stampede Women's Pacific Championship in Calgary in 2005 and the SuperGirls Championship in British Columbia in 2006.

Sources and further reading

• Natalya Neidhart (Wikipedia)
• Natalya Neidhart Carries Her WWE Family Legacy Forward (muscleandfitness.com)
• Nattie, Athlete (shortyawards.com)
• Natalya Neidhart, Athlete, Fame.am (fame.am)
• Natalya Neidhart Reveals Her Struggle With Legal Blindness (si.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-22.