Natalya set for major title shot after win outside of WWE
The WWE Universe is congratulating Natalya this week after she had a massive WrestleMania 41 week, despite not being on the match card on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The Hart family grappler continues to cement her legacy in this milestone year. The 42-year-old is now preparing to win championship gold outside of World Wrestling Entertainment.
The Queen of Harts is approaching her 25th anniversary in the wrestling business. Natalya has been with World Wrestling Entertainment for more than 18 of those years. Company officials allowed her to compete at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport XIII during WrestleMania 41 weekend as a part of GCW's The Collective. Held last Thursday in Sin City, the 10-match shoot-style event saw Natalya defeat Miyu Yamashita by referee stoppage at 7:14. The veteran then brawled with Kenzie Paige post-match over recent words between the RAW Superstar and the NWA World Women's Champion. The feud began when Natalya was booked for another outside event: NWA Crockett Cup 2025 on May 17 at the former ECW Arena.
The 42-year-old is set to compete for The Burke in her NWA debut. National Wrestling Alliance CEO Billy Corgan has announced Natalya vs. Paige at Crockett Cup VII, and Paige will put her World Women's Championship on the line.
"It’s always our distinct honor to host this modern version of the Crockett Cup, but holding the event in this great and historic building in Philadelphia, with the addition of a WWE Superstar such as Natalya, in an NWA title match no less, shows how far we have come," Billy Corgan said.
One-half of Pretty Empowered has been the NWA World Women's Champion for 608 days. Paige dethroned Kamille to become champion on August 27, 2023, at NWA 75, ending the latter's historic reign of 812 days.
Former WWE Superstars to headline NWA Crockett Cup
Natalya will not be the only name from the World Wrestling Entertainment history books that will be competing at NWA's Crockett Cup 2025 event. The main event will feature two wrestlers with strong pasts in WWE and TNA, among others.
Thom Latimer is the current NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. Signed to WWE's FCW and NXT from 2010-2012, Latimer then spent more than three years in TNA. He will be challenged by ECW Original Rhino at Crockett Cup. The final ECW World Heavyweight Champion also had notable runs in WWE, TNA, and ROH, but finally debuted for the NWA last month to confront Latimer.
Rhino's last match for the Stamford-based promotion came at WrestleMania 35 in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Latimer's last NXT match was a win over Aiden English at a live event in Tampa on November 1, 2012.
