"I think there's a mutual respect there" – Natalya asked Triple H for permission to compete on NWA show (Exclusive)
Natalya recently announced she will make a rare non-WWE appearance at NWA's Crockett Cup event on May 17. With a month to go until the show, The Queen of Harts gave an insight into how the opportunity came about.
Under Triple H's creative regime, several talents have been allowed to appear in other promotions while remaining under contract with WWE. On April 17, Natalya will become the latest WWE star to compete on one of Josh Barnett's GCW Bloodsport shows. She will then turn her attention to wrestling for the NWA next month.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Natalya revealed she is friends with NWA owner Billy Corgan. She also recalled how she pitched the Crockett Cup appearance idea to Triple H.
"I went to Triple H and I said, 'Billy Corgan is a really good friend of mine, and I would love to do a show for NWA,'" Natalya said. "And Billy and WWE, and I think Hunter [Triple H] as well, I don't wanna speak on behalf of Hunter, but I think Billy, Triple H, WWE, they have a good relationship, a good working relationship, and I think there's a mutual respect there. Billy's a really close friend of mine. I've been friends with him since 2006, so almost 20 years. I love what he does." [14:20 – 14:52]
In the video above, the RAW talent explained why she thinks her uncle Bret Hart is the greatest professional wrestler ever.
Natalya on Billy Corgan's love for wrestling
Although Billy Corgan is best known as a musician, the Smashing Pumpkins member is a lifelong wrestling fan. The 58-year-old worked on the TNA creative team in the mid-2010s before becoming the NWA's owner in 2017.
Natalya is a big fan of Corgan's work both as a musician and as the creative figurehead behind the NWA:
"He's a rockstar in every sense of the word. I went and watched one of his shows, sold out, Madison Square Garden, a Smashing Pumpkins concert. He knows how to put on a show, so when I saw what he did with NWA, I really enjoyed it. It was fun. There's stories to follow the matches because the matches don't mean anything unless there's a story." [15:15 – 15:36]
In the same interview, the former SmackDown Women's Champion opened up about her upcoming GCW Bloodsport XIII match against Miyu Yamashita.
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