Natalya opens up about what The Hart Family Dungeon gives to WWE
WWE couple Natalya and Tyson Kidd have been busy training up-and-coming pro wrestlers, and now they are opening up on The Hart Family Dungeon 2.0.
The legendary Hart Family Dungeon in Canada was owned and operated by Stu Hart. The Hart Family patriarch ran the gym and wrestling school out of the basement of the family mansion in Calgary. A WWE Hall of Famer and recipient of WCW's Lifetime Achievement Award, Stu was the father to Bret and Owen Hart, and the grandfather of Natalya. He trained many notable pro wrestlers at The Dungeon, including Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Edge, Christian, and Mark Henry, among others.
Natalya was the only female graduate of the original Dungeon. Years later, she and her WWE Producer husband operate a wrestling space out of a small facility in Florida. They currently offer invite-only workshops but are open to expanding into a proper wrestling school in the future.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Natalya and Kidd recently discussed The Dungeon 2.0 and what it means to keep the name and vibe alive.
"I’m just so lucky that for us... we were the last students of the original Dungeon, which my grandfather’s Stu Hart started in Calgary, Canada. So for us to be able to keep that Dungeon [name and vibe] alive... especially because we work so closely with the women, but I think being able to give back to the men and women of WWE. And this is, the thing is that we’re not really a school, maybe one day it will be a school. But at the moment, it’s like a private invite-only workshop," she said. [H/T to WrestleZone]
The Queen of Harts continued and praised inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay for his work.
"It’s really cool because we do work with people from every walk of life. We love being able to help people so I try not to discriminate and only have the women of WWE here. One of my favorite people to have come in is David Finlay. He’s Fit Finlay’s son; he just won the championship in New Japan. He’s just incredible what he brings to the table. Anybody that comes to our ring, they have to be able to bring something to the table that inspires us, and then in return, TJ or myself, we can pass on the things that we’ve learned in our journeys," she said.
The 2023 Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Famer added that this is their love letter to pro wrestling. She and Kidd see The Dungeon 2.0 as their way of giving back to the industry that gave them so much.
Natalya predicts big WWE debut at Royal Rumble
The Road to WrestleMania 40 is heating up as WWE gets closer to the 37th annual Royal Rumble event on January 27. This time of year brings an increase in speculation on potential returns and debuts.
One of the biggest names expected to make her official WWE in-ring debut soon is Jade Cargill. The former AEW TBS Champion left her previous employer back in the fall and signed with WWE. In her recent interview with TMZ Sports, Natalya revealed that Big Jade has also been training at The Dungeon 2.0.
"With Jade, she said, 'Hey, I would love to come and work with you.' I was like, Oh my God, I would love that.' [...] I love her enthusiasm. I love how excited she is about jumping into this. I know she's gone through a lot, her mom just passed away recently, so it's a very hard time for her in her life. [...] Sometimes, you need somebody to believe in you. I believe in Jade, I think she's going to be awesome," she said. [From 14:30 to 15:42]
Natalya then seemingly teased Cargill for the Women's Royal Rumble, noting that 2024 is going to bring a whole new era of women's wrestling. She said what's to come will blow fans away.
Where does Natalya rank on your list of all-time great female WWE Superstars? What is your bold prediction for the 2024 Royal Rumble? Sound off in the comments below!