6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE NXT Spring Breakin' (23 April - Results & Review)

4. Why Not?

Natalya has been part of WWE for more than 15 years now. She is referenced with reverence by announcers, but frankly, her character – and her constantly changing face-heel dynamic – hasn’t been over with fans in a meaningful way in quite some time.

Then she goes down to NXT and suddenly is treated like she’s a founding member of the Hart Foundation. It’s an uncanny situation, and it’s one NXT/WWE would be wise to lean into here. Nattie is back in NXT right now as part of a feud with Lola Vice, the NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament winner last year, with the two set to clash in an NXT Underground match next week.

And while it’s not setting the world on fire, Nattie and Lola make for an interesting pairing. Vice has received some in-character criticism for being more about her social media exploits than her in-ring growth, but during the contract signing Tuesday night, she warned that she can do both. Playing into her veteran status, Nattie threatened to beat respect into Lola, which is a perfect role for the Canadian: a battle-tested gatekeeper for the old ways.

To put it mildly, this role probably is the most relevant and interesting Natalya has been (as a character) in a while. And there’s always the chance that an NXT Underground match between the two women could be a sleeper hit.