Natalya has weighed in on the heated rivalry between Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch and Nikki Bella, stating her belief that there is “real tension” between the two superstars.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, the former champion discussed the personal nature of the feud, which has seen Lynch make comments about Bella’s past relationship with John Cena. Natalya believes this authenticity is why their segments have been so successful.
“Their segment, from what I understand, was one of the most viewed segments on the show and that’s because I do believe there’s real tension between the two of them,” Natalya said.
She stated that she believes Nikki Bella is channeling her real-life hardships into the storyline. “I think with Nikki, she’s in a place in her life where she’s been scrutinized, she’s been criticized, she’s been through the wringer up and down and back again,” she explained.
“She’s using all of it, every hardship that she’s been through, every breakup that she’s been through, everything that’s been challenging for her in her life, she’s channeling it in this feud and I love it,” Natalya continued. “She has never — since I’ve known Nikki from day one, she has never ever been a victim, she’s always been a survivor.”
“That’s the thing that Becky doesn’t realize is that Nikki has been a survivor of so many things that she doesn’t even talk about… I’m excited to see their match at Clash, I think their story has been fascinating.”
They are set for a championship match this Sunday, August 31, at the WWE Clash in Paris premium live event. Becky Lynch will defend her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Nikki Bella.