A sea of pink and black could be seen amongst all the games inside Dave & Busters in Orlando as fans waited in line for Natalya Neidhart. The former WWE Women\'s Champion was meeting fans and signing copies of her acclaimed memoir \"The Last Hart Beating.\" This was November 23 in the afternoon where just a few hours earlier Nattie teamed with Faby Apache to face Flammer and La Hiedra at a AAA Lucha Libre event in Mexico.
She admitted to this writer having only slept 45 minutes going into the appearance, which one would never have known. Natalya always goes above and beyond treating everyone she comes in contact with like they\'re long lost family. A \"Queen of Harts\" meet-and-greet isn\'t just an autograph and smile. The respected women\'s wrestler makes eye contact with every interaction, asks names, strikes up a full-on conversation, and most times offers a hug.
With this personal connection, it\'s no surprise she has such a dedicated fan base. Those who\'ll come bringing flowers and other gifts. Those who wear Dungeon Dolls t-shirts, pink shoes, and Chalk Line jackets. Natalya enthusiasts also extend into more than one demographic with people from all walks of life represented. We\'re talking children to families and old school fans whose roots go back to the days of her dad Jim \"The Anvil\" Neidhart and uncles Bret and Owen Hart.
On this particular day, there were attendees who waited three or four hours before the signing even got underway. Natalya shouted out to one group of guys who made the drive from Miami. Making the gathering even more special was the fact that her husband TJ Wilson came out to sign autographs and take photos.
This was a testament to the former WWE wrestler turned producer\'s love of his wife. Wilson typically prefers being away from the spotlight these days and doesn\'t do a whole lot of these events. Since the event took place in Central Florida, Natalya even had the support from other family members who came by including mom Elizabeth and Muffy. Many diehards even recognized the two from social media, and in the instance of Elizabeth, Total Divas.
I felt there was one overarching theme that shines through with Natalya and those who follow her. She shows up for people, and they show up for her. I myself have known Natalya for more than 13 years. During that time we\'ve had many interviews and conversations together.
Beyond that, she has promoted my fundraising efforts for the YMCA (Cheap Plug: Donate Here if you can) and even donated without batting an eye. I know I\'m not alone. She has supported numerous charitable and community efforts on her book tour, which is well documented. Although I know she doesn\'t do that for the pat on the back or attention. Natalya genuinely cares, which let\'s be honest, it is rare more and more these days.
So I\'ll say any time you get to meet this giving performer, do it. Luckily, there are still a few more dates on her book tour. Natalya first announced \"The Last Hart Beating\" earlier this year, describing the writing process as deeply personal. Visit LastHartBeatingBook.com for more information.
