Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with WWE Diva Natalya on the Divas Revolution, her work with Friskies to help shelter cats and more

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the opportunity to speak with WWE Diva Natalya about the Divas Revolution which is underway in WWE, the status of her husband Tyson Kidd while he recovers from injury as well as her work with Friskies to help shelter cats. You can listen to the interview at the YouTube link below or continue past and read the entire interview here!

Ring Rust Radio: You are part of the grand opening celebration for the Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen in New York City today. In addition to using the hashtags #TEAMSAUCY AND #TEAMTENDER to help donate meals to shelter cats, Friskies has partnered with Petfinder to help find homes for needy felines as well. Why did you feel you were the ideal celebrity to team with Friskies for this event and how can wrestling fans help support the cause?

Natalya: When I was approached about doing this event with Friskies, I was very honored. Anybody that knows Nattie knows that she is a crazy cat lady and I am very proud of that moniker. If you watch Total Divas, follow me on Instagram or follow me on Twitter then you know how much I love cats. We actually have a competition going on in my house right know between Team Saucy and Team Tender, and it’s very divided. The competition is fun with my cats being very spoiled and they love it, but it is very cool that Friskies is giving back. Just like the WWE, we like to have fun in the ring, but we also use our reach to give back to the community. When Friskies approached me about doing this, I was so excited because of the love that I have for cats. I was just so honored and thrilled. Anytime anybody uses the handles #Teamsaucey or #Teamtender Friskies donates a meal to a shelter cat. I think right now it’s about 10,000 meals will be donated, if not more. I feel blessed that I can use my reach as a WWE Diva and help spread the word about giving back.

Ring Rust Radio: One of the biggest topics in all of wrestling is the Divas Revolution. As someone who has been one of the most talented women’s wrestlers on the roster for several years, has it been hard to watch from the sidelines as other women get the chance to shine and do you think the WWE Universe will see you chasing another Divas championship soon?

Natalya: I get that question right now more than any other question. It’s awesome that the Divas are finally getting their chance to showcase their talent. All of our Divas on the main roster and NXT just wanted a chance to show what they could do. If you have the talent, why not back it up?  It’s really cool to see Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch getting this opportunity, and of course I would love to be a part of it. In some ways, I want to give them a big hug after their matches and tell them how proud I am of what they did, but at the same time I want to be a part of it too. We will see what happens, but I understand that timing is everything. Like they say, sometimes they save the best for last. I want to try and go for the Divas championship again. If you are in the women’s’ division and you’re not trying to be the Divas champion, then what are you doing in the Divas division? You should always want to be the best and believe in yourself. The WWE is all about empowering yourself and reaching your dreams.     

Ring Rust Radio: I think every wrestling fan is anxiously awaiting your eventual involvement in the Divas Revolution angle, so I have a two-part question for when that eventually comes to pass: 1. Which of the three current Divas factions do you feel like you relate most to and would fit best with? And also: 2. If you could create your own faction to go up against the other three, which two women’s wrestlers would you want by your side either past or present?

Natalya: I think it’s funny because every team brings something unique to the table. I started off with the Bella twins and I am very close with them. They have really become very good in the ring and for a long time they were accused of just being models or having pretty faces, but now they are really good. I love watching Sasha Banks wrestle because she is like a little firecracker. Somebody that stood out to me so much was Trinity AKA Naomi. She has brought so much attitude and embraced this bad girl role to the nines. I think the standout person in this whole thing for me is Becky Lynch. She has the “it” factor and she is the whole package. If I could create my own team, I would definitely include Bailey in that team. For the third member, I am not sure, but I have been scouting Emma for a while. Emma, Bailey, and I have always been underdogs and we are always ready to prove ourselves. I have also been crazy enough as it is, I have been impressed with Dana Brooke. She reminds me of a young Beth Phoenix.

Ring Rust Radio: One of the reasons you have been off television for several weeks has been the injury to your husband Tyson Kidd. First, can you update us on how he is doing, and can you tell us what the future holds for you in WWE while Tyson continues his recovery?

Natalya: Tyson is doing really well. John Cena and him have a competition to see who is more mutant like in their recovery process. I saw John last week and when I saw his nose I almost forgot he had a serious injury. His nose looked totally normally even though not long ago it was totally to the side of his face. TJ is no different than John in the sense that he is strong and a soldier. It also has given him a chance to bond more with our cats. We are taking it one day at a time and being very appreciative of what we do have. TJ is getting his fill of the WWE network right now. He is bonding with the cats, he isn’t eating the Friskies like the cats are, but they are having some quality time right now. He is doing really well, and one day he will come back and knock everybody’s socks off.