In her first test as NXT Women's Champion, Kendal Grey bested WWE veteran Nattie (also known as Natalya) to retain her title. In the process, Grey managed to win over Nattie on a personal level as well."Just us talking totally person to person, I was so impressed with Kendal," Nattie said on "Busted Open Radio." "Kendal's only had probably, if I was to guess, maybe a hundred matches. I'm talking about a hundred matches in front of a crowd, whether it was on live events, whether it was at the Performance Center, they do live PC shows, or whether it's been on NXT programming, Evolve. I don't know if she's had 100 matches. Maybe she has, but my point is that she's still so new to this business and I was so impressed. I was so impressed with just her attitude, her energy and her skill. She's somebody that I feel like from the second that she stepped into NXT, she understood the assignment, but she didn't come from a professional wrestling background."Grey's battle with Nattie came after "The Lowkey Legend" pitched her case to "NXT" General Manager Robert Stone, citing her long history in WWE and the pro wrestling business as a whole. Nattie further asserted herself as an underappreciated icon that deserved the world, which included a shot at Grey's NXT Women's Championship.Out of character, Nattie described her experience wrestling Grey as an "honor," especially given that "NXT" officials like Shawn Michaels trusted her to be in the position of Grey's first challenger. In return, Nattie showed Grey what it was like "to drive a Ferrari," much like she did with Charlotte Flair and other up-and-coming talents across the years prior.
Grey's test drive in the luxury vehicle proved to be successful as evidenced by her victory, via Shades of Grey, and Nattie's expansive post-match praise. Nattie went on to highlight their strong in-ring chemistry, which materialized in spite of having a one-week build-up to their title match and Grey having just a couple years of pro wrestling experience. Behind the scenes, Nattie also appreciated the fact that Grey extended respect to her."When I locked up with Kendal, I am just telling you from my heart that this girl is special," Nattie said. "She's going to be a massive star in the women's division. She has a really strong head on her shoulders. After our match, she sent me the nicest texts and she said, 'I just want to thank you so much for allowing me to do that and for us to be able to create that magic together.' Again, taking the character stuff aside, I know I'm a heel character on NXT, but when people have etiquette like that, it means so much to me. Kendal and I were only in the ring for like ten, 12 minutes together. It's how you carry yourself backstage that can be a deal-breaker for you."Following her successful title defense over Nattie on the June 30 edition of "NXT," Grey will learn the identity of her next challenger on July 14. Kelani Jordan, Kali Armstrong, and Lola Vice will battle each other in a number one contender's match on the respective day.Grey, a former amateur wrestler at Life University, originally pinned Vice at the "NXT" Great American Bash to capture the NXT Women's Championship.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
