A number of main roster stars have returned to the "WWE NXT" recently. In Grayson Waller's case, his resurgence came after "NXT" officials reached out to him about strengthening the brand's men's division. Natalya, meanwhile, contacted "NXT" head booker Shawn Michaels herself with the idea of working with a rising star, namely Jaida Parker."I've said it before, and I'll say it again, not a single soul asked me to come to NXT," Natalya (also known as Nattie) said on "Busted Open After Dark." "It wasn't like, oh, she's being asked to go down there because she's trying to take someone's spot. I said to Shawn, 'I want to work with Jaida because I see something in her that is so special.' She's got this dog in her that I'm like, I gotta test the Nattie character out against her. I feel like she's like the female Jacob Fatu. She's just got this edge about her that is very, very different from the other girls."Natalya resurfaced on the May 5 edition of "NXT" by approaching Parker in a backstage segment. Following her loss to Kali Armstrong that night, Parker appeared frustrated; The WWE veteran then called her "soft," causing Parker to invade The Dungeon 2.0 in returnshortly after."Every girl that I work with, I want them to go, 'I got to ride the Nattie Ferrari. I had the performance of my life because I got to work with Nattie,'" Natalya added, referencing her matches with other "NXT" talents like Kendal Grey and Thea Hail. She and Parker went on to wrestle each other three times, with Parker emerging victorious in two of them.
"Again, a little inside, I asked if I could stay a little longer and work with Jaida because I see so much in her," Natalya said. "I love her, but I also feel like I had a nerve with Jaida. I hit a nerve when I called her soft. I didn't realize how sensitive she was about that. I had no idea that it really ran deep with her. I hit a nerve when I called her comfortable. I hit a nerve when I called her complacent, but guess what else I did? I have brought out the best work that Jaida Parker has ever done. "Parker and Natalya marked their first in-ring faceoff on the June 16 edition of "NXT," where a tightly-cinched Sharpshooter caused the young "NXT" star to tap out. A white towel throw from Thea Hail later helped Parker even the score against "The Lowkey Legend" the following month. At "NXT" Heatwave, Parker defeated Natalya once more, this time in a rubber match attached with a submission stipulation; Parker used Natalya's signature submission hold against her to gain the victory.As of this writing, it is unclear if the Parker-Natalya feud will circle back in the future. Regardless, Natalya believes her efforts have helped push the young talent to the next level, and moreover, produce her "best f***ing work" in "NXT" so far.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open After Dark" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
