Natalya Discusses Ruby Riott Using Her Father In Their Storyline; Calls It “Strangely Therapeutic”

This past Monday on Raw, Ruby Riott debuted a new table designed to get under the skin of her WWE TLC opponent, Natalya. The table featured a print of Natalya’s father, Jim Neidhart, who passed away in August. You can view the entire segment in the video below. The feud between Riott and Natalya started when Riott broke The Anvil’s sunglasses on an episode of Raw.

Speaking to Yahoo Sports, Natalya discussed bringing her late father into the storyline. 

“My dad was a professional wrestler,” Neidhart said. “He was a WWE superstar, he was a WWE legend before he passed away and I feel like in some crazy way this is like my dad is having one last run. I feel like if I asked my dad right now, ‘Daddy, how do you feel about me doing this storyline?’ My dad would say go for it. He understood pro wrestling, he understood how, for fans to become emotionally invested in stories, there has to be emotionally charged content. In some weird way, this storyline has been strangely therapeutic because anything I’m feeling I can get it out,” Natalya said. “If I need to cry, I can get it out. I can let everybody see it, hear it and I can take the WWE universe on this journey with me. I need to speak the truth and I need to remind the world that my dad was a WWE star, he was special and everyone can feel that with me.”

Prior to Riott revealing her new table, Natalya dropped a Montreal Screwjob reference during her promo. Natalya referenced the infamous night as a reason why she had to work for everything she’s ever gotten in WWE and hasn’t been handed anything despite her last name.

“I didn’t mince my words when I said anything. I’ve been wanting to say [the stuff about the Montreal Screwjob] for a long time because Ruby had been saying I got my opportunity because of who my family is,” she said. “No, actually when your uncle punches the boss in the face, it makes it really hard for you to even get a job in WWE. I had never spoken about that, I was worried about Bret being upset, but I thought to myself, I’m just going to say it and I don’t care who gets mad that I said it.”

Natalya will face Ruby Riott this Sunday at WWE TLC in a Tables Match.