• Big Update On Natalya’s WWE Future In 2026
Natalya is poised to become a significant figure in WWE’s Women’s Division throughout 2026, driven by the success of a new persona developed outside of the main WWE spotlight.
According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, WWE management has taken notice of how well her recent work as the “Low Key Legend” resonated with fans across various independent promotions and social media platforms.
This positive reception by fans and her strong performance outside the company prompted WWE’s upper management to greenlight the integration of this “Nattie” character into official WWE programming.
This shift in direction was prominently featured on this week’s RAW, which included a vignette showing Natalya training Women’s Intercontinental Champion Maxxine Dupri in the legendary Hart Dungeon.
Speaking about the shift, Natalya confirmed that the version of herself seen instructing Dupri was indeed the “Nattie” persona, distinct from the usual “Natalya” character.
She explained that she wanted Dupri to learn how to be assertive, stating that failure to set boundaries early in a career can lead to being exploited throughout its duration.
Furthermore, the veteran hinted that if the “Nattie” persona were to transition from training segments back into the ring, she would have a lot of “receipts” to collect, suggesting a strong, new competitive direction.
The overall objective is to ensure that Natalya plays a “vital” and “strong part” in the future of the women’s roster.
• AEW Wrestler Forfeits Spot In Title Tournament
AEW wrestler Queen Aminata has been officially pulled from the Ring of Honor Women’s Pure Championship Tournament after being deemed not medically cleared to compete.
AEW President Tony Khan announced the news during the Final Battle media call, noting that ROH had to lock in the semifinal bout ahead of tonight’s pay-per-view. With Aminata unable to wrestle in time for the taping deadline, the match could not move forward as planned.
As a result, Aminata forfeited her semifinal match, allowing Deonna Purrazzo to advance directly to the tournament final. Purrazzo will face Billie Starkz for the title tonight.
Aminata has been sidelined since suffering an injury in October. The setback also forced her out of the Women’s Blood & Guts match last month.
In the last update on her injury, Aminata revealed that she was having problems in turning her head and felt tightness in her neck.
• Current Plan For Royal Rumble 2026 In Saudi Arabia
Despite the huge event being less than two months away, WWE is reportedly moving very slowly when planning the card for the Royal Rumble 2026 premium live event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This show will be the first time the Royal Rumble has ever been held outside of North America.
According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE currently plans to have only four matches on the entire event. While the two traditional Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches are obvious, the company has not yet internally finalized the other two matches, but these two matches are scheduled to be championship matches.
They also noted that Bron Breakker is still the favorite to win the 30-man Royal Rumble match. This is interesting because Breakker is already scheduled to challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship on the January 5th episode of RAW.
