A DOOMED STIPULATION?
The first time a submission match involving Natalya took place was in 2016. That year, the Canadian had not yet captured a world title, but she faced one of the sport’s greatest: Charlotte Flair. She too hailed from a storied family, and the bout was meant to decide which dynasty reigned supreme. The Hart family or the Flair family? Stephanie McMahon made her choice: this Extreme Rules match would be a submission bout. It would be the Sharpshooter against the Figure Eight. After nine minutes of a hard-fought battle in New Jersey, Natalya tapped out, caught in her rival’s finishing move.
Three years later in 2019, a more seasoned Natalya challenged another major figure in women’s wrestling: Becky Lynch. The Irishwoman was at the top of her game at that moment, terrorizing the entire women’s roster thanks to her Dis-arm-her. But Natalya wasn’t afraid. At the biggest show of the summer, the Canadian challenged her rival in Toronto, in front of her home crowd. Yet the outcome of that SummerSlam match would be the same as in 2016 against the queen Charlotte Flair… Natalya wouldn’t be able to win the contest against Becky Lynch, the pain inflicted by that Dis-arm-her proving unbearable.
The last submission match Natalya participated in was in 2020. In an empty arena due to Covid, Jim Neidhart’s daughter faced Shayna Baszler, one of the most brutal competitors on the roster at that time. Natalya aimed to keep her vow of winning by a “Sharpshooter” against the former NXT champion. But once again in this stipulation, her opponent emerged stronger. Natalya would be forced to submit, trapped in a Kirifuda Clutch. So? Is the Sharpshooter as threatening as it was in Bret Hart’s era?
THE SHARPSHOOTER THROUGH THE AGES
Natalya began her career under immense pressure. Indeed, Natalie Katherine Neidhart, by birth, is the first woman in the history of the Hart family to become a professional wrestler. She represents the third generation: her father is Jim Neidhart and she is the niece of Bret Hart, to name a few.
Popularized by Owen and Bret Hart, the Sharpshooter has over the years become THE submission hold of choice in the WWF. Trained by her family in the famous Hart Dungeon, Natalya refined this tough style of wrestling over the years and integrated the Sharpshooter into her repertoire. Throughout her career, many have succumbed to her submission, including Jaida Parker.
Since June, the two women have been engaging each other on the gray show. After Maxxine Dupri, Natalya sought another wrestler to elevate. The Canadian claimed a first face-off in Orlando in mid-June, and Jaida Parker replied five weeks later. Last night on NXT, Nattie spoke about her rival.
“I came to NXT because I wanted to face Jaida Parker. I saw something in her that stood out. She’s capable of defeating me, certainly, but I also see in her untapped potential. Jaida has all the tools, but she doesn’t know how to use them. Jaida has dropped a few matches, she’s let herself go, and I brought her back to reality. Thanks to me, she started speaking better, catching better, and began to believe she could lead this division.”
Jaida Parker didn’t waste time replying to her rival this Tuesday, August 25. After a heated mic exchange, a submission match was made official for NXT Heatwave on August 30, 2026 in Texas. Will Natalya again fall under this stipulation, or will she set the young Jaida straight? The answer arrives in four short days…
