WWE superstar and former women’s champ Natalya reveals all about learning the game in the Hart dungeon

WWE superstar Natalya has revealed how she learned to wrestle by facing men in the “Hart Dungeon” – an experience that has prepared her for all challenges in WWE.

The notorious Dungeon was located in the Hart family basement, where the ex-champion’s grandfather Stu Hart and his trainers broke countless grapplers into the business.

Natalya comes from one of wrestling's most famous families

Aside from the Hart brothers – including Bret and Owen Hart – stars who passed through the Dungeon include Chris Jericho, Billy Graham, Gorilla Monsoon, Steve Blackman, Greg Valentine, and Natalya’s husband Tyson Kidd.

The stories of the Dungeon’s brutality are well known, as Stu would “stretch” trainees – including his own kids – with his torturous submission holds.

Speaking exclusively to SunSport, Natalya said: “There was only one other girl in there with me and about 25 different guys coming in and out over the years.

“So for the most part there were only men to train with. We got treated all the same.

Natalya learned all the wrestling submissions in the family basement

Bret and Owen Hart led the charge of stars to emerge from Dungeon

“I’m grateful for those days because nothing was handed to me – it made me stronger. Training with men made me tougher.”

One of the men Natalya wrestled during those was her cousin Harry Smith, son of the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith.

She said: “Harry is 6’5” and he was one of my first training partners. It was like a chihuahua wrestling a great dane!

“I had to learn to stand on my own two feet. When I look back, it’s helped me so much. There’s nothing I can’t get through in WWE.”

There was never any doubt about the career path Natalya would take

Dozens of WWE stars have come from the Hart Dungeon

But for Natalya, there was never any doubt about the career path she would take.

She said: “I’ve been surrounded by wrestling my entire life with my uncles and my dad. My grandfather had a wrestling ring on his lawn as well as the Dungeon in his basement.

“I couldn’t imagine a day in my life where I wouldn’t talk or think about wrestling – or get in the ring. There wasn’t anything else in my life I ever dreamt about doing.”

Despite the family tradition, her father – former tag champ Jim the Anvil Neidhart – wasn’t keen for Natalya to take up wrestling.

She said: “He was very protective. I have two sisters and he didn’t want us in the ring. When he was competing, there wasn’t a prominent women’s division. He came from a different era and he didn’t want us to get hurt.

“Females become more dominant in WWE with Trish Stratus and Lita, but it wasn’t until he saw me have my first match… he’s been my biggest fan ever since.”

Bret Hart was trained by his genius father Stu

Natalya emerged from the Dungeon to climb to the top of the women's division

Natalya began training at 18-years-old and wrestled on the indies – including her family’s Stampede promotion – before debuting in WWE in 2008.

She has been a pillar of the women’s division ever since – and is a featured superstar on WWE’s new DVD documentary Then, Now, Forever: The Evolution of WWE’s Women’s Division.

As well as a recent reign with the SmackDown Women’s Championship, Natalya has been trusted with another huge responsibility: training Ronda Rousey as a pro wrestler.

She also notched up a big win on Raw at the start of June when she tapped Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss with the Sharpshooter.

Natalya’s role in the company and wrestling talent is a testament to the legacy of the Hart family and the Dungeon.

And unsurprisingly, Natalya’s in-ring style combines elements from the very best of the Harts.

Ex-champion Natalya learned her skills by fighting men

The Hart Foundation was a brilliant WWE faction

She said: “My family have influenced me heavily. I loved Owen’s style – I’m not a high flyer but I love looking back at his matches for his personality.

“Bret was always great at selling and he’d always make you believe. Bret was also compatible with everyone he worked with.

“Whoever it was, they’d always say Bret was their favourite match – from Roddy Piper to Steve Austin.

“And British Bulldog was so agile for a guy his size.

"He could do just about anything. I’m a bigger girl – sturdy and I can do a lot of power moves, but I’m also agile on my feet.

Natalya is a queen of the submission game in WWE

The Hart family is one of the most successful in wrestling

The Harts changed the landscape of professional wrestling

“Every time I do the surfboard submission hold I think of British Bulldog – I pay homage to him. And the Sharpshooter is me paying homage to Bret and our family’s legacy.

“And my father was about power. Just the way he moved around in the ring… we have a lot of the same mannerisms. I look back at old matches and think we’re so much alike.

“When I first started I didn’t want to do the things they did or wear the same colours because I didn’t want people to think I was riding off my family’s coattails.

“Now I see it differently – I’m proud of them.”

Then, Now, Forever: The Evolution of WWE’s Women’s Division is out on DVD now

WWE superstar Natalya has revealed how she learned to wrestle by facing men in the “Hart Dungeon” – an experience that has prepared her for all challenges in WWE.