WWE Star Natalya Reacts To Being First Woman To Receive Lou Thesz Award

WWE's Natalya has been announced as the first woman recipient of the Cauliflower Alley Club's Lou Thesz award, and she has reacted to that prestigious honor.

Natalya talked about what it means to win the award during a recent "Busted Open" podcast, stating how it is an honor to be given this award by her fellow peers. 

"It really is so special because — I was elected to get this from the wrestlers. From legends, from a committee at Cauliflower Alley," she began. " There are so many incredible men that have got this award before me, so now to be the first woman to get the Lou Thesz award is just ... and knowing what Lou Thesz stood for in the industry and what a pioneer he was. He helped build a foundation for professional wrestling."

She also revealed that her late grandfather, Stu Hart, often attended Cauliflower Alley Club reunions and suggested that he may have played a role in her receiving the award.

"I feel like this is one of those full-circle moments where I really do feel worthy. It's hard for me to say that because I talk a lot about this with the girls backstage, like, we talk about sometimes we just feel like, 'Maybe we don't deserve all of this or maybe we're not good enough.' Those doubts creep up in all of our minds. When they called me up and said, 'Hey, we want to honor you with this award,' it made me feel like my grandfather had a hand in it."

During the podcast, Dave LaGreca highlighted how Natalya has played a major role in influencing and mentoring other wrestlers and helped transform the women's division. Natalya spoke with pride about wanting to grow the division and the industry as a whole, with the experience that she can pass down to younger stars.

"I am very humble but I also pride myself on [thinking] 'We have to continue to build.' If you look at it, for example, you have an incredible doctor and they know how to cure this or cure that, but they don't pass along their knowledge, we can't advance science. I look at that in the [pro wrestling] industry, I think the vets are just as important as the new talent coming in because everybody has a role that they play," she said.

Natalya spoke about the current situation in WWE, where there's a sense of unpredictability in the storylines, something that excites her. She also shared that she remains eager to grow as a wrestler, set new goals for herself, and continues to be passionate about the industry nearly two decades after her WWE debut. The Lou Thesz award (not to be confused with the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame's Lou Thesz award) has been given to some of the greats in the business, with the most recent recipients being Rob Van Dam, Ron Simmons, Dory Funk Jr., and Shawn Michaels. The 59th Cauliflower Alley Club ceremony will be held between August 18 and 20 at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.