WWE's Nattie Says Chelsea Green's Injury Is The 'Best Thing That Could've Happened'
Due to a broken orbital bone, interim WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green is unable to wrestle, and moreover, defend her newly-won title for several weeks. Still, her WWE colleague Nattie insists that the injury is actually a major benefit to Green.
"I think that her breaking her orbital bone, her having this injury, is the best thing that could've happened to her as a brand new champion," Nattie said on Busted Open Radio," "because it's giving her an impediment that she has to work through. That's always the struggle. Once people win a championship, once a babyface wins a championship, you almost feel like the chase is over. We were all waiting for Chelsea to have this championship that was so elusive that she couldn't get it, that she was always almost so, so, so close to having it. Then now, she's finally got it, and then the next week, you're like, okay, now what? Chelsea's no longer chasing it. She's no longer got an obstacle. This created a really organic and very real obstacle that continues to allow the audience to get really behind her."
Green sustained her injury in the midst of a tag team match against Fatal Influence's Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley on "WWE SmackDown." One week later, "SmackDown" General Manager Nick Aldis considered stripping Green of the interim WWE Women's Championship, but ultimately decided against it after hearing Green's impassioned promo about past heartbreaks and sacrifices. Green now has a few extra weeks to get herself medically cleared to compete again.
Fatal Influence, meanwhile, are leaning into the heat, with Reid even taking credit for Green's highly praised segment with Aldis. Green's real-life husband Matt Cardona recently echoed Nattie's sentiments, noting that the injury allowed her to deliver the aforementioned promo, and in turn, gain further favor with the WWE Universe.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.