It has recently been reported that the contracts of several WWE Superstars are nearing their expiration. One of the notable names among them is Natalya. The 24-year veteran's future in the Stamford-based company does not look very promising after losing on the latest episode of RAW, but this could just be one of her ploys for her next act.
Natalya has not had the best of luck in WWE recently. To rub salt in the wound, she lost against an up-and-coming Kiana James on the latest edition of RAW. After the match, The Queen of Harts shared a backstage segment with Sonya Deville and claimed that a change was coming. This lined up with recent reports that her contract will end in early June 2024, and no follow-up has been made about the 42-year-old star receiving a new offer. However, this might not be enough to indicate that she will leave.
After her loss on Monday Night RAW, Natalya could simply be absent for a while to stir rumors about her leaving the Stamford-based company. Later on, she can return to the company with Sonya, who could act as her manager. The Queen of Harts will likely remain with Deville and turn heel.
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Apart from Natalya, Chad Gable's contract is reportedly about to expire soon. From the women's division, Becky Lynch's contract already expired a week ago and she is now considered a free agent.
Why Vince Russo believes WWE wasted Natalya in the ring trying to get a rookie over
Natalya has always mentored superstars whether inside or outside the ring. However, former WWE head writer Vince Russo did not like how she was used to give Kiana James leverage on the main roster.
While speaking on an episode of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW podcast, Russo criticized Natalya's booking by saying that Kiana won't get over by defeating the wrestling veteran. On the other hand, the former SmackDown Women's Champion did the right job by putting over the 27-year-old star.
"Here's the problem. If you're gonna use Natalya to get Kiana James over, that's good if you're actually gonna get Kiana James over. But she's not getting over because she's beating Natalya. Mark my words right now, you're not gonna see Kiana James in another three weeks. Meanwhile, Natalya did the job trying to put her over, you're not gonna see her in another three weeks," Vince Russo said.
It would be interesting to see what is next for Natalya in her wrestling career.