A retiring star known for wrestling in WWE and AEW has called for a match against a current WWE name, hopeful that they can make it happen.
On New Year’s Day, Mercedes Martinez announced that 2026 would be her last year as a full-time active professional wrestler.
Ahead of the end of Martinez’ over-25 year career, the former Retribution WWE faction member is pushing for a match against Nattie.
Speaking on the A2theK Wrestling Show, Martinez called for a match against Nattie, not Natalya, stating:
“I’m hoping to cross off my bucket list, wrestling Nattie. That’s the one match that I have yet to have in my career. Mind you, we’ve been in promotions together, we were just never put together.
“I don’t know why, maybe because of storylines, or she was brought in for somebody else. But I’ve wrestled the who’s who. I’ve wrestled Mickie James, I’ve wrestled Beth Phoenix, Jazz, but Nattie, somehow we just couldn’t get the match put together.
“I am hoping that at some point this year that I do get that match, and WWE lets it happen. I don’t want Natalya, because I love Natalya, Natalya has been around for years. I want the authentic self of Natalya, which is Nattie, her true self.”
Commenting on Natalya’s “Nattie Neidhart” character, Mercedes Martinez continued:
“It’s the badass version of her, but also her true self. Like finally she could just unleash and be herself and be her character.
“She’s always wrestled the same, it’s just she’s more gritty and she has this voice now where she doesn’t care, and that’s her authentic self, where she can just go out there and show the world what she really is capable of.
“That’s who I want to wrestle, because that’s me on the indies, that’s me on TV. I take no slack, I am who I am. If you see us two literally OG legends, that’s what I want.
“Someone’s going to do it, I’m hoping someone does it before the end of the year.”
The Nattie character was brought to WWE TV following her heel turn in January, with “Nattie Neidhart” having made several independent appearances in 2025.
Nattie is a familiar face for fans of GCW Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport events, having defeated Miyu Yamashita and Masha Slamovich during her previous Bloodsport appearances.
With Nattie also calling out former WWE star Shayna Baszler ahead of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV on April 17, it seems like Martinez’ best shot at sharing a ring with Nattie, is if the ring is a ropeless one at a Bloodsport show.
