Natalya would be a major name to get in free agency

2024 was set to be a major year for free agency in professional wrestling. It lived up to the hype as individuals like Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Mone, and the Guerrillas of Destiny are all in new promotions. The shuffle isn’t over however, as there is another major player coming up on the board. Natalya is set to be a free agent in a few weeks and she is an important figure in women’s wrestling. One that should come with a healthy demand for her time, experience, and abilities. 

Natalya may jokingly call herself the BOAT, but she certainly has a claim to the position. She’s one of those foundational pieces to the WWE women’s roster, that people often overlook her accolades and contributions. Daily DDT recently covered why she’s a performer that deserves more praise, and that still remains true. It will be interesting to see if that praise comes through as a big new contract. The question is which company will make her the offer that makes the most sense for her. 

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful spoke of Natalya’s pending free agency, saying that her contract is set to come up in “a couple of weeks.” It will be interesting to see what company makes a play for her in that time. 

As previously discussed, Natalya is a multiple-tool performer that can be used in a variety of ways. She can be inserted at the top of the card and be deemed a viable contender, even though she’s more frequently used to get newer names wins on their way to the title. Imagine her walking into AEW and getting a shot at Toni Storm. There’s no reason to doubt that they would be able to put on a great story and in-ring performance. 

Natalya is also valuable behind the scenes. Companies could give her the reins to a women’s division and her experience would go a long way in building strong booking for that group. If you paired her with her husband, TJ Wilson, and allowed them to run a women’s roster they could come up with some fantastic pro wrestling, much like fans have long wanted to see from many of the top promotions in the world. Plus, they have their own wrestling facility where many top names in the business train to prepare, work through injuries, and more! 

Free agency is more than signing all the biggest names possible. Picking up key background players is what takes a team from a contender to a championship organization. The same could be said for professional wrestling, as promotions continue to strive to put out great content. Natalya is the type of performer that offers a lot not only in the ring, but backstage that can take an organization in the right direction as fans push for more opportunities for women’s wrestling.