Natalya is stepping into unfamiliar territory once again, but this time with everything on the line as she prepares for Bloodsport XV in Las Vegas on April 17.

Set to face Shayna Baszler in a high stakes singles bout, the match marks their first clash since the April 11, 2025 episode of SmackDown. While the matchup alone carries intrigue, what makes it even more compelling is that Natalya actively pushed for it behind the scenes, making it clear this is not just another booking, it is a personal challenge she demanded.

Speaking in a new interview, Natalya opened up about why this fight means so much to her and why Baszler was the only opponent she wanted for this stage of her career.

“Bloodsport is really special to me because that’s where Nattie was born. But, I also understand that this year at Bloodsport, it’s a place where I have lobbied to wrestle Shayna Baszler. I fought to wrestle Shayna Baszler. I campaigned to fight Shayna Baszler. I’ve been in the WWE locker room, this is my 19th year in a WWE locker room and I can say this with complete confidence , there is no other woman that I have ever shared a locker room with that is as dangerous as Shayna. She is a woman that men and women fear because when she says that she is a submission magician, she’s not lying. She is a pioneer in women’s MMA. She’s from the snake pit. She trained under Billy Robinson, she trained under Josh Barnett. When you think about the dungeon versus the snake pit, that’s what I’m going up against, Shayna Baszler from the snake pit. She’s somebody that when you look at Ronda Rousey, there might not have been a Ronda Rousey, she may have never wanted to do this if she hadn’t been inspired by a Shayna Baszler. A lot of Ronda, a lot of women in MMA that have done well, they wouldn’t have had that road paved for them if it wasn’t for Shayna Baszler. I campaigned to fight the most dangerous woman that I’ve ever worked with in a WWE locker room and I wanted Shayna. I handpicked Shayna because she’s going to bring out the very best in me, but I also need somebody that’s going to push me to my limits. I need somebody that’s going to get in my face. I understand the stakes are high because if this doesn’t go well, this could be the end of Nattie. This could be the end of me. I have to win because again, like a year ago, this is where Nattie was born. If I don’t win, this is where Nattie will die.”

The comments highlight just how seriously Natalya is treating this opportunity. Bloodsport’s no ropes, fight style environment is vastly different from traditional WWE competition, leaning heavily into realism and submission based combat. That plays directly into Baszler’s strengths, making Natalya’s decision to seek her out even more telling.

With her legacy already secured as one of WWE’s longest tenured and most technically sound competitors, Natalya appears determined to test herself in a setting where reputation means nothing and only performance matters. Facing someone as feared and respected as Baszler in that environment could redefine how fans view both competitors.

As Bloodsport approaches, the narrative is clear. This is not just a match, it is a proving ground. And for Natalya, it may truly be the fight that defines whether this chapter of her career continues or comes to a dramatic end.

WWE NXT standout Myles Borne recently opened up about the ongoing comparisons to Randy Orton, revealing that the similarities fans point out today actually date back to his childhood.

Speaking with Denise Salcedo, Borne explained that long before he ever stepped foot inside a WWE ring, strangers would already connect him to “The Viper” based purely on appearance and presence. What might seem like a recent talking point among fans has, in reality, followed him for years.

“A lot of people think the comparison just started here [in WWE]. That’s actually not true. I remember growing up, people actually stopped me and my mother in public and would ask if I was related to Randy, and I would just laugh. I’d be like, ‘Why would you think that?’ And me and my mother would just look at each other. That was weird.”

Borne then recalled one particularly memorable moment just before his WWE tryout, when a routine dinner outing turned into an unexpected encounter that reinforced those comparisons.

“And I remember right before I had my tryout, me and my mother went to dinner at a place called Texas Roadhouse. And I remember this table with like four grown men just kept looking at me. She kept looking over, and at one point I thought they were looking at my mother, so I’m getting a little like, okay, hold on, that’s my mother, don’t do that.”

“As we left, it was late at night. We walked across the street to a place called Kohl’s, like a clothing store, and it’s late, it’s almost 10:00, and these four guys walk out of the restaurant and follow us across the street. So now, as I’m getting to the door, I let my mom walk in and I turn around. I said, ‘Okay, I think you guys are looking at my mother.’ My mother is a very beautiful lady, and when she came to watch me wrestle, people thought she was my sister, it’s insane. So I was very protective.”

“All of a sudden they said, ‘Hey, sorry, man, but are you Randy Orton’s kid?’ I just laughed, and my mother laughed. So that was always something that happened. And I got signed, and then one of my pictures got leaked about being signed, and that just took off, ’Randy Orton’s son,’ baby Viper, whatever.”

While the comparisons have followed him into WWE, Borne made it clear that he sees them as both a compliment and a challenge. Being linked to one of the most accomplished stars in WWE history carries weight, especially for someone still carving out their identity.

“It’s cool to be compared to him because he’s such a legend. He’s someone I grew up watching. He inspired me, and he’s one of the reasons I’m here now. I wanted to do what he did. I was just in such awe of what he did, and he’s so good at what he does that at a young age, I had no idea about the in-depth concepts of the business, the characters, the wrestlers, I had no idea about that stuff.”

“All I knew at a young age was, ‘he is mean, he is bad.’ This guy is good, he’s a good guy. So at first I didn’t like Randy. I was like, ‘Oh, he’s mean. There’s just something about him, you don’t like him.’ But then as I got older, I was like, ‘That guy has it all. He’s got it all.’”

Borne also spoke candidly about the pressure that comes with being compared to someone he personally considers the greatest to ever step inside the ring.

“So yeah, being compared to him was fun, it’s cool, I like it, but it’s also a lot of pressure because, in my mind, there’s only one Randy Orton, and in my mind, he’s the greatest of all time. He’s the greatest to ever do it.”

Despite embracing the comparison in a lighthearted way, Borne emphasized that his ultimate goal is to stand on his own and build a legacy that is uniquely his.

“But yeah, it’s cool to have that comparison, and I want to make my own name. I want people to know me as Myles Borne, you know? Yeah, we have some similarities, and the crazy part is the way I naturally move, even in the amateur world, when I was an amateur wrestler. If you watch any film, the way I move was similar to his mannerisms, and I didn’t notice that until I came here. I was like, ‘Oh crap, we have some similarities, but we also have the same body language sometimes. That’s very weird.’”

“I like the comparison. It’s funny to me, because me and Randy talk about it and we’ve joked about it before. It’s fun, but it’s something that, you know, I like for a little bit, but I also want to make sure that I do what I have to do to make my own path.”

As Borne continues to rise through WWE NXT, the comparisons to Orton may not go away anytime soon. However, if his mindset is any indication, he is fully focused on proving that while inspiration can shape a career, individuality is what defines it.