Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Natalya stated that the on-screen animosity between Becky Lynch and Nikki Bella is fueled by genuine tension ahead of their Women’s Intercontinental Championship match at Clash in Paris. Natalya believes this authenticity is why their recent segment was highly viewed, suggesting Bella is channeling personal hardships into the storyline.
“Their segment, from what I understand, was one of the most viewed segments on the show and that’s because I do believe there’s real tension between the two of them,” Natalya said.
The championship bout was made official during the August 25 episode of Raw in Birmingham, England, following a heated verbal exchange. The segment began when Nikki Bella interrupted Lynch and challenged her for the title, escalating a conflict that started when Lynch attacked Bella on the August 4 edition of Raw.
During the confrontation, Lynch initially rejected the challenge, referring to the WWE Hall of Famer as “Broken Neck Barbie.” The exchange grew more personal when Bella claimed to have “paved the way,” prompting Lynch to retort that her goal was always to replace her, not respect her. Bella fired back, labeling the champion as having been nothing more than “Charlotte Flair’s sidekick.”
After being called a coward, Lynch accepted the match for Clash in Paris. She then attempted a surprise attack on Bella, who countered and nearly executed the Rack Attack 2.0 before Lynch retreated from the ring.
Commenting on the personal nature of the feud, Natalya explained that Lynch’s verbal attacks were intentionally sharp. “We go back to when Becky threw the first shot at Nikki, it was a low blow,” Natalya said. “It was meant to be a low blow. Becky knew exactly what she was doing, she was trying to hit Nikki in the heart.”
However, Natalya asserted that Bella is using her past experiences as motivation. “Nikki’s already five steps ahead of Becky because she’s like, I’ve already been hurt so much that you’re not going to hurt me anymore,” she stated. “She has never — since I’ve known Nikki from day one, she has never ever been a victim, she’s always been a survivor… she’s channeling all of that into this feud.”
Becky Lynch is set to defend her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Nikki Bella at Clash in Paris this Sunday, August 31. The event, WWE’s first premium live event in France, will stream live on Peacock in the United States and on Netflix in international markets.