Maxxine Dupri won the Women’s Intercontinental Championship on the November 17, 2025 episode of Monday Night Raw. It was a long and hard-fought journey to win the title. Particularly because Becky Lynch taunted her for months and said she didn’t have what it took to be champion.
The week after the victory, she called Natalya after being confronted by some potential challengers. Instead of a victory party for her, Natalya congratulated her in the best way that she knew, which was intense training. A vignette on the December 8 Raw saw how brutal the training was.
It showed Dupri in many matches, with each challenger getting tapped out. After a while, Natalya went after her. The struggle was fierce, but Natalya ended up tapping out. A whole new, serious, and tough Dupri was being showcased, something that could help both her and Natalya.
Dupri Knows a Title Reign Shouldn’t Be Taken Lightly
For several years now, Dupri has been a member of the Alpha Academy. Her, Akira Tozawa, and Otis have been used frequently in comedy spots. Their main goal was to make people laugh. However, during her series of matches with Lynch, a serious side was starting to be displayed.
The fans were on her side, cheering as she continued to battle her. When she finally won, she could’ve joined back with Tozawa and Otis as the silly wrestlers. But she realized that to be a champion, you have to act like a champion.
She decided to go to Natalya in order to become that serious wrestler who takes title reigns seriously. Based on the vignette, she is dedicated to improving her wrestling skills and saying goodbye to comedy. She is turning over a new leaf and becoming a wrestler that the women’s division fears instead of laughs at.
Natalya is Finally Showing Her True Character
Natalya has been a fixture on the main roster for years. Many women have described her as their wrestling mom. She helps train new wrestlers and gives them advice on how to have a promising career.
But there’s a side of her that hasn’t been shown on WWE television until now. She was trained in Mixed Martial Arts, but didn’t get a chance to showcase her skills until earlier this year. Twice, she competed on Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport events. During WrestleMania weekend, she beat Miyu Yamashita.
She returned during SummerSlam weekend and beat Masha Slamovich. Those events showcased a tougher Natalya that was seen on television. Now, her partnership with Dupri allows her to bring the Nattie character to WWE in a natural way. Using her toughness, she’ll pass on those lessons to her. Doing so will bring out new sides of both of them.
A New Fearsome Partnership is Being Formed
The vignette that aired accomplished two things. First, it showed a new side of Dupri that was a massive departure from her character in the Alpha Academy. Second, it brought the Nattie character to WWE television, showcasing her toughness and Mixed Martial Arts background.
Both women now have upgraded characters that will be interesting and a problem for the rest of the women’s division. Dupri has now become a serious champion, so any match against her won’t be an easy win.
Natalya will also be by her side in case things get messy, and an angry Natalya isn’t someone you want to see. Taking either of them lightly is not an option anymore. Natalya’s training is very intense for a reason. Her training of Dupri to be the best champion she can be will make the two of them major threats moving forward.
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