| Tatum Paxley | |
| Birthname: | Natalie Holland |
| Names: | Tatum Paxley[1] |
| Height: | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)[2] |
| Weight: | 121 lbs (55 kg) |
| Birth Date: | 26 October 1996 |
| Birth Place: | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Trainer: | WWE Performance Center |
| Debut: | February 15, 2022 |
| Billed: | Dallas, Texas |
Natalie Holland (born October 29, 1996) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE on the NXT brand performing under the ring name Tatum Paxley.[3]
Holland's athletic experience includes cheerleading and powerlifting.[4] She is a former two-time USA Powerlifting (USAPL) champion, winning competitions in 2019 and 2021.[5]
Holland was hired by WWE in August 2021, after participating in physical tests carried out by the company. To begin her training, she reported to the WWE Performance Center.[6] Holland, now given the ring name of Tatum Paxley, made her debut on the February 18, 2022, episode of NXT Level Up teaming with Ivy Nile from Diamond Mine, being victorious over Fallon Henley and Kayla Inlay.[7] On the February 22 episode of NXT, Paxley and Nile participated in the first round of the women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic against Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter, in which they were defeated.[8] Now a formalized tag team, Paxley and Nile engaged in a fatal four-way tag team match against Katana Chance (formerly Kacy Catanzaro) and Carter, Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon, and Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne) on the August 2 episode of NXT for the vacant NXT Women's Tag Team Championship, which they failed to win. After feeling morally abandoned by Nile, on the March 14, 2023, episode of NXT, Paxley turned heel and abandoned her during a three-way tag team match, attacking her and causing her to suffer the pinfall at the hands of Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. On April 4 episode of NXT, Paxley was defeated by Nile.
Towards the end of 2023, Paxley took on the character of a deranged creep and heading into 2024, she began a storyline where she stalked NXT Women's Champion Lyra Valkyria during backstage interviews and during her matches.[9] Paxley turned face at NXT: New Year's Evil on January 2, 2024, after saving Valkyria from a beatdown by Lola Vice and Elektra Lopez, eventually developing an obsession and a crush on Valkyria.[10] Ever since then, Paxley would interfere on Valkyria's matches to the latter's disapproval. At NXT: Roadblock on March 5, Valkyria and Paxley faced The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship as a reward from Valkyria to Paxley for the latter not interfering with the former's title matches against Shotzi and The Meta-Four's Lash Legend in the previous week but failed to win the titles after Valkyria inadvertently kicked Paxley.[11] [12] On the April 9 episode of NXT after NXT Stand & Deliver where Valkyria lost the NXT Women's Championship to Roxanne Perez, Paxley reverted back to a heel when she turned on Valkyria, saying that the title does not belong to Valkyria anymore.[13] On the following week of NXT, Paxley revealed that her obsession with Valkyria was only because she had the NXT Women's Championship. Later that night, Paxley defeated Chase University's Thea Hail after interference from Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx, and was attacked by Valkyria after the match. NXT general manager Ava announced that Perez will take on Paxley and Valkyria in a triple threat match for the NXT Women's Championship at Week 1 of Spring Breakin, where Perez retained her title.[14] [15]
On the May 28 episode of NXT, The O.C.'s Michin from SmackDown defeated Paxley to qualify for a spot in the six-woman ladder match to crown the inaugural NXT Women's North American Champion at NXT Battleground.[16] [17] At NXT Battleground, halfway through the NXT Women's Championship match between Roxanne Perez and TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace, Paxley appeared from the crowd and attempted to steal the TNA Knockouts title but was stopped by Ash by Elegance (who previously wrestled in WWE as Dana Brooke) and Grace, who lost the title match as a result of the interference.[18] This led to Paxley making her surprise debut appearance in TNA Wrestling at Against All Odds on June 14 where she answered Grace's open challenge for the TNA Knockouts World Championship but failed to defeat Grace for the title.[19] In July, Paxley formed a short-lived alliance with Wendy Choo, who turned on Paxley at Week 2 of NXT: The Great American Bash on August 6 after Paxley failed to defeat NXT Women's North American Champion Kelani Jordan for the title.[20] [21]
On September 17, 2023, it was revealed that Holland is engaged to fellow professional wrestler Randy José Beidelschies, better known as Javier Bernal in NXT.[22]