Latest news with #LyraValkyria
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'I really couldn't believe it!': Lyra Valkyria reflects on becoming WWE's first Women's Intercontinental Champion
's etched her name into the history of WWE by defeating to become the inaugural Women's Intercontinental Champion during an episode of Raw. This victory marked a significant milestone in Valkyria's career, adding to her previous accomplishment as in 2023. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to the women's champion, her win came as a surprise for many, and now Valkyria has revealed that she learned about her win at the very last minute. She said that it came to her as a very surprising win and revealed that she wasn't even part of any creative discussions beforehand and only learned of the major career moment on the day of the show. Lyra Valkyria reflects on her Women's Intercontinental Championship win has recently recalled her Women's Intercontinental Championship win. She opened up about her winning experience in a candid conversation with Chris Van Vliet. She appeared on the podcast, Insight with Chris Van Vliet , where the champion revealed that she was never part of the initial conversation or decision. She only knew what she would do on Mondays and found out on the day of the match that she was going to win the title. 'I never was a part of that conversation. I just find out on Mondays what I'm doing. I found out the day of. I was never a part of the decision or the conversation. I just showed up to work,' Valkyria said. Lyra Valkyria On Making WWE History, Complicated Becky Lynch Relationship, WrestleMania, Bayley She further expressed her feelings about holding the championship, 'It's a big responsibility, and there's a lot of pressure that comes with it. But I think I'm kind of in control once I get in the ring… No one can take that away.' The also revealed that she could not believe, and it came to her as a total surprise, 'Amazing. I couldn't believe it. I really couldn't believe it. But things don't hit me when I think they're going to. I always say that it never hits me in the moment," she said. Lyra Valkyria becomes first Women's Intercontinental Champion: Raw highlights, Jan. 13, 2025 She further stated, 'It hit me when I was driving home and taking my bags out of the car on the Tuesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The title is just sitting in my bag, the zip opens, and I'm like, Oh yeah, that's the Intercontinental Championship. I won that. I brought that home. That's when it hits me.' (source: Ringside News) In the podcast, she has even opened up about her career setbacks and discussed about her major ACL injury she suffered in 2021, during the WWE NXT UK. Also Read : Ever since she won the title, Lyra Valkyria has improved leaps and bounds as a WWE Superstar. As Valkyria embarks on her reign, fans and sports enthusiasts are eager to see how she will elevate the title and who will emerge as her challengers in the coming months.
Extra.ie
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Who is Lyra Valkyria? - Dublin WWE star defeats Becky Lynch to retain title
It was Limerick versus Dublin on Saturday night when WWE's Becky Lynch faced Lyra Valkyria in St Louis at WWE Backlash. Becky, 38, was hoping to steal the Women's Intercontinental Championship from her friend-turned-foe, Lyra, but was unsuccessful with the Dublin fighter overcoming the Limerick woman. The contest is the biggest win for 28-year-old Valkyria, with many spectators praising both women for the all-Ireland clash. It was Limerick versus Dublin on Saturday night when WWE's Becky Lynch faced Lyra Valkyria in St Louis at WWE Backlash. Pic: Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images But who is the up and coming Lyra Valkyria and where has she come from? Aoife Cusack is an Irish professional wrestler, who goes by the stage name Lyra Valkyria. She was previously known as Aoife Valkyrie, and has also been referred to as Valkyrie. The Dublin native is 28 years old and has been in the wrestling industry for almost ten years. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LJ_Cleary (@lj_cleary) Lyra is engaged to fellow pro wrestler LJ Cleary (Lee Joseph Cleary) with the pair getting engaged in September 2024 after ten years together. Confirming the engagement at the time, LJ took to Instagram and wrote: '10 years together celebrated by getting engaged to the person I will be spending the rest of my life with, and she is the love of mine.' The contest is the biggest win for 28-year-old Valkyria, with many spectators praising both women for the all-Ireland clash. Pic: Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images Cusack made her wrestling debut in 2015 under the name Valkyrie Cain after one year with training school Fight Factory Pro Wrestling. In 2020, she was signed with WWE where she was assigned the ring name Aoife Valkyrie, and competed with NXT UK. Her first match took place on February 13 and resulted in a win over French woman Amale. Following the closure of NXT UK in 2022, Valkyrie moved to NXT where she adopted the name Lyra Valkyria. Cusack made her wrestling debut in 2015 under the name Valkyrie Cain after one year with training school Fight Factory Pro Wrestling. Pic: Rich Frieda /WWE via Getty Images The Dubliner's first title charge was in 2023 for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT Stand & Deliver, but her bid was unsuccessful. She picked up the NXT Women's Championship in October 2023, defending the title in November. Last year, Valkyria was promoted to the RAW brand, with her on-screen debut seeing her save Becky Lynch from a beatdown by Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane from the Damage CTRL team. On Saturday night, Valkyria beat fellow Irish fighter Becky Lynch in what The Playoffs say was 'the most brutal match of her career.' Really impressed by the extent in which Lyra Valkyria has delivered on the pushes & platforms she's been thrown on. She's quietly become 1 of the best prospect turned new star stories WWE have produced in a minute. — Jordan Patu (@Jordan_Patu) May 11, 2025 With Becky trying to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the Dubliner, it was an unsuccessful bid with Lyra defending the title she initially won in December. The publication added that Valkyria may have suffered a broken nose as commented by commentator Michael Cole. There is no doubt that Lyra Valkyria is a star both by her performances and crowd reactions. — LYR🅰️ (@baylyynch) May 11, 2025 Fans took to X to have their say following the thrilling Women's title match on Backlash, with many lauding Valkyria. One thing Lyra Valkyria is gonna do is put on a good fucking performance. — ⛧ (@7700saint) May 10, 2025 One wrote: 'Really impressed by the extent in which Lyra Valkyria has delivered on the pushes & platforms she's been thrown on. 'She's quietly become 1 of the best prospect turned new star stories WWE have produced in a minute.' Another added: 'There is no doubt that Lyra Valkyria is a star both by her performances and crowd reactions.' A third commented: 'One thing Lyra Valkyria is gonna do is put on a good f****ng performance.'
Forbes
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
WWE Backlash 2025 Results: Lyra Valkyria Upsets Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch returned to WWE at WrestleMania 41. (Credit:) WWE Backlash 2025 was more than just a match for Becky Lynch. It was a shot at triumphant singles return for 'The Man.' Recently heralded as the greatest women's wrestler in WWE history, Lynch went to St. Louis with the goal of adding another impressive accolade to her resume. But even multiple Manhandle Slam finishers couldn't prevent her friend-turned-foe Lyra Valkyria from retaining the Women's Intercontinental Championship at Backlash. After a stellar back-and-forth battle, Valkyria, fighting through what Raw announcer Michael Cole speculated was a broken nose, surprised Lynch with a quick and crafty pin to beat her former mentor. It was, far and away, the biggest win of Valkyria's main roster career. But Lynch's loss was the latest shocking development in what has been a whirlwind of a comeback for former women's champion. Not even one month ago, Lynch, after finally signing a new contract, returned to WWE at WrestleMania 41 as Valkyria's surprise tag team partner against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Ireland's top two stars would defeat Morgan and Rodriguez to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship only to lose the titles right back to Morgan and Rodriguez the next night on the Raw after WrestleMania 41. But that wasn't all. That tag title loss just 24 hours after their big win prompted Lynch to viciously attack Valkyria and turn heel in the process. Lynch was unfairly criticized as 'Becky Hogan' for her return and immediate tag title win, a reference to the legendary Hulk Hogan's penchant for constantly winning titles. Yet, this was a classic case of a kneejerk reaction from WWE fans who were unwilling to let the story play out. The story? In storyline, Lynch wants to prove that she's the best women's wrestler ever and, more specifically, that she's better than the upstart Valkyria. In real life, Lynch wants to use her star power to elevate not just Valkyria herself but the Women's Intercontinental title and the women's division as a whole, too. At WWE Backlash 2025, Lynch was on the cusp of accomplishing that goal when she blasted Valkyria with a Manhandle Slam not once but twice. Had Lynch won? That would have been a booking decision that critics will call a power move by Lynch. But no, that's not what it is. Not at all. Lynch lost and immediately got her heat back by attacking Valkyria, clearly signifying that their feud will continue. Prior to Lynch's return, Valkyria's run as the inaugural Women's Intercontinental Champion was, well, completely forgettable. Valkyria was rarely featured, hardly pushed, and never got a true chance to show off any type of personality or passion. Enter Lynch, and things have changed quickly. At WWE Backlash 2025, Lynch's loss and subsequent attack on Valkyria is helping the latter immensely. Valkyria is emerging as a plucky underdog, and in order for her to fully become a beloved fan favorite, she needs to overcome the odds. As champion in the midst of a lackluster title reign, Valkyria was fighting an uphill battle to win fan support because of a mix of poor storytelling and a lack of a top heel to overcome. Now, however, Lynch, enraged by her loss at WWE Backlash, is the heel WWE needs to take both Valkyria and the Women's Intercontinental Championship to the next level. As always, that won't sit well with some of WWE's most passionate fans, but it's the hard truth. Lynch is exactly what the Women's IC title needs, and the whole division will be better off after WWE Backlash 2025, with Lynch elevating everyone and everyone involved in this now compelling storyline.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lyra Valkyria says WWE's 'horrible' ditching of Bayley for WrestleMania 'hurt all of us'
Lyra Valkyria has all the makings to be WWE's next big star. When she showed up on the main roster just one year ago, it wasn't clear what her trajectory would look like. Valkyria's arrival from NXT was a little like parachuting straight into the main roster, thrown into the mix with nothing but well wishes. Advertisement She cemented her position with a strong showing right out of the gate in the Queen of the Ring tournament, went on to compete in the Money in the Bank ladder match, then became WWE's first Women's Intercontinental Champion, and eventually concluded her first WrestleMania match and first year on the main roster by becoming one half of the tag team champions. As the WWE calendar resets, Valkyria says she's very much ready to take her talents from budding star to certified main-eventer. That begins on Saturday at WWE Backlash, where she defends her intercontinental championship in an all-Ireland grudge match against Becky Lynch. 'I've just shown that I'm not willing to be stood on,' Valkyria tells Uncrowned. 'I'm very much prepared now to go in and prove that Becky may have talked herself into every opportunity she's ever got, but then the bell rings and that's when I have the upper hand.' Lyra Valkyria has had a whirlwind year since landing on the WWE roster. (Photo by Rich Frieda /WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) When she's in the ring, Valkyria says, she's in control and living in the moment. She's well aware of Lynch's many accolades — a Grand Slam Champion, first women's WrestleMania main-eventer, and arguably one of the greatest female wrestlers to ever step in the ring. Advertisement But Valkyria has done the work. Now, she says, it's time to go. Either she has it or she doesn't. 'When you get in [the ring] with someone like Becky, all these women that are already there, they're not going to hand you the opportunity to step on them. I have been forced to step up and hold my own, and I feel like that kind of trial by fire is what really makes you a pro and makes you come out of your shell,' Valkyria says. 'So far I've had a lot of people that were very willing to help me and want me to succeed. Becky has been a little different, to say something. So to not have that help and to have to fight on my own for that kind of thing, it's been a different change.' The moment Valkyria is currently living in is a totally different dynamic than it was just a month ago, when she was preparing to step onto WWE's biggest stage. With her family in attendance at WrestleMania 41, Valkyria felt like she couldn't have written her first year on the main roster any better. Advertisement While the result was a dream come true, her first WrestleMania was bittersweet following the last-minute exclusion of Bayley. Her match coming at the expense of Bayley 'hurt all of us,' Valkyria says, and it put a damper on the moment. 'Horrible,' Valkyria responds when asked what it was like to see Bayley miss out on WrestleMania. 'We genuinely really did build up this good friendship outside of the ring. We really clicked outside of the ring and I think that's what made us click inside the ring. And it was a long time before I knew what was going to happen. When I did, it did leave like a bit of a — it was upsetting because they were two women that I looked up to. I really feel like the Four Horsewomen era of NXT built the wrestler that I am because they were the ones I was watching.' The last decade has seen the Four Horsewomen — Lynch, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks — reach heights in WWE and beyond that women wrestlers hadn't experienced before. They pushed the boundaries and owned the women's revolution, consistently pushing each other toward main events and championships. Advertisement Their work established the foundation for the likes of Valkyria and Tiffany Stratton, and eventually Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer, building a consistent thread from developing in NXT to reaching the highest of highs on the main roster. So with more talent on the women's roster than WWE has ever had, how has Valkyria found success in consistently finding the spotlight? 'My thing has always been I can't compare myself to other people," she says. "If I look at say, Tiffany, who we were coming up at the same time, like you just look at her, she was born and bred for the stage. She's wrestling three years and she's going one-on-one with Charlotte at WrestleMania. I'm just on a very different journey. So I look at the 10 years that I've put in and I take pride in that. 'I'm on the wrestler's journey. I don't look like Tiffany. I'm not a born athlete. I got here on sheer belief and hard work. And if people think anything when they watch me, I want them to know that. I want them to see that I leave everything in the ring every chance that I get.' Advertisement Becky, Valkyria says, has this journey in common. She's a person that proved you can just go out and love something so much and then get to the top if you want it badly enough, no matter where you come from. The opportunities are endless for Valkyria as she continues to climb the WWE ladder. She's got dream matches in mind, ideally against the likes of Giulia, Vaquer, or Natalya Neidhart, if Evolution 2 comes to fruition. But right now, in this moment ahead of her match against Lynch at Backlash, she's reaching levels she never imagined. 'No matter what I ever imagined the ceiling to be, like if there was one, it wouldn't have been a high enough ceiling because so much has happened that I wouldn't have thought possible,' Valkyria says. 'Even going into this Backlash, (John) Cena and (Randy) Orton are on the same show, and I always say that if your dream was basketball or whatever, like you don't get to make it to the top, go up against Michael Jordan or whatever. But I'm in here mixing it around with the people that made me want to do this, but they're in their prime and I'm reaching my just coming out, it's wild. It really is wild.'
Newsweek
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
WWE Superstar Upset About WrestleMania Moment
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Becky Lynch's shocking return and subsequent actions at WWE WrestleMania 41 have ignited significant discussion, drawing comparisons to controversial figures like Hulk Hogan and leaving her upcoming Backlash opponent, Lyra Valkyria, with mixed emotions. The drama unfolded after a calculated backstage assault sidelined Bayley from competing at WWE's grandest annual spectacle. It was later revealed within the storyline that Lynch herself orchestrated the attack, a manipulative move that effectively removed Bayley and created an opening for "The Man." This calculated decision allowed Lynch to be inserted into the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania 41. WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria recently appeared on "My Mom's Basement," where she discussed the unfortunate circumstances. Valkyria expressed her deep respect for Bayley and her distress over how her own WrestleMania moment materialized. "Especially since I've come to Raw, I feel like I've had this natural connection with Bayley outside of the ring, and it kind of just manifested inside the ring. We really really clicked," Lyra Valkyria shared. She continued, "Having my Mania moment coming as an expense to her, that was genuinely very upsetting." Valkyria further elaborated on her bond with Bayley and a shifting perception. "Bayley, since I've come to Raw, has been a massive help, and she actually is everything that I thought Becky would be," Valkyria confessed, adding, "It's a very big change to see her out at the moment." Building wraps for WrestleMania 41 are shown on the exterior of Allegiant Stadium on April 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WWE's flagship event will be held at the venue on April 19th and... Building wraps for WrestleMania 41 are shown on the exterior of Allegiant Stadium on April 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WWE's flagship event will be held at the venue on April 19th and 20th. More Ethan Miller Lynch made her highly anticipated and unannounced WWE return on Night 2 of WrestleMania 41, marking her first appearance since May 2024. She was unveiled as Lyra Valkyria's surprise partner for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship bout against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation The newly formed Irish duo captured the titles, with Lynch pinning Morgan, which also made Valkyria a double champion. However, their reign didn't last long as they lost the championships on the subsequent episode of Raw. Immediately following that loss, Lynch turned heel by attacking Lyra Valkyria. This shocking betrayal gave a back story behind who attacked Bayley's attacker. Lynch's tactics have not gone unnoticed by the WWE Universe. Her actions have drawn comparisons to Hulk Hogan's more controversial career moments, with some fans dubbing her "Becky Hogan" for maneuvering into the spotlight and a championship opportunity. Lynch has since addressed these comparisons, defending her character's win-at-all-costs mentality. This entire sequence has effectively fueled a deeply personal feud between Lynch and Valkyria, leading to their high-stakes match at Backlash. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
