Taya Valkyrie Talks Upcoming Title Match at NWA 74, Her "Shifted" Perspective on WWE

By Liam Crowley

Since departing WWE late last year, Taya Valkyrie has been all gas and no brakes. The former Franky Monet got back to work the second her 30-day no-compete clause expired, as she returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide this past December 4th at Triplemanía Regia II, one month to the day after her WWE exit. There, she issued a challenge to Deonna Purrazzo for the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship and would go on to dethrone her at Impact Wrestling: Rebellion in April. That kickstarted Valkyrie's fourth reign with AAA's top women's division prize, and she has held it since.

That victory came just a month before Valkyrie captured her second singles title, as she became the inaugural Major League Wrestling Women's Featherweight Champion at MLW Kings of Colosseum. Even with gold draped over both of her shoulders, Valkyrie is already eyeing another title: the NWA World Women's Championship. Not only is this title match against a dominant force in Kamille, who's held the title since June 2021, but whoever emerges victorious at NWA 74 Night 1 will have to defend it the very next day on NWA 74 Night 2.

Speaking with ComicBook.com's Liam Crowley, Valkyrie noted that wrestling in consecutive days is nothing new for her.

"I'm used to working day after day, so it's not unusual for me to have back to back matches," Valkyrie said. "But right now, I'm just focusing on that first match. And then once that's done, once I become the new NWA Women's Champion, then I'll focus on that Night 2."

If she leaves this weekend with the NWA Women's Title, Valkyrie will have possession of three singles championships across three different promotions. 

"Obviously it can be difficult sometimes just because you feel like you're being pulled in all these kind of different directions, but at the same time, I just feel great," Valkyrie said of her various commitments. "I'm having this really cool opportunity to be wrestling in these different promotions for these different television shows and really be facing the best in the world. It's very exciting. Like I said, I do very well under pressure. I thrive and this is what I do, what I was born to do."

In a bit of bittersweetness, Valkyrie's bags got a little lighter recently as herself and tag partner Rosemary lost their Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Titles to Chelsea Green and Deonna Purrazzo at Impact Wrestling: Emergence earlier this month. Women's tag titles have received a big spotlight this summer, both positively and negatively, as WWE infamously stripped Sasha Banks and Naomi of the WWE Women's Tag Titles and subsequently kept the championships dormant for nearly three months. Regardless of how other companies treats their women's tag divisions, Valkyrie noted that she is very proud of how Impact spotlights its female talent and their respective championships.

"Impact in general does such a phenomenal job in showcasing their women, showcasing the Knockouts. It's really cool. And I think it's just an amazing opportunity for us to have these different championships to fight for," Valkyrie said. "These tag titles represent a legacy of women, a legacy of Knockouts. I just think that Impact is really doing a great job in showcasing us and allowing us those opportunities."

While she never competed for any of WWE's tag titles, Valkyrie did have a NXT Women's Title match shortly before her departure from the company. Following her exit, Valkyrie was very outspoken about her displeasures with WWE, saying they have "zero respect for their talent." Since those comments, WWE has undergone a significant regime change, as Paul "Triple H" Levesque has taken over creative duties after Vince McMahon retired.

Valkyrie admitted her perspective on the company has shifted in the months since, and gave praise to Triple H's ability to lead.

"I feel like it's shifted," Valkyrie said. "All my experiences with Triple H were so positive and he really saw something in me. He's the reason that I was hired. It definitely feels like a fresh start. My perspective on everything just changed so much. Obviously when I was released, I was super upset. I think more than anything, I was just upset, especially with [my husband] John [Morrison] being released two weeks later and the circumstances just being so unclear and so confusing.

"And I think back on that experience, and now it's just like, I can look back on it as just a stage and a thing that I did. And I'm just excited for those that are there and those that will strive to be there in the future. It's an exciting time of professional wrestling. WWE isn't the be all, end all of everything. There's so many other wonderful television products for us to enjoy such AEW, such as Impact Wrestling, such as MLW. Such as AAA, such as all the independents out there."

Valkyrie has competed in all of the aforementioned promotions except AEW. That said, AEW's recent utilization of the AAA World Mixed Tag Titles gives herself and husband John Morrison (known as Johnny Elite in AEW) an easy in. Should a title bout between the two and AAA Mixed Tag Champions Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti ever go down, Valkyrie noted that her duo has plenty of in-ring chemistry already.

"We have years of experience doing the mix tag thing," Valkyrie said. "You would've seen it in [Lucha] Underground. You've seen it in AAA and in Impact and stuff like that. And on the indies, obviously we've wrestled each other even. So absolutely. I think we could kick both their a--es."

Valkyrie challenges Kamille for the NWA World Women's Title this Saturday at NWA 74.

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