A new WWE NXT Women’s Champion will be crowned at NXT Battleground, as after a series of stellar matches it’s finally time for the final two to face off. NXT Superstars Tiffany Stratton and Lyra Valkyria will be the ones competing for NXT’s top prize, and it is sure to be another fantastic match on an already stacked card. Ahead of Battleground ComicBook.com’s Matt Aguilar had the chance to speak to Stratton about moving past Roxanne Perez to compete for the Title, as well as overcoming nerves, rising to the occasion, and what it’s like getting encouragement from Shawn Michaels.
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Stratton and Perez had previously faced each other, but that was quite a while ago, and both stars have changed so much since then. They’ve both hit new gears in their NXT runs since their last match one on one, so being able to take down Perez in this kind of spot allowed Stratton to show everyone how ready she is for the Title.
“Well, Roxanne Perez was definitely one that I was nervous about. We went up against each other in the breakout tournament and she won. I was just getting into wrestling back then, I was still a newbie, so this time around I really felt like I was ready, and it was my time, and I showed everyone,” Stratton said. “I showed everyone that, and I won, I beat her. I feel like the biggest takeaway was she’s a fighter, she is an underdog. I went for my finish and she rolled in, and she got the upper hand on me. I was not expecting that, but she put up a good fight, but in the end, it was me that won.”
Stratton was able to anticipate and reverse a move that so many have fallen to in Pop Rocks, and that allowed her to move onto the final round to take on Valkyria. Stratton admits she gets nervous at times, but she always rises to the occasion, and that will be no different at Battleground.
“I’m definitely nervous. I’m always nervous, even on just NXT Tuesday, so I get nervous right before I go out. But I would definitely say that I’m one that rises to the occasion, and when there’s a big crowd in front of me, I’m going to perform and I’m going to rise to the occasion,” Stratton said.
While both Stratton and Valkyria have circled the Title picture in various ways, they’ve actually never faced each other one on one. “I have no idea what Lyra’s like in that situation. We’ve never, ever locked up before. I don’t think she’s ever been on this big of a stage as well. I think the only time was at Stand and Deliver, and that was for me as well. But yeah, I have no idea what to expect against Lyra. I just know that I’m one that rises to the occasion, and she could be one that crumbles when it comes to pressure. I guess we’ll find out this Sunday,” Stratton said.
Recently Shawn Michaels had nothing but complimentary things to say about both competitors, saying there were no two better representatives of the NXT Women’s Division to carry the Title. He also commented on how far Stratton has come in such a short time and how much work she’s put in, and it’s never a bad thing to hear such encouraging words from a legend like Michaels.
“I would definitely say it gives me confidence. It makes me feel like I’m on the right track. And if he’s saying good things, if it’s coming from Shawn Michaels, I must be doing something right,” Stratton said.
During the previous press call, Michaels also had rave things to say about the work that WWE Performance Center Assistant Head Coach Sara Amato has done to make this Women’s Division shine, and Stratton feels much the same way.
“One thing I love about Sara Amato is she is very blunt. She is very black and white, she tells you like it is, and she tells you when you did a terrible job, she tells you when you did good,” Stratton said. “One thing I feel like people don’t do enough is tell you when things don’t go well, or things that looked terrible. Sara is not afraid to tell you that, and that is one thing that I feel like helps me a lot and that’s how she has helped me a lot.”
You can watch Stratton battle it out for the NXT Women’s Championship on NXT Battleground, which is streaming on Peacock.
Will Stratton capture the gold at NXT Battleground? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
