Among the storylines pouring out of NXT Vengeance Day this weekend, Carmelo Hayes’ betrayal of Trick Williams leads the way. Right down beneath that drama, though, is yet another successful title defense for a burgeoning champion. Lyra Valkyria continued her recent torrid run this past Sunday in Tennessee to emerge again as NXT Women’s Champion.
Over the years, the NXT Women’s Championship has become one of the most prestigious titles in pro wrestling. All the greats have held it: Asuka, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, IYO SKY, and Rhea Ripley are some of the best and the brightest to have worn the gold. A big penchant for everything is that, over the years, the matches never had a lot of extra fluff. There were rare interferences, if any. Everything had to be earned between the ropes between the champion and the challenger. It’s part of why they took off the way they did and forced a paradigm shift where “women’s wrestling” is now part of the show.
Valkyria certainly has earned everything. She came up short in capturing the championship last summer at Battleground, losing to Tiffany Stratton. But Valkyria later did what Tiffany could not: Defeat Becky Lynch. Valkyria defeated her fellow Irishwoman and arguably the biggest women’s star in the company in a memorable match on Night 1 of NXT Halloween Havoc.
That victory did a lot for Valkyria and her profile. It was then on her to, of course, take the ball and run. While she has dealt with Tatum Paxley’s downright creepy interventions, Valkyria is carving out a quality title run. She got through Blair Davenport at New Year’s Evil after Davenport won the Iron Survivor Match. Then came Sunday night at Vengeance Day.
Going in, Valkyria dealt with “The Prodigy” Roxanne Perez. Having never lost the championship, Perez hoped to regain the gold against her peer. Perez and Valkyria had a strong match going… and then things turned around. Lola Vice, who won the NXT Breakout Tournament, raced down to the ring to “cash” her title opportunity in. Vice’s inclusion may have signaled to many that Valkyria’s title run was on borrowed time. Oftentimes, when this happens, the one who cashes it in comes away with the prize.
That wasn’t the case, though. Vice, Valkyria, and Perez turned it into a fun Triple Threat Match. But Lyra still emerged with a victory. It was her toughest test yet, and she still got the job done.
Her match at NXT Stand & Deliver will go a ways to finding her place among the greats. It couldn’t have started better for Valkyria in defeating the sensational Becky Lynch. She has thus far done what was asked of her, and Sunday’s brilliant showing was another notch in her belt.
