Taya Valkyrie: On The Shoulders Of Giants

IMPACT Wrestling is in the midst of a renaissance.

With the creation of new stars, the signing of indie darlings and the returns of fan favorites, the 17-year-old promotion is reestablishing itself as a serious contender in the world of professional wrestling. At the center of this renaissance is its revolutionary women’s division bolstered by the likes of Tessa Blanchard, Jordynne Grace, Rosemary and others. The cornerstone of that division throughout 2019 has been Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie.

The 36-year-old international sensation is in the midst of the most entertaining run of her career. At over 300 days, Valkyrie is the longest-reigning Knockouts Champion in history. In terms of combined days as champion, she trails behind Gail Kim, Madison Rayne and Awesome Kong. Valkyrie is on track to pass Kong’s reign of 347 days if she holds the title through mid-December, which is very likely considering Impact’s taping schedule.

“I’ve always looked up to all the Knockouts that came before me,” Valkyrie said during a media call before Impact’s official premiere on AXS TV. “There have been so many phenomenal women as part of this roster who have really elevated women’s wrestling when people didn’t feel we could have three-dimensional characters and full-length matches. At the same time, I’ve worked extremely hard to get where I am. I’ve always taken the road less traveled and my work speaks for itself.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZgh2QOzut4

Despite having turned back the challenges of nearly every woman in the Knockouts division, Valkyrie doesn’t fall into the trap of being comfortable in her position. La Wera Loca keeps a close eye on the young, hungry talent looking to unseat her, such as Kiera Hogan, whose newfound mean streak has made her a lethal threat. “Kiera Hogan has really impressed over the past year,” Valkyrie said. “She has brought this new attitude and confidence that we haven’t seen from her before. And really, every woman in the Knockouts division is constantly stepping up and evolving and growing, so we’ll see what the future holds.”

The champion is also keeping an eye on talent not yet signed to Impact, most notably Smilin’ Kylie Rae, who returned to the ring at Bound For Glory after quietly requesting her release from AEW. “Kylie Rae is extremely talented and would bring something different to the Knockouts division,” Valkyrie said. “I’d be more than happy to embarrass her over and over again. La Wera Loca ain’t scared of no smiley Kylie.”

While confident of her place at the front of the pack of the Knockouts, Valkyrie hasn’t allowed her domination of the division to dissuade her from other pursuits. She has spoken candidly about the examples set by Tessa Blanchard and Scarlett Bordeaux when it comes to intergender wrestling, and how more gold would look lovely around her waist. “I have no problem challenging any of our champions at this point,” Valkyrie said. “It only motivates me even more when I have that target on my back.”

Does that mean X-Division Champion Ace Austin could be on her list? Perhaps she’ll recruit Hogan to challenge The North for the Tag Team Titles. Or maybe, just maybe, she’ll be gunning for Sami Callihan and the Impact World Championship.

The only thing for certain is that La Wera Loca can’t be denied.