'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
AEW star Taya Valkyrie recalled her time in WWE NXT, where she got a massive change in her presentation despite fighting the company's authority against it.
Taya Valkyrie made her AEW debut earlier this year and has had a fairly decent run up until now on the roster. She confronted former TBS champion Jade Cargill on her debut and went on to face her on two unsuccessful attempts at the title. Prior to the Jacksonville-based promotion, Valkyrie made a name for herself in AAA and Lucha Libre.
Furthermore, Taya also had a brief stint in the WWE back in 2021. She was signed with the company's developmental brand, NXT, where she performed under the name, "Franky Monet." However, Taya was against the name change and revealed that she fought to keep it while speaking on AEW Unrestricted:
"I was fighting so hard for 'Taya Valkyrie.' Oh, my god. I went to bat for her over and over again and just kept getting 'No, no, no, Even variations of it. I was going to use my first shoot name and then Valkyrie. I was trying all these different combinations of things because this is who I've been for 12 years, almost 13 years. I felt like that's who the fans know, which made it even harder because I felt like Taya kind of died for a second. She kind of was taken to jail. She was nowhere to be seen. It was crazy." (H/T WrestlingINC)
Taya Valkyrie also revealed the thought behind her WWE name
Although Taya Valkyrie was forced to change her name to "Franky Monet" during her WWE NXT run, the other name was also her idea. Valkyrie revealed that she drew inspiration from the French Painter, Claude Monet, as she is also an artist.
"I have been an artist my entire life and it just kind of went along with the artist [Claude] Monet," Taya stated. (H/T WrestlingINC)
Meanwhile, Taya Valkyrie continues to be an active competitor on AEW along with Lucha Libre AAA. Henceforth, it remains to be seen what the future has in store for her.
