Former champion reacts to 35-year-old star's message to Triple H and WWE after release

A former champion and AEW talent reacted to 35-year-old star Xia Li's message to Triple H and the WWE universe after being released from the company. The star in question is Taya Valkyrie.

Li made her debut in the Stamford-based promotion in 2017 as a participant of the first Mae Young Classic tournament. She competed in WWE NXT until being called up to the main roster in 2021. The Protector featured sporadically on Smackdown, and later, on RAW. She has worked with several top names in the company, including Shayna Baszler, Shotzi and Ronda Rousey.

Prior to her release, the Chinese star challenged Becky Lynch and later Lyra Valkyria for the NXT Women's Title. She was last seen in action against Natalya on a taping of Main Event earlier this week.

Xia Li recently took to X/Twitter and shocked fans by revealing that she had been released by the Triple H-led promotion. The 35-year-old star received messages of support from many of her peers in the industry, including AEW star Taya Valkyrie. Responding to Li's tweet, the former AAA Reina de Reinas Champion offered the former both praise and encouragement.

"You're a [star emoji] @XiaWWE!!! You've got this, the world has been put on notice [smiley face with hearts on it]," tweeted Valkyrie.

Check out the tweet below:

Valkyrie, who herself was a WWE Superstar briefly in 2021, debuted in AEW in 2023, confronting current Smackdown talent and former AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill.

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Former WWE stars Taya Valkyrie and Johnny TV suffered a major defeat on ROH Supercard of Honor

Although Taya Valkyrie is signed with AEW, the Canadian wrestler has featured more frequently in Ring of Honor in recent months, where she appears alongside her real-life partner, Johnny TV. The former John Morrison had been locked in a long-runnng feud with Dalton Castle.

The storyline between Castle and Johnny TV culminated in a Fight Without Honor at Supercard of Honor 2024. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion pulled out all stops to take down the Peacock of Professional Wrestling with the help of his spouse, Valkyrie.

However, Castle managed to turn the tables on the couple by employing an army of Boys, including a disguised Paul Walter Hauser. As the alternate Boys carried Taya away, the Cobra Kai star laid out a mat of thumbtacks onto which Castle slammed Johnny TV with a Bangarang for the victory.

Johnny TV is best known for his time in WWE. After working in the global entertainment juggernaut for a decade in his first run, the California-born star departed the promotion in 2011. After competing extensively in the independent circuit, Morrison returned to World Wrestling Entertainment, but was released again in 2021 two weeks after the promotion released Valkyrie as a part of COVID-19 related budget cuts.

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