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After weeks of tournament action, Lyra Valkyria became WWE's inaugural Women's Intercontinental Champion. The Irish star defeated Dakota Kai in the finals to make history on the second episode of RAW on Netflix. Valkyria outlasted IYO SKY, Zoey Stark, Natalya, Raquel Rodriguez, and others to win the title.
The Valkyrie joins Chelsea Green as one of the company's new mid-card champions. WWE chose Lyra Valkyria as its first-ever Women's Intercontinental Champ for the following four possible reasons.
#4. She has experience as a singles champ (NXT Women's Champ)
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Lyra Valkyria has one thing that Chelsea Green (until recently) and Dakota Kai did not have: experience as a singles Champion. Before she joined WWE RAW last spring, Lyra was a former NXT Women's Champion.
During her reign, she tangled with Tiffany Stratton, Roxanne Perez, and others. Kai and Green are industry veterans but have not been tested as WWE singles champions.
Green changed that narrative by winning the Women's US Title. Kai could have won the belt just as well. WWE may have been more comfortable with someone who has experienced a run with a singles title.
#3. A massive win over Becky Lynch on her resume
Lyra Valkyria defeated Becky Lynch when she won the NXT Women's Championship. The latter was a hero of Valkyria's, so beating The Man for her first major WWE title was a huge moment.
Lynch also wouldn't have done the honor for someone if she didn't believe they could handle it. Valkyria's winning the title also sets up a potential program for the new belt between the two Irish women.
Would Lynch turn heel on her friend for the sake of winning gold? It would be an interesting direction and provide heat for Big Time Becks.
#2. Top-level in-ring work
Most wrestlers who make it to WWE are solid in the ring. If they aren't, they're usually released or given other positions, like Ava as NXT's General Manager. Lyra Valkyria is one of the most well-rounded stars in the promotion.
She can pull high-flying moves off the top buckle or lock-in submissions like the swinging pendulum move or Crossface. The Intercontinental Championship was long known as the company's work-rate belt.
Technicians like Ricky Steamboat, Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, and Dolph Ziggler perfectly fit that mantra. Dakota Kai is on the same level as Lyra but has a recent history of several knee injuries. Lyra hasn't experienced a series of huge injuries like Kai's.
#1. WWE hasn't booked her unevenly like other female stars
Some stars have better luck due to no fault of their own. Shayna Baszler was a dominant NXT Women's Champ but has been handled terribly on the main roster. She won the tag titles a few times but always faltered when going for singles gold.
Kai hasn't been treated the same but lost many more singles matches with Damage CTRL. After her great feud with Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville had too many stop-start pushes.
She also lost in several matches to Charlotte Flair and others when she got back in the ring. Zoey Stark still has time to escape that fate, but being a part of the Pure Fusion Collective isn't helping.
The group has no credibility despite acting like they run the division. Valkyria is still a fresh new toy that the fans have taken to in her first year on the main roster. Some fans even "woo" along with her theme.
