WWE Teases NXT Debut Of Aoife Valkyrie Under New Name

On October 13, WWE filed a trademark for the name "Lyra Valkyria," which fueled speculation of which superstar would assume the name. Though former "NXT" talent Taya Valkyrie, formerly Franky Monet, and recently returned "SmackDown" star Sarah Logan emerged as potential frontrunners for the namesake, the true identity of the trademarked name has now been unveiled.

Tuesday's episode of "NXT" featured a vignette, teasing the imminent debut of former "NXT UK" standout Aoife Valkyrie, now under the name Lyra Valkyria. The Dublin, Ireland native was seen walking through a forest, declaring that she had left her homeland in pursuit of "a new battleground" — that being WWE's developmental brand of "NXT."

Valkyrie first signed with WWE in early 2020, officially joining "NXT UK." From there, she went on to achieve an impressive winning streak, defeating the likes of Isla Dawn, Aleah James, and Dani Luna, before suffering her first loss to eventual "NXT UK" Women's Champion Meiko Satomura. Following her performance against "The Final Boss," she began a feud with "The Fashionista" Jinny.

In August 2021, Valkyrie collided with Jinny in a No Disqualification match, which saw an assortment of trash cans, tables, and chairs. Valkyrie eventually won the bout with a pump handle slam to Jinny onto a chair. Amidst her victory, however, Valkyrie sustained a knee injury, effectively keeping her out of action ever since.

Valkyrie has not competed since the match against Jinny but remained under her WWE contract amidst the disbandment of "NXT UK" this past August. Now, she travels across the pond to soon make her "NXT" debut.