Why Corey Graves Thinks 'The Work Begins' Now For Rising WWE NXT Star

Night one of "WWE NXT" Halloween Havoc was accompanied by a pair of title changes, including Becky Lynch's surprising defeat at the hands of Lyra Valkyria. While Valkyria's win has earned her the "NXT" Women's Championship, "WWE SmackDown" commentator Corey Graves asserts that winning a championship is a tough task to conquer, but keeping hold of it can be even more difficult.

"I think [Valkyria has] got a very, very bright future, but I also would like to warn Lyra that now the work begins," Graves said on WWE's "After The Bell" podcast. "Yes, you did what many thought was impossible, where many have failed recently. We saw Indi Hartwell on Monday Night 'Raw' come up short against Becky Lynch. Banger of a match, but obviously 'The Man' emerged victorious. Lyra has managed to wrestle the title away from Becky Lynch, but now the work begins. It's not unique to Lyra, it's sort of an old adage in this business that it's oftentimes considered easier to become champion than to remain champion."

Due to limited opportunities for television time, Graves thinks Valkyria has yet to show the "NXT" Universe her true capabilities, or in his words, "set the world on fire." As Valkyria becomes the face of the "NXT" women's division now, Graves says the Irish star has the chance, and the duty, to make believers out of not only the "NXT" locker room. but the fans as well. The journey to achieve that though, as Graves reiterates, can be quite challenging.

Upon her massive title win, Valkyria pointed out the surreal nature of her defeat over Lynch, stating that she felt "on top of the world." With the "NXT" Women's Championship now resting on her shoulders, Valkyria is looking forward to facing more women in WWE, specifically eyeing a possible match with new WWE signee Jade Cargill.

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