28-year-old star breaks silence after securing major WrestleMania championship opportunity on SmackDown

The 28-year-old star has a chance to become the double champion at WrestleMania 41, after she secured her WrestleMania spot on SmackDown.

28-year-old star breaks silence after securing major WrestleMania championship opportunity on SmackDown

SmackDown [via WWE]

Lyra Valkyria has a chance to win two titles at WrestleMania. After defeating Bayley and retaining her Intercontinental Title on Raw, the two teamed up to pursue the Tag Team Titles. They defeated five other teams to become the No. 1 contenders for the titles held by Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. After their WrestleMania 41 match was made official, the Irish star shared an emotional message on social media.

Valkyria took to X to respond to a fan post that praised her journey—from being a fan who took a photo with Bayley at a meet & greet eight years ago to now wrestling alongside her at WrestleMania. The Women’s Intercontinental Champion replied, ‘Pal, you can say that again.’ She has indeed come a long way and will now be fighting for the first time at the Showcase of the Immortals.

YouTube video

On the latest episode of SmackDown, Lyra Valkyria and Bayley were the first to enter the Gauntlet Match. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez watched from the commentary table, scouting their WrestleMania opponents. Valkyria and Bayley showed incredible resilience, becoming the first-ever team to win a Gauntlet Match after entering first. Their final match in the series was against The Secret Hervice.

Pal, you can say that again!

Lyra Valkyria on X

Fans were impressed by the Irish wrestler’s strength when she powerbombed Piper Niven to win the match. With that victory, she and Bayley became the No. 1 contenders for the Women’s Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 41. While everything seems good between Valkyria and Bayley for now, the high-pressure match against Morgan and Rodriguez could test their chemistry.

Cora Jade sent a wholesome message to Lyra Valkyria on social media

Valkyria has been cherishing the moment of wrestling at WrestleMania alongside one of her idols. She found an old post from 2017, when she met Bayley at a meet & greet. The Irish star replied to it, saying she still couldn’t believe her dream had come true. She praised The Hugger and expressed her excitement about winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania.

Lyra Valkyria and Cora Jade
Lyra Valkyria and Cora Jade [via WWE]

Her longtime NXT rival, Cora Jade, took to X to show her admiration for Valkyria. Despite their past rivalry, Jade admitted that Valkyria inspired her to always keep believing. She also playfully teased her by calling her the ‘bird lady’ because of her gimmick. Reflecting on their history, Jade suffered a torn ACL during her match against Valkyria in January last year.

You inspire me bird lady

Cora Jade on X

Jade recently challenged TNA Knockouts World Champion Masha Slamovich at Sacrifice on March 14. Although she put up a strong fight, she couldn’t win the match or the title. Only time will tell what the future holds for her, but many fans believe she could become a champion very soon.

Bayley says it feels good to be back in the tag division

Since turning face before last year’s WrestleMania, Bayley has mostly competed in singles matches, defending her title against stars like Tiffany Stratton, Naomi, and Nia Jax. However, after teaming up with the Women’s I.C. Champion, she has taken part in several tag team matches alongside her.

Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
Bayley and Lyra Valkyria [via WWE]

The Role Model took to X to share her thoughts on being in a tag team again. Bayley was happy to be back in the tag team division. On the latest episode of SmackDown, she and Valkyria competed in five consecutive matches during the Gauntlet match. They didn’t just compete—they defeated every team to become the No. 1 contenders for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Being back in the tag division feels good, not gonna lie.

Bayley on X

Before WrestleMania XL, Bayley led Damage CTRL and frequently competed in tag team matches with the group. However, after winning the Royal Rumble, she lost the trust of the other members and turned face. At WrestleMania, she chose to challenge her former friend Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s Title and won.

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