What Can We Expect from Taya Valkyrie in 2023?

I've been on Vocal for over a year and a half, yet I've never written a solo piece about one of my all-time favorites in women's wrestling, Taya Valkyrie. I've wanted to do so very badly, but I wanted to do it right. I wanted to do justice to the subject in hand, and now, I feel I can do just that. I've been a fan of Taya Valkyrie for about seven or eight years now; when I first learned about her, she was wrestling in Mexico. I had seen a few clips of her on YouTube despite the language barrier (the commentary was in Spanish), and liked what I saw. Not surprisingly, Taya was a ruda (the Spanish term for a female heel in lucha wrestling), and I say that because she plays it so well.

Then Lucha Underground hit the El Rey Network, and it was about a few months into the show that Taya made her debut. I literally beamed over this, because I finally got to see Taya on a weekly televised wrestling program. That's big! And even better, Taya continued acting as a villainess, serving as the first lady of the villainous faction known as Worldwide Underground, led by Taya's real life husband, Johnny Mundo. My fandom of Taya increased with Lucha Underground, it was one of the main reasons why I loved that show. Another reason is more personal; Lucha Underground got me through a tough time in 2018: my maternal grandmother's passing.

2017 saw Taya make her way to Impact Wrestling, where she engaged in a feud with Rosemary before her attention turned to the Knockouts Championship a year later. She feuded with Tessa Blanchard over the title, a feud that not only turned Taya face, but resulted in her capturing the Knockouts Championship at Homecoming in January of 2019. Taya turned heel again within the first three months of her reign, which went on to become the longest in Impact's history, lasting 377 days. Months after her reign ended, Taya made history again with Tessa Blanchard, as they served as the first Knockouts match for the Impact World Championship, with Tessa as the champion and Taya as the challenger.

Taya left Impact in January of 2021, and I literally beamed when I learned she signed with WWE. She made her debut on NXT in April of 2021 as the evil Franky Monet (I still love the name), and though the name was different, it was the typical heel persona that I absolutely loved from Taya: arrogant, stylish, and bad-ass. Again, I was on Cloud Nine; one of my all-time faves from Impact and various indy promotions was finally in WWE, but sadly, it was a short-lived run. Franky Monet was only in WWE for just under nine months, with her last appearance being an unsuccessful challenge for the NXT Women's Championship. I was so upset that WWE released Taya; I was hoping to see her in the Royal Rumble match and at a WrestleMania event.

Which brings us to 2022. It was quite an amazing year for Taya, as the year saw her return to Impact and defeat Deonna Purrazzo to capture her fourth AAA Reina de Reina Championship. She also captured the Knockouts Tag Team Championship twice--once with Rosemary as her partner and again under the Freebird rule with Rosemary and Jessicka, with the trio being known as the Death Dollz. It was later that same year that Taya joined the National Wrestling Alliance, and we would see her in the ring with women such as Natalia Markova and Jennacide, and also challenge Kamille for "The Burke," aka the NWA Women's World Championship.

Taya Valkyrie had an amazing 2022, but what can we expect from her in 2023? There are two things I want to see from Taya, and they are as follows:

Heel Turn

Taya is one of the greatest wrestling villainesses I've ever seen, but as much as I adore her evil side, I have been enjoying her heroic side, because we don't really see it much. Now that we're in a new year, and now that I've been immensely satisfied with what Taya has brought to the table as a babyface, I think it's time for that villainous persona to return, especially in NWA. I think we're getting a glimpse of that; Taya briefly turned heel during her title match against Kamille, as she resorted to using "The Burke" as a weapon, but to no avail. Then there's the angle we received a few weeks ago: a match between Taya and La Rosa Negra ended up being thrown out, because La Rosa Negra was injured, and Taya brutally attacked her long after the match was over. So if this is the start of Taya becoming a vicious and maniacal villainess, then I'm all for it!

"The Burke"

I truly hope Taya captures the NWA Women's World Championship. I still feel she should have won that title from Kamille months ago, and she should have had a second opportunity. Taya's won so many titles in her career, and adding "The Burke" to her collection would be the ultimate feather in her cap. You know, the two things I want could be a package deal. Maybe Taya goes on a villainous quest to capture the title, and we could see her defend that title at various promotions like we've seen with past champions.

There are so many reasons why Taya Valkyrie is one of my big time favorites. Her personality is just amazing, I always get a laugh out of her antics and dialogue. She's also one of the best wrestlers I've ever seen, and she plays her characters well; again, she's every bit as good at being a heroine as she is at being a villainess. I'm truly pulling for those two things for Taya in 2023, but as I wait patiently, I will continue to enjoy seeing Taya in action.

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