Taya Valkyrie On "Interesting" Element Scarlett Bourdeaux Brings To Knockouts
After spending over a year as the hunter, Taya Valkyrie is now the hunted as she is the current Knockouts Champion with Impact Wrestling. She won the title from Tessa Blanchard at Impact's Homecoming pay-per-view last month.
As someone who has wrestled all over the world, Valkyrie has a great perspective on the state of women's wrestling and she talked about what separates the Knockouts Division from other women's divisions.
"Within the Impact universe, there is the opportunity for all of us to shine," Valkyrie told Wrestling Inc. our WINCLY podcast. "There's not just one storyline or feud going on, there are several so it's multi-dimensional. Every woman has an opportunity to shine and I think that's really cool.
"Obviously certain stories are going to cross over and things are going to change?so you really don't know where and what direction we're gonna go. But it's just as exciting for the fans as it is for us. I really hope that we're doing something different that everyone's really enjoying."
With former champion Tessa Blanchard out of the picture and suspended for attacking Gail Kim, there is no clear-cut top challenger to Valkyrie's title. She was asked who should be the top contender for the Knockouts championship.
"I really don't know but whoever wins an opportunity for that No. 1 contender spot, I'm absolutely prepared to defend my championship at any cost and any time," stated Valkyrie. "Maybe there should be a multi-woman match to determine the No. 1 contender.
"We have so many different types of women on our roster and they're bringing it every week, so I'm open to taking on whoever it is that earns that spot."
A possible challenger to the title is Scarlett Bordeaux and Valkyrie discussed if the "Smokeshow" is legitimate competition in the Knockouts division.
"I don't know her work that well so I'm interested to see what she brings," said Valkyrie. "There's a reason she's a Knockout. There's a reason she's at Impact so I'm interested to see what exactly she is going to bring to the table."
Bordeaux is a throwback to the Attitude Era of women's wrestlers and Valkyrie talked about the unique element that she brings to the division.
"I think it's an interesting thing. We're always trying to stand apart and create something different. If controversy is one of those things and it makes people talk, then great. We are all so different and she is just another different wrestler. If that's what she's bringing to the table, then that's what she's bringing to the table," said Valkyrie.
Another potential challenger is Jordynne Grace who just joined Impact in November. The 22-year-old is quickly rising up the ranks and has yet to suffer a defeat in an Impact ring.
"I'm very impressed with her. She's undefeated, so absolutely," Valkyrie said when asked if Grace could challenge for the title. "I've never been in the ring with her so that would be a different and interesting matchup for me.
"If she becomes the No. 1 contender, then it's gonna be Jordynne Grace vs. Taya. There's so many different ways this could go and I'm curious as to who's gonna step up and go after the title."
You can listen to Taya Valkyrie's full exclusive WINCLY interview in the embedded player below. In it she also discusses running into The Undertaker at the SHOT show, Killer Kross' recent attack on her, what separates the Knockout's division from other women's divisions and more. Subscribe to Wrestling Inc Audio on iTunes to get our latest podcasts as soon as they are released: