Taya Discusses GFW Debut, Working With Johnny Impact, More
Global Force Wrestling star Taya Valkrie recently spoke to Ring Rust Radio for an interview discussing AAA, Lucha Underground, GFW and more. You can see submitted highlights below, or hear the full podcast at this link.
Ring Rust Radio: On the September 7th episode of Impact Wrestling, you made your GFW debut with a grand entrance and an attack on Rosemary. What ultimately went into your decision to sign with GFW and what was the signing process like?
Taya Valkyrie: I’m constantly trying to expand where I am wrestling and who I am wrestling and looking for the best female wrestlers everywhere, you know what I mean? Karen and Jeff had known me for about five years and they would come down to Mexico and work with AAA all the time. Karen and I would laugh about me coming to work with her and do her projects with her and stuff, but I just couldn’t. It was really an exciting thing to be asked to be a part of it. I am really happy and excited to see what happens. It’s a different opportunity, it’s a different demographic than the lucha libre crowd and I get to wrestle some girls that I’ve never worked with before. It’s a new challenge for me so I’m very excited.
Ring Rust Radio: You and Johnny have worked great together in Lucha Underground as part of Worldwide Underground, and now that you're both in GFW there's inevitably going to be questions about whether you'll team up there as well. What's your personal preference between either keeping that alliance alive in GFW or both of you just doing your own thing?
Taya Valkyrie: Throughout my entire career, I’ve always been part of factions. In Lucha Underground, I’m part of the Worldwide Underground. With this opportunity at GFW, I get to stand on my own. It’s exciting and it’s something I haven’t done before. You never know what the future will hold, and I’m so happy the way Johnny Impact is doing what he’s doing on his end in GFW. I’m excited to see and show that I can be on my own and hold my own by myself. So, it’s different and challenging. You never know what the future will hold as far as John and I working together or in a group, but for now I’m really excited for Taya Valkyrie and proving that I can do it about myself.
Ring Rust Radio: Your GFW debut featured an incredible entrance. What went into setting that up and what type of creative input or freedom do you currently have or think you'll have moving forward at GFW?
Taya Valkyrie: Taya as a character I just find her to be another side of myself and it’s really cool to now have Taya Valkyrie in GFW be so different than Taya in Lucha Underground every week. I was the longest reigning Reina de Reinas champion and that’s where the Queen stuff comes from because Reina de Reinas means Queen of Queens. I’m of Norwegian background and the Taya Valkyrie you are seeing now is this dominant force, goddess, queen, bitch if you want put it any other words. This Taya is coming to dominate. Creatively, I always come with my own ideas and everyone is super open to my ideas and everything I have come up with so far so hopefully it keeps going that way.
Ring Rust Radio: You enter a GFW women’s division stacked with stars like Gail Kim, Rosemary, Sienna, Allie and more. Who are you most looking forward to squaring off against and what are your ultimate goals in GFW?
Taya Valkyrie: Obviously, my ultimate goal is to be the Knockouts champion, who doesn’t want that, you know what I mean? Right now, I’m just going to pick them off one by one and prove why I am there. I am going to prove my worth, demonstrate and show to everybody in the American public and the world stage which is the stage of GFW Impact, that I deserve to be there and why I am the longest reigning Queen of Queens champion. I am going to show them why I was given all these opportunities and show the knowledge that I’ve gained through the wrestling career that I’ve had.
