Taya Valkyrie discusses backstage confusion during NXT reboot
Taya Valkyrie was one of the NXT stars to be released amid the brand's reboot. She recently stated that it was "the most confusing experience" of her entire life.
The NXT reboot caught a lot of fans and stars off guard. To make things worse, Valkyrie, who recently debuted as Franky Monet last February, was one of the many stars cut by WWE in 2021. Her release came in November of 2021, a month within the reboot of the black-and-gold brand.
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During a recent interview with Chris Van Vilet, Taya looked back at her brief tenure on NXT. She recalled that the talent soon started hearing rumors about the firings following the reboot:
"I mean, I can only speak for myself, but I can also say that the energy definitely shifted. You know, we were hearing rumors all the time about ‘they’re going to be firing people this week.’ And then the whole week everyone’s like, you know, scared basically. I don’t know how else to say it. But we’re all busting our a**es, you know what I mean? Like, everybody is there," Valkyrie said.
The former star immediately noticed a significant change in how some people acted before and after the news.
"Everyone was working really, really hard, but it’s just, the shift of how they wanted 2.0 literally changed from like, one day to the next. So I feel like it just made everybody be like ‘oh my’, like holding your breath almost," Taya said. (H/T WrestlingInc)
Earlier this month, Valkyrie returned to the ring at the AAA Rey de Reyes event. She became the No. 1 Contender for Deonna Purrazzo's Reina de Reinas title.
Taya Valkyrie was a massive IMPACT star before signing with NXT
In IMPACT Wrestling, Taya Valkyrie won the Knockouts' Championship and had several entertaining storylines alongside her husband, John Morrison. Valkyrie was also a fun part of angles with Rosemary, including the first WrestleHouse.
While her release from WWE was disappointing, the company was going in a much different direction for the reboot. Her act would still have fit into NXT, but she's now free to work anywhere.
Where would you like to see Valkyrie next? Let us know in the comments section below.