AEW Rampage: Taya Valkyrie makes her in-ring debut

Rumors had been swirling that Taya Valkyrie was on her way to AEW and she’d be Jade Cargill’s mystery opponent. While it was actually Nicole Matthews, Valkyrie showed up after Cargill moved to 54-0. Valkyrie is one of the few women to be at eye level with the champ.

She promptly put Leila Gray in the Jaded, which infuriated Cargill. Referees had to keep her from getting in the ring to go after “La Wera Loca.” After the match, Tony Khan announced on Twitter that Valkyrie was “All Elite”.

This week’s edition of AEW: Rampage started late, as March Madness has begun. Valkyrie made her in-ring debut along with another wrestler, Ava Lawless. Unfortunately for Lawless, she was beaten in just 89 seconds.

Valkyrie’s finisher, “Road to Valhalla” looks similar to Cargill’s “Jaded”. After the match, Cargill and Gray stood on top of the ramp with “Smart” Mark Sterling. He took copious notes, perhaps to file a cease and desist on the newest addition to the AEW Women’s roster.

This feud is just what Cargill and the TBS Championship needed. Cargill’s matches have been staggered and she doesn’t wrestle weekly. As of late, her matches seem few and far between. She didn’t have a match at AEW’s first pay-per-view of the year, Revolution. She is sitting at 54 wins and will likely get to 55 soon enough. But, will AEW stagger her to 60 wins to have her finally face Valkyrie at Double or Nothing? As of this writing, that’s 10 weeks away.

Valkyrie could face other women in the division in order to put her in line to be the Number One contender. She is like no one Cargill has faced before. They have similar statures. Valkyrie is well-traveled and has faced competition from all over the world. She spent a lot of time training and wrestling in Mexico. Her arsenal is strong and well-rounded. Valkyrie may just be the one to dethrone Cargill and be the “1” in her record.