Dakota Kai versus Lyra Valkyria set to battle for first WWE Women's IC reign

The finals of the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Tournament are set. Dakota Kai will take on Lyra Valkyria on the January 13 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. This is an interesting matchup to set the tone of the women’s midcard. Kai and Valkyria are two capable performers to build around.

The Women’s Intercontinental Championship needs a first champion that fans are invested in and one who has the in-ring abilities to help lead her peers around her. Valkyria has shown that she can work. Her run as both the WWE NXT Women’s Champion and her initial introduction to the main roster gave a glimpse into how good she is in the ring. Even though WWE doesn’t do the best job highlighting performer’s accolades outside their ropes, Valkyria has a wealth of experience that extends beyond the four years she’s been in WWE.

The same could be said about Dakota Kai. As of this writing, Kai is 17 years into her career and has built up a following that makes her one of the cult favorites on the WWE roster. Injuries have hindered her ability to gain any true momentum, but every time she steps into the ring it is easy to see how big her fan support really is. And there’s room for her to build an even bigger following. In many ways, she’s proven that she can be an in-ringleader, but she also has the interest of fans that is necessary to build the legacy of a new championship.

Dakota Kai and Lyra Valkyria both have their arguments as to why they should be the first woman to carry the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship. The WWE has a challenge in front of them, as throwing a championship out there isn’t enough – there needs to be strong storytelling crafted around the champions and their challengers. Kai and Valkyria are two strong candidates to get this ball and run with it, and here’s to hoping that WWE takes the time to book everything around the champion correctly.