Taya Valkyrie is happy Johnny Elite — or whatever gimmick name he’s using — is getting more time in the spotlight.
When John Hennigan showed up on AEW Dynamite on May 18 as the joker to face Samoa Joe, plenty of fans speculated that his wife, Taya Valkyrie, would debut later in the night. Maki Itoh ended up being the joker for the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, but Valkyrie was recently asked for her thoughts on fans hoping it would be her. Valkyrie said it was a flattering moment, but it was also important for “Johnny Elite” to have his own moment.
“I saw it, too. It was really funny,” Taya Valkyrie said in a recent interview with WrestleZone. “I was in Canada at the time visiting my friends because I wrestled for RCW on Friday and Saturday night in Calgary and in Edmonton. People were like, ‘she’s not there, she’s in Calgary at a hockey game.’ I mean, I loved the idea. I think that I’m very flattered, obviously. I think it was really important for John to have a moment, too, and I’m glad that he got that in facing someone like Samoa Joe in the first round of the Owen Hart Cup.
“Like I’ve said in interviews recently, the wrestling landscape is so insane right now because of how everybody is really working together. So the idea of me potentially going to AEW or having some sort of crossover, there is something I’m completely open to. There’s so many wonderful, talented people over there, lots of things like the fact that John is there and I could be with John again, or the fact that my two brothers, Pentagon in Fenix, are there. Working with them, we have a stable that’s going to be established in AAA. AAA and AEW have a great working relationship. And I’m the Reina De Reinas current women’s champion, a four-time champion, longest-reigning Knockouts, and Reina De Reinas Champion,” so I absolutely think the possibility of that happening at some point would be wonderful.”
With appearances in IMPACT, NWA and AAA this year, Valkyrie said she’s obviously familiar with stepping through the forbidden door. She noted that seeing her in AEW remains to be seen, but she’s still really happy seeing her husband getting more time in the spotlight.
“We will see what happens, but I’m very happy to see John having his moment and getting to have really good matches, being given time. And listen, for the last six months, I have been watching him think of such crazy new ideas and watching him train his butt off in preparation for what is next. And so I’m just proud of him,” Valkyrie explained. “I’m happy that he is somewhere where he seems to be having fun, and he’s surrounded by his peers.”
John Hennigan has had many surnames in his professional career, including Nitro, Morrison, Mundo, Impact, and now Elite. Taya joked that she wants to see him use “Johnny Valkyrie” before he’s finished, but once again stated she’s really happy to see him flourishing.
“How many is it now? I can’t [think of them all.],” she joked. “I was really hoping that he would become Johnny Valkyrie. It’s 2022. Come on, it’s possible. So, I mean, I’m just happy for him. We have friends across all platforms. I mean, obviously, we have so much love for IMPACT because that’s like our second family. We worked there for so long and me going back there it’s just a reminder of how wonderful that roster is and management as well. And I’m just happy to see him do his thing, you know. And so hopefully, we see more of that.
READ MORE: Taya Valkyrie Becomes First MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion
What do you make of Taya Valkyrie’s comments? Are you disappointed that she wasn’t the joker in the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup tournament? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
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