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Lyra Valkyria Beats Dakota Kai to Win 1st Ever WWE Women's Intercontinental Title

Jan 14, 2025
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MAY 6: Lyra Valkyria and Dakota Kai in action during Monday Night RAW at XL Center on May 6, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MAY 6: Lyra Valkyria and Dakota Kai in action during Monday Night RAW at XL Center on May 6, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

Lyra Valkyria defeated Dakota Kai to win the first-ever WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship during the Jan. 13 episode of Raw on Netflix.

The two competitors went back and forth in the tournament finals for the championship, delivering a thrilling performance for the Raw crowd.

As the match came to an end, Valkyria rolled out of the ring to avoid a pinfall and that moment turned the tide in her favor. Back in the ring, she hoisted Kai onto her shoulders before landing her signature move, the "Nightwing," to secure the victory via pinfall and claim the inaugural championship.

The brand-new championship was unveiled back in November prior to Monday Night Raw by general manager Adam Pearce.

"It is my distinct honor to present their own symbol of excellence to fight for," Pearce said to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I bring to you the brand new WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship."

To get to the championship match, 12 women battled in a tournament-style format until it came down to two. In the semifinals, Kai defeated Zoey Stark, and Valkyria defeated Iyo Sky, who stepped in for Kairi Sane after she was viciously attacked by the Pure Fusion Collective.

Both rising stars entered Monday's championship with an incredible amount of momentum.

Valkyria took the NXT Women's Division by storm, debuting with a win over Amari Miller at the end of 2022 before moving up to defeat Becky Lynch to become the NXT Women's Champion. She had a hot run with the NXT title before making the leap to the main roster in early 2024.

On the other hand, Kai has had a lengthy run in tag teams, winning the WWE Women's Tag Team titles on several occasions. She also won the NXT Women's Tag Team titles twice with former partner Raquel Gonzalez.

Kai reemerged on the main roster alongside Bayley and Sky, marking the beginning of the dominant Damage CTRL era.

The two have only faced each other twice on the main roster. First, last June in the first round of Queen of the Ring, Valkyria scored the victory in just under nine minutes. The two faced one another again in August, as Damage CTRL defeated the trio of Valkyria, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter.

Prior to Monday night, the two entered the match with one win and one loss apiece against each other.

Given the journey it took to crown the inaugural champion, a rematch between these two history-makers seems inevitable.

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What's Next For CM Punk and Seth Rollins After WWE Raw on Netflix Match?

Erik Beaston
Jan 8, 2025
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: CM Punk and Seth Rollins in action during Monday Night RAW at Intuit Dome on January 6, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: CM Punk and Seth Rollins in action during Monday Night RAW at Intuit Dome on January 6, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

CM Punk and Seth Rollins battled on WWE Raw's Netflix debut in one of the most anticipated matches in recent memory, the culmination of hostility between the marquee stars that dated back a decade.

Punk won Monday's contest, but one lingering question remains: What's next for the former world champions as WWE prepares to embark on the Road to WrestleMania 41?

For Punk, the answer is rather simple; for Rollins, it's not so easy.

Punk: WrestleMania Main Event or Bust

From his second night back in WWE, it was apparent that competing in the main event of WrestleMania was one of the major goals Punk still had for himself.

An untimely torn triceps suffered in last year's men's Royal Rumble match prevented that from happening.

However, after wrapping up his feud with Drew McIntyre inside Hell in a Cell, aiding Roman Reigns to victory at Survivor Series: WarGames and besting Rollins on the Netflix premiere of Raw, Punk has a clear path to achieving his dream.

What that looks like is the question.

Does Punk target Gunther's World Heavyweight Championship, or does he eye Cody Rhodes and the Undisputed WWE Championship?

Maybe his path to the marquee match at WrestleMania 41 runs through Reigns, who owes him a favor for the assist at Survivor Series. Could that favor involve a match with The Tribal Chief at the top of the card come April 19-20?

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that the match has been discussed for this year's Showcase of the Immortals. Given the history between the competitors and their undeniable star power, it's a contest WWE could put on any card and sell out the arena.

Regardless of the path, Punk's road to WrestleMania almost certainly includes a strong performance at the Royal Rumble, if not a win in the men's match, ahead of a high-profile matchup at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this spring.

The same cannot be said for his most recent rival, though.

Where Does Rollins Go From Here?

It's unlikely Rollins and Punk have seen the last of each other, especially ahead of the Royal Rumble, where they will intersect at some point in the 30-man Battle Royal.

The Visionary does not have a clear path to WrestleMania from there, though.

His previous feud with Bronson Reed is on hold after the big man suffered a serious injury in the closing moments of the men's WarGames match in November.

An alliance of convenience has been teased with Drew McIntyre as they both combat similar foes. But Kevin Owens appears to fit that spot better than Rollins, who has already rebuffed the Scot's first efforts to form a partnership.

The question from there is whether Rollins remains a babyface or turns heel.

He would need a complete makeover, including entrance music, to undertake such a drastic change in persona. Perhaps that happens in the months leading into WrestleMania.

Upon Rollins' most recent return to Raw on October 7, he was clearly dismayed by Jey Uso interrupting him, and their paths have intersected since on more than one occasion, including Uso keeping Punk and The Visionary apart in an attempt to keep the peace.

Maybe that is the WrestleMania 41 match for Rollins.

It allows him to have that singles match against one of the most popular stars in the entire company, and it allows Jey a chance to redeem himself after last year's underwhelming sibling battle with Jimmy.

His noted respect and friendship with Jey makes that a bit sticky, but it's not something WWE can't write around when developing rivalries for the biggest show of the year.

It is the uncertainty surrounding Rollins and where he goes after the Punk feud does officially end that is the question, and it's also somewhat disappointing for a Superstar whose mere presence a year ago meant so much to the show.

Not only was Rollins involved in the main event of Night 1, but he also defended the world title and was the key element in the finish of the marquee match on Night 2.

Perhaps being left behind factors into what feels like an inevitable heel turn.

Regardless, Rollins and his path to the big show in 2025 feels like one of the most crucial and must-see stories of the next four months.

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