Lyra Valkyria is set to challenge Becky Lynch for the Women's Intercontinental Championship in the fourth match of their feud over the gold, but only the third in singles competition. Their SummerSlam bout is set to be a bit more extreme, however, as there are no count-outs and no disqualifications. If Valkyria loses the match, she will no longer be able to challenge Lynch for the title, the belt she helped establish as the first woman to hold it. Valkyria recently spoke on "Busted Open Radio" and saidthat the match will be purely fueled on hatred, and getting the title back is just as important as defeating Lynch.
"I remember in 'NXT' back when I was gushing over how much it meant to me to go up against Becky, even back then, she said to me, 'You have to hate me if you want to beat me,'" Valkyria explained. "I couldn't get into that mindset. I couldn't even as I was in the ring taking her on for the NXT Women's Championship. The level of respect and admiration I had for her was still there. I can honestly say that that's completely gone now. I'm well capable of going toe-to-toe with her. Especially if it means taking back that title."
Valkyria defeated former WWE star Dakota Kai in January to become the inaugural Women's Intercontinental Champion. She said on "Busted Open" that the legacy of the championship is important to her and it's supposed to mean hard work. Valkyria said she was sick of Lynch "holding the women's locker room down" and taking opportunities from others who are more deserving. The women will go head-to-head Sunday at SummerSLam.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
