WWE Crowns Inaugural Women’s Intercontinental Champion on Raw

Lyra Valkyria and Dakota Kai competed in the finals of WWE’s Intercontinental Championship tournament on Monday Night Raw.

Late last year two new midcard women’s championships were announced in WWE — the U.S. Championship and the Intercontinental title. Fans have been begging for this outcome for years, and it’s finally time to crown a winner. While Chelsea Green holds down the blue brand with the U.S. Title, Lyra Valkyria will wave the WWE Raw flag on Netflix. Since her debut on the main roster in 2024, Valkyria became an instant fan favorite.

Ahead of the match, Kai reflected on her wrestling journey with a post to X. “With each opportunity to win a singles championship over the years, I’ve given my all every time … even if I fell short, every time,” she wrote. “I don’t want to say ‘failure isn’t an option’ because failure has been a part of my story and I’ve learned from it. I hope to make you all proud.”

Lyra Valkyria Becomes Intercontinental Champion

While Kai looked to obtain her first-ever title in WWE and restore prestige to Damage CTRL, Valkyria is building on her legacy. That began in NXT when she won the NXT Women’s Championship from Becky Lynch setting her on an unreal trajectory. Valkyria and Kai were quick on their feet once the bell rang, trying everything to end things early.

It’s no secret Kai has battled with her fair share of injuries, specifically to her knees. Just last year she suffered a torn meniscus that set her back 8-10 weeks after her knee surgery. In the match, she wore a brace to one of them and Valkyria inadvertently targeted it multiple times.

Ultimately, Valkyria kept her down with her signature move, the Nightwing, for the win. While either woman winning this would’ve been more than welcomed, Valkyria deserved a reward after taking that loss to Nia Jax in the Queen of the Ring finals. Plus, she was defeated in the first round of the Women’s Speed Championship tournament.