Taya Valkyrie Opens Up About Ageism Following WWE Release (Exclusive)

WWE

Taya Valkyrie has opened up about her feelings towards ageism following her WWE release.

Valkyrie spent 10 months with WWE after signing with the company in February 2021 before eventually being released in November. She only wrestled six matches for the NXT brand as “Franky Monet”.

In an exclusive interview with Luke Owen on the WrestleTalk Podcast, Valkyrie discussed her feelings on ageism following her WWE release.

Explaining how she felt attacked due to her age, Valkyrie said:

“Nobody ever told me that to my face, a lot of it was interpreted by fans because of all the gossip which was put out. At first people said it was 30, then 25, then 21. This is insane, it was a lot of gossip and nobody ever pulled me aside and said ‘listen grandma, you’re out’.

“But it was really hard for me because I was being attacked online for that, and I’d never in my life thought about my age because I don’t think about that. If someone looks good, works well and is at the top of their game they should never be judged for something that they can’t control. Sorry I can’t go in a time machine! It was just really horrible, and people are mean and awful, and made me feel like s**t. Sorry but it’s the truth.

“This problem of ageism goes across all platforms and in all industries across the world. There’s people that have desk jobs that are also being put in a box just as much as someone like me who has to wear spandex on television and wear an extravagant jacket. It’s an overall issue, and I’m glad the conversation has begun. I feel people put a timeline on women and tell you when you should or shouldn’t be doing something, or that you should just go have babies or do what you’re supposed to do.

“It’s 2022, why are we even discussing this. I am very good at my job, and nobody should put a label on me because you think you know what someone of my age should be doing.”

If you use this exclusive quote, or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Taya Valkyrie is the current AAA Reina de Reinas Champion after defeating Deonna Purrazzo for the title at the IMPACT Rebellion pay-per-view. She will make her NWA debut at the Alwayz Ready event on June 11, against Natalia Markova.

Valkyrie also discussed her biggest takeaway from her time in WWE, which you can read about here.

Keep an eye on our exclusives page for more quotes from this Taya Valkyrie interview.

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