Taya Valkyrie

Early life and athletic foundation

Kira Forster's path to professional wrestling was paved by a rigorous background in classical dance and competitive fitness. She began training in gymnastics and dance at the age of four, a discipline that led her to study at the prestigious Royal Winnipeg Ballet. This foundation in ballet provided her with exceptional athleticism, body control, and performance skills that would later define her in-ring style. In 2005, she transitioned into the world of fitness competitions, achieving notable success on the national stage. Her competitive peak came in 2010 when she placed first at the CBBF Canadian Championships, followed by a second-place finish at the prestigious Arnold Amateur event in 2011. During this period, she also worked extensively as a fitness model, appearing in numerous magazines and calendars, which helped cultivate the charismatic persona she would later bring to wrestling.

Training and early career

Forster began her professional wrestling training in 2010 under the tutelage of fellow Canadian and respected technician Lance Storm at his Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary, Alberta. She graduated from the academy in September of that same year. Her early exposure to a television audience came through appearances on Lance Storm's reality series World of Hurt and its second season, which featured wrestling legend Roddy Piper. Adopting the ring name Taya Valkyrie, she began competing on the Canadian independent circuit, most notably for Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW). Her potential was quickly recognized, leading to an opportunity that would dramatically shift the trajectory of her career when she accepted an invitation to wrestle in Mexico, initially planned as a six-week stint. She moved to Mexico and began wrestling for various promotions, including Legend Promociones, Universal Wrestling Entertainment, Invasion RCH and International Wrestling League, before her major breakthrough.

Breakthrough in Mexico and AAA dominance

Taya Valkyrie's move to Mexico proved to be a career-defining decision. Convinced to stay by legendary luchador El Hijo del Perro Aguayo, she joined his Los Perros del Mal stable, debuting on April 1, 2012. This immersion in lucha libre allowed her to develop a unique hybrid style. She made her debut for the major promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) on November 3, 2012, in a six-person mixed tag team match where she teamed with Gran Apache and Mari Apache to defeat Cuervo, Faby Apache and Lolita. Valkyrie's rise in AAA was meteoric, and on March 3, 2013, she defeated Jennifer Blake to advance to the finals of a tournament for the vacant Reina de Reinas Championship, though she lost the final match two weeks later. Her persistence paid off on August 17, 2014, at Triplemanía XXII, where she defeated Faby Apache to win the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship for the first time. Her first reign lasted an extraordinary 945 days, setting a record for the title that stood until 2026. She would go on to win the championship a total of four times, tying the all-time record. Her victories in AAA established her as a major star in Latin American wrestling and earned her the Luchadora of the Year award in both 2014 and 2015.

Her tenures in AAA were marked by significant events and lengthy reigns, including a controversial vacancy declaration in 2017 that led to her publicly quitting the company before later returning. On July 1, 2017, AAA's Director of Talent Vampiro declared the Reina de Reinas Championship vacant, with Forster claiming on Twitter she had been backstabbed and publicly quitting the company. According to reports, the title was vacated after her fiancé Johnny Mundo turned in the belt for a photo shoot, after which AAA claimed she was stripped for using an illegal chokehold in a no disqualification match or for no-showing an event. She later returned to AAA in 2018 through the Lucha Capital tournament on Facebook Watch, which she won by defeating Keyra and Vanilla on December 19, 2018, to earn a future title shot.

• First Reign (2014 to 2017): Won at Triplemanía XXII on August 17, 2014. Reigned for 945 days before losing to Ayako Hamada on March 19, 2017.
• Second Reign (2017): Regained the title from Hamada in a no disqualification match on April 21, 2017, but the title was declared vacant by AAA in July under controversial circumstances.
• Third Reign (2019 to 2021): Won the title from Tessa Blanchard at the Lucha Invades NY event on September 15, 2019. Vacated it on February 24, 2021, after 528 days upon signing with WWE.

Taya Valkyrie debuted in Lucha Underground on February 24, 2016, as the partner of Johnny Mundo. She made her in-ring debut for the promotion on March 9, 2016, losing to Cage in a no disqualification match. Valkyrie later competed in Aztec Warfare II on April 12, 2016, in her first title match for the Lucha Underground Championship. She entered the match at number nine and eliminated Cage. Valkyrie was later pinned and eliminated by Fénix.

Impact Wrestling success and championship legacy

Taya Valkyrie's impact on Impact Wrestling was substantial, particularly in its women's division, the Knockouts. She debuted on September 7, 2017, immediately attacking the demonic Rosemary to establish herself as a villain and using a new finisher called the Road to Valhalla. After a fierce rivalry with Rosemary that included a Demon's Dance match loss, Valkyrie shifted her focus to the Knockouts Championship held by Tessa Blanchard. She challenged Blanchard at Bound for Glory 2018 but lost after Blanchard used the ring ropes for leverage. Her persistence paid off at the Homecoming event on January 6, 2019, where she defeated Blanchard to win the title, aided by special guest referee Gail Kim. This victory began a historic reign that would see her defend the championship against top contenders like Jordynne Grace at Rebellion 2019, and in a Monster's Ball match against Rosemary, Su Yung and Havok at Slammiversary XVII. On January 12, 2020, during a title defense in Mexico, Impact Wrestling confirmed that Valkyrie had surpassed the previous record held by Tarryn Terrell, becoming the longest-reigning Impact Knockouts Champion in history. Her reign ultimately ended at 377 days when she lost the title back to Jordynne Grace during television tapings in Mexico City. Beyond her singles success, Valkyrie was a key figure in the tag team division. She won the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship twice, first with Rosemary on June 19, 2022, at Slammiversary and later with Jessicka on October 7, 2022, at Bound for Glory, as part of the popular Death Dollz faction where Rosemary was also recognized as champion under the Freebird Rule. Her final storyline in Impact saw her written out as the person who shot John E. Bravo, explaining her departure in early 2021.

Tenures in WWE, NWA, MLW and AEW/ROH

Valkyrie's career has seen her compete in nearly every major North American promotion. She signed with WWE in February 2021, performing on the NXT brand under the name Franky Monet, which included a title match for the NWA Women's Championship against Raquel Gonzalez. She was released in November 2021 as part of pandemic-related layoffs. She simultaneously held championships in other promotions, winning the inaugural MLW Women's Featherweight Championship on April 21, 2022, at Kings of Colosseum by defeating Holidead. She defended that title successfully against contenders like Brittany Blake, Lady Flammer, and Billie Starkz before losing it to Delmi Exo on April 6, 2023. She also challenged for the NWA World Women's Championship on multiple occasions in 2022, first against Kamille at the NWA 74th Anniversary Show on August 27 and later failing to earn a rematch after losing to KiLynn King in a number one contender's match. Her current home is All Elite Wrestling, where she debuted on March 15, 2023, immediately challenging then-TBS Champion Jade Cargill. She lost to Cargill for the title on the April 26 episode of Dynamite and again at Double or Nothing on May 28, 2023. She also challenged Kris Statlander for the TBS title in June 2023 and Toni Storm for the AEW Women's World Championship at Battle of the Belts VII in July 2023. She is a regular competitor in AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Honor, where she debuted on December 12, 2023, defeating Rachel Ellering. She competed in the inaugural Women's World Television Championship tournament in early 2024, defeating Sussy Love in the first round before losing to Queen Aminata in the second. In a significant faction development in August 2025, she joined her husband Johnny TV and the team of MxM Collection to form the group MxM TV. In 2025, she also briefly competed in Mexico's CMLL, teaming with Lady Frost to reach the finals of a tournament for the vacant CMLL World Women's Tag Team Championship, where they were defeated by La Jarochita and Lluvia.

Media appearances and personal brand

Beyond wrestling, Taya Valkyrie has cultivated a diverse career in entertainment and media, enhancing her profile as a performer with multiple skills. She made her acting debut in the 2021 action film Unchained, released on Amazon Prime, playing the role of Regina. She was also cast in scenes for the ultimately cancelled fourth season of the Netflix series GLOW, with her involvement revealed only after the cancellation was announced. In a significant foray into reality television, Valkyrie was announced in September 2026 as a contestant on the fourth season of The Traitors Canada, which premiered on September 21, 2026, on CTV. Her marriage to fellow wrestler John Hennigan on June 1, 2018, is a public part of her life, with the couple having met through their work in AAA and Lucha Underground where she initially became his on-screen partner. According to sponsorship platforms, she is based in Los Angeles and is available for brand partnerships involving social media, appearances, and ambassador campaigns.

Accolades and recognition

Taya Valkyrie's accomplishments across multiple promotions have been formally recognized by wrestling publications and halls of fame. In 2022, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked her number 10 in the PWI Women's 150 and awarded her the Comeback of the Year honour. Sports Illustrated also ranked her number 5 among female wrestlers that year. She received two Impact Year End Awards, for Knockout of the Year in 2019 and Knockouts Tag Team of the Year in 2022 alongside Jessicka and Rosemary. Her pioneering career was cemented with an induction into the Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2024. This honour confirms her status as one of Canada's most successful and internationally recognized wrestling exports, with a career spanning major promotions across North America and Mexico. She has also won championships in several smaller promotions, including the DDT Pro-Wrestling Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, the Future Stars of Wrestling Women's Championship, the Heavy on Wrestling Women's Championship, and the Ironfist Women's Championship.

• Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame: Class of 2024 inductee.
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated: Comeback of the Year (2022). Ranked No. 10 in PWI Women's 150 (2022).
• Sports Illustrated: Ranked No. 5 among female wrestlers (2022).
• Impact Wrestling Awards: Knockout of the Year (2019). Knockouts Tag Team of the Year (2022).
• AAA Awards: Luchadora of the Year (2014, 2015).
• Other Championships: Also held the DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, FSW Women's Championship, Heavy on Wrestling Women's Championship, and Ironfist Women's Championship.

Questions about Taya Valkyrie

What is Taya Valkyrie's real name?

Taya Valkyrie's real name is Kira Renée Magnin-Forster. She was born on October 22, 1983, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She adopted her ring name early in her professional wrestling career, and it has become her primary identity in sports entertainment. The name Valkyrie references the female figures from Norse mythology who choose those who may die in battle.

Is Taya Valkyrie still wrestling for AEW?

Yes, as of late 2026, Taya Valkyrie remains signed to All Elite Wrestling. She debuted for the company in March 2023 and is a member of the MxM TV faction alongside her husband Johnny TV and the team of Mansoor and Mason Madden. She also regularly competes for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Honor, where she participated in the inaugural Women's World Television Championship tournament in early 2024. Her AEW roster page listing was still active as of reports in 2026.

Why is Taya Valkyrie considered the longest-reigning Impact Knockouts Champion?

Taya Valkyrie is considered the longest reigning Impact Knockouts Champion because she held the title for 377 days. She won the championship on January 6, 2019 at the Homecoming event and lost it during television tapings in Mexico City to Jordynne Grace. Impact Wrestling confirmed that this reign exceeded the previous record held by Tarryn Terrell. During this historic reign, she successfully defended the title against multiple opponents including Jordynne Grace, Rosemary, and Tenille Dashwood at major events like Rebellion, Slammiversary XVII, and Bound for Glory.

What other television show is Taya Valkyrie appearing on in 2026?

In 2026, Taya Valkyrie is appearing as a contestant on the fourth season of The Traitors Canada. The notes specify she is one of the Traitors in this season of the popular reality competition series. This television appearance is separate from her professional wrestling career in All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor. The season is set to air in September 2026.

Where did Taya Valkyrie train to become a professional wrestler?

Taya Valkyrie trained to become a professional wrestler at the Storm Wrestling Academy under Lance Storm. She began her training there in 2010 and graduated in September of that same year. As part of her early career development, she also participated in Lance Storm's Canadian reality series World of Hurt. She appeared in the second season of that show, which featured wrestling legend Roddy Piper.

Sources and further reading

• Taya Valkyrie (Wikipedia)
• Sponsor Taya Valkyrie | Wrestling Athlete (opensponsorship.com)
• Taya Valkyrie, Athlete, Fame.am (fame.am)
• Ex-WWE, Current AEW Star Taya Valkyrie Joins Canadian ... (yahoo.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-25.