History of Lyra Valkyria in Timeline

Updated: April 25, 2025

Lyra Valkyria, formerly Aoife Cusack, is an Irish professional wrestler currently signed to WWE's Raw brand. She holds the distinction of being the inaugural WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion. Her accolades include a reign as NXT Women's Champion and a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, showcasing her success in both singles and tag team competition within WWE.

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Full Timeline

October 1996: Aoife Cusack's Birth

Aoife Cusack, now known as Lyra Valkyria, was born in October 1996.

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2015: Debut as Valkyrie Cain

In 2015, after a year of training at Fight Factory Pro Wrestling, Aoife Cusack debuted under the ring name Valkyrie Cain, inspired by the protagonist of the "Skulduggery Pleasant" book series.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 1

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January 2020: Signs with WWE

On January 2020, Aoife Cusack reportedly signed with WWE and was given the ring name Aoife Valkyrie.

September 2020: Returns to Television

On September 17, 2020, Aoife Valkyrie returned to television on NXT UK, securing a victory against Isla Dawn.

April 2021: First Defeat

On April 29, 2021, Aoife Valkyrie faced her first defeat, losing to Meiko Satomura.

2022: Moves to NXT as Lyra Valkyria

In 2022, after NXT UK closed, Aoife Valkyrie moved to the U.S. and began wrestling in NXT under the new ring name Lyra Valkyria.

March 2023: Qualifies for NXT Women's Championship Ladder Match

On an episode of NXT in March 2023, Lyra Valkyria defeated Ivy Nile to qualify for a ladder match for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT Stand & Deliver.

January 2024: Retains NXT Women's Championship

At NXT: New Year's Evil on January 2, 2024, Lyra Valkyria successfully retained the NXT Women's Championship against Blair Davenport.

September 2024: Engagement Announcement

On September 14, 2024, Aoife Cusack and fellow professional wrestler LJ Cleary announced their engagement after ten years of dating.

2024: Drafted to Raw Brand

In 2024, during Night 2 of the WWE Draft, Lyra Valkyria was promoted to the Raw brand.

January 2025: Wins Inaugural Women's Intercontinental Championship

In January 2025, Lyra Valkyria won a tournament to become the inaugural Women's Intercontinental Champion, defeating Dakota Kai in the finals on an episode of Raw.