Lyra Valkyria might be the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, but TSA clearly haven’t been paying attention. Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Valkyria shared how her trips through airport security with her title aren’t typically belt-friendly.
“That happens a lot. That’s starting to get old. I always have to allow that little bit of extra time. Maybe I should just whip it out. Maybe I should just go to the airport with it on my shoulder.”
Valkyria always travels with her title, mitigating the risk of the title going missing during transport. The Valkyrie added that the reactions from TSA staff can quickly show who is or isn’t a wrestling fan.
“I’ll always know if they understand WWE. If not, they’ll be like, ‘Oo, what’s that?’ Like, ‘What weight class are you in?’ And then I know, okay, they don’t know what we do.”
Not every airport experience is frustrating for Valkyria, who is delighted when staff recognize who she is or that she works for WWE. “Sometimes they get super excited and ask for pictures and stuff. And that’s always nice—like they know they’ve met the champion then. That’s a cool thing.”
While Valkyria continues to defend her title in the ring, it seems the real battle sometimes happens at the airport conveyor belt.