Current WWE champion "does not have the tools" to be a major star, says Vince Russo (Exclusive)

WWE has a lot of newer champions in the mix right now, with a few former NXT stars holding top belts on the main roster. Lyra Valkyria made her move to the main roster last year and has already achieved considerable success since moving to RAW.

She reached the finals of the Queen of the Ring last year and then went on to make history by becoming the first-ever WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion. The Irishwoman has held the title since winning it in January and is scheduled to defend it against Becky Lynch this Saturday at Money in the Bank.

Talking about the Women's Intercontinental Champion during the latest Legion of RAW episode on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Vince Russo blasted Lyra Valkyria. He claimed that she "does not have the tools" to be a major star in the WWE and outlined what should be done to help her reach that level.

"If I was the producer, I would tell you by looking at this, she [Lyra] does not have the tools. She'll get the tools by pre-taping her [promos] till she gets better. Chris, remember, man, there are no house shows anymore. They're not getting reps. That is the only promo Lyra Valkyria is cutting all week. Imagine a baseball player like getting in a batting cage once a week. That's the problem, bro, that they can't cut these promos at house shows. They do it once a week, and it's not enough," Russo said. [From 54:33 onwards]

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This isn't the first time that Russo has voiced his displeasure over Valkyria's promo skills, as he addressed the issue following last week's RAW as well. With the WWE Women's IC Title up for grabs this Saturday, fans could see it change hands for the very first time as Becky Lynch seems to be the favourite to win the match.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Angana Roy