Lyra Valkyria's match against Bayley at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event took a gruesome turn almost immediately, as the former Women's Intercontinental Champion was busted open less than three minutes into the contest at Madison Square Garden.
The injury occurred after Bayley delivered a forearm strike from the floor while Valkyria was lying on the ring apron. The shot connected flush and opened a cut on Valkyria's nose, with blood quickly becoming visible as she fell to the ringside area.
The referee soon left the ring to check on Valkyria as blood spilled onto the floor. After a brief evaluation, WWE officials allowed the match to continue.
Lyra Valkyria Continues Match Despite Early Cut
The match marked Valkyria's first major singles outing since embracing a darker persona in recent weeks. Along with the heel turn that followed her split from Bayley, Valkyria also debuted modified entrance music and an updated presentation, signaling a new chapter for her WWE character. The early injury only added to the intensity of what had already become one of her most personal rivalries.
Earlier in the evening, Fatal Influence's Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid captured the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship by defeating Scream Mode (Paige and Brie Bella) with help from Jacy Jayne. Danhausen also picked up a memorable victory over JD McDonagh in a No Disqualification Match after surprise assistance from NBA champion Karl-Anthony Towns, who chokeslammed both McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio before Danhausen finished the match with the Danhausen Death Drop.
With what appeared to be a broken nose, Valkyria battled through the injury, defeated Bayley, and unveiled a new submission hold to earn the victory.
