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Taya Valkyrie Leaves AEW, Turns Down New Deal and Enters Free Agency

The 43-year-old Canadian announced on Wednesday that her AEW contract has ended after three and a half years. She declined an extension offer and says she has a lot more to leave in the ring.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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Taya Valkyrie Leaves AEW, Turns Down New Deal and Enters Free Agency

Key points

  • Taya Valkyrie is a free agent.
  • The announcement came in a statement from her team in Los Angeles, posted to social media.
  • Speaking to People, Valkyrie admitted that walking away from a paid contract was scary, but said she knew it was time for a change.

Taya Valkyrie is a free agent. The 43-year-old Canadian wrestler announced on Wednesday that her contract with All Elite Wrestling has ended and that she turned down an offer to extend it, closing a run with the company that lasted three and a half years.

The announcement came in a statement from her team in Los Angeles, posted to social media. "I am incredibly grateful for my time with AEW and the opportunity to be part of the organization," Valkyrie said. "I am beyond thankful to the fans for their continued support of me, not only in my time with AEW but also as I step into this new chapter as a free agent. I can't wait for what's to come and have a lot more to leave in the ring."

Speaking to People, Valkyrie admitted that walking away from a paid contract was scary, but said she knew it was time for a change. She told the magazine she is officially a free agent for the first time in a long time.

A quiet final year

Valkyrie, whose real name is Kira Renée Magnin-Forster, debuted for AEW in March 2023, when she confronted then TBS Champion Jade Cargill on Dynamite. Much of her time with the company was spent in Ring of Honor, the sister promotion owned by AEW president Tony Khan, where she often worked alongside her husband, John Hennigan.

Her last match on AEW television came on November 15, 2025, on Collision in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she lost to Tay Melo. Her last match under the AEW and ROH banner was taped at Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas, on January 10, 2026, and aired on Ring of Honor television on January 15. She has not wrestled for either company since.

What comes next

Valkyrie has not announced where she will wrestle next. Her statement said she wants to explore new work as a wrestler, a TV personality and a creative now that her contract has concluded.

She leaves with a long record behind her. Before AEW, she held the Knockouts championship in TNA and won the Reina de Reinas championship twice in Mexico's AAA, where she was part of the original Perros del Mal group. This fall she appeared as a contestant on The Traitors Canada, and she has also released her debut music EP, titled FAKE.

Timeline

  1. March 2023Valkyrie debuts for AEW on Dynamite, confronting TBS Champion Jade Cargill.
  2. Nov 15, 2025She wrestles her last match on AEW television, a loss to Tay Melo on Collision in Erie, Pennsylvania.
  3. Jan 10, 2026Her last match under the AEW and ROH banner is taped in Arlington, Texas, and airs on Ring of Honor television on January 15.
  4. Nov 4, 2026Valkyrie announces she has declined an AEW contract extension and entered free agency.

Sources