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Lyra Valkyria's Fiancé, LJ Cleary Reacts To WWE Backlash Appearance

LJ Cleary has had fun with his recent five minutes of fame. Both with the good and the bad of it.
Rick Ucchino|
Lyra Valkyria on WWE Raw
Lyra Valkyria on WWE Raw | WWE.com

Wrestling fans who were unfamiliar LJ Cleary were introduced to the Irish professional wrestler at WWE Backlash earlier this month.

He sat ringside to support his fiancé Lyra Valkyria in her Women's Intercontinental Championship defense against Becky Lynch and received a few moments of screen time when The Man decided to talk some trash to Valkyria's soon-to-be husband.

Cleary wound up being the target of some rather unflattering remarks from social media users, while others used his five minutes of fame to highlight his own work in the ring. While speaking with Dominic DeAngelo on Brass Ring Media, LJ said he enjoyed his moment in the spotlight. The good and the bad.

"I did have a lot of fun with it," Cleary said. "It was kind of the perfect blend of the people who did know who I was and that supported me a lot over the years. Especially from the fans in Ireland that kind of watched me grow up. I started wrestling when I was 13."

He said the more mean spirited social media posts, really didn't bother him at all.

"I've very thick skin. I chuckled, like, I genuinely, I can honestly say, I saw someone, man, I just chuckled, but then to see the support, it was an overwhelming support, it was a very nice feeling."

Lyra Valkyria is set to defend her Women's IC Title against Becky Lynch again next Saturday at WWE Money in the Bank.

It's not known if Cleary will be there to offer his support in person again or not, but WWE has kept him as part of the story. The Man channeled the internet during her promo exchange with Lyra on Monday, and had some unsavory remarks about LJ while comparing him to her own husband Seth Rollins.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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