By Mike Johnson on 2023-04-01 13:22:00
Yesterday at WWE Media Day, PWInsider.comspoke with The Viking Raiders - Erik and Ivar - and Valhalla ahead of their Wrestlemania debut today as part of the Men's Tag Team Showcase match tonight at Mania 39.
Mike Johnson:Media Day with Ivar, Erik, and Valhalla, the Viking Raiders, who are heading into the WrestleMania Showcase Fatal 4-Way. It's very nice to speak to all of you. Big weekend. Thoughts? Let's do thoughts on the match first. It's never guaranteed that you're ever going to get on a WrestleMania card. Obviously you put in the work in the last couple of years. This is a nice spotlight for all of you. Thoughts on the match? What fans could expect this weekend?
Ivar:This is our first time having a WrestleMania match, so we're just incredibly stoked to have the opportunity to walk out on that stage. And we're trying to breathe the moment in the best we can.
Erik: The same. Ivar and I have been all over the world together, and we've accomplished so much as a tag team together outside of WWE, inside of WWE, but this is our very first WrestleMania. And to be able to share it with Valhalla and come out for our very first time together is something that we'll never forget. It's a moment in time that's going to live forever, and it's a really, really cool thing that, for the very first time, we get to do it together, side by side.
Mike Johnson:There's been so many trials and tribulations between injuries and releases and going to different places and maybe creative not working out the way you hope, or the way they hoped, at the beginning at different points. That's life. What does it mean that, after all of that, the one singular moment all comes down and you're all together for it? I think that's almost more important than the match itself.
Valhalla:Everything in our lives happened exactly the way it's supposed to, and this is the biggest testament to that ever. We have been on this trajectory that just keeps compounding. The universe and the gods have been blessing us over and over again because we're doing what we're supposed to do. We're doing what we're meant to do. And I truly believe that, just because the proof is in the pudding. And we're going to have our WrestleMania match, we're going to have our moment, and, in the wrestling scheme of things, there's nothing greater.
Mike Johnson:Obviously it's a huge weekend. When you look at the work that you've put in over the last year, and even the entire run of WWE, how do you think being part of this bubble, in this machine, has changed you? What's the life experiences like compared to being in other places?
Ivar:I mean, honestly, being in WWE, it's just like being in every other promotion, it's just it's a much bigger, grander scale; and the audience is much bigger and more people get to see you. But it's the same as it was when I was in Chaotic Wrestling in New England. It's the same thing. It's just a much bigger, bigger scale.
Erik:So, wrestlers are wrestlers no matter where we are. However, the thing that changed for me, or the thing that I think was a change, was the opportunity to become friends with people who were heroes before we were here; like when we went to NXT and we got to sit in class with Terry Taylor and learn from him directly. We got to sit in class with Shawn Michaels and learn from him directly. We've developed a personal friendship and relationship with Triple H and with all these guys who are agents, and backstage, and guys who we can go to for advice and ask directly, "Hey, what do you think?" And these are guys that we've been watching... Some of these guys we've been watching for 15-20 years, have all these experiences and all this amazing talent and this experience level to draw from. So that's the difference for me here as opposed to other places, where other places, it might have been you and I kind of bouncing ideas off each other. And there were definitely people we could talk to, but not with that level of experience, or not that level of expertise, I would say. So to have the access to that has been like an accelerated college course every week. You have the best minds in wrestling history all together, all working together, trying to...
Valhalla:Put on a great show.
Erik:Yeah, put on a great show, but also maximize each minute that you have and that you have the opportunity to perform.
Mike Johnson:Valhalla, I wanted to ask you: When you departed last time, there was a big uproar on the internet over it, and things worked out and now you're back. You're with your husband and his best friend. What does that whole journey mean to you knowing that you're walking into that WrestleMania moment for yourself?
Valhalla:I mean, getting that news that you've been released is always heart-shattering. Especially... I am a wrestler through and through. I did it for five years before I even came to WWE. I wasn't in some other profession that just landed me in WWE. So, when you get that call, it's earth-shattering. But looking at it from where I'm standing now, I got released, but we shuttered our farm, I had our son, and now I'm back with the boys and we're about to go on WrestleMania. That's like a storybook. So it just makes me, again, reiterate that we're doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing and the gods are showing us that by giving us all these opportunities.
Mike Johnson:So I know the work never ends, but once you have that moment and you've got that WrestleMania accomplishment under your belt, what happens? What's in your mind for the next year as you move forward?
Valhalla:Whatever the gods will us to do. We will literally do whatever they say now, because it has been so fruitful that we've been listening.
Mike Johnson:All right. One last question. You guys have put yourself through some wars in a lot of different realms. How are you feeling? I know you've each had some time you had to take off, but how are you feeling these days?
Ivar:Cold plunge. Honestly, I'm feeling great. I'm feeling the best of having a long time. Definitely since neck surgery, for sure. But we discovered cold plunge man, and it's changing our lives, so I feel great.
Erik:So, in addition to cold plunge, we've also been following... I know Sarah and I, every single day, and I know that Ivar's doing it... There's a guy out there named Wim Hof, and Wim Hof has developed a breathing technique that helps your immune system and your recovery and stuff like that. But he has three tenets in the things that he talks about, and it's breath work, it's cold exposure, and then it's mindfulness, so actually using the control of your breath and your mind to heal your body. Sarah and I start every day with a 39 degree ice bath for five to six minutes at a time.
Valhalla:We did it at 5:00 AM before we came here.
Erik:Yeah, 5:00 AM. Yeah. We find places to do it on the road, or we'll take in ice in the hotel shower. I mean, it's something that it's an everyday thing and it's definitely helping to heal our bodies and recover in a way that we weren't able to before this.
Mike Johnson:I got to ask: Does that help with your wind in the ring, as well? Do you see a difference?
Erik:Absolutely. A hundred percent. Yes. Yeah, we've seen increases in performance across the board. Cardiovascular, recovery, sleep, focus. It's really been life-changing.
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FAQs
Who is Valhalla of the Viking Raiders? ›
After some time away, Logan made her return to WWE on the November 11 episode of SmackDown, appearing alongside The Viking Raiders as they decimated both Hit Row and Legado del Fantasma. And soon, Logan assumed the name Valhalla, the name she said was given to her by the gods.
Who is the girl with the Viking Raiders? ›As part of the 2021 Draft, The Viking Raiders were drafted to the SmackDown brand.
Did the Viking Raiders change? ›However, they did not debut as Hanson and Rowe. WWE has renamed them Erik and Ivar, and while those names sound like something Vikings would use, it didn't make any sense to rename them after the WWE Universe spent a year watching them work as Hanson and Rowe in NXT. That's not even the worst of it.
Who is God in Assassin's Creed Valhalla? ›Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Odin
He's clearly old, yet still manages to command an imposing presence in all of his scenes. Like most of Ubisoft's depictions of mythological entities, it's eventually revealed that Valhalla's Odin isn't all that he appears to be.
Basim Ibn ishaq is one of the two overarching antagonists (alongside Alfred the Great) of Assassin's Creed franchise. Serving as the main antagonist of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, and will return as the main protagonist of the upcoming Assassin's Creed: Mirage.
Who is the black woman Viking king? ›Such is the case of Jarl Haakon (Caroline Henderson), ruler of Kattegat during the events of Vikings: Valhalla season 1 and the first Black Viking ruler in the universe of Vikings.
Who was the greatest Viking raider? ›Ragnar Lothbrok: A True Viking Warrior and Raider
The name most associated with the Viking attacks and raids on the British Isles is that of Ragnar Lothbrok (sometimes also written as 'Lodbrok'), who has gone down in history as a fearless leader and unstoppable warrior.
Some were likely surprised, though, to see that one of the new characters populating the show and leading the community in Kattegat is a Black woman, Jarl Estrid Haakon, played by Caroline Henderson. Now, Henderson has revealed what she'd tell anyone who has complaints about her role in the series.
What happened to the Vikings after they stopped raiding? ›The raids slowed and stopped because the times changed. It was no longer profitable or desirable to raid. The Vikings weren't conquered. Because there were fewer and fewer raids, to the rest of Europe they became, not Vikings, but Danes and Swedes and Norwegians and Icelanders and Greenlanders and Faroese and so on.
What finally ended the Viking threat? ›
The defeat of the king of Norway, Harald III Sigurdsson, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 is considered the end of the age of Viking raids.
Who stopped the Vikings taking power? ›In the 9th century (AD801 - 900), King Alfred of Wessex stopped the Vikings taking over England. He agreed to peace with them and some Vikings settled in their own area of eastern England, called the Danelaw.
What NFL teams are Viking? ›The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion team, the team began play the following year.
Who defeated the Viking Raiders? ›In 911, a band of Viking warriors attempted to siege Chartres but was defeated by Robert I of France. Robert's victory later paved way for the baptism, and settlement in Normandy, of Viking leader Rollo.
Why were the Vikings brutal Raiders? ›The purpose of the Vikings' violence was to acquire wealth, which fed into the political economy of northern Europe, notably in the form of gift-giving. Viking warriors were motivated by a warrior ideology of violence that praised bravery, toughness, and loyalty.
Who is the god of Assassin's Creed? ›Odin is a major part of the story, but Loki is arguably the most significant Isu in the title because of the role he plays in the fate of the present-day protagonist in Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Who is the reincarnation of Thor in Valhalla? ›8 Halfdan Is Thor's Reincarnation
Halfdan Ragnarsson, one of the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok and the Conqueror of the North. He is also the reincarnation of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. The game was very direct with how it introduced the character. Halfdan and Thor also have the same face model and voice actor.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is an action role-playing video game structured around several main story arcs and numerous optional side-missions, called "World Events". The player takes on the role of Eivor Varinsdottir (/ˈeɪvɔːr/), a Viking raider, as they lead their fellow Vikings against the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
Who killed Eivor? ›Eivor managed to fend off most of the group's attacks, but was felled by the slave, who stabbed her with a knife in the back.
Who is the strongest character in Valhalla? ›- 8 Emma.
- 7 Godwin.
- 6 Olaf.
- 5 Haakon.
- 4 Harald.
- 3 Canute.
- 2 Freydis.
- 1 Leif Erickson.
Who betrayed the leader in Valhalla? ›
The traitor is Galinn. He wanted Soma out of his way to fulfill the true fate he has seen in his deluded visions. He disagrees with her ways. He was far away from other people in the village when the attack happened -- without an alibi -- and he is quick to blame Lif, and his longship is painted yellow.
Were there African Vikings? ›Historical evidence suggests that Vikings traveled to Africa, particularly Northern Africa, in the mid-9th century. There are accounts of raids along the African coast, including Morocco and Mauritania.
Who was the first black Viking? ›Geirmund Heljarskinn becomes the “Black Viking” – the most powerful settler on Iceland through times. Dark-skinned and with Mongolian facial features he was a pioneer in international hunting economy. Heljarskinn had hundreds of slaves; Christians from Scotland and Ireland.
Who was the deadliest Viking? ›Perhaps the epitome of the archetypal bloodthirsty Viking, Erik the Red violently murdered his way through life. Born in Norway, Erik gained his nickname most likely due to the colour of his hair and beard but it could also reflect upon his violent nature.
What ended the Viking Age? ›The events of 1066 in England effectively marked the end of the Viking Age. By that time, all of the Scandinavian kingdoms were Christian, and what remained of Viking “culture” was being absorbed into the culture of Christian Europe.
Who was the strongest Viking ever? ›Orm Stórolfsson, also known as Orm Stórolfsson the Strong ( fl. 1000 CE), was an Icelandic strongman who gained considerable attention during his lifetime for extraordinary feats of strength.
Who is the greatest female African warrior? ›#1: Queen Amina of Zaria
Queen Amina of Zaria is one of the greatest African warrior queens to date. She was the daughter of King Nikatau and Queen Bakwa Turunku. Born in 1533, Queen Amina was a warrior queen of Zazzau—which is today's Zaria City in Nigeria's Kaduna State.
The faces of men and women in the Viking Age were more alike than they are today. The women's faces were more masculine than women's today, with prominent brow ridges. On the other hand, the Viking man's appearance was more feminine than that of men today, with a less prominent jaw and brow ridges.
Who is the famous Viking woman? ›Lagertha. Perhaps the most well known of all the Viking warrior women of Norse sagas, Lagertha is most recognisable as the wife of Ragnar Lödbrook [portrayed by Katherine Winnick in Vikings].
How tall were Vikings? ›The average height of Vikings as found by researchers and scholars, varied depending on a number of factors, including their age and gender. Typically, the average male Viking would usually be between 5 foot 7 and 5 foot 9, while the average female would be between 5 foot 1 and 5 foot 3.
Who was the last Viking king? ›
Harald Hardrada (Harald III Sigurdsson) is often known as "the last real Viking," and maybe he was what many understood by a real Viking king.
Why did Vikings convert to Christianity? ›The Vikings chose Christianity during the 900s, partly because of the extensive trade networks with Christian areas of Europe, but also particularly as a result of increasing political and religious pressure from the German empire to the south. By the end of the Viking period, around 1050, most Vikings were Christians.
Who defeated the Vikings in real life? ›At the battle of Ashdown in 871, Alfred routed the Viking army in a fiercely fought uphill assault.
Are Danes and Vikings the same? ›The term “Dane” generally refers to the Vikings from Denmark, while “Norse” typically refers to Vikings from Norway.
Why were Vikings so strong? ›Vikings worked long hours, carrying, and using heavy equipment which contributed to the formation of muscles, even from an early age. Another reason for the significant strength of the Vikings was their diet. Vikings were mostly hunters, not gatherers, due to their cold, harsh environment.
Why do Vikings no longer exist? ›Early research said the exodus was due to many problems, including climate change, a lack of management, economic collapse and social stratification. Temperature change has often been cited as an explanation for the end of the Vikings, so let's take a closer look.
Are there any Vikings left? ›Though the Vikings lived long ago, their culture and traditions are alive and well in modern-day Norway and beyond.
What is the oldest NFL team? ›The Chicago Cardinals founded in 1898 (joined the NFL in 1920), now the Arizona Cardinals) is the oldest NFL franchise. League membership gradually stabilized throughout the 1920s and 1930s as the league adopted progressively more formal organization. The first official championship game was held in 1933.
Who are the Vikings today? ›Today, the inhabitants of Greenland and Iceland are the descendants of the Vikings who initially settled the islands, which were unpopulated at the time. Today, the area of France known as Normandy is named for the Norse men – the Vikings – who invaded and eventually settled down there.
What is the oldest football team? ›The world's first football team
Sheffield Football Club, founded in 1857.
Who is the strongest warrior in Vikings? ›
- 8 Heahmund.
- 7 Floki.
- 6 Harald.
- 5 Ivar.
- 4 Lagertha.
- 3 Ragnar.
- 2 Bjorn.
- 1 Rollo.
The devastating Viking attack on the church of St Cuthbert in 793 sent a shockwave through Europe. But a Christian community at Lindisfarne survived, and recorded the event on the famous 'Domesday stone'.
What army beat the Vikings? ›...
Great Heathen Army.
| Date | 865–878 |
|---|---|
| Result | Treaty of Wedmore Foundation of Danelaw |
Most scholars today believe that Viking attacks on Christian churches had nothing to do with religion, but more to do with the fact that monasteries were typically both wealthy and poorly defended, making them an easy target for plunder.
Who was the main Viking god? ›The supreme god is Odin. He has just one eye as he gave the other to Mímir in order to be allowed to drink from the source of wisdom – “Mímir's well”. Odin is the god of war and of the dead. He rules over Valhalla – “the hall of the slain”.
Did female Vikings fight? ›Though relatively few historical records mention the role of women in Viking warfare, the Byzantine-era historian Johannes Skylitzes did record women fighting with the Varangian Vikings in a battle against the Bulgarians in A.D. 971.
Who is who in Viking Valhalla? ›
King Aelfred, The Father, is the Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients. Despite being the leader of the Order, his goal was to help The Hidden Ones and Eivor take them out from within.
Who is the keeper of Valhalla? ›In Norse mythology Valhalla (/vælˈhælə, vɑːlˈhɑːlə/;) is the anglicised name for Old Norse: Valhǫll ("hall of the slain"). It is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin.
Who is Valhalla based on? ›It's not too hard to guess which version the Freydís resembles the most the character of Vikings: Valhalla. Leif Erikson was more of an explorer than a warrior. In fact, he is known to be the first European to set foot in North America, c. 1000 CE.
Is Canute related to Ragnar? ›
They were 3rd cousins once removed in addition to being half brothers. According to the Icelandic sagas, Canute (Bradley Freegard) was the great-great-great grandson of Ragnar Lothbrok through his father Sweyn. The double "a" in "Haakon" is pronounced like the "ou" in "ought".
Are any sons of Ragnar in Vikings: Valhalla? ›On the left, fans see Hvitserk from Vikings, the second son of Ragnar and Aslaug, while on the right, players see Halfdan, the eldest son of Ragnar and Lagertha. These two characters are meant to be the same individual, yet they are markedly different.
Who is the deadliest Templar? ›- 8 Shahkulu.
- 7 Cesare Borgia.
- 6 Haytham Kenway.
- 5 Taharqa - 'The Scarab'
- 4 Al Mualim.
- 3 Lucy Stillman.
- 2 Daniel Cross.
- 1 Rodrigo Borgia.
In 1307, King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V combined to take down the Knights Templar, arresting the grand master, Jacques de Molay, on charges of heresy, sacrilege and Satanism. Under torture, Molay and other leading Templars confessed and were eventually burned at the stake.
What religion is Valhalla? ›Valhalla, Old Norse Valhöll, in Norse mythology, the hall of slain warriors, who live there blissfully under the leadership of the god Odin. Valhalla is depicted as a splendid palace, roofed with shields, where the warriors feast on the flesh of a boar slaughtered daily and made whole again each evening.
Who is Eivor husband? ›Tróndur Bogason (born 5 April 1976 as Tróndur Bogason Hansen) is a Faroese composer and musician. He composes classical works, but he also arranges music for pop, rock and folk artists. He is married to the Faroese singer Eivør Pálsdóttir with whom he also works; they arranged her album Room together.
What does Valhalla mean in English? ›Valhalla • \val-HAL-uh\ • noun. 1 : the great hall in Norse mythology where the souls of heroes slain in battle are received 2 : a place of honor, glory, or happiness : heaven.
Who defeated the Vikings? ›At the battle of Ashdown in 871, Alfred routed the Viking army in a fiercely fought uphill assault.
What language did Vikings speak? ›Old Norse: the Viking language
By the 8th century, Proto-Norse (which was spoken in Scandinavia and its Nordic settlements) developed into Old Norse – also known as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian.
Ragnar Lothbrok
Arguably the most famous Viking warrior of them all, not least for his role as the leading protagonist in Vikings, the History Channel's popular drama.