WWE Announces First Competitors in the Mae Young Classic

[Black Anaconda Vise]

It was just announced that Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan (Crazy Mary Dobson), Princessa Sugehit (Princesa Sujei) and current PROGRESS women's champion, Toni Storm are all going to be competing in the Mae Young Classic that takes place July 13th and 14th.

Storm being involved is pretty big, as she's the first and current PROGRESS Women's Champion, winning it at SSS16, and is regarded as one of the best women's wrestlers in the world. I've heard good things about Dobson as well, and she was signed alongside Killian Dain and Aleister Black to the performance center last year. I don't know much about Sugehit other than she's won some apuestas matches and a few titles. Evans is interesting as she's a former Marine and Marine SWAT Team Member, but has only had about 2 televised matches, one being a battle royal.

PWInsider reported that other participants will include Zhao Xia (one of the recruits from the big China tryouts last year that gave us Tian Bing), Mary Kate (Rosie Lotalove), Bianca Blair, Danielle Kamela, Julia Ho, Kimber Lee, Victoria Gonzales, and Taynara Melo, but this is the first official announcement from WWE themselves.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

So the winner of the tournament, whoever they may be, gets challenged by Asuka immediately after and wins the NXT women's title. Yeah? Good.

 

[Tripleb2k1]

It was just announced that Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan (Crazy Mary Dobson), Princessa Sugehit (Princesa Sujei) and current PROGRESS women's champion, Toni Storm are all going to be competing in the Mae Young Classic that takes place July 13th and 14th.

Storm being involved is pretty big, as she's the first and current PROGRESS Women's Champion, winning it at SSS16, and is regarded as one of the best women's wrestlers in the world. I've heard good things about Dobson as well, and she was signed alongside Killian Dain and Aleister Black to the performance center last year. I don't know much about Sugehit other than she's won some apuestas matches and a few titles. Evans is interesting as she's a former Marine and Marine SWAT Team Member, but has only had about 2 televised matches, one being a battle royal.

PWInsider reported that other participants will include Zhao Xia (one of the recruits from the big China tryouts last year that gave us Tian Bing), Mary Kate (Rosie Lotalove), Bianca Blair, Danielle Kamela, Julia Ho, Kimber Lee, Victoria Gonzales, and Taynara Melo, but this is the first official announcement from WWE themselves.

Lacey Evans wrestled on the indies as Ruby Mobs

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I wouldn't be surprised if Io Shirai winds up in the tournament. I remember reading last month that she'd been signed to WWE. I wasn't familiar with her so I looked her up and she's been considered one of the top female stars in Japan. I came across this match featuring her and Nikki Storm, AKA Nikki Cross, and it was really entertaining. The homemade commentary isn't exactly the stuff dreams are made of but the match was great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf0WmDIBSSc

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Asuka will lose to Nikki Cross before this.. so whoever wins will probably face her and in that case Io Shirai winning makes a lot of sense. I can see them throwing Bayley into this as a wildcard/way to reboot her as a more serious competitor too.