The 32-woman Mae Young Classic II found it’s next three competitors, raising the revealed roster to 23 entrants today, as 5x Impact Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne joins indie stars Priscilla Kelly and Xia Brookside as the latest announced names by the WWE for the 2018 instalment of the all women’s tournament.
MADISON RAYNE, USA
According to the WWE website, Madison will be competing under the name Ashley Rayne (a tribute to name she used in SHIMMER prior to joining TNA, Ashley Lane, and her Impact name) – a move similar to Scotland’s Viper being rebranded as Piper Niven last year – but the woman is still the same Madison Rayne that won the Impact Knockouts Championship on five occasions. The 9-year Impact veteran has been wrestling for both Impact and Ring of Honor‘s Women of Honor division the past year, just recently competing for both the WOH Championship and Knockouts Division two weeks ago. She had a WWE tryout earlier this year and it appears it may have been scouting for her MYC appearance.
PRISCILLA KELLY, USA
“Hell’s Favourite Harlot” is only 21-years old, but she’s become one the indie scene’s top emerging stars in the past few years working with SHINE, RISE, Queens of Combat (QOC) and Major League Wrestling (MLW), as well as working as the valet at times for both Austin Theory and Darby Allin in EVOLVE and other indies. She recently made her Japanese debut this year, working with DDT Pro and Joshi Pro. She was also the inaugural winner of the SHINE Nova Championship, which she held for 237 days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3pBX-oPbgE
XIA BROOKSIDE, England
If you thought Kelly was young, Xia Brookside – the daughter of NXT trainer and UK legend Robbie Brookside – is only 18 years old. But the young grappler has become a shooting star in the UK indie circuit as well as in Japan. The reigning IPW:UK Women’s Champion has also spent much of the past two years working with Stardom in Japan.
CURRENT CONFIRMED MAE YOUNG CLASSIC LINE-UP
- Xia Brookside, England
- Kacy Catanzaro, USA
- Isla Dawn, Scotland
- Kavita Devi, India
- Jessica Elaban, USA
- Kaitlyn, USA
- Reina Gonzalez, USA
- Jinny, England
- Karen Q, USA
- Killer Kelly, Portugal
- Lacey Lane, USA
- Mercedes Martinez, USA
- Nicole Matthews, Canada
- Tegan Nox, Wales
- Priscilla Kelly, USA
- Deonna Purrazzo, USA
- Ashley (Madison) Rayne, USA
- Rhea Ripley, Australia
- Meiko Satomura, Japan
- Io Shirai, Japan
- Toni Storm, Australia
- Mia Yim, South Korea
- Zeuxis, Puerto Rico
