Tonight at 7pm EST, live on WWE’s YouTube Channel, Twitter and Facebook Live Channel, WWE is presenting the Mae Young Classic: Parade of Champions, a live special introducing 31 of the 32 confirmed Superstars who will compete in this year’s Mae Young Classic II. The final spot in the tournament will be decided in a qualifying match on an upcoming episode of NXT between two former participants from last year’s tournament, Taynara Conti and Vanessa Borne.
The 2018 #MaeYoungClassic Parade of Champions comes your way TOMORROW NIGHT LIVE at 7 PM ET! https://t.co/UtfNLs7z53
— Mae Young Classic (@MaeYoungClassic) August 7, 2018
They did a similar special last year, a 13-minute introduction to the field, which was filmed live right before the tapings began for the tournament. The Mae Young Classic 2018 will film the rounds directly following the Parade of Champions event, followed by a second round of tapings on Thursday night. The special is believed to air late August, with the finals happening live at WWE Evolution on Sunday October 28.
Last year had an impressive field, but this year may just top last year’s roster, with a wider scope of international talent, including three entrants from Japan. Here’s a quick glance at the 31 confirmed names.
Xia Brookside, England
Promotions: IPW:UK, Stardom, Defiant Wrestling
Titles: IPW:UK Women’s Champion (current)
Kacy Catanzaro, USA
Promotions: WWE Performance Center Recruit, NXT (Live Events)
Titles: former American Ninja Warrior (2013-2017)
Isla Dawn, Scotland
Promotions: Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW), Scottish Wrestling Alliance (SWA), Stardom, Shine, Pro Wrestling EVE, PROGRESS
Titles: none
Kavita Devi, India
Promotions: Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE), NXT (Live Events)
Titles: none
Jessie Elaban, USA
Promotions: WWE Performance Center Recruit, NXT (Live Events)
Titles: none
Rachael Evers (nee Ellering), USA
Promotions: Stardom, SHIMMER, Queens of Combat (QOC), Shine, WrestleCircus, FEST Wrestling, Women’s Wrestling Revolution (WWR), Maverick Pro Wrestling (MPW), Resistance Pro Wrestling (RPW)
Titles: MPW Women’s Champion (current), WrestleCircus Lady of the Ring Champion, RPW Women’s Champion
Kaitlyn, USA
Promotions: WWE, NXT
Titles: WWE Diva’s Champion
Reina Gonzalez, USA
Promotions: NXT, WWE Performance Center Recruit
Titles: none
MJ Jenkins, USA
Promotions: Impact Wrestling, Shine, Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW)
Titles: none
Jinny, England
Promotions: PROGRESS, Revolution Pro UK (RevPro), Over The Top (OTT) Wrestling, Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), NXT UK
Titles: PROGRESS Women’s Champion (current), RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Champion
Karen Q, USA
Promotions: Ring of Honor/Women of Honor, WWR, RISE Wrestling, SHIMMER, Beyond Wrestling, East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA)
Titles: ECWA Women’s Champion
Allyson Kay (Sienna), USA
Promotions: Impact Wrestling, Shine, SHIMMER, Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), All American Wrestling (AAW), Smash Wrestling
Titles: 2x Impact Knockouts Champion, AIW Women’s Champion
Killer Kelly, Portugal
Promotions: wXw, Wrestling Portugal, Pro Wrestling EVE, PROGRESS, RevPro, NXT UK
Titles: wXw Women’s Champion
Vanessa Kraven, Canada
Promotions: SHIMMER, Shine, Smash Wrestling, Northern Championship Wrestling (nCw), Capitol City Championship Combat (C4)
Titles: 2x nCw Women’s Champion, SHIMMER Tag Team Champion
Lacey Lane, USA
Promotions: The Crash Lucha Libre, Aro Lucha
Titles: The Crash Lucha Women’s Champion
Xia Li, China
Promotions: WWE Performance Center Recruit, NXT (Live Events)
Titles: none
Mercedes Martinez, USA
Promotions: SHIMMER, Shine, Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU), Stardom, World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW), nCw, NXT
Titles: 2x SHIMMER Champion, 3x WSU World Champion, 5x WXW Women’s Champion, 2x nCw Women’s Champion, Shine Tag Team Champion, WSU Tag Team Champion
Hiroyo Matsumoto, Japan
Promotions: Stardom, OZ Academy, Sendai Girls, SHIMMER, Ice Ribbon
Titles: Sendai Girls World Champion, OZ Academy Openweight Champion, 3x Artist of Stardom (trios) Champion, Goddesses of Stardom (tag team) Champion, 4x OZ Academy Tag Team Champion
Nicole Matthews, Canada
Promotions: Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW), SHIMMER, DEFY Wrestling
Titles: SHIMMER Champion, 3x ECCW Champion, 4x ECCW Women’s Champion, 2x SHIMMER Tag Team Champion
Aerial Monroe, USA
Promotions: QOC, Shine, SHIMMER, FEST Wrestling, RISE, Major League Wrestling (MLW)
Titles: none
Tegan Nox, Wales
Promotions: Stardom, Defiant Wrestling (WCPW), Southside Wrestling Entertainment (SWE), ATTACK! Pro Wrestling, Fight Club: PRO, Pro Wrestling EVE, SHIMMER, wXw, British Empire Wrestling (BEW)
Titles: 3x ATTACK! 24/7 Champion, Defiant Women’s Champion, SWE Queen of Southside Champion, BEW Women’s Champion, SWE Tag Team Champion
Priscilla Kelly, USA
Promotions: Shine, EVOLVE, MLW, QOC, Full Impact Pro (FIP), FEST Wrestling, Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment (AWE)
Titles: Shine Nova Champion
Deonna Purrazzo, USA
Promotions: Ring of Honor/Women of Honor, NXT, Stardom, WWR, SHIMMER, RevPro, Beyond Wrestling, PROGRESS, WrestleCircus, ECWA, New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC)
Titles: ECWA Women’s Champion, NYWC Starlet Champion
Ashley (Madison) Rayne, USA
Promotions: Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor/Women of Honor, SHIMMER
Titles: 5x Impact Knockouts Champion, SHIMMER Tag Team Champion
Rhea Ripley, Australia
Promotions: Riot City Wrestling (RCW), Melbourne Championship Wrestling (MCW), DIANA, Sendai Girls, NXT (Live Events)
Titles: 2x RCW Women’s Champion
Meiko Satomura, Japan
Promotions: Sendai Girls, Stardom, GAEA, OZ Academy, Pro Wrestling EVE, Fight Club: PRO (FCP), CHIKARA, World Championship Wrestling (WCW)
Titles: FCP Champion (current), Sendai Girls World Champion, World of Stardom Champion, 2x AAAW (GAEA) Champion
Io Shirai, Japan
Promotions: Stardom, Sendai Girls, Lucha Underground
Titles: 2x World of Stardom Champion, 2x Wonder of Stardom Champion, 6x Artist of Stardom (trios) Champion, Goddesses of Stardom (tag team) Champion, Stardom World Alliance (SWA) Undisputed World Women’s Champion
Toni Storm, Australia
Promotions: Stardom, PROGRESS, wXw, Pro Wrestling EVE, MCW, NXT UK
Titles: wXw Women’s Champion (current), World of Stardom Champion, PROGRESS Women’s Champion, SWA Undisputed World Women’s Champion, BEW Women’s Champion
Mia Yim, South Korea
Promotions: Impact Wrestling, SHIMMER, Beyond, Shine, WSU, SWE, RISE, QOC, Big Time Wrestling (California, BTW), Tidal Championship Wrestling (TCW)
Titles: Impact Knockouts Champion, Shine Champion, SWE Queen of Southside Champion, BTW Women’s Champion, Shine Tag Team Champion, TCW Women’s Champion (current),
Zatara, Chile
Promotions: Revolución Lucha Libre (RLL), 5 Luchas Clandestino, Imperio Lucha Libre, MAX Lucha Libre
Titles: 2x RLL Women’s Champion, RLL Regional Champion, RLL Tag Team Champion, MAX Extreme Champion, MAX Tag Team Champion (current)
Zeuxis, Puerto Rico
Promotions: CMLL, The Crash Lucha Libre, REINA, DIANA
Titles: REINA-CMLL International Champion (current), CMLL Mexican National Women’s Champion, REINA-CMLL International Junior Heavyweight Champion, 3x REINA-CMLL Tag Team Champion
On Tuesday afternoon, several competitors in the Mae Young Classic this year were showing off selfies of work done by the WWE Glam Squad – the WWE’s official make-up team – presumably for photos for the tournament.
https://twitter.com/Sienna/status/1026887937487777792
Dear @WWEGlamSquad,
You all work so incredibly hard & based off of all of us taking 57 selfies, it’s safe to say we love you!
💜 #MYC #MaeYoungClassic #Evers pic.twitter.com/JfXjYKG4pk
— Rachael Ellering (@RachaelEllering) August 7, 2018
Lights, camera, actions🎬 #BTS shots with @WWEGlamSquad
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-#AWholeLotOfWoman #MJJenkins #WWE #MYC2 #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/vdc8mlRaDY— 𝓜𝓸'𝓝𝓲𝓺𝓾𝓮 𝓙𝓮𝓷𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓼 (@RealMJJenkins_) August 6, 2018
One interesting selfie that emerged was that of Britt Baker, the indie standout who teams with former Knockout Champion Chelsea Green (aka Laurel Van Ness) in Fire & Nice, as well as works for such promotions as SHIMMER, RISE Wrestling, Bar Wrestling and Japan’s Stardom. She’s a former 2x Women’s Champion with her home promotion, Pittsburgh’s International Wrestling Cartel (IWC) and former WrestleCircus Big Top Tag Team Champion alongside her real life boyfriend, NXT North American Champion Adam Cole. The interesting part is that Britt Baker wasn’t announced for the Mae Young Classic this year, so this may be an indicator she’s one of this year’s alternates, of which the WWE usually has four of in case of injury.
https://twitter.com/RealBrittBaker/status/1026893076969791488
