Madison Rayne reveals reaction to being chosen for Mae Young Classic

What's the story?

Former Impact wrestler Madison Rayne has said how she cried after being chosen by WWE to compete in the second annual Mae Young Classic.

In case you didn't know

Rayne (who is being billed by WWE as Ashley Rayne) is a 5-time TNA Knockouts Champion, as well as a 2-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion.

The heart of the matter

Speaking to TV Insider, Rayne how she felt like she had turned into such a crier over the last couple of years.

"I don’t know if it’s because I’m a mother, but I cried and cried. It just feels really good after 13 years of really hard work and trying to find out who exactly I wanted to be in the ring and figure out exactly what I wanted my career to look like and what story I wanted to tell."

Rayne also spoke about how she contemplated retiring at the end of 2016 and had a discussion with her husband, former WWE commentator and current commentator for Impact, Josh Matthews,

"I never wanted to be a competitor who was starting to decline in the ring before they started to realize maybe it’s time," Rayne said.

The tournament will see 32 female wrestlers from across the world compete, a fact that Rayne did not take lightly.

She said: “I’ve been on all women's wrestling shows before. This is 32 of the top women in professional wrestling. It’s wrapping your brain around that for being selected among the top 32 women in the entire sport of professional wrestling. It’s incredibly humbling and motivating."

What's next?

The 2018 Mae Young Classic will be the second Classic, with the tournament finals scheduled to take place at the upcoming all-female WWE Pay Per View Evolution.

Evolution will take place at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, and will feature women from RAW, SmackDown Live, NXT and NXT UK.

Last year's classic saw Kairi Sane defeat current-NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler to win.