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When the Mae Young Classic debuted last summer, the world was abuzz with excitement for an all-female tournament and, needless to say, it was a huge hit! With the WWE Network special showcasing stars such as Shayna Baszler, Kairi Sane, Tessa Blanchard and Kavita Devi, it was undoubtedly great for both WWE talent and the WWE Universe alike.
The tournament was a huge success and hailed for showcasing the incredible quality of women's wrestling across the world right now on a huge stage, so much so that a sequel to the tournament was announced during WrestleMania 33 weekend. It was also recently announced that the final of this year's tournament would take place at WWE's first ever all women's pay-per-view - Evolution.
So, 32 women - none of whom are from WWE's main roster - competing on the WWE Network undoubtedly leaves people with many questions. With so many global superstars making their way to the ring, you can be forgiven for not being familiar with all of them.
Well, we've got you covered! Here's an introduction to every woman competing at the Mae Young Classic 2018.
NOTE: #32 has not been officially announced yet as she qualified at recent NXT tapings. If you do not want to see a spoiler, do not progress to #32
#1 Kaitlyn
The former Diva's Champion was the very first name announced for this year's Mae Young Classic, getting us off to an explosive start. Kaitlyn began her professional wrestling career in 2010 before making the jump to the main roster later that year.
Kaitlyn's feud with Eve Torres ended with her winning her first and only title in professional wrestling, losing the title at Payback 2013 against her friend and most famous rival, AJ Lee.
Kaitlyn, more recently known as Celeste Bonin, is also a very experienced power lifter and has undergone a huge transformation since she was last seen in WWE four years ago.
#2 Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley was the youngest competitor involved in last year's competition. The 5-foot-7 powerhouse slammed her way into the second round of the competition when she defeated Miranda Salinas with a full-nelson slam before falling to New Zealand’s Dakota Kai, also currently signed to NXT, in a closely fought match.
According to WWE, Ripley, who competed in Japan before joining NXT, is considered one of the strongest women in the WWE PC weight room and her strong striking ability can be traced back to her soccer playing background, a similarity she shares with one Nikki Bella.
#3 Kacy Catanzaro
Kacy Catanzaro may be the biggest name in terms of grabbing a mainstream audience, having gained notoriety from competing on American Ninja Warrior and twice being listed on Sports Illustrated’s “Fittest 50” list of the world’s best female athletes. Catanzaro has only recently signed with WWE and is relatively inexperienced, but has been praised for her incredible athleticism.
#4 Jinny
Jinny is one of the most unique stars in the tournament, and that's saying something! The Londoner wrestled in a WWE ring for the first time at the 2017 WrestleMania Axxess just three years into her career. Now, as the reigning women’s champion of the UK-based PROGRESS Wrestling, she'll return. Jinny also holds the distinction of being the first female graduate of PROGRESS’s wrestling school.
#5 Io Shirai
This is one that will definitely excite the hardcore fans, though, is one of WWE's newest signings - Io Shirai. WWE unveiled Shirai as their new recruit at a Live Event in Tokyo to a rousing reception as she's one of the most decorated wrestlers in the modern history of Japan.
The Genius of the Sky has captured countless titles in her home country and was named the top women’s wrestler for the past three years by national newspaper Tokyo Sports.
#6 Nicole Matthews
Nicole Matthews is a hard-hitting 12-year ring veteran from Vancouver and has wrestled in Canada, the United States, England, Japan and Australia against the likes of Becky Lynch, Asuka and Sara Amato.
#7 Tegan Nox
Tegan Nox will make her long-awaited WWE Network debut. Nicknamed “The Girl with The Shiniest Wizard,” the 23-year-old from Welsh Valleys signed with WWE last summer but tore her ACL in practice, sidelining the Welsh starlet for ten months and ruling her out of the inaugural Mae Young Classic. After a lengthy rehabilitation, Nox finally debuted at an NXT Live Event earlier this year and hasn’t looked back.
#8 Deonna Purrazzo
Deonna Purrazzo is no stranger to the WWE Universe, but looks likely to make her first ever appearance as a signed Superstar in this year's tournament. The five-foot-two Virtuosa has competed against stars such as Nia Jax, Bayley and Asuka, as well as wrestling all over the world on the independents and in Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling.
A reserve for last year's tournament, Purrazzo has wrestled in NXT several times as well as appearing on SmackDown and almost facing Alexa Bliss. Purrazzo also portrayed La Luchadora before Mickie James was announced as the star under the mask.
#9 Jessica Elaban
Jessica Elaban is a former collegiate volleyball player turned NXT rookie. Standing at 5-foot-10, Elaban has definitely turned heads since joining the WWE PC last May. Elaban has excelled at soccer, basketball, track and dance but is a relative newcomer to the squared circle.
#10 Reina González
Another returning wrestler is second generation hard-hitter Reina González. The 6-foot-tall daughter of Ricky “Desperado” González only made it to the first round last time round, but the former basketball player did see some huge praise come her way from WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross for her aggression.
#11 Mercedes Martinez
Mercedes Martinez returns to the Mae Young Classic hoping to better her performance last year where she defeated China’s Xia Li, Mexico’s Princesa Sugehit and America’s Abbey Laith, only losing to her protégé and current NXT Women’s Champion, Shayna Baszler, in the Semifinals. An 18-year ring veteran, Martinez is one of the most decorated stars of this year's tournament.
#12 Kavita Devi
Kavita Devi became the first ever female Indian superstar to make it to WWE last year when she both competed in the Mae Young Classic and signed to WWE, only to make even more history back in April when she was part of the first ever Women's WrestleMania Battle Royal.
While Devi was eliminated from the competition by Dakota Kai in the opening round last year, she has still been able to make quite an impact in her short time in WWE and continues to fly the flag for India as the protege of former World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali.
#13 Mia Yim
Another returning star is Mia Yim. The dangerous striker from Fontana, California represented South Korea in 2017’s tournament, pinning Sarah Logan in last year’s opening round but also falling to NXT Champion Shayna Baszler. Yim suffered a leg injury in late 2017 that forced her to adjust her style, but drew on her taekwondo background and, with almost a decade of wrestling experience, is one to watch!
#14 Killer Kelly
Killer Kelly made her WWE Network debut in June at NXT’s events at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Portuguese-born striker is known for her devastating kicks and spine-bending suplexes. The 26-year-old has a heavily MMA influenced style and holds the distinction of being the first women’s champion in the history of Germany's Westside Xtreme Wrestling promotion.
#15 Zeuxis
Zeuxis is a ten-year ring veteran with 800 matches under her belt, and mixes traditional lucha libre with strong style in the ring. The “Puerto Rican Power” star frequently ends matches with a top-rope Spanish Fly and is a multi-time champion in Mexico and Japan. Last year, she also defeated Princesa Sugehit from last year’s Mae Young Classic in a Mask vs. Mask Match.
#16 Isla Dawn
Scotland’s Isla Dawn burst onto the WWE scene when she competed at the WWE UK Championship Tournament special on WWE Network. The “modern-day witch” has a kickboxing and dance background, making her very intriguing to watch in the ring. Dawn boasts Goldust as one of her influences, and was encouraged to transition to the squared circle after SmackDown Live's Killian Dain saw her act in a play.
#17 Lacey Lane
Lacey Lane is touted by WWE as "one of the most well-rounded athletes in the entire Mae Young Classic" and recently joined the WWE Performance Center as a new recruit. Lane was a member of the 2012 NCAA Division II championship basketball team at Shaw University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Lane was trained by WWE Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz and is no stranger to the the independent scenes in both the US and Mexico.
#18 Karen Q
Karen Q is a "tough, cunning, energetic, acrobatic and just flat-out entertaining" star, as WWE calls her, but the Chinese American star isn't just impressive in the ring, boasting a master’s degree. Q is a very technical talent but she peppers performances with breathtaking aerial assaults, too. Q's finisher is the Spring Roll, her take on the Boston Crab.
#19 Toni Storm
Toni Storm returns to the Mae Young Classic after challenging NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler last month in England. The Australian nine-year ring veteran made it to the Semifinals last year, earning three straight victories before falling to tournament winner Kairi Sane.
Storm’s technical grappling has a very "British" feel to it, and the 22-year-old's mix of snap suplexes and high flying gives her the distinction of not only being one of the most well-rounded stars in the tournament, but possibly even a favourite to win.
#20 Meiko Satomura
Meiko Satomura is possibly one of the most surprising announcements of the tournament. A 23-year veteran who is considered the "final boss" in Japan, the person you must defeat in order to become a legend.
Satomura started training in 1994 at the age of 14, debuting the following year and is one of the few active competitors whose origin date back to Japan’s women’s wrestling boom in the 1990s. Satomura has also competed in WCW and is known for her debilitating Death Valley Bomb and explosive Scorpion Rising axe kick. Satomura is a master of Joshi Strong Style and is the founder of Sendai Girls Pro Wrestling.
#21 Ashley Rayne
Ashley Rayne, also known as Madison Rayne, is a 13-year ring veteran from Columbus, Ohio, and a five-time Knockouts Champion. Wrestling in Japan, the UK, mainland Europe and the United Arab Emirates, Rayne is one of the tournament's most formidable and experienced stars. Rayen has has crossed paths with the likes of former WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James in the past and her finishing move, the Cross Rayne, is a vicious rolling cutter aiming, seemingly, to decapitate her opponent.
#22 Priscilla Kelly
Priscilla Kelly's unique look is matches only by her unorthodox style in the ring. The 21-year-old of Moon Creek, Georgia has only been wrestling for three years but her grappling and physical prowess are complemented by her wicked mind games, making her one of the biggest wildcards of the competition. Kelly's inclination to lick and bite her opponent to gain the edge makes her difficult to prepare to face.
#23 Xia Brookside
And from one of the youngest women to be announced, to THE youngest. Xia Brookside will be the youngest woman to compete in the Mae Young Classic at only 19-year-old.
Brookside, as you may have worked out, is the daughter of NXT Performance Center coach Robbie Brookside and hails from Leicester, England. Even at 19, Xia is a decorated champion with a wealth of experience. Brookside meshes British grappling techniques with a hard-hitting Japanese strong style in the ring.
#24 Hiroyo Matsumoto
Hiroyo Matsumoto, formerly known as Lady Destroyer and Lady Godzilla, was ranked the 25th best women’s wrestler in the world in 2017 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and has 12 years of experience behind her. Matsumoto is revered for her power and technical proficiency, and once held four championships simultaneously.
#25 Aerial Monroe
Aerial Monroe enters the tournament with only three years of experience, but with the distinction of being a veteran of the US Air Force. Monroe trained for the ring under Cedric Alexander and southern wrestling legend George South, and goes by the name Big Swole. Monroe has a full arsenal of high-power kicks and her speciality is Dirty Dancing - a ripcord forearm smash.
#26 Vanessa Kraven
Montreal’s Vanessa Kraven definitely brings something very different to the tournament. Known as The Mountain as she stands at 6-foot-2, Kraven may be the most intimidating wrestler in the tournament. The Mountain has 14 years of experience under her belt, notably wrestling in Canada’s International Wrestling Syndicate (where Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn cut their teeth) and SHIMMER Women Athletes and Shine Wrestling. Kraven is a hard-hitter and her signature move is the Cliffhanger Chokebomb - a two-handed sit-out chokeslam.
#27 Zatara
Zatara is a super-aggressive luchadora from Santiago, Chile, with ten years of experience and several championships behind her. Zatara has also wrestled in Mexico City’s world-famous Arena Mexico. The 26-year-old's finisher is a running knee strike to the back of the head.
#28 Xia Li
Xia Li of China made her in-ring debut at last year’s Mae Young Classic and is one of WWE's first ever WWE signings. Li was a top-flight competitor in the Chinese martial art of wushu before joining the WWE Performance Center in January 2017. Li's MYC debut came against one of this year's returnees, Mercedes Martinez.
#29 MJ Jenkins
MJ Jenkins is one of WWE's newest recruits. Jenkins has seven years of experience on the independent scene as well as competing in Impact Wrestling, and trained under WWE Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz and Johnny Rodz.
#30 Allysin Kay
Allysin Kay, formerly known as Sienna, is a heavy-hitting five-foot-ten wrestler with a unique look to match her in-ring style. Kay is a two-time Knockout Champion and has wrestled in countries like China, India, Mexico, England and Japan, where she once shared a dojo apartment with Sarah Logan and WWE PC coach Serena Deeb.
#31 Rachel Evers
Another returning competitor is "The One Woman Minnesota Wrecking Crew” Rachel Evers who is the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering and a protégé of Lance Storm. Evers medaled in powerlifting before pursuing sports-entertainment which is evident in the ring from her fallaway powerbombs and the modified spinebuster she calls the Graveyard Smash.
SPOILER AHEAD: #32 has not yet been confirmed as she qualified at recent NXT tapings. Do not progress if you do not wish to know what happens.
#32 Taynara Conti
The final competitor qualified when she defeated Vanessa Borne at recent NXT tapings to qualify for the tournament. Taynara Conti is WWE's first ever Brazilian wrestler and competed at last year's Mae Young Classic, competing against Lacey Evans in the first round. Conti also appeared at WrestleMania in the Women's Battle Royal and has been one of NXT's hottest prospects since debuting, even entering into a rivalry with Nikki Cross. The 23-year-old holds a black belt in judo.
