The bracket for the 2018 Mae Young Classic is almost completely set, as five more names were announced for the all-female tournament on Friday.
WWE.com has reported that Rachael Evers (Ellering), Zatara, Xia Li, Allyson Kay and MJ Jenkins are confirmed for this year’s MYC, bringing the total number of confirmed participants to 31.
Let’s take a look at the latest roster announcements.
Rachael Evers
An announcement certain to thrill the staff at Win Column Sports is that Rachael Evers - also known as Rachael Ellering - will be returning for her second straight Mae Young Classic. The 2nd generation superstar trained at the Storm Wrestling Acadamy in Calgary, making her debut for Alberta’s own Prairie Wrestling Alliance in November 2015. Since impressing in her initial matches with the promotion, Ellering has wrestled across the globe, facing off with independent stars like Tessa Blanchard and fellow Storm Acadamy graduate Gisele Shaw. The current MPW Women’s Champion is a powerhouse in the ring, and looks poised to improve on her second-round performance last year.
Zatara
One of the more intriguing names in this year’s Mae Young Classic is Chilean luchadora Zatara. The 10-year veteran is tenacious inside the squared circle, and is renowned for her striking ability. The 26-year old has won titles throughout South America, including becoming the first female Grand Slam Champion in RLL’s history last year. Now, Zatara looks set to make a huge splash in her United States debut.
Xia Li
Li is another name returning from last year’s Mae Young Classic. In 2017, the Chinese-born martial artist and fitness competitor made the transition to wrestling, signing with WWE and making her in-ring debut in the 2017 MYC. Since then, she’s appeared semi-consistently on NXT, even holding a victory over fellow Mae Young competitor Reina González. While less experienced than many in the field for this year’s competition, her tenacity in the ring gives her a ton of potential to surprise in this year’s tournament.
Allysin Kay
Another huge name joins the fold for the 2018 Mae Young Classic in Allysin Kay. Also known as Sienna, the two-time Knockouts Champion can definitely be considered an early favourite to win the entire tournament. The 10-year veteran brings a wealth of experience and powerhouse style to the ring, and is one of the more well-traveled wrestlers on the roster. The 8th ranked wrestler on the PWI Top 50 Females list is as imposing as it gets, and she’s a definite name to watch this year.
MJ Jenkins
Making her WWE debut in this year’s tournament is MJ Jenkins. The Brooklyn native recently signed with the WWE after years of appearing on the independent circuit and training under Johnny Rodz and the Dudley Boyz. The seven-year veteran has impressed in her short time with promotions including IMPACT and Shine, and looks poised to impress in her first tour of duty with WWE.
Here’s your current roster for the 2018 Mae Young Classic:
- Kaitlyn
- Rhea Ripley
- Io Shirai
- Kacy Catanzaro
- Nicole Matthews
- Jinny
- Deonna Purrazzo
- Tegan Nox
- Jessica Elaban
- Reina González
- Mercedes Martinez
- Kavita Devi
- Crystal
- Killer Kelly
- Mia Yim
- Karen Q
- Isla Dawn
- Zeuxis
- Lacey Lane
- Toni Storm
- Meiko Satomura
- Ashley Rayne
- Priscilla Kelly
- Xia Brookside
- Aerial Monroe
- Vanessa Kraven
- Hiroyo Matsumoto
- Rachael Evers
- Zatara
- Xia Li
- MJ Jenkins
- Allysin Kay
Stay tuned to Win Column Sports for more updates on the 2018 Mae Young Classic as they develop.
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