Tag: Mae Young Classic

WWE Hall Of Famer Joins Mae Young Classic Announce Team

WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze (Madusa) noted on Instagram this week that she was involved in The Mae Young Classic in some fashion, as seen in the post below.

Fellow Hall of Famer Jim Ross revealed on the latest edition of his Ross Report podcast that Madusa will be joining he and Hall of Famer Lita for commentary on The Mae Young Classic.

The Mae Young Classic begins taping this Thursday and Friday at Full Sail University. We will have live spoiler coverage on both nights.

Madusa posted the following on the Classic yesterday:

Awesome day at the office !! Working hard putting things together and having a little fun at the @maeyoungclassic @wweperformctr #photo #shooting

Source: WrestlingINC

Former TNA Stars Added To Mae Young Classic, Parade of Champions

Former TNA stars Santana Garrett, Marti Bell, Lei’D Tapa and Barbi Hayden have been added, as have Ayesha Ray, Jessica James, Miranda, Renee Michelle, Mercedes Martinez, Kay Lee Ray and Nicole Savoy. According to Squared Circle Sirens former UFC bantamweight Shayna Baszler, who embarked on a pro wrestling career in 2015, has been added. A Mae Young Classic Parade of Champions to introduce all 32 competitors will take place on Facebook Live this Thursday, while the tournament will be taped this Thursday and Friday at Full Sail University.

Source: WrestlingINC

Former UFC Star Shayna Baszler Added To Mae Young Classic?

Former UFC bantamweight Shayna Baszler, who embarked on a pro wrestling career in 2015, has been added to the Mae Young Classic, according to Squared Circle Sirens.

WWE Confirms 2 More Names For Mae Young Classic

WWE has confirmed 2 more names for the upcoming Mae Young Classic.

20-year-old Australian phenom, Team 3-D Academy alumna added to Mae Young Classic

WWE’s inaugural Mae Young Classic just added two more names to its impressive list of competitors. Australian phenom Rhea Ripley and fierce veteran Sage Beckett have been announced as part of the 32-woman tournament that will stream exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network, beginning Monday, Aug. 28.

Ripley and Beckett join an impressive group of entrants that already includes Kairi Sane, Tessa Blanchard, Abbey Laith, Taynara Conti, Jazzy Gabert, Kavita Devi, Toni Storm, Princesa Sugehit, Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan, Bianca Blair, Piper Niven and Dakota Kai.

Just 20 years old and already sporting a resume full of in-ring accolades, Rhea Ripley is a wrestling prodigy. The hard-hitting Australian was a standout soccer player in her youth, making her uniquely prepared for a career of throwing hard kicks.

In addition to having competed in her home country of Australia and Japan, Ripley is also a two-time Riot City Women’s Wrestling Champion.

Sage Beckett is as tough as they come. The in-ring veteran of 10 years not only trained under ECW Originals Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley at their Team 3-D Academy, but she has taken the hardcore philosophy to heart while revitalizing her squared-circle career.

Beckett found considerable success competing in various promotions like WXW Elite and Shine before deciding to retire in 2012. Still yearning to do battle between the ropes and unleash pain on her opponents, she made her return in 2014, coming back 130 pounds lighter. Behind her new lean and mean appearance, Beckett is making the most of her second squared circle go-around that she hopes will crown her the inaugural Mae Young Classic winner.

 

Mae Young Classic Gets New Logo

WWE updated the logo for The Mae Young Classic.

The company quietly changed the MYC logos on their social media pages, as well as on WWE.com, to reflect the new look/color scheme.

Other Wrestlers Added To Mae Young Tournament

Kairi Sane (formerly Kairi Hojo) of Japan will be joined by two other international wrestlers, Dakota Kai of New Zealand and Piper Niven of Scotland, as well as NXT star Bianca Belair in the Mae Young Classic. Belair defeated Aliyah to earn a spot in the tournament.

Mae Young Classic field widens with addition of international sensations, including Japan’s Kairi Sane

An internationally feared pirate has set course for NXT and the Mae Young Classic.

Twenty-eight year-old Kairi Sane, nicknamed “The Pirate Princess” in her home country of Japan, where she is one of the most celebrated women’s wrestlers of the modern era, announced today that she has signed with NXT and will compete in this summer’s global women’s tournament.

Sane broke the news via a video message that played on the big screen inside Ry?goku Kokugikan Sumo Hall, the site of today’s WWE Live Event in Tokyo.

Formerly known by the alias Kairi Hojo, Sane has wrestled for five years and was a multi-time champion in the Japanese organization Stardom. Her pirate persona is inspired by her elite background in yachting: Before entering the mat game, Sane competed in the yachting world championship and was considered an Olympic hopeful. Though Sane has often carried a spyglass to the ring, it’s her highlight reel-worthy diving elbow drop — thought by many to be the most beautiful in the world — that has navigated her to many milestone victories.

Sane, however, is not the only new blockbuster entrant confirmed for the Mae Young Classic. Joining her are two other international sensations, Dakota Kai of New Zealand and Piper Niven of Scotland, as well as NXT Superstar Bianca Belair, who won a Qualifying Match to earn her berth in the Mae Young Classic.

Auckland, New Zealand’s Dakota Kai has held titles not just in her native country, but also in Australia, Japan and the United States (including the SHIMMER Tag Titles with NXT Superstar Ruby Riot). The 10-year veteran, also known as “The Captain of Team Kick,” is famous for her wide variety of strikes, including a running Yakuza kick that, in GIF form, has taken on a life of its own among wrestling fans. She came into WWE’s orbit once before, in a 2015 loss to Nia Jax on NXT. Two years later, she is now a recruit at the WWE Performance Center and looking to prove she belongs for good this time.

Hailing from Ayrshire, Scotland, Piper Niven (photo courtesy of Dod Morrison) is an experienced powerhouse who has competed across numerous promotions, including Shine, SHIMMER and Glasgow-based Insane Championship Wrestling. Drawn to sports-entertainment at an early age thanks to the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Chyna, Niven played contact sports in her youth, setting the foundation for her eventual in-ring debut in 2008. She is revered for her high-impact offense, which includes senton splashes, powerslams and a signature Michinoku Driver.

Bianca Belair, of Knoxville, Tenn., qualified for the Mae Young Classic with a recent victory over NXT Superstar Aliyah. (Watch the match in its entirety, below.) Calling herself the “EST of NXT,” Belair claims to be the strongest, fastest and toughest woman on the Performance Center roster. Before joining WWE in 2016, she competed in track and field at University of South Carolina, Texas A&M and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and she is a regional CrossFit competitor who has been featured in RX Magazine. Prior to making her NXT debut, she shined in last year’s inaugural Performance Center Combine, putting up amazing numbers such as a 400-pound trap-bar deadlift and a 2.07-second 10-yard sprint.

Today’s additions bring the total number of confirmed Mae Young Classic entrants to 13. The tournament, which will be announced by WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Lita, debuts on WWE Network on Monday, Aug. 28.

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE Announces Lita Will Join Jim Ross On Commentary For The Mae Young Classic

Image result for Jim Ross & Lita Mae Young Classic

WWE announced that Lita will be joining Jim Ross to announce the upcoming Mae Young Classic.

 WWE has announced that the first-ever Mae Young Classic women’s tournament will stream exclusively on WWE Network, starting Monday, Aug. 28, with the first four episodes available on demand. Episodes five through eight will be available on demand on Monday, Sept. 4. The final match will stream live from Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 10 p.m. ET.

The Mae Young Classic will be called by WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross, who will be joined on color commentary by four-time Women’s Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Lita. The tournament, named after WWE Hall of Famer and one of the greatest WWE Superstars in history, Mae Young, will feature 32 of the top female competitors from around the world participating in a single-elimination tournament.

“The Mae Young Classic is a unique and exclusive offering for WWE Network subscribers and further highlights our ongoing commitment to the ‘women’s evolution’ in sports and entertainment,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events and Creative. “It’s a privilege to showcase these talented women from around the world and to provide them with an opportunity to shine before a global audience on WWE Network.”

Competitors announced thus far include Toni Storm from New Zealand; Princesa Sugehit from Mexico; Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan, Tessa Blanchard, and Abbey Laith from the United States; Kavita Devi from India; Jazzy Gabert from Germany; and Taynara Conti from Brazil.

WWE Network will also stream an exclusive special entitled, Mae Young Classic: Bracketology immediately following SummerSlam, on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 11 p.m. ET.

Fans can watch the Mae Young Classic and all of WWE Network’s programming by signing up at WWENetwork.com.

WWE Reveals More Names For The Mae Young Classic Including Daughter Of WWE Hall Of Famer

WWE has confirmed 5 more wrestlers for The Mae Young Classic, which films next month from Full Sail University. The following names were confirmed today:

* Abbey Laith (formally known as Kimber Lee)
* Tessa Blanchard
* Jazzy Gabert
* Taynara Conti
* Kavita Devi

WWE previously confirmed Toni Storm, Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan and Princesa Sugehit (Sujei) for the tournament.

International powerhouses, Performance Center standouts and third-generation grappler named to Mae Young Classic

The anticipation for WWE’s inaugural Mae Young Classic continues to grow with the announcement of five more entrants into the tournament, as first reported by ESPN.com.

Third-generation wrestler Tessa Blanchard, hard-hitting veteran Abbey Laith, black-belt judoka Taynara Conti, international bruiser Jazzy Gabert and Great Khali protégé Kavita Devi are the latest additions to the Classic, which streams this summer, exclusively on WWE Network.

They will join Toni Storm, Princesa Sugehit, Lacey Evans and Sarah Logan, who were announced last week for the 32-woman tournament.

Twenty-one-year-old Tessa Blanchard, of Charlotte, N.C., may be new to the WWE Universe, but her last name isn’t. The daughter of WWE Hall of Famer and Four Horseman Tully Blanchard, granddaughter of wrestler-turned-promoter Joe Blanchard, and stepdaughter of NWA legend Magnum TA, Tessa decided to follow in the family trade after watching her father’s Hall of Fame induction in 2012.

Since her 2014 debut, Blanchard has competed across the globe, including in the U.K., China, Japan and the Maritimes (where she once wrestled 23 nights in a row). She has even garnered praise from The Rock, whom she worked with on the set of the movie “Fighting with My Family.”

Abbey Laith grew up admiring revolutionaries like Lita, Chyna and Ivory, but the WWE Performance Center standout — renowned for her strikes and suplexes — will have a chance to break new ground of her own in this summer’s Classic. Coming to wrestling with an extensive background in dance, particularly ballet, Laith began training for the ring while working toward a bachelor’s degree in dance education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Laith, who counts WWE Cruiserweight Drew Gulak as one of her original coaches, developed into wrestling royalty on the independent scene. She captured titles in SHIMMER Women Athletes and Shine Wrestling and became the only woman to hold the Chikara Grand Championship before joining the Performance Center earlier this year.

A newcomer to sports-entertainment, 22-year-old judo master Taynara Conti might be one of the Classic’s least-seasoned wrestlers inside the ring. However, the Performance Center recruit isn’t lacking world-class combat-sport experience.

Conti spent years honing her martial arts skills in her native Brazil, eventually being promoted to black belt in judo and blue belt in jiu-jitsu. She competed in the 2016 Olympic trials in judo, and though Conti narrowly missed the cut, her thunderous throws helped put her on the radar of WWE talent scouts. Having trained under WWE coaches since last October, Conti will get her first chance at The Mae Young Classic to show the world what happens when a decorated judoka enters the ring.

Representing Germany in the Classic is Jazzy Gabert, a muscle-packed, 6-foot-1 brawler who has wrestled internationally for more than 15 years. A strongwoman and professional MMA fighter outside the ring, the bruising Berliner has achieved her greatest success in Europe and Japan.

Gabert is a multi-time champion in Japan’s Stardom organization, and she is currently a women’s champion for groups in Germany and Switzerland. In MMA, she has fought under the banners of the Rizin Fighting Federation and IFO Europe.

 

Kavita Devi is a powerhouse student of former World Champion The Great Khali. Hailing from Jind, Haryana, India, the 5-foot-9 Devi is a top competitor in Khali’s Punjab-based organization, Continental Wrestling Entertainment. She gained the attention of WWE talent scouts at a tryout this past April in Dubai.

Devi was an accomplished kabaddi player in high school and is also a competitive powerlifter. In 2016, she won gold in the 75 kg weightlifting division at the South Asian Games. Inside the ring, Devi has racked up victories using a head-caving roundhouse kick.

Source: WrestlingINC

NXT Signee Kimber Lee Gets New Name

kimber lee new name nxt wwe abbey laith

NXT Signee Kimber Lee has been given a new name.

Kimber will now be known as Abbey Laith, as she changed her Twitter handle/name on Wednesday to make it official. She also tweeted saying, “Well guys….. there’s been a change.”

While her personal site still links back to the old moniker, everything else is reflective of Laith.

Abbey signed with WWE earlier this year along with Ruby Riot. She had been recently been using her real name Kimberly Frankele on shows, but it appears Laith is the permanent name going forward.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

https://twitter.com/AbbeyLaithWWE/status/877557926466125825

Laith is expected to be apart of the first ever Mae Young Classic.

On the independent scene, known as Kimber Lee, she teamed with current Impact Wrestling Star Allie (Cherry Bomb). They was known as The Kimber Bombs.

Image result for Kimber bombs

WWE Reveals First Four Competitors For Mae Young Classic

WWE has officially released the first four names to be included in this year’s 32-women Mae Young Classic.

International standout Toni Storm, NXT Superstars Lacey Evans and Sarah Logan, and lucha libre champion Princesa Sugehit are the first four competitors officially confirmed for WWE’s inaugural Mae Young Classic.

The announcement brings into focus the global scale of the 32-woman tournament, coming this summer to the award-winning WWE Network.

The tournament will be taped on July 13 and 14 at Full Sail University with a live finals on September 12.

Click in this link for more info on these four competitors.