WWE Announces ‘Mae Young Classic’ Women’s Wrestling Tournament

WWE has long been rumored to be planning a women’s only wrestling tournament. Earlier today, WWE gave the first details from their tournament, which they’re dubbing the ‘Mae Young Classic.’ Women from all across the world will compete to be labeled the best in the business, and most likely a win WWE contract as well. The last tournament WWE hosted like this, was the Cruiserweight Classic, a 32 man tournament featuring talent from global indie promotions. That tournament was very widely praised and the conclusion of it ushered in a newly invigorated Cruiserweight Division within WWE.

Mae  Young was a world-class performer, and enjoyed a career that lasted over 50 years. She was a pioneer throughout her storied career, and was even a central part of the Attitude Era. Honoring her with a women’s tournament not only shows her importance to the business, but also a renewed focus on women’s wrestling by WWE.

WWE stands to benefit tremendously from an influx of women competitors. The women’s divisions from both Raw and Smackdown has already started to suffer with the same matchups being presented week in and week out. Even after the “Superstar Shake Up”, matches are becoming stale, and the division is becoming stagnant. 

This is where the ‘Mae Young Classic’ comes into the picture. Being able to put the spotlight on the women’s division, while simultaneously highlighting the future stars of it. The tournament will feature 32 Women competing from across the globe in a single elimination tournament. The entire tournament will be streamed exclusively on the WWE Network, and will be broadcast on July 13th and 14th.

Executive VP Of WWE Triple H said “The Mae Young Classic will mark a significant moment in the evolution of WWE.” He went on to say, ““We are proud to provide this unique opportunity for the best female talent from around the world.” 

I’m excited to see who will be included in the field of 32 women, and most importantly the insane work rate from some of these women. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, May 26th at 10AM ET. Head on over to www.nxttickets.com, to snag yourself some tickets to witness history!