Source: www.F4WOnline.com

By Joseph Currier | @josephcurrier | Jul 30, 2018 11:43 am


Three more participants have been announced for the Mae Young Classic, including a wrestler who challenged for Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor's Women's titles this month.

Madison Rayne, Priscilla Kelly, and Xia Brookside were confirmed for the tournament today. Rayne was announced as "Ashley Rayne," with Ashley being her real first name. She's a five-time Knockouts Champion in Impact and lost a title match to Su Yung at Slammiversary XVI on July 22. Rayne was put in a coffin by Yung and Yung's undead bridesmaids after the match.

The night before Slammiversary, Rayne unsuccessfully challenged for Sumie Sakai's Women of Honor Championship at a set of ROH television tapings. She'll also be wrestling at All In on September 1.

Rayne attended a tryout at the WWE Performance Center in October 2017.

Kelly is an indie wrestler who plays a goth-inspired character and is part of the EVOLVE roster as a manager. Brookside, who is 19 years old and is the daughter of WWE Performance Center trainer Robbie Brookside, is from England and has already wrestled all over the world, including for Stardom in Japan.

There are eight participants left to be announced for the Mae Young Classic before the tournament is taped at Full Sail University on August 8 and 9. The finals will then take place at WWE Evolution in Long Island, New York on October 28.

Here's the updated MYC lineup:

Kaitlyn
Rhea Ripley
Io Shirai
Nicole Matthews
Jinny
Kacy Catanzaro
Deonna Purrazzo
Tegan Nox (formerly known as Nixon Newell)
Jessie Elaban
Reina Gonzalez
Taynara Conti (won a qualifying match at NXT TV tapings)
Mia Yim
Mercedes Martinez
Kavita Devi
Killer Kelly
Zeuxis
Isla Dawn
Lacey Lane
Karen Q
Toni Storm
Meiko Satomura
Madison Rayne
Priscilla Kelly
Xia Brookside

Impact talent working the WWE show. I wonder if they'll promote each other

cero2k wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 18:39 Impact talent working the WWE show. I wonder if they'll promote each other

I don't think Madison is working for anyone. She worked ROH a few weeks ago, too. And, to be honest, neither ROH nor TNA should really be booking her. She's just... not exciting. She feels like a midcard from the previous generation who was never particularly great in the first place that both ROH and TNA tried to tell us was some sort of big deal. She's exactly the sort of woman they should be staying away from.

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 18:44

cero2k wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 18:39 Impact talent working the WWE show. I wonder if they'll promote each other

I don't think Madison is working for anyone. She worked ROH a few weeks ago, too. And, to be honest, neither ROH nor TNA should really be booking her. She's just... not exciting. She feels like a midcard from the previous generation who was never particularly great in the first place that both ROH and TNA tried to tell us was some sort of big deal. She's exactly the sort of woman they should be staying away from.

Madison is the KOs' booker (last i heard) and was just in the title match at Slammiversary, and i think while Josh Matthews is commentator, she'll always have a spot with Impact. I think her appearance in ROH was kinda like Aries' as in Impact is ok with guys working other places.

As for her talents, I do agree, but there's also a ton worse women out there being booked coughROHWomensChampCough, and I do kinda like her new 'mom' gimmick as a underdog babyface, kinda limited, but it can go places.

cero2k wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 22:49

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 18:44

cero2k wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 18:39 Impact talent working the WWE show. I wonder if they'll promote each other

I don't think Madison is working for anyone. She worked ROH a few weeks ago, too. And, to be honest, neither ROH nor TNA should really be booking her. She's just... not exciting. She feels like a midcard from the previous generation who was never particularly great in the first place that both ROH and TNA tried to tell us was some sort of big deal. She's exactly the sort of woman they should be staying away from.

Madison is the KOs' booker (last i heard) and was just in the title match at Slammiversary, and i think while Josh Matthews is commentator, she'll always have a spot with Impact. I think her appearance in ROH was kinda like Aries' as in Impact is ok with guys working other places.

As for her talents, I do agree, but there's also a ton worse women out there being booked coughROHWomensChampCough, and I do kinda like her new 'mom' gimmick as a underdog babyface, kinda limited, but it can go places.

The ROH women's champion is a problem for similar reasons, but at least her history is in ROH. And in ROH in particular, when you've already got a bland, old-generation champion, the last thing you need to be doing is bringing Madison Rayne in for random title shots.

As for Madison booking the Knockouts... they've got both Callis and D'Amore running the company but they need a third person to book the women? Come on! This is not a three-person job, never mind a twenty-seven person job.

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 23:22

As for Madison booking the Knockouts... they've got both Callis and D'Amore running the company but they need a third person to book the women? Come on! This is not a three-person job, never mind a twenty-seven person job.

It's a division on it's own, it doesn't have to take the whole roster in account, so i'm not so sure Callis needs to or is working with the KOs directly if at all, so D'Amore and Rayne booking the KOs sounds perfect to me. WWE's biggest mistake with women's wrestling is that it's always booked by dudes who only know 3 gimmicks, friendly chick, heel diva, & crazy. Regardless of who is coming up with the stories and deciding who goes over, a women's perspective is quite valuable. NXT has Death Rey and it works.

cero2k wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 23:52

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Jul 30th, '18, 23:22

As for Madison booking the Knockouts... they've got both Callis and D'Amore running the company but they need a third person to book the women? Come on! This is not a three-person job, never mind a twenty-seven person job.

It's a division on it's own, it doesn't have to take the whole roster in account, so i'm not so sure Callis needs to or is working with the KOs directly if at all, so D'Amore and Rayne booking the KOs sounds perfect to me. WWE's biggest mistake with women's wrestling is that it's always booked by dudes who only know 3 gimmicks, friendly chick, heel diva, & crazy. Regardless of who is coming up with the stories and deciding who goes over, a women's perspective is quite valuable. NXT has Death Rey and it works.

Death Rey doesn't book, and you're forgetting that Steph was the head of WWE Creative for a very long time. It's not about gender; it's about WWE's limited perspective.

Next 3-Hiroyo Matsumoto, Ariel Monroe, and Vanessa Kraven.

surprised for Matsumoto, happy for Monroe (aka Amber Nova), never liked Kraven

Here's the current latest-

Zatara, Allison Kay, Xia Li, Rachel Evers, and MJ Jenkins.

You'd think Evers would get signed at one point, merely off of her two last names (the WWE one and the everywhere else one).

Paul Ellering's daughter lol.

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Aug 4th, '18, 21:15 You'd think Evers would get signed at one point, merely off of her two last names (the WWE one and the everywhere else one).

WWE passed on Tessa Blanchard too, who is arguably a big name for indie women. I have no idea why they haven't signed either

Put them with a heel turn Natalia after they cost Rousey a match, female Legacy.

Do it with a arrogant narcissist twist on generational blood and lack of respect there of, and it's literally perfect in and out of kayfabe. Especially using Rousey of all people as stated, and with...that one PPV coming.

Xia Brookside is also in. Your friendly neighborhood reporter here, and remember: "It is NOT his birthday, and it IS NOT, HER birthday!!!"

cero2k wrote: ↑Aug 5th, '18, 08:41

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Aug 4th, '18, 21:15 You'd think Evers would get signed at one point, merely off of her two last names (the WWE one and the everywhere else one).

WWE passed on Tessa Blanchard too, who is arguably a big name for indie women. I have no idea why they haven't signed either

With Tessa the report was that they thought she had an "attitude", which was the same problem they had with her father and her boyfriend, but they've signed the boyfriend now, so I assume they'd be open to Tessa if she hadn't just signed with TNA.