Hello, ladies and gentlemen, it’s me TWB and I am the prediction guru of SLTD Wrestling, whether it be NXT, NJPW or WWE, if you want previews and predictions I’m your man. Today I will be giving my top three picks for the upcoming Mae Young Classic which began tapings on Wednesday 8th August (no word yet on when the episodes will air) so let’s get down to business and begin with my number three selection.
3. Kaitlyn
The former WWE Divas Champion is returning for the 2nd annual Mae Young Classic and for the core WWE fans, she is the most recognisable name out of the 32 competitors. Kaitlyn who made her name in WWE after winning the 3rd series of NXT and had a ground-breaking feud with her friend turned rival AJ Lee during her 4-year stint on the main roster.
However, she left WWE in early 2014 and has only wrestled once on an indie show since then. The women’s division has evolved since Kaitlyn left WWE, but in my opinion, she was one of the stars of the roster between 2010-2014. I personally think it shouldn’t take her too long to get back into her old groove and shake off any ring rust.
With the Mae Young Classic final set to take place on the all women’s PPV Evolution, don’t be shocked if the former Divas Champion reaches the final and possibly mark her WWE return with a victory in the Mae Young Classic.
2. Deonna Purrazzo
Deonna Purrazzo is a familiar face and name for WWE fans, in the last few years, she has made several appearances in NXT and a one-off appearance on Smackdown. She is one of WWE’s newest recruits after being signed to NXT and it’d make sense for the talented 24-year-old to have a solid showing in the Mae Young Classic.
Purrazzo despite her young age has already built a strong reputation for herself, after already competing for top promotions in the world such as ROH, TNA and the Japanese women’s promotion Stardom. Last year Purrazzo was an alternate for the inaugural Mae Young Classic, but this time around, I believe she’ll be a favourite to win.
1. Io Shirai
Io Shirai is one of the best female wrestlers in the world and now she is following the footsteps of fellow Japanese stars Asuka and last year’s Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane into WWE.
Shirai who was supposed to join WWE in 2017, had medical issues with her neck which meant she couldn’t compete in last year’s tournament, but now it seems that she has gotten over any and all health issues and WWE have been able to snap up one of biggest names in female wrestling.
Although it may be a carbon copy of last year with another Japanese wrestler taking home the trophy, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think Shirai is and probably will be the best wrestler out of every competitor she should win the tournament and if her future is to be a bright one, have her wrestle an excellent match at Evolution, let the casual fans know who she is and make her into a big star that she should be.
These are my predictions for the upcoming Mae Young Classic, who do we think will win the tournament? Feel free to comment below, tweet me @callumowen98, follow @sltdwrestling for live tweeting and wrestling based discussion, until next time I’ve been The Wrestling Brain and I’ll be back soon.
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