It was announced by WWE earlier today that former Divas Champion Kaitlyn is the first official entrant in this year’s Mae Young Classic, and according to AdelaideNow.com, another name has been confirmed for this year’s tournament.
The site is reporting 21-year old NXT talent Rhea Ripley, who competed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic, will once again be competing in the tournament.
While WWE has yet to officially announce Ripley for this year’s Classic, she commented on competing in this year’s tournament with the following:
“I’m still myself, I’m still a mosh-pit kid and I still go out there and have fun — but now I want to win,” she said.
“I’m that little bit more seasoned, that little bit angrier … no more ‘nice Rhea’, now it’s ‘I want to win Rhea’.
“And anyone who’s standing in my way, well, they’re going to get ripped apart.”
Ripley, an Adelaide, Australia native, also spoke about her time in NXT and at the Performance Center so far, noting she has become close with fellow Aussies Shane Thorne and Nick Miller, aka, The Mighty.
“It was insane, my Twitter was blowing up more than ever,” said Ripley after her participation in the first Mae Young Classic.
“A lot of people said they considered me the ‘dark horse’ of the first tournament and that my match was the best of the tournament, which made me feel amazing.
“I left my heart and soul in that ring and to come out with people becoming fans of mine makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something … it really does warm my heart to know that people enjoy my work.”
Adelaide Now