UPDATED: NXT’s Rhea Ripley Set For The 2018 Mae Young Classic

UPDATED: WWE has confirmed the news…

Australia’s Rhea Ripley to compete in Mae Young Classic 2018: NXT’s Rhea Ripley will make her second appearance in the Mae Young Classic, competing alongside 31 other women on WWE Network later this summer.

Coming on the heels of the announcement that former WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn will compete in the Classic, Ripley’s hometown newspaper, The Advertiser in Adelaide, South Australia, reported that the 21-year-old WWE Performance Center recruit will also take part in the international tournament.

Signed to the WWE PC last summer, Ripley entered the first Mae Young Classic as the youngest competitor in the field. The 5-foot-7 powerhouse defeated American Miranda Salinas with a full-nelson slam in the First Round before falling to New Zealand’s Dakota Kai in a closely fought match in the Second Round.

The hard-hitting Ripley, who began wrestling as a teenager and competed in Japan before joining NXT, is considered one of the strongest women in the WWE PC weight room. In addition to a wide arsenal of power moves, Ripley boasts wicked striking ability, which can be traced back her extensive background in soccer.

ORIGINAL: According to Adelaide Now, NXT’s Rhea Ripley has been chosen as one of the first participants for the 2018 Mae Young Classic. She competed in last year’s tournament as well. WWE announced yesterday that former WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn (Celeste Bonin) is conformed for the tournament. It has also been reported that Vernice Gabriel, a female star in the Philippines, has been booked for the Classic.