As the Mae Young Classic II takes shape WWE has announced another legend will enter the field.
A joshi power house, Meiko Satomura will participate in this year’s competition.
This is what WWE had to say about her:
Meiko Satomura, a 23-year veteran who is considered the final boss in Japan — the one opponent that every starry-eyed wrestler strives to defeat — is now confirmed for this year’s global tournament, Tokyo Sports reported.
A living legend in the Far East, Satomura began training for the ring in 1994 at age 14. She made her professional debut the following year and stands as one of the few active competitors whose origin dates to Japan’s thunderous women’s wrestling boom in the 1990s. Viewed as a top prospect from day one, Satomura even competed in WCW early in her career. Mentored by Chigusa Nagayo (one-half of the famous Crush Girls tag team), she also trained under catch-wrestling icon Billy Robinson.
Known for her debilitating Death Valley Bomb and explosive Scorpion Rising axe kick, Satomura is a master of Joshi Strong Style (the hard-hitting in-ring style associated with Japanese female wrestlers). As the founder of Sendai Girls Pro Wrestling, she has been a formidable advocate for women’s wrestling.
According to the co-owner of CMCagematch, WWE has been interested in Satomura for some time:
Regarding her participation in this year's #MaeYoungClassic Meiko Satomura told Tokyo Sports that she was first contacted by WWE by e-mail on 2011 around the time of the big Tohoku earthquake, but nothing came to fruition because she was struggling with her promotion Sendai Girls
— STRIGGA (@STRIGGA) July 27, 2018
This year during her excursion to England she got to wrestle Pete Dunne and also won the Fight Club Pro Title and WWE officials were overwhelmed with her performance which led to Satomura being brought in for the MYC.
— STRIGGA (@STRIGGA) July 27, 2018
Because Satomura runs her own promotion she'll think about in what way she can appear on future WWE events after the MYC is over. First and foremost she wants to get more eyes on Joshi Wrestling and hopes for a synergy effect to boost women's wrestling worldwide.
— STRIGGA (@STRIGGA) July 27, 2018
It was first reported in June by Tokoyo Sports that she’d be participating in the tournament.
This brings the total participants for the MYC to 20 stars, including:
- Toni Storm
- Kaitlyn
- Kacy Catanzaro
- Io Shirai
- Rhea Ripley
- Nicole Matthews
- Jinny
- Deonna Purrazzo
- Tegan Nox
- Jessica Elaban
- Reina González
- Kavita Devi
- Mia Yim
- Mercedes Martinez
- Killer Kelly
- Zeuxis
- Isla Dawn
- Lacey Lane
- Karen Q
Mae Young Classic II tapings will take place on Wednesday, August 8th and Thursday, August 9th from Full Sail Live in Orlando, Florida.
What do you think about this news? Are you excited for Meiko to make her debut? Who do you want to see her face? Sound off in the comments below.
