10 Pivotal Moments from the Women's Evolution in WWE

#6 Showcasing female talent with the Mae Young Classic tournament

The competitors of the first Mae Young Classic.

Tournaments have always had a special place in pro wrestling lore. For example, the Crockett Cup was once the pinnacle of tag team excellence in the NWA territories. Japanese promotions are particularly fond of tournaments, but they can be found in other parts of the world as well. In fact, most of WrestleMania IV is taken up by a one night single elimination tournament to crown a new WWE World Champion, which was won by Randy Savage.

In 2017, WWE announced it would be holding the inaugural Mae Young Classic, and all female single elimination tournament showcasing the best in international women's wrestling. The Mae Young Classic proved to be a huge hit for WWE Network, and has been critically acclaimed for both the quality of the wrestling and the old school presentation.

The Mae Young Classic set the bar very, very high for the WWE women's roster, and also led to the signings of some high profile talent such as Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane.