WWE has announced Japanese legend Meiko Satomura for the 2018 Mae Young Classic. The 38-year-old veteran started the pro wrestling promotion Sendai Girls with Jinsei Shinzaki in 2006. She has also appeared for Chikara since 2016. She started her pro wrestling career in 1994 at 14-years-old and is known for her Joshi Strong Style.
The recent addition of Satomura joins a list of competitors including Toni Storm, Isla Dawn, Zeuxis, Lacey Lane, Karen Q, Mia Yim, Killer Kelly, Mercedes Martinez, Kavita Devi, Kaitlyn, Io Shirai, Rhea Ripley, Kacy Catanzaro, Nicole Matthews, Jinny, Tegan Nox, Deonna Purrazzo, Jessie Elaban and Reina Gonzalez.
So far WWE has announced 20 names for the 32-woman tournament. Crystal was on the list but her name was removed from WWE's lineup. The 2018 Mae Young Classic will take place at Full Sail University on August 8th and August 9th with episodes airing later this summer.
Below is WWE’s announcement on Meiko Satomura:
Mae Young Classic 2018 adds Japanese legend Meiko Satomura
A head-kicking demigod of the Japanese wrestling scene is headed to the Mae Young Classic.
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.
With such vast experience, Satomura may just be the most daunting competitor to be named to the Mae Young Classic yet. Stay tuned to WWE.com in the coming days and weeks for more details on this summer’s hotly anticipated tournament.
