The WWE's United Kingdom Championship tournament proved to be successful both in terms of promoting as well as developing upcoming wrestling talent in the UK. Because of this, the WWE will hold a similar a tournament for female wrestlers some time in early 2017.
The WWE is targeting a summer schedule for their women's tournament, said WWE vice president Triple H in an interview with the Wrestling Compadres Slamcast. Tryouts have already been in progress for the past couple of weeks. The competition will be taped at Full Sail University, as opposed to unfolding live like the UK tournament.
Triple H did not drop any names during his interview, but rumors are already circulating regarding who the potential entrants in the tournament will be. He did reveal that a number of participants for the competition would be scoured from all across the globe. Female wrestlers from the WWE Performance Center will also be considered so they may garner more exposure.
Wrestlers being touted for the upcoming WWE women's tournament include, but are not limited to Kimber Lee, Evie, and Nixon Newell, among others, according to Wrestling Inc. Deonna Purrazzo, Heidi Lovelace, and Rachel Ellering may also feature in the tournament. There is also a chance that veterans of professional wrestling will do battle with the up and comers in this tournament.
The competition will play out in a similar fashion to last year's WWE Cruiserweight Classic, which featured multiple knockout rounds until only one wrestler remained. Those who manage to impress will be signed on to the WWE, to grow in either their performance center or under the NXT brand. There is even a chance for those who are already developing with the WWE to move up to the main roster.
The landscape of female wrestling has undergone a drastic change for the better over the past couple of years. This has been the case not only in the independent circuits, but also in larger promotions like the WWE as well. Just recently Charlotte and Sasha Banks stole the show from male competitors when they took part in the first-ever female Hell in a Cell bout.
Watch Natalya defend her WWE Divas Championship title against Eve Torres, Layla and Michelle McCool back in Royal Rumble 2011: