From the Rumor Mill: WWE Women's Tournament taping dates set
What’s the story?
PWInsider.com have reported that the WWE Women’s Tournament will be taped over two days in July. Full Sail University will host the entire tournament, with taping set for July 13 and 14.
The report also states that the episodes will be released on the WWE Network at once, as opposed to on a weekly basis like the WWE Cruiserweight Classic in 2016.
In case you didn’t know...
Following on from the success of the 2016 WWE Cruiserweight Classic, the biggest wrestling promotion on the planet announced that it had plans to hold further divisional tournaments on the WWE Network in the future.
The WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament was held in January 2017 to great critical acclaim, and over WrestleMania weekend, WWE confirmed that a 32-woman tournament would take place over the summer.
The heart of the matter
The WWE Women’s Tournament will thus be taped at Full Sail University on July 13 and 14. According to PWInsider, the current plan is to hold the finals of the tournament on a live WWE Network special at the end of August, with August 29 the most likely date.
Whilst the taping dates for the tournament are now known, it remains to be seen who will make up the 32-woman field for the tournament. Rumours continue to swirl that WWE is interested in well-known independent talents such as Mia Yim and Candice LeRae, but the prevailing feeling is that the field will follow a similar pattern to the Cruiserweight Classic.
There will be well-known names nestled alongside more obscure talent, with the performers hailing from all corners of the globe.
The news that WWE will release the sets of episodes at once as opposed to on a weekly basis is arguably the biggest takeaway. This will represent WWE’s first attempt at releasing in-ring content in such a way on the network, and if it proves successful it could change the way WWE approaches similar tournaments in the future.
What’s next?
All eyes will now be on WWE as fans wait to see who will take part in the tournament. PWInsider is reporting that a number of talents are already undergoing background checks, and more details are expected to be released sooner rather than later.
It also remains to be seen who will take over announcing duties for the show; it can be assumed that WWE will want a respected female voice at the desk for the tournament. Until WWE itself announces further details, everything is pure conjecture.
Author’s Take
The WWE Women’s Tournament is going to be a hugely intriguing event. Whilst the majority of the Cruiserweight Classic competitors were known to wrestling fans worldwide, there is a chance that some truly obscure talent could get a major stage on which to shine.
With the women’s division on both main rosters somewhat struggling, this tournament could re-ignite a revolution that sorely needs a boost.