Predicting the WWE Women’s Tournament Field
By Tim Sherry
New Zealand
Slowly but surely, the country of New Zealand has managed to piece together a very solid wrestling scene. There are currently 10 active promotions throughout the nation and one, Impact Pro Wrestling, brings live, weekly television shows to its fans. The history of wrestling in New Zealand is small but it is currently trying to get up to speed with the entire wrestling world. The 2 girls listed below are two of the brightest, shining stars they have and exposure in the tournament could be the push they need.
Toni Storm – Auckland, New Zealand
In April, we detailed which independent stars that the WWE should sign, with one of those 5 stars was Toni Storm. There was a very simple reason I chose Storm for that list: she’s potentially the top female prospect on the planet. At just 21 years-old, the Auckland native has already been in the sport for 6 years and looks like she gets better every day. She’s currently wrestling under the STARDOM banner and has already won their SWA Undisputed championship, besting the likes of the aforementioned Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo.
With the amount of attention, Storm is starting to attract it’s no surprise that the WWE has had their eye on her. She’s had two tryouts in 2014 and 2015 but being that she was only a teenager at the time, my guess is that she was seen as too young. But since then, she has become a budding phenom and one that isn’t too far from the bright lights. Her inclusion would be an absolute no-brainer.
Evie – Auckland, New Zealand
Another superstar already signed to the WWE roster, 29-year-old Evie has yet to debut on NXT other than a squash match against Nia Jax in October of 2015. Since signing in December of last year, the 9-year veteran seemed close to ready for NXT action but that hasn’t happened yet. What better time to debut than the tournament? When she does eventually make the jump, she has the potential to be a massive fan-favorite. She’s fast, athletic, and has that energetic charm that’s very infectious. Add in her stiff kick regimen and you can see what the WWE saw in her. Another thing to add, and this shouldn’t matter but truthfully it does, she has stunning good looks. These are all traits of a future star.