WWE: 2019 Mae Young Classic Status, Hidden Gems, WrestlePro Owner Hired as Producer

WWE Currently Working on Plans for This Year’s Mae Young Classic Tournament

As noted before, Triple H held a NXT TakeOver media call yesterday and another topic discussed was the current status of WWE’s Mae Young Classic tournament.

Triple H stated that WWE still has plans to hold a Mae Young Classic tournament this year and an official announcement will be made soon. He also stated that the reason for the lack of announcements and it not being held during the same time period as last year’s tournament was due to the company and himself being very preoccupied with other important work, like SmackDown’s move to FOX.

WWE Network Hidden Gems Addition

This week’s addition to WWE Network’s Hidden Gems series is Harley Race themed, featuring five classic matches and one classic segment.

The first gem is from an October 8, 1974 event from Championship Wrestling from Florida featuring a tag team match of Harley Race & Bill Watts vs. The Brisco Brothers.

CWF 10/08/1974 – Harley Race & Bill Watts vs. The Brisco Brothers
Harley Race teams with “Cowboy” Bill Watts to face the team of Jack and Gerald Brisco in this bout from Florida.

The second gem is from a January 25, 1978 NWA SuperBowl Of Wrestling event from CWF featuring a WWWF Heavyweight Championship vs. NWA World Heavyweight Championship Two-out-of-Three falls match of “Superstar” Billy Graham vs. Harley Race.

CWF 01/25/1978 – Harley Race vs. “Superstar” Billy Graham
Harley Race and “Superstar” Billy Graham put their respective championships on the line as they face off at the Superbowl of Wrestling.

The third gem is from an August 12, 1978 event from CWF featuring a NWA World Heavyweight Championship match of Jack Brisco vs. Harley Race (c).

CWF 08/12/1978 – Harley Race vs. Jack Brisco for Heavyweight Title
The World Heavyweight Championship is up for grabs as Harley Race defends the title against former champion Jack Brisco.

The fourth gem is from a November 14, 1980 event from Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling featuring a NWA World Heavyweight Championship match of Ric Flair vs. Harley Race (c).

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling 11/14/1980 – Ric Flair vs. Harley Race
Witness film highlights of Ric Flair going to war with the legendary Harley Race in front of a rabid audience.

The fifth gem is a never-before-aired segment from October 1, 1987 from WWF featuring Andre the Giant, Harley Race, and Frenchy Martin.

WWF 10/01/1987 – Superstars visit Napoleon’s tomb in Paris
See exclusive outtakes of Andre the Giant, Harley Race and Frenchy Martin visiting Napoleon’s tomb in Paris.

The sixth and final gem is from an October 23, 1987 event from WWF featuring a singles match of Harley Race vs. The Junkyard Dog.

King of the Yard
Harley Race faces The Junkyard Dog with Andre the Giant as the special guest referee in this match from Paris. (10/23/87)

WWE Recently Hires WrestlePro Owner as New Backstage Producer

The owner of New Jersey-based WrestlePro promotion, Pat Buck, reportedly has recently signed an official contract with WWE to work as a backstage producer for the company, according to PWInsider.

Prior to his hiring, Buck had worked as a guest coach for WWE’s Performance Center and had recently been invited to a Producer tryout, PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported.