The event was named in honor of the late Mae Young, a WWE Hall of Famer who is considered one of the pioneers of women's professional wrestling.

At a press conference during the weekend of WrestleMania 33, the American professional wrestling promotion WWE announced that a women's tournament would be taking place in the summer of 2017, with a total of 32 wrestlers competing.

The event was named in honor of the late Mae Young, a WWE Hall of Famer who is considered one of the pioneers of women's professional wrestling.

[4] In August 2019, WWE executive and NXT head Triple H confirmed that a 2019 edition of the Mae Young Classic was being planned.

[5] In October, WWE listed tickets for sale for November 2–3; however, the posting was later removed and the 2019 tournament never happened.