Bianca Belair Injured, Will Miss Mae Young Classic

One of the faster-rising athletes in the NXT women’s division has just been placed on the injured list. Bianca Belair will miss the upcoming Mae Young Classic and a scheduled #1 contenders match with a back injury.

WWE’s Sarah Schreiber broke the news earlier today.



The update only stated that Belair was dealing with a back injury. There is no timetable for her return.

Belair was scheduled to face Nikki Cross, Candice LeRae, and Kairi Sane in a fatal 4-way match to determine the new #1 contender for Shayna Baszler’s belt. With Belair removed, the match will now be contested under triple threat rules.

It is also not clear if this injury is legitimate or part of a storyline. Lars Sullivan’s reported broken jaw from Takeover: Chicago has since been reported as only part of a storyline. Belair and Montez Ford were married late last month and the injury angle could be a way to explain Belair’s absence from television due to a honeymoon. That is only speculation, however.

Belair defeated Sage Beckett in the first round of the Mae Young Classic last year. She lost to the eventual tournament winner, Kairi Sane, in the second round, however.

She has steadily moved up the rankings in NXT as well. At the moment, Belair is 7-0 in single’s matches on NXT programming. She has defeated Lacey Evans, Latoya Allsopp, Jessix Hill, Miss Drew Renee, Candice LeRae, Aliyah, and Dakota Kai.