Kaitlyn Returning to WWE for Mae Young Classic

Former WWE Divas Champion, Kaitlin is coming back to Vince McMahon’s company after a four-year hiatus. On Wednesday the 31-year old was announced as the first participant in the second annual Mae Young Classic.

ESPN first reported Kaitlyn, real name Celeste Bonin, was officially making her comeback after spending recent years starting a clothing line, a YouTube channel and competing in Coastal Championship Wrestling.

“The thing that got me through [as a rookie in WWE] and the thing that allowed me to achieve my level of success was my attitude, and looking back now, I am coming back with experience,” Bonin said. “I am certainly nervous because the level of competition is so much higher and there are so many different women from around the world and they bring skill levels. But it’s just so exciting.”

Bonin won the third season of NXT 2010 and was Divas Champion in early 2013. She’d retire form the company just months after reaching its pinnacle.

“Since I came back, I had the opportunity to work backward and really nail down the fundamentals and the basics — things that I really lacked during my first run with the WWE,” Bonin said. “Now I am bringing these newly honed and developed skills that I have acquired recently and I am combining that with my fearless attitude. And because I don’t have this rookie vibe about me, now I can really concentrate on surprising the WWE universe with all the things I have learned.”

The Mae Young Classic is set to tape on August 8th and 8th from Full Sail University. Now that Kaitlyn has been announced WWE will soon reveal the full roster for an event that made a star out of Kairi Sane and Shayne Balzer in its first installment. So while it may not have the same firepower as Raw or SmackDown, the Mae Young Classic will certainly be significant.

“The highs and lows and the adrenaline rushes and the quick thinking on your feet — it came rushing back to me,” Bonin said. “Anytime you step back in the ring, it’s the same rush and you never get used to it. There is always this fear and this question of ‘Oh, my gosh, can I do this?’ And to me that’s part of what makes it amazing.”

While there is no confirmation if Bonin will stick around past the tournament, she seems to be ignited in her new pursuit.

“It’s about finding things that drive you and fuel you,” she said. “And you can work 18 hours a day or however many hours a day and still want to go back to the ring or do lifts in the gym. As long as you’re passionate about it, you feel happy, and to me that’s the balance.”

“It’s seen so many different types of women of all different shapes and sizes with different skills and techniques that it is so exciting to be a part of that world again.”

Photo: WWE