*Newcomer Taylor Rising teams with Natalia Markova to face NWA Women’s tag champs Pretty Empoered (Ella Envy & Kylie Paige) at NWA* ***SAMHAIN*** *pay-per-view, Sat., Oct. 28 in Cleveland.*

The 2023 Burke Invitational Gauntlet was a star-studded affair.

Though ultimately won by Kenzie Paige, the annual event saw the returns of Heather Monroe and former Women’s World Champion Allysin Kay. It was also Max the Impaler’s first official outing as Women’s TV champion.

In addition, the Burke Invitational also marked the National Wrestling Alliance debut of Taylor Rising. One of the hottest free agents in Canadian independent wrestling, Rising wasted no time diving head-first into the jam-packed NWA women’s division.

In just a few short years as a professional, Rising has become a standout in the Ontario wrestling scene. During that time, she’s amassed victories over such names as Taylor Wilde, B3CCA, Jody Threat and even Alex Shelley.

Rising’s performance in the Burke Invitational clearly impressed. Mere days later, she received a shot at Max the Impaler’s TV title on NWA Powerrr.

Though Rising posed a game challenge, she was no match for “The Warlord of the Wasteland.” After the victory, Max continued to assault the recent arrival — prompting Natalia Markova to make the save.

Now the unexpected pairing of Rising and Markova have become top contenders to the NWA World Women’s Tag Team titles. The powerful new duo will challenge Pretty Empowered for the belts at SAMHAIN, the Oct. 28 NWA pay-per-view in Cleveland, OH.

Whether or not these international bombshells capture NWA gold is yet to be seen. What’s undisputed, though, is Rising has quickly found her footing in a highly-competitive field of contenders.

With the eyes of the NWA on her, all expect to see Taylor rising to the top sooner rather than later.