Had the expected First Round of a 32-Person Tournament Blues, but this was fun.
I just met 32 new wrestlers. Cool!
Steph McMahon does the opening video voiceover, all hail The Queen.
Can we give it up for big wrestling tournaments for a second? So much fun.
Why has everyone got to do a silly pose?
Lots of short matches here. Majority were 5 minutes and under.
JR just doesn’t sound excited about wrestling anymore. Best to just tune everything out. Love Lita but what’s with her being one of WWE’s most prominent on-screen analysts?
Was interesting to note those they have tape of and those they don’t. Maybe that’s just me.
All Round 1 matches in this first batch of episodes, 4 matches a show.
Mae Young Classic – Season 1 Episode 1 (8/28/17)
1. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Kay Lee Ray vs. Princesa Sugehit
For generic theme songs Kay Lee Ray’s was pretty sweet. This was an ideal first match as these two just stiffed each other to get you into the women’s wrestling. Had a fast pace, crowd popping for everything. Dug the spot with Kay Lee offering the short Sugehit a test of strength and Sugehit getting in her face. They got some nice near falls off the Koji clutch and Gory Special later on, helps when nobody is quite sure what your finish is. Kay Lee did a Swanton! Fun stuff. **3/4
2. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Serena Deeb vs. Vanessa Borne
This was a fine high-energy Main Event match, complete with heel beatdown of questionable quality and chinlock. All about the Serena comeback story, liked her just WRESTLING early on to keep the control, as well as her massive bump off Borne’s headbutt on the apron. Borne doing headbutt offense is cool but, like, they’re also hard-selling that she was a cheerleader. A headbutting cheerleader has potential but I just don’t trust WWE to get the subtleties right to really sell it. This did exactly what it had to, garnering a little sympathy for Comeback Story Serena leading to an actual comeback. She took a HUGE bump into the corner!! Borne taking a backdrop and getting right up is probably something I should get angry about, but I also liked her look of disgust at Serena’s hand being raised post-match. **1/2
3. Shayna Baszler vs. Zeda
Shayna Baszler has confidence and credibility and I am all in. Liked her taking out the hair tie, smiling in amusement at Zeda’s attempts at offense. Not positive Zeda was the right person to shoot fight with her first though. Flipped out for Baszler’s NASTY suplex into sleeper. ** match, **** squash.
4. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Jazzy Gabert vs. Abbey Laith
This was pretty much all amazing. Awesome giant vs. underdog sprint, Gabby does a bunch of cool power stuff but Laith’s selling of everything totally made this, both her big bumps and absolutely SHOCKED facial expressions. Tons of great moments here. Jazzy comes out to an “OOOOH” reaction to the crowd, reaction to a wrestler’s size and look in 2017 is always phenomenal. They do a spot early with Laith just taking elbows and coming back at Jazzy again and again which has the crowd going NUTS. Jazzy is something else, loved her TIGHT reverse headlock towards the end. Abbey winning with the Alligator Clutch was the cherry on top. Great drama, great character stuff, raucous crowd, and then post-match they have an intense staredown and HUG. Love the wrestling. ***1/2
Mae Young Classic – Season 1 Episode 2 (8/28/17)
1. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Mercedes Martinez vs. Xia Li
This is Xia LI’s FIRST MATCH EVER, and probably says a good thing about WWE’s faith in Mercedes that Xia is opposite her. I saw Mercedes Martinez win the IWA Mid-South Women’s Title back at the Frontier Fieldhouse back in 2004 and it is so cool seeing her do her thing here. Of course, Xia has a god damn cringey-ass Chinese theme song. The first minute of this was probably a better squash than Shayna’s earlier, just total wrestling domination by Mercedes. Most of the rest of the 5 minutes were some decent strikes by Xia (outside of the trash Superman punch) and great sells by Mercedes. Didn’t necessarily work as a great showcase for Mercedes the sports entertainer but did work as a showcase of how impressive a wrestler she is. **
2. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Rachel Evers vs. Marti Belle
Marti isn’t a very convincing heel, though I appreciated the attempt. This is a pretty basic match, totally worked as a wrestling contest but not much stood out. Good fire by Rachel, who had the built-in fanbase. **
3. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Rhea Ripley vs. Miranda Salinas
A fun quick little match between two folks I see a ton of potential in. Lita’s line on Rhea Ripley really says it all: “20 years old, man.” Already has the presence. Salinas meanwhile knows to do extra shit while being put in and applying headlocks and took a HUGE bump off a dropkick so I am into it. Dug her attitude in the video package too. **
4. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Sarah Logan vs. Mia Yim
Who knew Crazy Mary Dobson had the accent of a ZZ? This was a lot of fun, two of the more seasoned pros in the tourney who wrestled like it. Yim was throwing some sweet strikes, Sarah was bumping like a total pro, JR said Tajiri was Mia Yim’s trainer which I am pretty sure is completely false. Great intensity towards the end, loved the spot where they were just elbowing and kicking the hell out of each other. ***
Mae Young Classic – Season 1 Episode 3 (8/28/17)
1. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Toni Storm vs. Ayesha Raymond
“My name is Toni Storm, and I’ve got one hell of an attitude” ARGGGHHH DON’T DO IT. I liked their milking of the handshake spot here more than anything else. Toni got in a few spots. Ayesha re-positioning herself on a different top rope got her some heel heat, and then it ended. Not much here but Toni’s over. *3/4
2. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Dakota Kai vs. Kavita Devi
Kavita is no polished professional wrestling pro but this worked as an introduction to underdog Dakota. Liked Devi’s shtick being using her power, including a PRESS SLAM, but also randomly doing an armdrag off the top rope. Dakota gets in her two big moves (Helluva Kick and Coup de Grace) and wins. *3/4
3. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Bianca Belair vs. Sage Beckett
“I’m not a witch, I’m a shaman” says Sage – oh DEAR! Like the last two matches here, it worked well enough just not much to it. Liked a lot of Sage’s offense, thought it connected well. she threw a kneelift!! Don’t think there was enough babyface charisma/selling on Bianca to make this actually good but she did the pony tail thing so whatever. *3/4
4. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Santana Garrett vs. Piper Niven
Piper’s little nudge to Santana off the clean break, nice. They did some fun stuff with a WRISTLOCK, baby – trying to control it, Santana ducking shots, Piper LIFTING Santana. Piper is fucking awesome, get her in the system. Can chain wrestle, has charisma, takes an awesome ass bump, throws a wonderful god damn crossbody. Santana’s a lot of fun too – crazy athletic, awesome strikes – I was just more taken by Piper here. Think it was the bright blue outfit. Great build to and near fall off the frankensteiner. Fun fun FUN!!! ***1/4
Mae Young Classic – Season 1 Episode 4 (8/28/17)
1. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Candice LeRae vs. Renee Michelle
It’s Maria Bamford, I mean it’s Candice LeRae! I’ve heard way too much about Candice LeRae to think she’s not any good and she certainly looked good in what was essentially a squash for her. Took some bumps, hit some strikes. Renee definitely a gal who has only been wrestling a couple years. *3/4
2. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Lacey Evans vs. Taynara Conti
JR had a decent line early on – lots of experience in life, not of wrestling. Always dig seeing judo throws in my wrestling but this was kind of ugly. Finish looked sweet. *1/4
3. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Nicole Savoy vs. Reina Gonzalez
Was not expecting to see UWF footage with Ricky Gonzalez enhancement matches on the Mae Young Classic. Savoy threw a couple decent strikes and suplexes but this didn’t click. Gonzalez’ “aggression” wasn’t much. *
4. Mae Young Classic – Round 1: Kairi Sane vs. Tessa Blanchard
Kairi is THE STAR. My god she is the living embodiment of Legend of fucking Zelda or something, all in on her. Plus, “Please cheer for me.” Tessa did some fun stuff – aping Tully with the hidden closed fist, the wild Codebreaker off the turnbuckle, her elbows. But this was the Kairi show – crowd was all about her, she sold her ass off, and when it was time for the offense she NAILED IT. Wish they filmed it better but she might have a better phenomenal forearm than AJ. Plus she has a spot where she marches!! SHE MARCHES!!! Also – the ELBOW DROP. God damn. ***
A few stinkers, but these first four episodes and sixteen matches introduced the right people and were a good time. Jazzy Gabert/Abbey Laith and Santana Garrett/Piper Niven were the stand-out matches, and I liked the Shayna Baszler squash a lot. Plus, the four 50-minute episodes flew right by.
I counted 15 folks who really impressed me, which is a heck of a batting average – Shayna Baszler and her credibility, Jazzy Gabert and her look, Abbey Laith and her wrestling, Mercedes Martinez and her veteran ability, Rachel Evers and her fire, Rhea Ripley and her presence, Miranda Salinas and her instincts, Sarah Logan and her bumps, Mia Yim and her strikes, Toni Storm and her over-ness, Dakota Kai and her underdog-ness, Piper Niven and her everything, Santana Garrett and her athleticism, Candice LeRae and her connection with the crowd, and Kairi Sane and her star power.
