Mae Young Classic – September 12, 2018: Read All About It
IMG Credit: WWE
Mae Young Classic
Date: September 12, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Beth Phoenix, Renee Young
This isn’t really a show that needs much of an introduction. There are four matches on each episode and you might have heard of some of the women before. We’re still a good way off from the finals or even the later rounds but that doesn’t mean what we’re getting isn’t any good. I had a fine time with the first week so hopefully this lives up to that standard. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We open with a recap of last week’s show.
Preview of tonight’s matches.
Opening sequence.
The announcers take some time to explain a little bit about Mae Young. Not the worst idea actually.
All matches are first round matches.
Priscilla Kelly likes to play mind games and then strike.
Deonna Purrazzo was an alternate last year and is ready to prove herself for real this time. She’s a new NXT regular so you can imagine where things are going here.
Samoa Joe is here.
Priscilla Kelly vs. Deonna Purrazzo
You can tell Vince isn’t paying attention as Cole calls Purrazzo a wrestler. Kelly looks a bit Elvira-ish, which works to a certain degree. Apparently she was also on three episodes of “My Big Fat Roman Gypsy Wedding.” I have no idea what to do with this information so we’ll move on to Kelly snapmaring her down but getting caught in a wristlock. Purrazzo bounces out of a headscissors on the mat and it’s already a standoff.
A rollup gives Purrazzo two and Kelly is getting annoyed at the speed. It’s too early for the Fujiwara armbar so Kelly chops away in the corner. A running knee gives Kelly two and it’s off to a dragon sleeper. Purrazzo gets a boot up in the corner and chops away, followed by a backflip into a basement dropkick. Kelly is rocked and the Fujiwara armbar (with Purrazzo bouncing up and down on the mat to crank on it more) makes her tap at 4:27.
Rating: C. The match was fine, albeit never in doubt, but it mainly served as a showcase for Purrazzo. She might not be the best in the world (though she’s quite good) but she has an obvious likability to her and that makes her fun to watch. There’s a real chance of her making a pretty deep run in this thing. Kelly was reminiscent of Paige and that’s not a bad place to be. She’ll get better with time.
Purrazzo is in tears over the win. That makes things even better.
Aerial Monroe is proud of her muscles and she’s different from everyone else. I’d love to hear someone say they’re like everyone else for a change.
Zeuxis is a luchador and that’s about it.
Natalya is here. She’s standing in front of Izzy but that isn’t even acknowledged.
Zeuxis vs. Aerial Monroe
Monroe dances to the ring and her husband and daughter are here. That’s a little more noteworthy when you consider that her husband is Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander. Aerial isn’t happy with Zeuxis going after her hair, threatening to pop her in the mouth. A few clotheslines miss and Monroe knees her in the face(ish) for two. Zeuxis ges for the hair again so Aerial chops her down. Fans: “YOU GOT CHOPPED!” Well yeah, that’s kind of obvious.
Cole reads off more of his factoids as the match itself is ignored because we need to get these personalities over. An abdominal stretch has Aerial in trouble as Beth tries to actually talk about the match. A fish hook camel clutch, with more hair touching, keeps Aerial in trouble. Aerial is right back with a delayed kick to the face and a running Downward Spiral. Zeuxis doesn’t seem to mind and catches Aerial on top with a super Spanish Fly for the pin at 4:03.
Rating: D+. The wrestling wasn’t great to put it mildly here and Zeuxis seemed like a pretty standard villain. Aerial certainly has some charisma and a unique look but she’s going to need a bit more than that to make it work. I wasn’t particularly impressed by either of them here, though Io Shirai is going to kill Zeuxis in round two anyway.
Aerial’s daughter is crying over the loss. Well that works.
Reina Gonzalez is a rather big (as in tall) woman who lost in last year’s tournament. She won’t be as nice this year.
Kacy Catanzaro is a tiny little thing who was a success on American Ninja Warrior. She sounds like the face version of Alexa Bliss and that’s not the best thing in the world.
Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan are here.
Kacy Catanzaro vs. Reina Gonzalez
Kacy is very bubbly and climbs the post to get in the ring. Makes sense and a nice little touch. Cole instead talks about how USA Today broke the news that Kacy would be in the tournament, because EVERYONE CARES ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. Kacy is 5’ and 100lbs, putting her only at Reina’s shoulder. For some reason Kacy decides to charge right at her and gets swung around by the neck.
Kacy scores with a headscissors and tries another, only to be reversed into a hard backbreaker. Apparently Reina has been VERY annoyed at all of the attention on Kacy. Like, the attention from USA Today! A hard forearm to the back drops Kacy again but an elbow misses. Some dropkicks to the knee have Reina reeling and a middle rope springboard dropkick gets two. A quick victory roll gives Kacy the pin at 4:47.
Rating: D+. I know Kacy is going to get the hype and I can understand why, but Reina is someone who has earned a contract of her own. Sometimes you just need a big woman who can make others look small and that’s what they had here. Kacy is as charismatic as you can get but being Rey Mysterio’s size isn’t going to do her any favors.
Post match Reina puts Kacy on her shoulder.
Mercedes Martinez made the semifinals last year and isn’t here to lose. Well I would hope that’s the case every year.
Ashley Rayne (Madison Rayne) is high energy but things can get under her skin. There are some clips from TNA but just the photographer is credited.
The Undisputed Era is here.
Ashley Rayne vs. Mercedes Martinez
In case you were wondering, Newsweek broke the news that Mercedes would be in the tournament. You know, like she was last year. Mercedes cranks on the arm to start and puts on an early chinlock. Back up and something almost like a One Winged Angel (just lifting her up instead of on the shoulder) rocks Rayne for two and it’s off to a double underhook stretch. The announcers talk about Martinez’s tattoos until Rayne makes it to the corner but can’t hit a tornado DDT.
A very delayed vertical suplex puts Rayne down for two but she’s fine enough to reverse the second into an RKO (called a neckbreaker). Martinez gets two more off a spinebuster so Rayne comes back with some forearms and a neckbreaker. An actual neckbreaker that is and not a cutter. Cross Rhodes gets two and Martinez’ fisherman’s buster is reversed into a small package for the same. Martinez is done with the TNA reject though and knees her in the face, setting up the fisherman’s buster for the pin at 7:34.
Rating: C. Easily the match of the night here but that’s probably due to Rayne being more used to the higher level of competition. The match still wasn’t great but Martinez is a great choice to push in the tournament as she looks like someone who could take out anyone at any given time. That being said, you would have expected a little more than a first round loss from Rayne, who was one of the higher level names in the whole thing.
Overall Rating: D. This was a hard one to get through and I was rather bored at different times. The wrestling wasn’t very good and the main event was the only match worth seeing. Other than that, the whole thing felt like a bunch of people who were just there because they were being included because they already worked for the company or because they needed to fill in spots. Pretty weak show, but you can never guess the quality when it comes to a tournament.
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