Mitchell’s WWE Mae Young Classic Report! (8/28/17)

Episode 3: The Opening Round, part 3

Steven Mitchell
Aug 29, 2017 · 10 min read
Halfway through the first round, the second half begins!

All images courtesy of the WWE Network streaming service

OFFICIAL RESULTS

  • Ayesha Raymond VS Toni Storm; Toni wins and advances.
  • Dakota Kai VS Kavita Devi; Dakota wins and advances.
  • Sage Beckett VS Bianca Blair; Bianca wins and advances.
  • Santana Garrett VS Piper Niven; Piper wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

The first sixteen competitors have been cut down to eight, who will be the next four to move on to the second round?

The “Deadlift Diva” London Amazon and the Aussie Lightning are about to tear it up, only one will make it to the second round in one piece. Handshakes not given, neither woman wants to play nice. The bell rings, the fans are strongly behind Toni, Ayesha gives her a shove. Waistlock from Toni, Ayesha arm wrenches out, puts Toni in a headlock, takeover, the fans cheer Toni on and she slips her way out of the hold to give her a second chance at that handshake. To then take it away. Ayesha kicks Toni, wrenches the arm, clubs away at it, Toni slips out and bridges, roll and flip to reverse the hold. Ayesha breaks that with power and gives stiff shots before things speed up, Toni gets Ayesha with a running Yakuza Kick! Ayesha is staggered, snapmare to a sassy hip bump. And another! And with some swivel, another! Ayesha staggers to a corner, Toni runs in but takes a boot, Ayesha gives her a big sidewalk slam. Ayesha drags Toni up by her hair, then scoop slam, TWO. Ayesha stomps on Toni, drags her up, whips Toni to a corner, and crushes her with a corner clothesline. Ayesha chokes Toni on the ropes as fans rally for the Aussie, so Ayesha brings her up with a double choke grip. Toni headbutts out of that, gets to a corner, Ayesha ends up opposite of her. Ayesha runs in, Toni dodges, Toni runs back in and sets Ayesha up for the draping backstabber!

Toni fires the fans up, gets opposite corner and runs in for the big hip attack. She drags Ayesha out, Northern Lights suplex throw, kip-up from Toni. Toni climbs up, “Aussie Aussie Aussie! OI OI OI!” Toni takes aim, but Ayesha gets her with a right hand and throws her down. The fans boo and jeer as Ayesha goes up, she gets down so she can talk back at them. Ayesha hops up again on a new corner, takes aim, but misses the splash! Roll up, Toni wins! Maybe next time, Ayesha will remember to keep focus.

The New Zealand leader of Team Kick goes up against the first Indian female in WWE, “Hard Lady KD”, and the winner will move on to face the Aussie prodigy, Rhea Ripley! Handshakes given, but KD alraedy shows her strength as she squeeze’s Dakota’s hand tightly. The bell rings, they tie up, Kavita shoves Dakota to a corner. Dakota comes back out, tie up again, but Kavita shoves her again. Dakota rolls Kavita, TWO, Kavita arm drags Dakota with authority. They tie up again, Kavita gets Dakota with one arm and goes acrobatic to arm drag Dakota again. Back to wrist control, she lifts Dakota with one arm then drops her down. And does it again! Dakota is at Kavita’s mercy with that wristlock. Kavita goes acrobatic again for another arm drag. Kavita keeps that wrist lock, Dakota fights back with kicks, but Kavita uses one shoulder to knock Dakota to ropes. Kavita gives Dakota another shoulder hit, then whips Dakota, Dakota kicks her back. Dakota gets a jumping sunset flip, TWO, dropkick. Kavita stays standing, and she deflects the second dropkick. Kavita drags Dakota up, fireman’s carry, trophy lift and drop!

Kavita’s strength impresses Full Sail. Dakota stirs, the fans rally for her as Kavita paces. Kavita crushes Dakota in a corner, hip toss biel, then from another corner, a second biel. Kavita is more or less toying with Dakota now. Kavita runs in at Dakota, Dakota dodges, around-the-world running boot!

That’s one helluva kick!

Dakota then goes up top, takes aim, top rope double stomp!

And the coup de grace!

Dakota wins! The underdog triumphs, will her heart and determination get her through to the end?

The lady shaman of Team 3D Academy goes up against “Ms. EST”, the self-professed strongest, fastest, meanest, and toughest woman in this tournament. However, only one can make it to the second round, will training or natural ability be proven the best? Handshakes given but both women get in each other’s face, neither backs down. The bell rings, they tie up, and they find they’re evenly matched in strength. The fans applaud as they get in each other’s face again, Sage shoves Bianca but Bianca gets the headlock. Sage powers Bianca back to ropes, then powers out of the hold, Sage runs Bianca over and roars triumphantly, but Bianca kip-ups right away to show she’s not impressed. Bianca blows a kiss to dare Sage to brnig it, Sage scoops her up, slams down and then runs for the elbow drop! Bianca out at one, Sage drags her up to whip. Whip reversed, Sage kicks and forearms Bianca down. Sage drags Bianca up again, whips her to a corner, Bianca side-steps to put Sage into buckles. Bianca runs and dropkicks Sage down, Sage out at one, Bianca clubs her down. Bianca has Sage on the ropes, drags her over to a corner for another buckle bump, then Bianca stomps Sage into sitting down. Sage fights back, Bianca clubs her again, knee shot and then back into the corner for hammer fists. Sage shoves Bianca away, Bianca comes back for more, Sage shoves her away again but runs right into a lariat! TWO, but Bianca is not deterred. Sage gives her a stiff body shot, scoops for another slam, but Bianca trips Sage to bounce her head off the mat a few times. Bianca hits a big jumping leg drop, then a big jumping splash on top, TWO! Bianca sits Sage in a double chickenwing, the fans rally, Sage powers her way up but that chickenwing is in deep. Sage flips Bianca over, Bianca runs in but Sage slips around to get Bianca in the full nelson, Bubba Bomb!

Her teachers would be proud

Cover, TWO, but Sage is not frustrated just yet. She gets separation as the fans rally again. Both women get up, glare at each other, Bianca runs in but misses, Sage unleashes over hand palm strikes. Sage whips and squashes Bianca, then a running dropkick! Bianca out at ONE, Sage is feeling that frustration now. Sage gets up and drags Bianca up for a knee strike, Sage runs and knee lifts Bianca down. Sage scoops Bianca again, rams her into a buckle and then sits Bianca in the Tree of Woe. Running hip attack into the corner! Bianca falls out of the Tree, Sage goes up, reaches for power from the shaman spirits and… BANZAI!

FLOP! Bianca gets up and uses her hair to whip lash Sage! Then, SPEAR!

Bianca wins! That makes her the newest entry to the second round, can Bianca keep adding Est’s to her long list?

The real-life Wonder Woman and the Scottish Powerhouse square off to see who gets to the second round to face Serena Deeb. Handshake given, but Piper does get in Santana’s face to show she means business despite that smile. The bell rings, the fans are fired up, the two tie up. Piper pushes Santana to a corner, gives her a clean break and a playful chin bump, Santana takes offense as she shoves Piper away. The fans duel as the two circle again. Santana gets the waistlock, then the headlock and wristlock, Piper reverses that and powers Santana down, cover, TWO. Piper gets the armlock back, Santana uses ropes to acrobatically reverse that, Santana ducks Piper’s forearms while maintaining the hold. Arm wrench, yank, modified stretch! Piper powers that into a lift, Santana tries to make it a crucifix pin but Piper is too strong. Santana adjusts to a sunset flip, Piper blocks and then jumps, but Santana moves and Piper just falls on her butt. Santana gets running, low running kick! Cover, TWO, Santana is already a bit frustrated. She tries to whip Piper but Piper’s too strong. Santana is instead whipped to a corner, she goes up and over and handsprings, then somersaults back to get a flying headscissors!

Piper gets up, she swings at Santana, they both run, Piper hits a big crossbody!

TWO! Piper has the fans on her side as she gets Santana in the cravat. Piper gives a headbutt, it staggers her just as much, then back to the cravat. Fans rally, Santana fights out, gets running, but runs into Piper’s back elbow. Cover, TWO, Piper feels frustration but she gets the fans back into it. She grabs Santana in a cobra clutch, fans duel, Piper bumps Santana off her knee then swings her out for a left-handed lariat!

TWO! Piper is getting more frustrated with Santana’s grit, the fans duel as Santana is whipped and Piper gets a running start, boot from Santana! Santana goes to the apron, Piper comes running back, Santana dodges to boot her again. Santana steps in for a tornado DDT!

TWO! Now Santana feels the frustration, but the fans are loving it. Piper and Santana get up, Santana fires forearms and a dropkick but Piper stays up. Santana makes Piper Eat DaFeet but Piper gets to a corner. Santana gets space, runs corner to corner, handspring back elbow, then the bulldog but Piper makes that an atomic sit-down, Piper gets running for a BIG SPLASH!

TWO!? Piper and Full Sail are shocked! Piper drags Santana over, she’s gonna finish this by going up! Santana revives and jumps up, but the Stratusfaction is denied. So Santana rolls through and gives Piper a big left-hand uppercut! There’s the Stratusfaction!

TWO!! Now Santana knows how it feels. The fans are fired up, Santana gives Piper a SUPERKICK! Santana gets running but misses her handspring splash, but Piper hits the back senton! And then, Michinoku Driver!

Piper wins! She toughed it out, will she be what stops Serena’s road to redemption?

My Thoughts:

Ayesha-Toni was a good enough match, a lot of good personality showed but given the distracted Heel finish, they’re obviously letting Toni save some of her stuff for the next round. Dakota-Kavita was a touch more competitive, in that they played up the “David and Goliath” aspect, and the underdog came through. Dakota-Rhea looks to be a good match-up, and Kavita has plenty of potential still, she’ll definitely show up again in NXT/WWE in the near future. I really enjoyed Sage-Bianca just on how it was a sort of Heel VS Heel match with both women’s attitudes and ways of fighting, Bianca has been impressive since she first debuted on NXT, she’s definitely a good choice to move on, and Sage herself likely has a place in the Women’s Division a la Nia Jax. Similarly, Piper-Santana was close to a Face VS Face, and Piper impresses with her speed and agility combined with size and strength, she overcomes Santana in a great main event choice once again, and Piper might repeat against Serena in the second round, she could probably be one of the dark horse candidates for up to a semifinals appearance.

My Score: 8/10

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