WWE Mae Young Classic: Episode 1 Review

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Princesa Sugehit def. KAy Lee Ray in a First Round Match

Of all the matches on the pilot episode, this was the best choice to kick the night off in fun fashion. The crowd was engaged in the action and was behind both ladies with their excellent outings. I was pulling for Ray to advance and honestly assumed she would, but Sugehit is a fine choice, though. Will she be this year's Gran Metalik where she goes much farther in the brackets than initially expected?

Serena Deeb def. Vanessa Borne in  a First Round Match

Borne didn't particularly impress me when we saw her compete in a Mae Young Classic qualifying match on NXT TV a few months ago, but since she's obviously still green in the ring, it was wise to pair her up with someone much more experienced than her in Deeb. I imagine Deeb will be have a similar role to The Brian Kendrick in the Cruiserweight Classic where she will have her redemption story to tell throughout the tourney, and she looked good in her first bout back.

Shayna Baszler def. Zeda in First Round Match

Baszler's background in mixed martial arts and UFC is well-documented, so playing into that by having her completely dominate Zeda was what needed to happen and the crowd ate up all of her offense. I don't believe she has been wrestling very long, but she is already a standout star and one to keep an eye out for. Zeda had charisma during her entrance, so I'm sure with more seasoning, she can be a prospect in time as well.

Abbey Laith def. Jazzy Gabert in a First Round Match

I didn't come into this contest with high hopes, yet it ended up being the night's best bout due to how enjoyable it was. Laith was an awesome babyface here and Gabert was a great monster heel, so the David vs. Goliath dynamic made this such a strong showcase of both women. As Laith fought from underneath, the crowd rallied behind her and thus were elated to emerge victorious by the skin of her teeth. Laith can be a strong underdog in this tournament and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing more of Gabert in the future.

Overall Show

The Mae Young Classic is off to a solid start with all four matches going smoothly for the most part. Laith vs. Garbert was easily my favorite of the bunch, but the other three were entertaining as well. Most importantly, each of them had something different to offer and weren't all the same. Meanwhile, Jim Ross and Lita so far haven't come across amazingly on commentary and Lita especially isn't cut out to be a commentator, but here's hoping they get better as the tourney progresses.