WWE Mae Young Classic Review - October 10, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Io Shirai def. Zeuxis in a Second-Round Match

Shirai has been called one of the best women's wrestlers in the world by many and it's hard to argue with that following her first two matches in the Mae Young Classic. This was much more competitive than her clash with Xia Brookside and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even Zeuxis, who I figured wasn't winning, had a solid showing. This was a lot of fun and a smart choice for the opener.

Deonna Purrazzo def. Xia Li in a Second-Round Match

Li was another woman I didn't see making it far in the tournament, but she fared well for herself here against the submission specialist. The cool thing about Purrazzo is that she's able to adapt her style depending on who she's facing and that's why I find her to be so underrated. Li is still inexperienced, but Purrazzo got a great match out of her and now we have Purrazzo vs. Shirai to look forward to in the next round.

Tegan Nox def. Nicole Matthews in a Second-Round Match

Matthews is a seasoned and skilled worker, but I don't know, she just seems to be lacking in the personality department. Nox, on the other hand, is a total star and so easy to rally behind. They weren't given a ton of time whatsoever (they were in the filler position on this show), but I applaud them for making the most of what they had. It was a nice little match with the right woman advancing.

Mia Yim def. Kaitlyn in a Second-Round Match

I have to give Kaitlyn plenty of props. Yes, she's a former Divas Champion, but she still felt out of place in this tournament despite being the big returning name because she was never that good in the ring years ago. However, she put forth an exceptional effort against Yim and they managed to have a very well-wrestled match. We'll see if she ends up with a contract out of this, but if she's determined to continue to improve and have more matches like this, I don't see any reason why she can't be put back in the mix or Raw or SmackDown Live eventually.

Overall Show

All four matches on this week's edition of the Mae Young Classic were equal in quality. The positive is that none of them were bad by any means, but the negative is that none of them especially stood out, either. Nevertheless, I'd give this show a thumbs-up because the action was entertaining on the whole and I wouldn't have changed anything about the outcomes. The second round has been a treat so far and I'm excited for the quarterfinals beginning next week.