WWE Mae Young Classic Review - September 19, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Kaitlyn def. KAvita Devi in a First-Round Match

In all honesty, this could have been way worse than it was. Devi had a really bad outing in the 2017 Mae Young Classic while Kaitlyn has largely been out of the ring for the past four and half years. However, Kaitlyn looked good here and Devi didn't embarrass herself, either. It was smart to keep this as short and as sweet as possible, in addition to allowing Kaitlyn to advance to the next round.

Toni Storm def. Jinny in a First-Round Match

Both women being cut from the same cloth in the NXT/UK women's division helped a lot along with how they've probably faced off on countless occasions in the past, so they had that history. Storm is an absolute star who deserves to go all the way this year, and I hope the rumors of her being signed to some sort of deal to WWE are true so that can become a reality. Storm had the crowd in the palm of her hand the entire time and Jimmy had a decent showing in defeat.

Xia Li def. Karen Q in a First-Round Match

Putting two Asian competitors against each other seemed like a strange choice at first because of their similar (stereotypical) antics at times, but this was quite the treat. I've seen Karen in action on independent shows before and she will be one to watch in the years ahead (even though she lost here). Li, on the other hand, has improved immensely from when I saw her compete in last year's tournament and has real potential.

Mia Yim def. Allysin Kay in a First-Round Match

Based off how many matches they've had together over the years, it really shouldn't have come as any surprise these two had an awesome encounter that ranks up there as one of the best bouts of the tourney so far. Kay does an excellent job of coming across like a ruthless heel and Kim is amazing in the babyface role. They were given the time necessary to have as memorable of a matchup as possible and they more than made the most of it.

Overall Show

Week 2 of the Mae Young Classic was a significant downgrade from the week prior, whereas Week 3 bounced back in a big way. Yim and Kay stole the show with their match in the main event, Storm vs. Jimmy was such a blast, Li vs. Karen actually exceeded expectations, and Kaitlyn successfully returned to the ring (to a warm welcome from the fans) with a win. The talent in this year's tournament is tremendous and has made for a fun first few weeks up to this point.