Mae Young Classic Finals Recap: Sensational

Kairi Sane has won the Mae Young Classic, after defeating Shayna Baszler in a very enjoyable, fitting final match in the tournament.

Looking back, she was the woman who was established as an early favourite, with many fans familiar with her work in Japan. But even to those who had never seen her wrestle before, Sane is destined for greatness on American soil, and the signs were all there as throughout the tournament, WWE emphasised just how great she was. She always backed up the claims that she has the biggest heart, tenacity and will to win out of any of the 32 women in the Mae Young Classic, and personified just how sensational she really is. As a character, and a wrestler, she has it all as a babyface WWE superstar.

Her match with Baszler was executed superbly, and told a story from the opening bell that exemplified just how unique and gifted Sane is. I have said in every one of my recaps involving MMA star Shayna Baszler that she, in much the same vein, was one of the early favourites of this tournament. She has almost a polar opposite gimmick, as a thoroughly unforgiving, merciless fighter with real fighting experience, and that would see her earn her way to win the tournament. As she did in fact turn down an opportunity in the MMA world to compete in pro wrestling, to prove to everybody that she is in fact, THE woman to fear. She thrives on instilling that fear and intimidation in all her opponents.

And it was going to be up to Baszler to prove everyone wrong. All those in attendance, from competitors such as Piper Niven, Mercedes Martinez, Toni Storm and Candice LeRae in the crowd, along with Dana Warrior, Alundra Blayze, Beth Phoenix, her MMA Horsewomen cohorts and thousands of people in attendance would see her dominate her way through Sane.

The match between the two finalists was presented as you would expect; heart and courage versus brutality and ‘reality’. Baszler admitted there was a sick, twisted side of her that enjoys inflicting pain on others, and doesn’t care whether she is liked or hated. Sane is a woman who is proud of her achievements, and humble in her victories – and alluded to Baszler’s MMA accomplishments, but they do not necessarily translate to success in pro wrestling, of which Sane has mastered the craft. They emphasised this match as something that could be malleable enough to be a real fight or a wrestling match, which was the ideal way to hype up the bout between two competitors that stood out the most in the entire tournament before, during and after.

And both women went out and proceeded to have a great match together. Baszler’s strength was emphasised, but for every move she hit, Sane found a way out. Every time Baszler went for a submission, Sane would resourcefully counter into a pinning predicament. Eventually Baszler just said “fuckthis” and kicked Sane in the back early on. Baszler kicked Sane in the head so hard that it rocked her to the outside of the ring, and before long Baszler was in control.

Her arm-targeting submission moves made sense as it was Sane’s elbow which was her deadliest weapon. Baszler knew that Sane would come out with everything she had, and at one point when she ran off the ropes for a spear, Baszler just stepped out of the way as Sane stacked it on the mat. It showed both a cockiness and awareness to Baszler – a nice touch. Sane tried again, only for Baszler to hit two gutwrench suplexes in a row.

Eventually the Japanese Sensation would try to play Baszler at her own game, by striking. Sane would hit a series of chops, that started with very little effect but with enough pressure, Baszler started to wobble. The crowd began to come alive for Sane as the match progressed, and Kairi began to hit any kind of attack on Baszler’s ribs. A spear and an axe kick to Baszler later, and Sane tried her luck with her elbow, but Baszler was able to counter into her rear naked choke. Some people probably thought Sane was done for.

Alas, they were mistaken.

Sane’s clever targeting of Baszler’s ribs was enough for her to strike her way out. How fitting is that? The ultimate striker Baszler had the smallest competitor escape her deadly submission hold that has won her every match in the tournament so far, by strikes to the ribs. Sane said she was masterful at wrestling, and that was a veteran pro wrestling storytelling direction right there.

The crowd chanted “Kairi” as both women continued to strike each other senseless atop the turnbuckle, Baszler staggered and Kairi hit her diving foot stomp whilst Baszler was locked in the tree of woe, but Shayne instinctively got a hand on the ropes. One last-ditch attempt at the elbow paid off, as Sane covered Baszler for three. The crowd roared. It was over.

Sane, with tears in her eyes, was crowned the first ever winner. I was half-expecting Baszler to take her defeat badly and kick Sane again but that would have soured the ending. This was Sane’s moment. She deserved it.

But Baszler surely won’t be done here. We have not seen the last of her.

Not on the same episode, but in a special recap edition of the MYC on the WWE Network, we were treated to a special 6-woman tag team match featuring all former MYC competitors. Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness and Beth Phoenix were on commentary for this one, which was a nice break from the JR and Lita duo.

 

6-Woman Tag Team Match: Jazzy Gabert, Kay Lee Ray & Tessa Blanchard def. Santana Garrett, Sarah Logan & Marti Belle

Jazzy Gabert is a star in the making.

She walked away from this 6-woman tag, which was quick and fun for what it was, as a bonafide prodigy that WWE should definitely capitalise on. The match featured slick wrestling sequences, a fair amount of lucha spots, but Gabert with her size and strength advantage, muscled her way into hitting things as simple as spinning back fists and torture racks and made them look menacing. She got a tremendous reaction from the crowd with anything she did.

The crowd were roaring “Please Sign Jazzy!” at the end, and when Triple H came out to give his thank you speech to the audience. I can’t help but agree.

He took the chant in jest by saying that it costs him so much money but he suggested he would break the budget if he had to. He’s done it before and done it again. As The Game thanked the crowd for their support to the women in the tournament, it allowed us all to reflect on just how significant this has been.

He said it himself – finally after such a long time, women in WWE finally have a reward for all their hard work. They finally have the gold to chase, for all the risks and sacrifices they make. The crowd chanted “Women’s Wrestling!” to close the segment. It was exquisite for what it was.

 

FINAL, FINAL THOUGHTS

First of all my sincerest apologies that this recap has come late – as a freelance writer and publicist I don’t get much in the way of spare time. But I hope this has been worth it and all readers have enjoyed my recaps.

I for one had high hopes for the Mae Young Classic before it began, and largely it has been worth every minute of my time. I have no qualms about this episode, and in hindsight, every one of them has paid off in an entertaining way. There have been some surprises, excellent wrestling and good storytelling with various competitors.

Going forward, the playing field thickens. As the main roster looks forward to Asuka debuting and Paige possibly returning soon, NXT is still on fire with plenty of women superstars looking to get a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship. Some of the MYC competitors are already making waves in Full Sail already, but many more surely will come because of this tournament. More good matches are on the way, and there will be some excellent twists and turns in the not-too-distant future.

The signs are still pointing to an MMA-versus-WWE Horsewomen showdown, and for the record, I’m glad they didn’t utilise that angle during this final broadcast. But I do believe that is on the cards, and I look forward to Baszler’s next steps as this plays out.

I would love to know what everybody else thought, because I have nothing but good things to say about the state of women in WWE right now. Let’s enjoy it for what it is now, and the possibilities we can look forward to.