four competitors, two continents, one final destination

wrestling 020 & tv review 061

WWE

Mae Young Classic 2018

s02e08

[ WWE ]

[24th of October, 2018]

[55min, Pop culture, Sports Entertainment, Wrestling]

Well, I download a lot of WWE shows and it's been hard to finish them somehow. It will take time when I have to write a review out of it and maybe that's why I have been pushing it off but no more, I bravely declare!

Well, here I go.

The last four have the cream of the crop fighting to be in the Final and the first Semi Final match see Toni Storm testing her might against Meiko Satomura. The opening is a bit testy with they initially being wary of each other in a feeling out period and then start to apply more hard hitting kicks and moves, the former being more brash while the latter being more tactical and grounded. The veteran tries to keep the plucky young blood down but she persists and able to apply a submission hold of her own, and follow it up with a Fisherman Suplex, a Suicide Dive and a devastating Knee Strike. Since this is not enough to keep the Japanese down, the Australian can't keep her from making her comeback with a knee to the body, a DDT and her patented Cartwheel Knee Drop. Surprise to all that Storm actually kicks out of the Death Valley Driver but the same can be said when Satomura kicks out of the Storm Zero, showing how closely matched both of them are. What follows next is the never-say-die attitude of the youngster when she will not stay out down after a Pele Kick, a straight kick to the head and the always lethal Scorpion Kick. The audience is on a fever pitch when Toni pulls out her signature Storm Zero yet again to finally gains a pin fall over the End Boss. Thank you Meiko being such a fine example of the women wrestling and putting over the younger talents for a brighter future for the division. She could have really flourish in WWE but returning back to where she was years ago after being at the top in her country for so long is really a nice way to cap her illustrious career. For Toni Storm however, it is the beginning of a new chapter for her own.

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Now we are to the remaining two competitors with Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai, as the latter is intimidated with the former, for good reasons really when she is can't overcome the strength difference in the opening after being thrown into the air and then keep down with restricting submissions and numbing blows to the body. It's heel personified as we see Rhea really torturing the midsection of Io, effectively making us love to hate her and root for the opposition. She is doing a solid job keeping her down with a quick double kick and a prolonged Suplex to snuff out any notion of a counter-offense. A string of forearms to the face though presents an opening for Shirai to turn the momentum and she does just that with a quick offense and a Suicide Dive of her own. I just love Ripley as a bonafide at this moment as she tries to do anything necessary to win including a countout but a quick exchange with 619 and Missile Dropkick against a Superplex lets her gains the upper hand yet again. Yet Shirai able to wiggle herself out of the Pump-Handle Powerbomb and apply her Double Knee to the turnbuckle and the Asai Moonsault. Both have a bright future as the company provides them with a fertile ground to flourish in the newly created NXT UK division for the Australian while the Japanese might be following in the footsteps of her friend, Kairi Sane, into the NXT US scene. For the winner however they will be feature in the Final match in Evolution and I can't wait to see the bout between the Rocker and the Genius in the Sky!

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This is great way to end the Semi Finals with two excellent bouts that I am so thoroughly entertained from start to finish! This tournament has gone from strength to strength and I am really looking forward for next year's edition!

Execution = over 90% with the fabulous four providing an excellent entertainment!

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P.S. Rhea Ripley embracing her heel persona with the knee jab and the disrespect of the referee in the opening. It's the little things that counts and you can see!