The Mae Young Classic

[Accident Prone]

27 minutes ago, air_raid said:

Why WOULDN'T they put over someone's standing in the game when they're putting her into the semi finals? And because her being a big deal makes it mean something when a star in waiting beats her in the semi or final.

You're absolutely right, but I'm always flabbergasted when they do a good job like that, to the point where I start to wonder if there's a hidden agenda.

But then I remember Kota being courted and I remember seeing Cole hugging Nigel McGuiness at the conclusion of the UK Tourney like a soldier arriving back home, and I realise "Oh yeah, of course they can present wrestling correctly".

[Loki]

That Io Shirai match was NOT good, I thought.  There was some really weak looking headlocks in that first bit, they whiffed a few spots and looked a bit lost and then Io missed the moonsault by a lot.

Most annoying was how Io (and Purazzo as well) just didn't sell anything during the match.  Having been in that very painful looking double arm submission for a considerable amount of time, Io pops back up as fresh as a daisy and waves her arms around to signal her next move.  Maybe it was a clash of styles, but this match didn't work for me at all.   I thought Shirai looked pretty good in the earlier rounds, but this was not an impressive outing.  

Tegan's injury is very sad, but the silver lining is that Rhea Ripley is through, and I'm fast becoming a big fan of hers.  She didn't drop character either which shows some poise.

I really, really think the WWW needs to re-think its policy on suicide dives.  They happen multiple times in most televised WWE matches at the moment, so the wow factor is very much diminished, and they are (as this injury once again proves) very dangerous with a large margin for things going wrong!  The ring is at least somewhat designed for taking bumps on, the outside is really not and the velocity in this situation did the damage even though she actually hit her opponent alright.  The number of times you see people catch their feet on a rope, slow down and basically take an unsupported face plant into the floor though... someone is actually going to die at some point by breaking their neck.

[TildeGuy~!]

It’s a worry with Io, you can tell they’re already trying to make her work the WWE style and its not settling in just yet, dunno if she’s improved much to be honest as these were her first matches under the WWE banner being as they’ve been taped over a month in advance(she’s been doing the NXT house show circuit since but only tag matches, the girls don’t seem to wrestle in singles for some reason) 

With her missing the moonsault on various occasions, she’s working in a bigger ring for this and will get used to it(the NXT house shows have smaller rings then the one at full sail and from clips I’ve seen of her there she’s connected with the moonsault perfectly) 

For me she’s still the best female worker in the world with Kagetsu being a close second.

[Mr Butternut Squash]

Best in the world? Better than Satomura? I haven't followed joshi for years but from what I saw of MYC Meiko blew everyone else off stage. 

Totally agree with Loki on the dives. Saying the wow factor is diminished is putting it lightly, I pretty much have no reaction to them at this point. They're badly telegraphed half the time and hardly ever look impactful.

[TildeGuy~!]

*Shakes Head*

 

[Snitsky's back acne]

Have to be honest there was more than one moment that I thought Meiko would win. Her and Toni Storm had a great match.
Impressed with Rhea Ripley too. She is believable in her role and the arrogant veneer gradually turning into increasing frustration/desperation at being unable to beat Io was well done.

I reckon Toni v Io could steal the show on Sunday. 

[The Dart]

Toni Storm's gotta win, Seems unlikely they'd give it to a Japanese performer twice in a row.

[air_raid]

7 hours ago, The Dart said:

Toni Storm's gotta win, Seems unlikely they'd give it to a Japanese performer twice in a row.

Safe bet. It was supposed to be Tegan rather than Io in the final, Toni's been a star in waiting for long enough, pinning Satomura is a gigantic rub (even just in context of this show, not the wrestling world in general) if you're not going all the way with her, Io still needs time to assimilate.... there are other reasons, I'm sure they will come to me.

Satomura v Storm was predictably excellent. A sign of how good it was is that when Meiko hit the second Scorpion Rising, I thought it was over for a second despite accidentally finding out Toni had made the final about a week ago. What helped massively was that Cole didn't fall into either of his nearfall tropes - "for the win/to advance/to put away" or the endless run on sentence while the count is happening, "Meiko, death valley driver, makes the-cover-on-Toni-Storm-and-KICK-OUT" - he went quiet like he usually only does when the finish is actually happening. He also did a good job summarising how what we just saw was (a) brilliant and (b) a big fucking deal. Pretty good job. Seeing Kairi Hojo as was in the ring congratulating Toni Storm, while Meiko Satomura is on the ramp getting her arm raised by Hunter was probably the biggest "the world is changed" moment I've experienced watching wrestling since.... dunno, Bischoff saying hi to Booker T on his first Raw in 2002? Which is remarkable when I even just think about the last 3 years.

However... the story of the show and indeed the series, was Rhea Ripley v Io Shirai. Context : the quarters and semis were taped on the same night and the Observer reports that Tegan was supposed to make the final. Two wrestlers with very little time to react to a change in circumstance or discuss what they were going to do went out and had a belter.

One of the participants, Io Shirai, was prepared for a COMPLETELY different proposition with Tegan, both for the type of wrestler her opponent is and demeanour re: heel/face and how the match would go. But she smashed it with no fuss because she's one of the best on the planet. Conversely, the young Australian wasn't even supposed to be wrestling again at all. So on top of the praise we heaped on her for poise when Nox got hurt ; she had fate drop on her "Right, you're now wrestling Io Shirai. She's going to the final now. Keep calm, put shine on her, don't freeze." Absolutely nailed a massive opportunity out of nowhere with even more eyes on her and with higher stakes than previous rounds. Completely unplanned, she grabbed it with big monstrous claws. Star in waiting, just like that.

The match itself I loved, obviously. At least two spots where Io stood up to Rhea in the brawling, I felt a little "Yeah? I've been hit harder by tougher than you." The count out might have fooled me too. They told a great story with almost no time to prepare. Brilliant, will be watching again. Seeing Kairi and Io embrace at the end, and mock this if you like, in my world was like watching Eddy and Benoit at Mania XX. How I felt then, not now, obviously.

 

"Fight forever" - cunts.

Edit - its swallowing this into the spoiler box even though I typed it beneath, and will now not accept a "cut" or delete -

So yeah, the final will be very much, to steal a line, "my graps." I'm looking forward to Evolution even if nobody else is.

NXT UK Womens tourney results spoiler :

 

Cole on Ripley - "She will be a future champion, mark my words." Alright dickhead.

So yeah, the final will be very much, to steal a line, "my graps." I'm looking forward to Evolution even if nobody else is.

 

[Mr Butternut Squash]

The winners celebrating with Momma Sara Del Rey and Pappa HHH was a cool moment for me. SDR is in a nice spot but I’m still gutted she’s not on tv. She’s looking gorgeous too. 

Both matches were ace especially within the context air raid laid out.  The obligatory suicide dives actually looked good this week. Io/Ripley had some nice brawling and I LOVE Ripley’s bumping. It’s an odd thing to pick up on but its one of the things that makes her stand out. The stalling suplex worries me slightly though, the bump looks real awkward on her opponents.

The tournament overall was hit and miss which I was expecting to be fair. Toni Storm, Ripley and Kacy Catanzaro look like genuinely exciting prospects going forward.

 

[PunkStep]

I haven't watched any of this year's tournament as I no longer have the network but I caught some clips on YouTube earlier and wow- Ripley looks quite different compared to last year doesn't she? She's added some mass, I remember her being tall but quite lanky last year. She has a good look and physique now, really looks the part.

[BomberPat]

11 hours ago, Mr Butternut Squash said:

The winners celebrating with Momma Sara Del Rey and Pappa HHH was a cool moment for me. SDR is in a nice spot but I’m still gutted she’s not on tv. She’s looking gorgeous too. 

Yeah - I love that they give Sara Del Rey the odd moment to acknowledge how influential she's been, but I miss seeing her wrestle. I know she's more than happy as a trainer, but she apparently always brings her gear to shows just in case. Just once, I want a heel to get too big for her boots, and Sara Del Rey step in to fight her.

[elisarcabrera]

Interesting that in last quarter results that MYC was the popular series streamed in the network.

will this dictate WWEs attitude to women’s matches on main shows? Probably not.

for NXT going to two hours. Maybe a better idea is rather than that they do a separate NXT women’s one hour weekly show? Get in a tag title as well. A secondary singles.

 

[TildeGuy~!]

I’ve said they should just scrap the women’s division and make it their own brand on the network before, film it at Full Sail, they have so many women on the roster and only 4 of them are really utilised in Women’s Title feuds.

[DavidB6937]

And you don't think they'd get shit about not having any women on the real shows?

[PunkStep]

I think he's talking about NXT, in response to the previous post.