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MAE YOUNG CLASSIC 2018 - EPISODE 3


RIPPA

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Bryan Alvarez has heard from somebody at the tapings that there's a match in this episode that is ungodly horrendous.  It's one that makes the worst match so far look like a **** match.  I'm morbidly curious to see which one it is and hope it can at least be mostly saved by editing.  But at least there's Storm/Jinny and Kay/Yim to look forward to.

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6 minutes ago, NikoBaltimore said:

Bryan Alvarez has heard from somebody at the tapings that there's a match in this episode that is ungodly horrendous.  It's one that makes the worst match so far look like a **** match.  I'm morbidly curious to see which one it is and hope it can at least be mostly saved by editing.  But at least there's Storm/Jinny and Kay/Yim to look forward to.

It's really not that hard to figure out

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6 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

It's really not that hard to figure out

Oh, I figured it out once I saw the lineup.  I initially typed out which match but replaced it with hope that editing saves it.  But given some of the botches and stuff that made it into the past two episodes I don't have much hope.

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I assumed that it was the Kaitlyn/Devi match based on relative experience level but it wasn't that bad. Score one for the edit team I guess.

Everything else was fine. Does anyone know the story of how Mia Yim and Shelton got to know each other? Was it just from running around the independents over the years?

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I thought match 1 was a fine Kaitlyn showcase. Toni/Jinny was good stuff, Toni always looks great and Jinny looked equally excellent. Karen/Xia was pretty fun, dug the opening strike exchanges. Love seeing Allysin get a shot here and she was awesome as usual, the one I'm most disappointed about being eliminated early so far.

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Kaitlyn/Devi was decent enough. Devi didn't look bad, but it didn't feel like she showed any real improvement since last year either. Kaitlyn looked pretty decent. Feels like she is moving around a lot better than when she was in WWE. Hope she sticks with wrestling beyond this.

Toni/Jinny was solid and a nice showing for both women.

Xia/Karen was pretty darn fun.

Mia/Allysin was good stuff. I would probably go as far to say that its the best match in the tournament thus far. A very good showing for both women, and I like that the history there was presented and played off for something more heated than normal.

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Kaitlyn looked great but I agree that Devi didn't show much improvement from last year. I'm curious to see how Kaitlyn does in the next round with a better opponent. 

Jinny and Toni was really good and a very good showcase of what they could do. 

Glad that they let Karen heel it up as I dig her heel act. I liked that the two of them brought something a little unique to the tournmant when so many of the matches can come off as kinda samey.

The main was great as expected from these two. My only complaint is that I wish Mia had sold the hand a little more. As someone who regularly bangs his hand against desks and doorknobs, that shit hurts! lol Can't believe Beth got away with a Gail Kim mention. 

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4 hours ago, Jamal said:

The main was great as expected from these two. My only complaint is that I wish Mia had sold the hand a little more. As someone who regularly bangs his hand against desks and doorknobs, that shit hurts! lol 

Yeah if they are going to do a chop the ring post spot Kay should probably then focus on the hand on offense and Kim should sell it harder. They tried to make it a story on commentary but it just wasn't there in the ring. That said both that match and Jinny/Storm really benefited from matching up women with history with each other and produced two really good matches. Jinny threw herself back with that German viciously. Good stuff.

Kaitlyn vs Devi was a little rough and made more awkward by Cole gushing about Kaitlyn like a smitten schoolboy. 

Karen Q/Xia Li was fun and Li showed a lot of improvement and really brought some fire. Q is a great smug heel and that dynamic worked well.

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Epiode 3

I thought that Kay/Yim match was pretty bad. It felt like they were doing a random collection of moments they pulled from other matches. No flow, some lazy execution, and that weird hand story that nobody would shut up about. That's what made the whole thing feel like a "best of modern indy wrestling" impression, spots like that. "It looks cool when someone chops the ringpost!" So they do it, and all three announcers keep talking about it (even after the match!) and Yim forgot about it seconds after it happened.

First time seeing Jinny, thought she really impressed and I'd be much more interested in seeing her throughout the tournament than Storm. But I have a feeling I'm getting a LOT more Storm. Ki/Q was really fun, great use of 4 minutes. Kaitlyn looked better than I expected, considering she spent many years not wrestling.

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Week 3 was a bit uneven, but I was pretty happy with the episode.  Kaitlin vs. Kavita Devi was aight...but Devi is still green as grass and Kaitlin is a step behind the modern WWE women's workers.  Kaitlin is kind of like Troy Aikman.  She's a former champion, who was pretty good for her time, but looking back you realize that she's pretty average compared to modern workers.  Kavita Devi is kind of like Jared Lorenzen, I don't know if she's talented for her size or if I think she's talented because of her size.  There is a chance that she gets better and becomes a competent professional wrestler, or she could just be a 1st round loser every year in every Mae Young Classic. 

I generally like Toni Storm, despite the fact that I have no idea what her character is supposed to be and how goofy her mannerisms are.  This is my first experience with Jinny "The Model" Martel, but I'd like to see more.  She had some really cool offense, and her character was pretty spot on too.  I honestly judged the book by its cover and figured that there would be no way this rail thin chick with the sharp features is going to be a good wrestler.   I have to say, she proved me wrong.  Toni Storm giving Jinny most of the offense, was pretty much perfect for this match.  Toni is someone the crowd knows, so she can take a beating before she eventually goes over.  I wish Jinny was moving on, but other than Killer Kelly I don't think anyone has brought more in a losing effort than Jinny.  Jinny's entrance attire was fucking dope as well.

Xia Li vs. Karen Q was much better than I thought it would be.  Xia Li wrestled her first match in last year's tournament, and she is on the short-list of women who I want to see what she becomes in 5 years.  Her style is really unique due to her wushu background, and her strikes look really good and impactful.  Karen Q, is also someone I'd like to see more of.  She was the veteran in the match and took most of the offense, but I think her leaning into strikes is what made this match work.  Xia Li needed someone to make her offense look good and Karen Q was up to the task...her frog splash looked pretty dope too.

Mia Yim vs. Allysin Kay was a match that I was really looking forward to watching, but I was disappointed.  They seemed to not really have any idea what they wanted to do...so they did everything.  It really makes me wonder if they have agents go over these matches, because this felt like somoene should have cut about 15-20% of this nonsense.  It sucks, because I generally like Mia Yim and want to see her succeed, but this was a mess.  This is the first time I've encountered Allysin Kay, and she reminds me of a former coworker.  Let me tell you, that coworker was another white woman from Detroit and both of them have that, "I know you are going to ask whether or not I really talk like this when I leave," look on their face.

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I think Toni Storm's character is just that she's a huge fan of 80's rock.  She comes out dressed like Slash and I remember one WM weekend she was wearing around a Poison shirt. 

This was a fun episode. I loved seeing Kaitlyn back in action.  Her and AJ Lee were a bright spot in the Divas division for the time they were there. Kaitlyn was improving so I hope this time she sticks with it.  

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This episode's MVP was the announcing team: they really help sell the matches and helped the audience connect with the wrestlers. And Cole owning up to being an asshat on that women's nxt way back.

Kaitlyn looks a lil more snappier... a stint in NXT would do wonders for her.

Jinny/Toni was really fun, Jinny is signed for the UK women's division right? She's got everything needed to be the alpha heel.

The beginning of Karen/Xia was like a rehearsal for an old Shaw Brother's flic. Karen really help carried Xia to a not horrible match.

Why wasn't Mia Yim signed last time? Really dig Allysin Kay too, plays her character well.

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