Csonka’s Mae Young Classic (Ep. 3) Review

Csonka’s Mae Young Classic (Ep. 3) Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Toni Storm defeated Ayesha Raymond @ 4:35 via pin [**½]
– Dakota Kai defeated Kavita Devi @ 4:05 via pin [*½]
– Bianca Belair defeated Sage Beckett @ 5:30 via pin [**½]
– Piper Niven defeated Santana Garrett @ 7:21 via pin [***½]

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– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– I’m reviewing all the episodes of the Mae Young Classic, all linked below.
* Episode 1 Review
* Episode 2 Review
* Episode 3 Review

– Thanks to Cagematch for the match stats I used.

– We get a video package for Toni Storm vs. Ayesha Raymond.

Toni Storm vs. Ayesha Raymond: Ayesha Raymond, aka Amazon, is 27 and has been working since 2009. She’s worked 167 matches so far. Toni Storm is 21, and has been working since 2009. The New Zealand native became very popular for her work in PROGRESS, has also worked a lot in STARDOM, and is a veteran of 270 matches. Storm is another performer who just oozes charisma and star power. Raymond refuses to shake hands, she shoves Storm around and looks to ground the action early. Storm works some slick counters, takes Raymond down and lays in some hip attacks that would make Taguchi proud. Raymond fights back, working the power game. After some slams, she chokes out Storm in the ropes; Storm fights back with a head butt and backstabber. The running knee and northern lights follow. Storm up top, but Raymond slams her off and then she heads up top. She takes too much time, faking out the fans, and then misses the top rope splash; Storm rolls her up for the win. Toni Storm defeated Ayesha Raymond @ 4:35 via pin [**½] This was rather average, but served as a solid showcase for Storm, who has big time star written all over her. Raymond did little to impress in my opinion.

– We get a video package for Dakota Kai vs. Kavita Devi,

Dakota Kai vs. Kavita Devi: Dakota Kai, better known as Evie, is 29 and under a WWE developmental deal. She’s been working since 2007, and has had 109 matches. Kavita Devi started working in 2016, is from India and was trained by Great Khali. She is an accomplished powerlifter who represented India in international competition, including the 2016 South Asian Games, where she won gold in the 75 kg category. This looks to be her first match on record. They start out, working a very basic opening stretch. Devi uses her power advantage, and then does a slow motion lucha arm drag. She continues to assault the arm of Kai; Kai tries to fire back, picks up the pace and hits a sunset flip and then Devi swats away the dropkick attempts. Devi follows with a press slam, and again starts to toss Kai around the ring once again. Devi is very rough and repetitive here; Kai picks up the pace and kicks her face off. The top rope double stomp hits and Kai moves on. Dakota Kai defeated Kavita Devi @ 4:05 via pin [*½] This was rough, not so much bad, but it was four-minutes of Devi doing the same thing (likely because she doesn‘t know how to do anything else, and Kai doing her best to sell it all and make her a monster. Devi will need a lot of work at the PC and a lot of work in the ring on the NXT Florida events.) The right woman won.

– We get a video package for Bianca Belair vs. Sage Beckett.

Bianca Belair vs. Sage Beckett: Bianca Belair, age 28, is a WWE developmental talent and former CrossFit competitor and powerlifter. She’s been working for just under a year, and has 38 matches under her belt. Sage Beckett, age 32, started working g in 2007, but took time off due to health issues. She is a WWE developmental talent, who was trained at the Team 3D Academy, and has worked 98 matches. Belair has a ton of charisma, is in great shape and has a big braid of hair that she uses as a weapon. They shove a bit to begin, Beckett looks to go to the power game and slams Belair and hits the running elbow drop for 2. Beckett maintains control, but Belair avoids the corner charge and his the dropkick. She lays in the boots to Beckett, follows with forearms and a lariat for 2. Belair trips up Beckett, works her over and hits a leg drop and running frog splash. Beckett fights back and hits the full nelson bomb for a near fall. Beckett follows with strikes, the corner splash and a running kick for 2. The knee lift follows, and she then slams Belair into the tree of WHOA. A corner splash follows. Beckett climbs the ropes, but misses the Vader splash. Belair whips her with the long braid of hair, and hits the spear to advance. Bianca Belair defeated Sage Beckett @ 5:30 via pin [**½] This was a pretty average outing, with Belair showing a ton of potential and charisma.

– We get a video package for Piper Niven vs. Santana Garrett.

Piper Niven vs. Santana Garrett: Piper Niven (aka Viper) is 26, and has been working since 2008. She’s known for her work in ICW, STARDOM, WCPW and many other promotions, She’s a veteran on 296 matches. Santana Garrett, age 29, had been working since 2009. She had a cup of coffee in TNA, and has worked all over the place, including STARDOM. She’s a veteran of 420 matches. Niven immediately over powers Garrett to the corner, plays with her as bit and then takes Garrett down and scores an early near fall. Garrett looks to use her speed, tries for a variation on the octopus hold but Niven slams her down and escapes. Niven misses a sit-down splash, Garrett works some kicks and hits a head scissors. She looks to speed up the action again, but Niven wipes her out with a running cross body. Niven works the cravat and slows the action, as JR yammers on about bangers and mash. Niven keeps control, hits a short-armed clothesline and that gets 2. Garrett cuts off the corner splash, heads to the apron and then hits the slingshot DDT for a near fall. Garrett fires up avoids the clothesline and hit eat defeat. The springboard back elbow follow, but Niven cuts off the bulldog and hits a running splash for a good near fall. Nevin pulls Garrett to the corner, climbs up but Garrett tries to cut her off and does; the head scissors of the ropes follows for another good near fall. Garrett hits the superkick, but misses the lionsault; Niven hits a running senton, and Michinoku driver and advances. Piper Niven defeated Santana Garrett @ 7:21 via pin [***½] This was a very god main event, they kept a great pace and worked the size very speed dynamic well; they also had some great near falls and an invested crowd. Through three episodes, this has been the best match so far. Niven impressed, and I continue to wonder why Garrett hasn’t been signed.

– Advancing: Princesa Sugehit, Serena Deeb, Shayna Baszler, Abbey Laith, Mercedes Martinez, Rachel Evers, Rhea Ripley, Mia Yim, Toni Storm, Dakota Kai, Bianca Belair, Piper Niven.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.3

The final score: review Average

The 411

This was certainly an improvement over episode two, with a very good main event. I think that the biggest issue with this episode is that when they edited it, they decided to put three very similar matches (size vs. speed) on the same show, which I would have avoided.