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Csonka’s Mae Young Classic (Ep. 4) Review
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Csonka’s Mae Young Classic (Ep. 4) Review
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Candice LeRae defeated Renee Michelle @ 5:15 via pin [**¼]
– Lacey Evans defeated Taynara Conti @ 5:37 via pin [**¾]
– Nicole Savoy defeated Reina Gonzalez @ 4:30 via submission [**]
– Kairi Sane defeated Tessa Blanchard @ 8:47 via pin [***¼]
– 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
* Episode 4 Review
– Thanks to Cagematch for the match stats I used.
– We get a video package for Candice LeRae vs. Renee Michelle
– Johnny Gargano is at ringside.
Candice LeRae vs. Renee Michelle: Renee Michelle has been working since 2013. She’s had 99 matches under her belt. Candice LeRae, age 31, is another veteran that many have been waiting to see in WWE. She has been working since 2002, and is a veteran of 284 matches. I am thrilled to see LeRae get this chance, she even gets “Candice Wrestling” chants. They work back and forth, with both going for pins and using some slick counters to escape. LeRae hits a jawbreaker and lucha arm drag. The missile dropkick follows for 2. LeRae looks to keep it grounded, but Michelle cuts off LeRae with a facebuster, covering for 2. Michelle follows with kicks, but LeRae cuts her off with a code breaker. Clothesline and elbows follow; the neck breaker gets 2. Michelle battles back, hits a superman punch. She kips up and hits a high kick, covering for 2. Michelle up top but misses the moonsault, LeRae hits the basement dropkick, covering for 2. They work up top now, and LeRae hits the neck breaker off the ropes and puts Michelle away. Candice LeRae defeated Renee Michelle @ 5:15 via pin [**¼ ] This was a solid match, with LeRae looking good and being the right one to move on. Michelle was ok at best, she looked rather timid at times and was unsure about her positioning. She also needs to work on her footwork, which would help a lot.
– We get a video package for Lacey Evans vs. Taynara Conti.
Lacey Evans vs. Taynara Conti: Lacey Evans is a WWE developmental talent and former Military Occupational Specialty officer in the marines. In just around a year of experience, she’s worked 64 matches. Taynara Conti, age 22, is another WWE developmental talent, working for just around a year. She is a black-belt judoka and a blue belt in jiu-jitsu, but has only worked 10 matches so far. Conti takes the heel role right away, talking shit to Evans, who due to her real life background is a natural babyface. Evans looks to use her size to ground Conti, but Conti connects with kicks and takes Evans down. Conti takes control, working knee strikes and throws to pick up a near fall. Conti takes the heat, continuing to keep Evans on the defense. Conti hits knee strikes and a judo throw almost into a catatonic. Evans cuts her off, hitting neck breakers; the jig n tonic puts Conti away. Lacey Evans defeated Taynara Conti @ 5:37 via pin [**¾] Considering their combined lack of experience, this was better than I was expecting, and overall pretty good. It had a solid flow, rather clean work and both showed a lot of potential overall; Evans has amazing babyface potential,
while Conti showed some good heelwork.
– We get a video package for Nicole Savoy vs. Reina Gonzalez.
Nicole Savoy vs. Reina Gonzalez: Reina Gonzalez is a WWE developmental talent, who started training in 2014 and is the daughter of Ricky Gonzalez. She played basketball at Sam Houston State University, but has only worked 12 matches, all under the WWE umbrella. Nicole Savoy, age 31, has been working since 2001 and made a big name for herself in SHIMMER. She’s worked 104 matches, and is coming off of a torn ACL. Gonzalez uses her power to begin, controlling and sending Savoy to the mat. Savoy fires up, hits a RANA and then follows with kicks. Gonzalez cuts her off by using the hair, and then hitting a clothesline. Savoy looks for a knee bar, but Gonzalez easily escapes and beats her down with strikes. The sidewalk slam follows for 2. Gonzalez then works a Boston crab variation, Savoy rolls out but Gonzalez keeps control. Savoy attacks the arm, and rolls into an arm bar. Gonzalez taps. Nicole Savoy defeated Reina Gonzalez @ 4:30 via submission [**] This match was ok, but oddly laid out, In the pre-match video, they hype Savoy as the queen of suplexes and she discuses how she loves throwing people around. And then she does next to nothing and sells for 4-minutes before pulling out the desperation win; this wasn’t the best way to highlight her skill set. Gonzalez needs a lot more ring time so that she can properly learn how to use her size; she was very tentative at times here.
– We get a Kairi Sane vs. Tessa Blanchard video package.
Kairi Sane vs. Tessa Blanchard: Tessa Blanchard, age 22, is the daughter of Tully Blanchard. She’s been working since 2014, and has put in a lot of performances with SHIMMER & STARDOM; she has 167 matches under her belt. Kairi Sane, age 28, was one of the top stars for STARDOM before being signed by WWE. She’s been working since 2012, and is a veteran of 302 matches. This is a really smart pairing, as they have worked together in STARDOM. They have a good crowd early here as they work a slow opening stretch. Blanchard takes control working out of the test of strength, she lays in some cheap shots but Sane cuts off the attack with a running blockbuster. Blanchard catches Sane in the ropes, crotches her and hits a lung blower for 2. Sane escapes the abdominal stretch, but Blanchard fires up with strikes, but Sane hits the sear and both are down. Sane follows with chops as the crowd gets behind her, the sliding corner clothesline connects, but Blanchard rolls away from the elbow drop; Sane hits a flying forearm for 2. Sane works the octopus hold, but Blanchard walks her to the ropes and then chokes out Sane in the ropes. Blanchard continues to attack, hits a series of short-armed clotheslines and follows with the belly to back suplex for 2. Blanchard heads up top, but Sane cuts her off and follows her up. Blanchard sends her back to the mat with a head butt and follows with a senton for the near fall. Blanchard is pissed that as he didn’t get 3. Sane fights off the hammerlock DDT, and they then trade pinning attempts. Sane fires back with kicks, hits the Alabama slam and heads up top. The fans want the elbow drop, they know. Sane up top and hits the he elbow drop for the win. Kairi Sane defeated Tessa Blanchard @ 8:47 via pin [***¼] This was a smart pairing and good match to close out episode 4. The fans are already reacting to Kairi Sane like the star she is, and the elbow drop was over before she even hit it.
– 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, Candice LeRae, Lacey Evans, Kairi Sane.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
