Mae Young Classic 2017 Episode 6

With just four spots remaining in the Mae Young Classic Quarterfinals, the competition heated up inside Full Sail University. The action wasn’t just limited to the ring — where Mia Yim went to war with Shayna Baszler, Candie LeRae soared against Nicole Savoy and more — but in the audience, too, as WWE’s and MMA’s Four Horsewomen crossed paths in an unforgettable moment.

## Episode recap

#### **Lacey Evans vs. Toni Storm**

NXT rookie Lacey Evans looked to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the Mae Young Classic as she faced Toni Storm, the 21-year-old wonder representing Australia.

The charismatic Storm, perhaps underestimating Evans, showboated early, mid-hip attack. It nearly cost her, as Evans almost scored a pin. The U.S. Marine-turned-NXT Superstar took over with an inventive series of moves that included using the ring post to swing into a kick against Storm.

Storm was resilient, however, and not long after she scored with a brutal hip attack in the corner, she demolished Evans by driving her head- and neck-first onto her knee in a move she calls Strong Zero. For now, it's still “Toni Time” in the Mae Young Classic, but it remains to be seen if Storm can be as successful when she faces her friend, Piper Niven, of Scotland, in the Quarterfinals.

#### **Mia Yim vs. Shayna Bayzler**

Shayna Baszler’s unadulterated trouncing of Zeda in the First Round was meant to send a message to other Mae Young Classic competitors, but hardened veteran Mia Yim showed no fear going against the former UFC fighter and catch-wrestling extraordinaire.

Yim stunned Baszler with moves she never encountered in the Octagon, from a bulleting suicide dive to a Tajiri-inspired tarantula on the ropes. The Queen of Spades fired strategic strikes throughout Yim’s offensive burst, but it didn’t stop Yim from catching her with a powerbomb and then scaling the turnbuckles with extreme measures in mind.

Yim leapt into a 450 splash attempt, but The Submission Magician stayed alert — if not “woke,” as Yim had recommended — and captured her descending opponent in her seemingly unbreakable rear-naked sleeper. Following Yim’s academic tapout, Baszler celebrated with her MMA Four Horsewomen cohorts, Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke. Their celebration caught the eye of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Bayley, three-fourths of WWE’s Four Horsewomen, sitting across the aisle.

As the two factions stared each other down and flashed the unmistakable Four Horse(wo)men hand gesture, Full Sail University erupted into “Yes!” chants.

#### **Dakota Kai vs. Rhea Ripley**

New Zealand’s Dakota Kai and Australia’s Rhea Ripley are no strangers to each other. Prior to signing WWE contracts months ago, let alone tying up in the Second Round of the Mae Young Classic, Kai and Ripley crossed paths often in the vibrant world of Australasian wrestling.

It was because of their familiarity, perhaps, that these Trans-Tasman rivals wasted no time going after each other. Ripley used her speed and size to muscle Kai around the ring, but The Captain of Team Kick proved resilient. She used a kick to escape Ripley’s weapon of choice, the full-nelson slam, and when she had Ripley just where she wanted her — hanging upside-down in the corner, while Kai stood on the top rope — the next move was clear.

Kai sprang high in the air and landed an unforgiving double foot stomp on Ripley, closing the books on the Aussie’s Mae Young run and paving the way for Kai’s Quarterfinal showdown with Kairi Sane.

#### **Nicole Savoy vs. Candice LeRae**

To defeat the much larger Nicole Savoy — aka, “The Queen of the Suplexes,” who is as adept in submission holds as she is overhead throws — Candice LeRae had to keep moving. She succeeded at first, using her speed and dynamic offense to keep Savoy on her heels.

Soon, however, Savoy’s power took over. She thrashed LeRae with a series of suplexes, but not unlike her husband, Johnny Gargano, LeRae battles like a competitor twice her size. She stung Savoy with a Pele kick and entangled her with an octopus hold. Savoy muscled out and moved the action toward the corner, where she tried for a superplex.

LeRae fought out of Savoy’s grasp and, remarkably, maneuvered into the Miss LeRae’s Wild Ride, ripping Savoy to the canvas with a thunderous impact. Bruised but not beaten, LeRae crawled on top to claim the pin and eliminate Savoy from the tournament. As Johnny Wrestling proudly hugged his wife following her hard-earned victory, the WWE Universe was left to ponder whether LeRae’s feel-good story could possibly continue when she faces Shayna Baszler in the next round.

## Results

1. Toni Storm def. Lacey Evans in a Second-Round Match
2. Shayna Baszler def. Mia Yim in a Second-Round Match
3. Dakota Kai def. Rhea Ripley in a Second-Round Match
4. Candice LeRae def. Nicole Savoy in a Second-Round Match