The best and worst of the Mae Young Classic episode 4
Episode 4 of the Mae Young Classic was easily the best of the tournament yet. Obviously, the big story of last night's show was the long-awaited WWE debut of Io Shirai, but there was a ton of good abounding elsewhere throughout this episode that you wouldn't go wrong if you want to watch the entire thing again. Every match was at worst good.
This was a clear preview for the second round, where things should get better very quickly.
What were the best and worst aspects of the show last night?
Best: Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Rachel Evers
While Io's debut was the big story, Horoyo Matsumoto vs. Rachel Evers was easily the night's best match, and one of the best matches of the tournament so far, rivaled only by Meiko Satomura vs. Killer Kelly from the first episode on September 5th.
These two women boasted similar powerhouse styles and went at each other blow for blow, exciting the crowd up from the get-go. There were a few false finishes and jaw-dropping moments that admirably amped up the excitement in this match. Matsumoto's dropkick on Evers from the top turnbuckle felt more like a tree trunk careening with an unfortunate body than a typical dropkick.
The crowd was clearly on Evers' side throughout this match, and Hiroyo didn't do as much as she could have to play heel, as it seemed she tried to pander too much instead of running with it and playing the heel. That, however, was the only flaw of the contest. Matsumoto's victory was a surprise to the crowd, and it certainly doesn't look good that Rachel Evers exited the Mae Young Classic in the first round for the second year in a row, but this was an excellent show opener.