** SPOILERS ** WWE Mae Young Classic Tapings - First Round
Thanks to Will Henderson (@willh94) for texting us the following spoilers from tonight's Mae Young Classic tapings at Full Sail University. The first four episodes of the 32-competitor tournament will begin airing Monday, August 28th on the WWE Network. The second night of tapings will be tomorrow.
* Crowd lights are turned off during the matches like the Cruiserweight Classic. Matches have a 15-minute time limit
Episode 1, First Round:
* Princesa Sugehit defeated Kay Lee Ray. Crowd is hot and behind KLR. Solid match. They exchange chops in the corner. KLR locks in a Koji Clutch but Princesa turns it into a roll up for a near fall. Stiff kicks from Sugehit. KLR misses a senton bomb and Sugehit locks in an armbar for the win
* They're doing the same thing as the CWC with the winners' hand being raised with the loser at the end
* Ronda Rousey is here at ringside. SmackDown Women's Champion Naomi is brought out for the next match
* They introduce Jessika (Kennadi Brink) as the first full-time female referee in WWE history to a big pop
* Serena Deeb defeated Vanessa Borne. Serena goes for a monkey flip, but Vanessa throws her over the top and hits an elbow. Vanessa hits a headbutt for a near fall. Serena goes for a spear, but Vanessa sidesteps it and Serena slams the turnbuckle. Vanessa with a Samoan Drop for 2. Vanessa misses a splash, Serena ducks a clothesline and nails a spear for the win
* William Regal is shown at ringside. Charlotte Flair and Bayley are sitting behind Ronda. Ronda, Marina Shafir, and Jessamyn Duke are moved to ringside for Shayna's match
* Shayna Baszler defeated Zeda. Shayna refuses to shake hands. They grapple and Shayna tries to lock in an armbar. Zeda with a monkey flip for 2. Zeda locks in a choke, but Shayna powers out, lifts her up for a suplex, but flips her into a choke for the tapout. Shayna goes to ringside and poses with her fellow Four Horsewomen
* Bayley and Carmella are ringside for the next match, and in a cool move, they've moved Izzy up to sit between them for the match
* Piper Niven defeated Santana Garrett. Piper misses sitting on Santana and Santana hits a dropkick for 2. Piper nails a running cross body for a near fall. Santana hits a tornado DDT for a near fall. Santana hits her handspring elbow but Piper nails a crossbody. Santana flips Piper off the top rope and gets a 2 and the crowd goes nuts. Piper hits a senton to Santana's back and then a sit out powerslam for the win. Crowd got really into this one
Episode 2, First Round:
* Tamina Snuka is ringside for the first match
* Mia Yim defeated Sarah Logan. Good match. Mia with a flurry of kicks for a 2 count. Mia locks in an octopus on the ropes then hits a missile dropkick for a near fall. Mia locks in a guillotine choke, but Sarah powers out and they trade punches and kicks while seated. Sarah goes for a clothesline but Mia sucks it and hits a suplex for a near fall. Sarah hits a dropkick to the corner and then a suplex off the top rope for a near fall. Mia hits Eat Defeat for the win
* Mercedes Martinez defeated Xia Li. Lots of kicks from Xia to start. Quick match. Not a ton of note in it. Mercedes transitions a surfboard into a reverse guillotine choke for a quick tap out
* Emma, Maria & Mike Kanellis are shown at ringside
* Rhea Ripley defeated Miranda Salinas. Rhea with a huge dropkick in the corner. Miranda with a roll up for 2. Rhea hits a full nelson slam for the win. Rhea got over big with the crowd
* Nia Jax and her family are now at ringside
* Abbey Laith defeated Jazzy Gabert. Abbey with stiff forearms to start, but Jazzy keeps throwing her down. Crowd comes unglued the third toss down. Abbey ducks a kick and hits a jawbreaker to stagger Jazzy. Jazzy locks in a move similar to the Anaconda Vice, but Abbey fights out. Jazzy tries to lift her up from an armbar position, but Abbey deadweights and Jazzy locks in a rear naked choke. Abbey goes for a crossbody off the top and Jazzy power slams her. She goes for the cocky cover and only gets one. Abbey fights back and hits a step up enziguri and the yes kicks, but can only get 2. Abbey hits a senton bomb for a 2 count. Crowd is super into this. Jazzy folds her in half with a clothesline and goes in with punches on the mat. Jazzy goes for the crucifix/Widow's Peak move, but Abbey rolls out and rolls her up for the win. Jazzy hugs Abbey post match and raises her hand
Episode 3, First Round:
* Charlotte Flair and Sara Amato are now ringside
* Toni Storm defeated Ayesha Raymond. Ayesha refuses the handshake. Toni is super over. Nice technical chain to start. Ayesha with a scoop slam for 2. Crowd booing Ayesha heavy. Ayesha goes up top, but comes down and jawjacks with the crowd. She goes up in the opposite corner for a splash, but misses and Toni rolls her up for the win
* Dakota Kai defeated Kavita Devi. Playing the David/Goliath angle here. Kavita dominating with power moves, including a press slam and lifting Dakota up with one arm. Kai ducks a corner splash and then hits her base-running kick and a double stomp off the top for the win
* Johnny Gargano, Natalya and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix are now ringside. Nia Jax and family members are still there from the previous episode
* Candice LeRae defeated Renee Michelle. Gargano is ringside cheering and chanting for his wife Candice. They start with a series of 1-counts leading to a respectful standoff. Candice gets back in control with a codebreaker and hits a neckbreaker for a near fall. Candice with chops in the corner. Renee with a spin kick for 2. Candice hits a running kick on a seated Renee for a near fall. Candice hits jumping spinning neckbreaker off the top for the win
* Rachel Evers defeated Marti Belle. Kassius Ohno is ringside to support his girlfriend Rachel. Rachel goes for lockups, but Marti keeps claiming she's not ready. Marti playing big heel here. Rachel with a bicycle kick for 2. Marti necks her on the rope and takes control. Sloppy work from Marti, she's not having a good showing at all. Rachel hits a spinebuster for a near fall. Marti hits a Stroke for a near fall. Rachel gets a small package on Marti for the pin
Episode 4, First Round:
* Akira Tozawa is at ringside
* Bianca Belair defeated Sage Beckett. Montez Ford is also at ringside to support his fiancé Bianca. Bianca with a leg drop to the back and a splash for 2. Sage hits a sit out full nelson slam for a near fall. Sage with a corner splash and a running kick but only gets 1. Sage puts Bianca in the tree of woe and splashes her. Sage misses a Vader splash, and Bianca whips her with her hair and hits a spear for the win
* Alicia Fox takes Tozawa's seat at ringside
* Lacey Evans defeated Taynara Conti. Conti with kicks and strikes to start. Conti with an overhead throw for 2. Lacey with a twisting neckbreaker and a flip off the mat into an elbow. Lacey hits a sitdown driver for the win. Taynara refuses the handshake at the end
* Nicole Savoy defeated Reina Gonzalez. Nicole goes for a pele, but Reina pulls her hair and knocks her down. Sloppy match. Nicole locks in an armbar for the win
* Shinsuke Nakamura and RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss are ringside for the final match of the night
* Kairi Sane defeated Tessa Blanchard. Kairi is a star. This crowd loves her. Tessa with a neckbreaker for 2. Big chops from Kairi. Baseball slide forearm and a big axehandle from Kairi for 2. Tessa sidesteps and drapes Kairi in the ropes, hitting a leg drop to her back. Tessa goes up top, but Kairi hits a forearm. Tessa knocks her off the rope and hits a cannonball senton for a near fall. Series of roll ups for twos. Tessa goes for a kick but Kairi catches her leg and hits a kick to the back. Kairi hits the Alabama Slam and the elbow to a huge pop for the win