Mae Young Classic 2018 Episode 8

Toni Storm vs. Meiko Satomura

ER: I had a feeling this was the full bore Storm push, but I thought she stepped up here and looked better in this match than any of her other MYC matches. The layout wasn't my favorite, as we would get a long period of Storm, then a long period of Meiko, repeat, and I didn't really love Storm kicking out of a bunch of nasty Meiko offense down the finishing stretch only to win with a double underhook powerbomb. The powerbomb that won the match looked great, Meiko even made sure to take it differently than the prior Storm Front that Meiko kicked out of; Meiko took the one earlier in the match more flat back, the match ender she took up on her neck and shoulders and that made it at least look like more of a ramped up version of the move. I thought the execution was strong throughout, and I think Storm peaked with her STF, that was probably her strongest looking moment of the tournament. The STF looked really nasty, hooking her arm deep under Meiko's neck and I thought Meiko's selling was fantastic. Meiko had a way throughout this tournament of making me buy into potential finishes, like making a Lacey Lane crossbody look like it landed on her head and may have knocked her out, and here we get a STF several minutes in - in a match I assume is getting some time - and I fully buy that the STF can finish it. Storm made it look good, and Meiko knew exactly how far she was from the ropes, knew exactly how to milk the drama. But Storm worked hard throughout, I liked her opening wristwork, she got a super impressive high bridge on a northern lights, hit a great low tope and smashed her elbow on that metal grating (god that grating is really the ultimate heel in this tournament), and I liked all her kicks around the back of Meiko's head. Meiko looked like pure class, and it's really nobody else's fault that they didn't look as good as Meiko in this tournament; Meiko is one of the few people who could feasibly lay claim to currently being #1 in the world, so others just aren't going to look as good. All of Meiko's comebacks here were strong, that cartwheel kick looks like a straight guillotine, all of her strikes outclassed, and she knew how to strongly build nearfalls down the stretch to keep ramping up the intensity, and she really had this uncanny ability to properly sell Storm's strikes throughout. I noticed early when Storm hit a headbutt, and it was a decent enough headbutt but nothing coconut shattering, and Meiko looked up with more of an annoyed expression than a hollow daze. From there it just made me notice how great she was at knowing just how hard or soft a move or strike looked, and reacting to it accordingly. That's got to be one of the most impossible things to recognize and react to, but, she is a master. I obviously wanted Meiko going over, but this was as strong a way as any to have her lose.

PAS: This was really good, Storm is not a favorite of mine, but she definitely worked hard, I will second the love of her STF, although Meiko's Figure four variation right before it was even nastier. I also loved Storms snap kick right to the chin, it felt like that should have cut her chin open. Meiko is incredible though, all of the early grappling was such class, her early wear down strikes were withering all of her big offense was so big looking, she is out of this world. I just can't buy anyone beating her, she is just too good so it is hard to like a match she loses as much as one she wins. I also think the finish run got a little your turn my turn, with big dramatic near falls from one wrestler leading immediately into big near falls from another wrestler. Still Meiko batted 1000 in this tournament, I need to check all of her random Euro indy work, she might be the best in the world

Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai

ER: Damn could I get maybe a consolation match between the losers? I don't know if there's anybody in the tournament who raised her stock more than Ripley during this tournament. I don't think there's a person out there who could keep a straight face and tell me that Shirai outshined Ripley here, or that Shirai has shone at all during the MYC. I have seen and liked Shirai before this, but she didn't come off any better than most of the way less hyped and way less experienced people from both MYC. Ripley is not nearly as giant as the big women they've brought to work both MYC, but for someone 5'8" and a little thick, she was really able to play bigger and more domineering. Ripley comes off like what they originally wanted Natalya to be, and Ripley hasn't been doing this nearly as long. Shirai had nice fire whenever she had to fight back, both those uppercuts that were knocking Rhea around the ring didn't look as good as literally any shot that Ripley threw in this match. And Ripley just looks like she owns this ring, whether she's on offense or setting up Shirai's less plausible offense, she just reads bigger than she is. I thought her grounding Shirai to start was awesome, tons of hard shots, raining down ground and pound, shots to the body, and then goes after my heart by working a stomach claw on Shirai. The camera work was great and the announcers were great at talking about it, then Ripley works a cool body vice and a long hanging vertical suplex and I'm officially a Ripley fan. Shirai's comeback at least gets the crowd involved, even though a lot of it wouldn't look like it would harm Ripley. She gets a rana out of a powerbomb and hits a nice suicide dive. The strike exchange didn't really work mainly because Shirai acts like she's throwing kill shots, and they never look great, but she hits a nice missile dropkick. Although really, I mainly just like how Ripley took the dropkick, whipped over fast and landed with her butt comically in the air. Shirai wins by violently whipping her own knees into the mat, connecting her body more with Ripley's body at least more than her other three matches. Genius! I assumed this was the finals we were getting, and maybe it will work out with them on the big stage. But if we don't get Ripley vs. Meiko as a run off for the bronze, I'm going to be pisssssssed.

ER: Meiko is the best. Three of her four MYC matches land on our 2018 Ongoing MOTY List, and I'm sure her match against Lane would have gotten there if it went 7 minutes instead of 5. Meiko is god, god is Meiko.