The Mae Young Classic is an all-woman wrestling tournament that has been held by the WWE twice so far, in 2017 and 2018. The tournament allowed 32 competitors from across the world, many of whom made their WWE debut during the event, to come together and compete for the trophy.
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When re-watching the tournament you'll see the early careers of many familiar faces who are now NXT female competitors, many of whom have gone on to successful WWE careers with some even having moved up to the main roster. These are 10 of the most surprising matches to have taken place in the Mae Young Classic tournament.
10 Dakota Kai Vs Rhea Ripley
In the first-ever Mae Young Classic tournament held by the WWE in 2017, two recognizable New Zealand natives clashed in the second round of the event. Dakota Kai advanced to the second round having beaten India's Kavita Devi, whilst current NXT champion Rhea Ripley unsurprisingly advanced after besting Miranda Salinas.
This hard-hitting encounter lasted all of 7 minutes before Rhea managed to vanquish Dakota. This isn't the only time to two met in a WWE tournament, as they also wrestled in the semi-finals of the WWE NXT UK Women's Championship tournament in 2018, a match which Rhea also won before becoming the inaugural champion.
9 Mia Yim Vs Kaitlyn
In the 2018 edition of the event, former Diva's Champion Kaitlyn returned to the WWE to participate, advancing to the second round where she met current NXT superstar Mia Yim.
The two had a memorable encounter but, to the surprise of many, Kaitlyn failed to pick up the win over Mia, serving as one of the biggest wins of the latter's WWE career thus far. Mia hasn't had much success in NXT as of yet, often being on the receiving end of pinfalls, but this match and victory showed she has a bright future with the company.
8 Bianca Belair Vs Kairi Sane
These are two notable names of WWE's current women's divisions, as Bianca Belair is currently one of the top stars in NXT following her impressive Royal Rumble outing, and Kairi Sane is currently one half of the longest reigning WWE Women's Tag Team Champion's ever alongside Asuka as The Kabuki Warriors.
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The two faced off in the second round of the 2017 tournament in one of the most memorable matches at the event. Bianca's performance impressed WWE officials enough to offer her a place in NXT and the current push she's receiving, whilst Kairi Sane went on to win the first-ever Mae Young Classic.
7 Rhea Ripley Vs Io Shirai
WWE's NXT Women's division is regarded by many as the best women's division of any wrestling promotion around today; much of this can be attributed to the work of these two women. Rhea Ripley versus Io Shirai is a match that has often been teased as a huge NXT Takeover encounter in the future, but few remember they actually wrestled in the semi-finals of the Mae Young Classic in 2018.
Io Shirai came out victorious in a standout match of the tournament, but many WWE Universe members would relish the opportunity to see this match again today.
6 Meiko Satomura Vs Toni Storm
In the most surprising and anticipated WWE debut of 2018, legendary Japanese female wrestler Meiko Satomura announced she would be a part of the WWE's Mae Young Classic. Meiko dominated her way to the semi-finals of the event where she met long-time fan favorite Toni Storm in a hugely anticipated bout.
Meiko had put away many of her other competitors with her deadly scorpion kick, but Toni Storm managed to outlast the veteran, advancing to face Io Shirai in the tournament finals at WWE Evolution. Toni would go on to win the entire tournament, but her match against Meiko remains a surprising encounter and one of the finest matches of the event.
5 Serena Deeb Vs Piper Nevin
In another shock return to the WWE for the tournament which has since been largely forgotten, Serena Deeb, best known for her involvement with CM Punk's Straightedge Society, made her triumphant return to the WWE in the inaugural event.
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Deeb impressed in her return match but met the imposing WWE NXT UK superstar Piper Nevin in the second round of the tournament. In a well-booked encounter that favored Deeb as an underdog against the strong yet inexperienced Nevin, the former fought valiantly but failed to best the Scottish superstar.
4 Toni Storm Vs Lacey Evans
Though currently a part of Monday Night RAW's women's division, Lacey Evans got her big WWE break as a part of the Mae Young Classic in 2017. Lacey participated in the first round against Brazilian NXT star Taynara Conti, but the best match of her tournament effort came when she met Toni Storm in the second round.
Though not a long match, it is interesting to see Lacey so early in her career and competing against another recognizable star in Toni Storm. Both women would go on to far greater accomplishments after the tournament, making this an interesting encounter to look back on. Toni also has several other surprising matches from the Mae Young Classic tournament, including a classic encounter with Kairi Sane.
3 Rhea Ripley Vs Kacy Catanzaro
WrestleMania-bound Rhea Ripley is one of few competitors to have participated in both renditions of the Mae Young Classic, so she has her fair share of exciting matches across both competitions. At the 2018 event, she faced a debuting Kacy Catanzaro, who was pushed as a new WWE acquisition thanks to the fame she gained from competing in the US version of Ninja Warrior.
Catanzaro is one of the most athletic performers to step foot in a WWE ring, and combining this with the height and strength of Ripley made for a memorable David vs Goliath bout that will hopefully be revisited in the future, whilst the two performers are on NXT.
2 Princesa Sugehit Vs Kay Lee Ray
This Mae Young Classic match is surprising given how excited many were to see both these wrestlers in the tournament, and how their respective WWE careers panned out after the event. Princesa Sugehit is a Mexican sensation who made her WWE debut in the tournament with a great deal of promise, though she only advanced to the second round and hasn't appeared for the company since.
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Meanwhile, Kay Lee Ray lost to Sugehit in the very first round of the tournament and didn't even appear in the 2018 iteration. However, she is currently the WWE NXT UK Women's Champion and recently featured at NXT Takeover: WarGames, making this encounter a fascinating time capsule for both women's careers at the time.
1 Mercedes Martinez Vs Shayna Baszler
Shayna Baszler is set to wrestle Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 36 and is making waves following her recent move to the WWE's main roster. Meanwhile, Mercedes Martinez is the latest NXT acquisition and will likely prove to be a dominant presence on the brand in the coming months, effectively taking Shayna Baszler's place in the promotion.
Surprisingly, the two women have wrestled in the WWE previously, as they met in the semi-finals of the Mae Young Classic in 2017, with Shayna coming out the victor by submission. This likely won't be the last time these two will meet in a WWE ring.
NEXT: Cruiserweight Classic: 10 Surprising Matches You Forgot Happened
