Mae Young Classic Is Proof WWE Must Create More Tournaments

When Kairi Sane knocked off Shayna Baszler to win the inaugural Mae Young Classic on Tuesday, she was not the only who celebrated a victory.

WWE won that night, too. It wrapped up another stirring tournament that earned its share of critical acclaim. The company celebrated and showcased women's wrestling with a 32-wrestler tourney that hit all kinds of right notes.

The historic event was the latest tournament to air on the WWE Network. WWE previously aired a showcase of wrestlers under 205 pounds in the Cruiserweight Classic, a tag team gauntlet known as the Dusty Rhodes Classic, and a window to the British grappling scene with the United Kingdom Championship Tournament.

The Mae Young Classic shouldn't be the last of that string; it should be the bridge to what's next.

Tim Fiorvanti of ESPN.com is among those wanting to see more of these kinds of events from WWE:

The format, presentation and inherent narratives of the tournament make it a no-brainer to bring back again and again. The Mae Young Classic wasn't lightning in a bottle; it was a sustainable power source WWE should utilize on a regular basis.

A Winning Formula

These tournaments are the ideal entry points for new fans. 

The premise is simple. The format is easy to digest. And at each stage, WWE tells the wrestlers' story through commentary and video packages.

Raw or SmackDown requires the viewer to have previous knowledge of its stars and already understand their mythologies. That's not true of these WWE Network tournaments. 

Many of the Mae Young Classic competitors were new faces to even some diehard fans, but in just a few moments, one got to know who these warriors were. 

Mia Yim is a well-traveled veteran of the ring who has become an advocate for women dealing with domestic violence issues. Miranda Salinas is a hard-nosed, cocky fighter who trained under Booker T in Houston. Toni Storm out of Australia is a high-voltage rising star who draws inspiration from Motley Crue.

These efficient introductions were hallmarks of the CWC and UK tourneys as well. 

The win-or-go-home element elevates the product, too. Every match has high stakes. Every victory or defeat has clear consequences.  

One ends up watching two great performers collide, like we did in the first round of the Mae Young Classic with Tessa Blanchard vs. Sane or Jazzy Gabert vs. Abbey Laith, not wanting either wrestler to lose. 

That's not the case on TV each week. What does it really matter if Kalisto beats Elias on Raw or vice versa?

The Mae Young Classic, like its predecessors, was a taut, well-produced event. It more closely echoed a sports competition than standard WWE fare. Minimal talking and a lack of comedy skits allowed more room for in-ring artistry to shine. 

There was no need for filler, only the pro wrestling medium at its purest.

Excellence Emerges

The Mae Young Classic, the UK tourney and the CWC are simply some of the best things WWE has produced in recent years. When we look back at this era, those events will certainly be among the highlights. 

Before and after Sane dropped her artful diving elbow onto Baszler's chest to capture victory in the final, fans and analysts alike heaped praise on the Mae Young Classic.

April Lavalle wrote for ProWrestling.net: "The Mae Young Classic features awesome new talent, seriously good wrestling, and...dare I say it...a lot of heart." Former WWE Creative member Court Bauer tweeted: "The Mae Young Classic is fantastic."

Fightful tipped its hat to WWE as well:

Throughout the tournament, little-known names delivered standout performances. Clashes of power versus speed thrilled. A number of matches were just plain excellent.

That continued a pattern. The UK tournament had some its share of must-watch bouts, including the final between Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne that was one of the best matches of the year. The CWC delivered even more so than the Mae Young Classic with a plethora of excellent contests.

En route to Sane's win, strong story after strong story unfolded in the ring.

We saw Dakota Kai beat bigger opponents with gutsy performances. Baszler emerged as a potential star, dominating the competition with her MMA-inspired toolbox. A friend-against-friend battle between Storm and Piper Niven engaged.

Beyond quality in-ring action, these tournaments have felt like major events. They have a historic air. They are once-in-a-lifetime moments for some of these grapplers.

It's clear what being in the Mae Young Classic meant for Rachel Evers (real name: Rachael Ellering):

There was a similar aura surrounding the CWC. And it's something WWE can recreate that by bringing these events back or creating new ones.

What's Next?

This should be the era of tournaments.

They are dramatic, high-quality events that give the WWE world variety. They can help introduce or elevate new signees like Sane. And they are a means to get people hooked on the WWE Network.

The buzz around the Mae Young Classic makes it clear the company needs to revisit it. 

It doesn't have to be an annual show but perhaps something that arrives every other year. It would be fantastic to see women like Gabert or Blanchard look to redeem their early exits the first time around. The independent scene also offers a number of other new faces to bring aboard.

The intimidating Jessica Havok would certainly make her mark on the Mae Young Classic. Canadian Nicole Matthews, Japanese sensation Io Shirai or Ivelisse Velez from Puerto Rico would be right at home in the tourney.

WWE should expand the Dusty Rhodes Classic and make it a bigger deal by including more outside teams. For now, it's mostly a collection of NXT talents that limits it.

From Japan to the thriving UK scene, there are plenty of eye-catching duos to showcase in the tag team tournament. 

Moving forward, WWE could do a tournament of all big men or more regional ones like the UK event. 

The company has found a blueprint for success and should continue to make use of it. Bring on the hoss tourney, an expanded Dusty Rhodes Classic and a second, third and fourth edition of the moving Mae Young Classic. Bring on more brackets and all that comes with them.