Mae Young Classic 2018 Results: Winners, Grades and Highlights from Round of 32

Wednesday marked the beginning of the second annual Mae Young Classic tournament on WWE Network, and WWE made sure to stack the lineup with plenty of indy darlings and future WWE women's champions.

Many of the names are new to this year's tourney, but some familiar faces like Toni Storm and Mia Yim have returned for a second shot at the crown.

Michael Cole was joined by Renee Young and Beth Phoenix at the commentary table, giving WWE fans one of the first female-dominated announce teams in the company's history.

Like last year, WWE put together video packages to give the WWE Universe some background info on each competitor.

Let's take a look at what happened in the first episode of the Mae Young Classic.

Zatara vs. Tegan Nox

Tegan Nox was supposed to compete last year, but a torn ACL took her out of action a few weeks before filming, so she was looking to make a great impression this time around.

Her opponent, Zatara, represented lucha libre wrestling with a traditional gold and black mask. They shook hands like good sports before locking up.

The Chilean-born Superstar established herself as the heel early on by pie-facing Nox. She also offered a second handshake to lure her opponent in for a boot to the ribs.

Zatara began focusing on Nox's knee brace to add insult to injury. Despite the disadvantage, Nox managed to pick up the win with a Shining Wizard to advance to the next round.

They did a good job establishing a pace for the show, but their lack of chemistry kept this match from being memorable.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• Nox was wearing a large knee brace because of her previous injuries. 
• She clearly had some fans in the crowd, judging from the reaction she received. 
• We don't see enough wrestlers use the Indian Deathlock anymore. Zatara's looked good.
• Zatara's missile dropkick sent Nox flying head over heels.

MJ Jenkins vs. Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley was back after coming up short in last year's tournament, and she brought a different attitude from the smiling babyface we saw in 2017. She was clad in leather and spikes and looked a lot more intense.

She refused to shake MJ Jenkins' hand before the bell to make sure everyone knew she was the villain. Jenkins made her pay with some quick arm drags.

Even though she was playing the heel, many fans chanted Ripley's name throughout the match as she beat Jenkins down at every turn.

Jenkins came back and hit a nice springboard dropkick, but Ripley was able to put her opponent away with a powerbomb.

This was a more physical encounter than Zatara vs. Nox, so the crowd was a bit more vocal. It helped make Ripley look like a star in the making. 

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights

• Ember Moon and Alexa Bliss were shown sitting in the crowd before the match began. 
• Jenkins showed a lot of personality during her video package. She has the charisma part of this business down. She also had great entrance music.
• It's always nice to see Jessika Carr officiating a match. 
• Ripley's delayed vertical suplex showed how powerful she is. 

Vanessa Kraven vs. Lacey Lane

The third bout of the evening was a complete mismatch. The 6'0" Vanessa Kraven is the largest competitor in the tournament, while Lacey Lane is a foot shorter and almost 100 pounds lighter.

Lane used her speed and agility to keep Kraven off balance at first, but The Mountain eventually used her power advantage to take control.

Kraven's strikes echoed throughout the arena as she took her much-smaller opponent to her limits. However, Lane managed to upset Kraven with a crucifix pinning combination.

Seeing an underdog win is always fun, especially when the crowd is on her side. This was a short but decent match to show off both women's skills.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• Lane's hair, tattoos and overall attitude would make her a good choice to play Sister Abigail if WWE decides to introduce the character.
• Lane botched what would have been a cool move from the top rope. She ended up being fine, but the fall was scary.
• Kraven's pigtails somehow made her more frightening.

Killer Kelly vs. Meiko Satomura

The fourth and final match featured two women fans may remember from different periods. Meiko Satomura made some appearances for WCW in the 1990s, while Killer Kelly made her WWE debut at the UK Championship Tournament earlier this year.

This was a classic matchup between a veteran and a newcomer. Kelly only has two years' in-ring experience, so Satomura had the edge in that regard.

Satomura showed off her technical acumen right away with several takedowns and strikes. But Kelly, who trains in MMA, is no stranger to either form of offense.

The physicality in this contest was greater than it was in the three previous bouts. It led to this being the most entertaining match of the show.

As the crowd chanted "this is awesome" and "this is wrestling," Satomura hit the Death Valley Driver to defeat Kelly and advance to the next round. She showed her opponent respect by helping her to her feet and raising her hand. They embraced to end what was a great first episode of the Mae Young Classic.

Grade: A

Notes and Highlights

• Izzy, the Bayley superfan, could be seen in the crowd. But WWE didn't acknowledge her on camera.
• Kelly has a great gimmick. She is believable in everything she does and leaves you wanting more.
• Kelly sold a forearm to the face like she was hit with a baseball bat. She made Satomura look like the dangerous veteran that she is.
• The announcers did an excellent job in putting over Satomura as a legend in the business.