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The Mae Young Classic was a tournament jam-packed with some of the best female wrestlers from around the globe. 32 women started the tournament but only two made it to the finals in Las Vegas
Kairi Sane dazzled fans throughout the Mae Young Classic and amazed them with her incredible top rope elbow drop. It's a really good thing WWE allowed her to use that as a finishing move because rumours doing the rounds said that WWE were going to make her change it.
On the other hand, Shayna Baszler dominated every woman she's locked up with so far. With her powerful move set and MMA background, Baszler has thrown everyone out of her way with ease. Her mat wrestling skills are on point and she's also very good friends with Ronda Rousey so that helps a lot too.
It all went down in Las Vegas and it was a pretty incredible event. So let's take a look at five things that made it so special.
The atmosphere before the Mae Young Classic
Before the Mae Young Classic finale started, the Las Vegas crowd already witnessed a brutal display. At the end of SmackDown Live, Vince McMahon was transformed into a bloody 72-year-old heap in the ring thanks to Kevin Owens.
Vince McMahon had just booked a Hell In A Cell match between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon. Then KO gave The Chairman Of The Board a stiff headbutt followed by a brutal beat down.
WWE officials ran down to the ring in order to break up the madness. In spite of their pleas, Kevin Owens finished off the job by hitting Mr. McMahon with a top rope Bullfrog Splash.
As Kevin Owens walked up the ramp looking proud of what he just accomplished, Stephanie McMahon ran down and didn't look happy at all. She assisted the WWE officials who were helping her father up the ramp. Vince McMahon was a bloody and beaten mess by the end of the show.
After seeing all that, the crowd had to regroup and prepare for Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler's big match.
#4 The trophy
WWE has made a habit of creating some incredible trophies. The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy has become a staple of the WrestleMania kickoff show; the Dusty Rhodes Classic trophy is also plenty impressive. But the trophy for the Mae Young Classic was especially nice.
We've seen this massive trophy for a while now and it doesn't get any less cool. But it begs the question whether or not someone could ever get that through an airport. They would certainly have to check it at the baggage claim because something that size would never fit in an overhead compartment.
When Kairi Sane stood next to the trophy, it dwarfed her in size. Little did she know she would soon have to worry about how she would lug that thing around.
Sometimes one of the drawbacks of winning a big WWE trinket is you have to figure out how to get it from show to show.
#3 The announce team
One of the perks of the Mae Young Classic for many people was Jim Ross and Lita at the announce table. Their unique back and forth helped tell the story of 32 competitors all vying to prove themselves to the world.
They might have had their critics during the short run of the show, but Ross and Lita were really on top of their game during the final match between Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler.
Jim Ross really made this event seem special just by being a part of it. His skills take things up a level and there was no shortage of that signature Alabama excitement during the final match of the inaugural Mae Young Classic.
This was Lita's first real go at announcing and she seemed to find her groove. It was a cool way to feature "The Queen Of Extreme" during this historic event.
#2 Special guests
The Mae Young Classic was a big deal, so there were several people who wanted to see the show up close and personal.
Several people from the world of sports were at the event such as Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist in free style wrestling, Erica Wiebe. Atta Johnson was also in attendance and when The Rock's mom shows up, it's always a big deal.
Other competitors in the Mae Young Classic were there, such as Mercedes Martinez, Candice LeRae, Piper Niven and Toni Storm. It wouldn't be surprising if those ladies eventually all end up somewhere in WWE.
Mauro Ranallo was in the crowd as well as Alundra Blayze, Beth Phoenix, and Dana Warrior.
Current WWE Superstars Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Asuka were also there. Even though some people were hoping for a clash between WWE's Horsewomen and Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir and Ronda Rousey, it didn't happen.
Instead, it was all about the match so Ronda Rousey just stood with Shafir and Duke to cheer on Shayna Baszler.
#1 The match
One real highlight of this match was Lillian Garcia's surprise appearance. Garcia gave a nice speech before the match started. Then she introduced Shayna and Kairi and she wasn't rusty in the slightest.
Sane was giving up a lot in weight and height but didn't look like it phased her much. The two took each other to the limit and each had their moments when it looked like they were certain to win.
But in the end, Kairi Sane was victorious after finally pulling off her beautiful top rope Elbow Drop. It really is a marvellous thing to witness.
There was a big show of respect after the match when Shayna Baszler hugged Sane and raised her arm in victory. Then Shayna exited the ring to let the celebration continue.
There was no real confrontation after the match was over. But instead, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon presented Kairi Sane with flowers and that insanely large trophy.
