The best and worst from Mae Young Classic episode 1

The first episode of the 2018 Mae Young Classic is in the books, and already, the tournament looks like it will surpass last year's in quality. There was certainly some clunkiness throughout the episode, but it was a show that delivered. Compared to last year's first round, we're set to see matches over and above the quality of the inaugural tournament. The crop of talent is of an even higher calibre than last year's.

Four matches took place on the first episode, seemingly drawing from their brackets at random.

While the show delivered, nothing is ever perfect. What were the ups and downs of episode 1 of the Mae Young Classic 2018?

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Worst: The commentary

Better, but still not terrific.

The biggest detriment of last year's tournament was the commentary team. Jim Ross and Lita didn't work well together and the awkwardness in the booth took away from the action in the ring. WWE understood this and changed the commentary formula, bringing in Michael Cole, Beth Phoenix, and Renee Young.

Unsurprisingly, Michael Cole was the biggest offender. Though he didn't have Vince McMahon in his ear, he was still prone to many of the things he's so widely hated for. His characteristic lack of subtlety, with Tegan Nox in particular, made the event feel forced instead of organic.

Too often, the commentary team was trying to get in bits of information about the performers instead of focusing on the matches they were in. It ruined the pacing and at worst, felt robotic.

There's still room to improve. Hopefully, as the first round subsides and the performers are fully introduced to the audience, the commentary focuses on what's actually happening inside the ring instead of rushing through bits of background and trying to force the audience to favor certain performers.

And for the sake of my sanity, I hope Cole NEVER says, "it's Meiko time!" ever again.

Best: Every match had a story

Each match had a unique selling proposition.

Despite the commentary often selling the matches with a sledgehammer, each one told its own unique story in the ring.

Tegan Nox, though it felt inauthentic (again, often thanks to Cole's commentary), sold her leg injury against Zatara. This led to her fiery comeback against the Chilean.

Rhea Ripley's match with MJ Jenkins was all about the latter's new attitude. She overpowered the latter and withstood her attempt at a comeback with...ruthless aggression?

Lacey Lane's match with Vanessa Kraven was a solidly told David vs. Goliath story.

Finally, Meiko Satomura's match with Killer Kelly was a hard-hitting battle where a talented young competitor wanted to knock off the "final boss."

Because of this and the performers in the ring, nothing felt the same or played out.

Worst: Overrated?

Were the rumours true?

I'll be honest. Tegan Nox didn't impress me greatly, at least not compared to her hype. Cole's over pushing her on commentary was probably part of that reason, but there was nothing about her match that suggested to me that she should, if some of the rumours are true, advance to the finals of the Mae Young Classic, much less win the tournament, certainly not over the likes of legitimate world-class competitors such as Toni Storm and Io Shirai.

There's still time to change my mind. A first match is never going to be the best one. Still, it very much feels like the hyping of Nox is only happening because of her injury last year, where she was never a favourite to win.

Best: Loads of potential

Lacey Lane is clearly someone to watch.

If this tournament has two breakout stars, I'm betting they'll be Lacey Lane and Rhea Ripley. MJ Jenkins, too, did a better job than I thought she'd do.

There's clearly some clunkiness that still needs to be worked out. Rhea Ripley could use some work to get more fluid. Lacey Lane felt like she was rushing to get her spots in, and her strikes need a lot of work, but she's clearly a standout.

All of these things will improve with practice. If you're following the new UK division, Rhea Ripley has already had a big moment, and there's nothing that should stop Lacey Lane from becoming a major player in the NXT women's division during the next year.

Best: Meiko Satomura vs. Killer Kelly

The easy choice for match of the night.

Because of course, it was the match of the night.

Obviously, Meiko Satomura was going to show up huge in this tournament. However, it takes two to tango, and Killer Kelly showed up in a major, major way, taking the fight to the legend.

Both women looked amazing in this match, and this should be a breakout moment for Killer Kelly, who will be a significant player in the NXT UK women's division.

This felt like a hard-hitting master class between two gladiators and it certainly left us wanting more.