Episode 2 really started to elevate the things and it showed us that every 4th match (we are calling it main event) will be great, since Abbey Laith vs. Jazzy Gabert! This episode even was more emotional for me in the end, because I saw another two of my favorites facing each others.
Let's remind ourselves what was happening in it!
ROUND 01
EP 02. MATCH #01
MERCEDES MARTINEZ VS. XIA LI
I will not lie that we expected more from Xia Li, but she was booked to face Mercedes Martinez and Martinez is someone who can't be underrated! Overall the match was nice and I personally want to see Li's development as a wrestler.
The crowd welcomed Mercedes Martinez with a great positive reaction, while Xia as new face was met with kind of mixed feelings. Of course Mercedes was the villain in this match and even from the handshake, she refused to do a handshake with Xia! Welcome to USA, Li!
Xia overcome her nemesis disrespctful behavior and execute several relly good kicks, did some good blocks. After a rope rebound by Xia, Martinez was able to capitalize and perform Spinebuster for near fall. At the end Li found herself locked in a Modified Dragon sleeper, really impressive hold and the Chinese breakout was forced to tap out!
The match wasn't that long. for me it was kind of quick, but it was intensive and interesting opening of the episode!
WINNER: MERCEDES MARTINEZ (US), via submission
ROUND 01
EP. 02. MATCH #02
MARTI BELLE VS. RACHEL EVERS
Both competitors was warm welcomed! You know that they are a names for themselves out of WWE. Marti Belle was one of the pleasant surprises in the roster of 32 names. I think everyone appreciate Belle's appearance. Rachel Evers is well known to NXT Universe, with her several matches in the brand.
From the begining Marti Belle acted as a heel, when she cleaned her hand after a handshake with Evers. The match was dynamic, Belle was on the top of her game doing her mean things. The crowd started to support Rachel, but at one point they were divided and chanted for both of them. Marti Belle made Reversed Natural selection/Running Neckbreaker move, which was stunning and earn her more chants and heat! Rachel returned the favor with amazing Spinebuster, but Belle kick-out on 2. Marti execute great Face-first plant for nearly 3, but Evers was able to roll her in a inside cradle pin, out of nowhere for the victory!
WINNER: RACHEL EVERS (UNITED STATES) , via pinfall
ROUND 01
EP 02. MATCH #03
RHEA RIPLEY VS. MIRANDA SALINAS
Rhea Ripley and Miranda Salinas started the match with tensious handshake. Rhea was the face, Salinas the heel. Both women are totally new to WWE's crowd and I think that Ripley's Australian descent helped her to win the crowd. You know that the Australian wave in WWE and NXT is highly favorite - from TM-61 (where are you guys) to Emma! The Aussies are just Superstars!
Salinas as alumna from Booker T's school (like Ember Moon) made her tutor proud. She was solid heel and put really good offense. I almost forget that she is a replacement (of Nixon Newell, who got injured, before the start)! Miranda was really good!
The match started with a lot of Headlocks by Rhea, and reversals by Salinas! Miranda followed her heel strategies and played rude most of the time. I enjoyed when she executed this thilt-a-whirl hedscissors into pin combo - it was really stunning. On the other hand Ripley's Dropkick was really OMG! To see tall and strong girl performing this maneuver is really impressive. At the end the Australian sensation was able to perform a great Full Nelson Slam and to win the both.
Really nice match, than expected!
WINNER: RHEA RIPLEY (AUSTRALIA), via pinfall
ROUND 01
EP. 02. MATCH #04
SARAH LOGAN VS. MIA YIM
It's really hard when two of your favorites are facing each other. For my terror, in the whole first round, 4 main events, that was the reality! I admire, respect and have a professional booking love to both Logan and Yim.This was the Kentucky's Country girl's tale ending but it was really amazing!
The audience greet Sarah really distantly, while their cheers for Mia Yim were just explosive. Their handshake was the nice handshake ever. The curious thing was that there was no actual heel in there and it wasn't bad or harming at all! It was nice sportsmanship, between two really, really talented indie workers (actually Sarah is former indie, because she is signed to WWE).
The match included a perfect Tarantula - tribute to Tajiri, by Mia Yim, a lot of suplexes by the Korean star. Sarah Logan fight really well and she even was able to perform two perfect suplexes, and the crowd was divided, after they support Mia, from the beginning. At some point Mia Yim locked Dragon sleeper which Logan escaped and both women started to exchange punches, still in a sitting position. That was a really dynamic and emotional fight. Mia Yim with her amazing talent and skills, and her background story of domestic violence, that she was not afraid to share and Sarah Logan - the Taka Michinoku's student, who is a real unrefined jewel, portraying the country girl, who was 'raised in the mud', with huge dream. Really strong and emotional charge was set in this ring.
One Eat Defeat in tribute to Gail Kim, was the ending determine, performed by Yim. The dream of our Kentucky girl for MYC tournament win was over, but ... Dear, Sarah, you write a history, next to Yim, Laith and Gabert, by making a great match! I know that her future in NXT will be right, because she deserve it. As for the winner - Mia Yim is really amazing and seeing WWE finally paying some respect to her is really heartfelt! We hope that they will involve this stunning woman in their future programs (even with her indie ring name, because it is good) and maybe we will see a rematch between her and Logan some day in NXT. Or even see them both as a NXT Women's Champions at some point, why not?
WINNER: MIA YIM (SOUTH KOREA), via pinfall
OVERVIEW:
I think that every episode became more and more interesting. The formula to have a great opening and to end with a stunning main event, involving two really amazing and favorite talents - it just works. I am totally glad that the newest names like Xia Li, Miranda Salinas,Zeda,Vanessa Borne destroyed my doubts and prove me wrong! I am so happy that they did that!
The Episode was another high quality show, so earth-bounded, with opportunities for everyone. Of course the feel of a rush didn't leave you, until the main event, but we already have talked about that - the whole first round was shot in one day! It's normal to be juuuust a little bit over-rushed and still amazing experience for real fans of women's professional wrestling!
TOP 5 PICKS
It's so hard to pick only 5 women from a great episode that include 8 top competitors. But we've tried!
#05 MARTI BELLE
While Rachel Evers was the winner and logical pick, we are choosing Marti Belle, who was the reason, for Evers, success in MYC! Marti Belle was there for her opponent, playing her role really great. I think that she is a really exceptional young talent and her future inor out of WWE will be just as bright as her amazing devotion to professional wrestling is. So, we pick her as our #05!
#04 RHEA RIPLEY
The tall and powerful youngster from Australia, prove to be one of the best in the first round as her work with Salinas was really great. Now we can concentrate on her future in MYC and beyond - in NXT, because she is a good addition to the Yellow and black brand. That girl had the IT-factor that is needed to succeed in the ruthless world of wrestling and we can only imagine what success awaits her.
#03 MERCEDES MARTINEZ
This match with Xia Li wasn't the great challenge for Martinez. She is here mostly because the end of it - that amazing submission that she did. The veteran still have to face her greatest challenge in MYC. For now, her SHIMMER fellows - Nicole Savoy and Shayna Baszler are continuing to Round 2, too so maybe it's a matter of facte seeing Mercedes facing any of them. In the next round, she will face Princesa Sugehit, so it's going to be really interesting for watching!
#02 SARAH LOGAN
Another 'loser'! Hm, Sarah may lose MYC, but she didn't lose it without putting a real country girl fight. The sweet and kind of raw young woman has already made a statement. I have faith in her and with good booking, she will become one of the most iconic NXT and WWE Superstars in the next few years. Now we can concentrate on her official TV roster debut and eventual involvement with the vacated NXT Women's belt!
#01 MIA YIM
Who do you expected to see in here? Who else?
Mia Yim is valuable talent, amazing human being and real professional. She is one of those, so devoted t pro-wrestling figures, whom tracks you can't lose, because she is always doing something, she is always booked somewhere. I really hope, no matter where her road will led her in MYC, that WWE will finally did something really smart about Yim and to sign her to NXT, this time for a long-long, almost forever, period. Just imagine her next to Ember Moon, Nikki Cross, Ruby Riot, The Iconic Duo, Sarah Logan, Abbey Laith, Sage Beckett and Zelina Vega. That will be just one step to the total perfection of the NXT's and later for WWE's women's wrestling divisions. SHIMMER and SHINE 'takeover'!!!
#WWEPleaseSignMiaYim
