WWE Mae Young Classic finals live results: Baszler vs. Sane
Kairi Sane won the Mae Young Classic in a dramatic match against Shayna Baszler during a live special from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for the tournament finals.
Despite speculation ahead of the show about an angle involving the Horsewomen factions, the show was purely focused on the finals and the match itself. The Horsewomen factions were indeed at ringside, but they were merely there to watch the match.
Celebrity guests and various other female wrestlers — both past and present — from the WWE roster were at ringside as well. Semifinalists and others from the tournament were also there to watch on.
The heated match gave way to an emotional scene with Sane during the post-match ceremony. The atmosphere was made even better by a hot crowd reacting to the drama of the match. The presentation of the show itself helped in making the tournament finals seem monumental.
The tournament came down to former UFC fighter Shayna Baszler taking on joshi wrestling standout Kairi Sane. Baszler defeated Zeda, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae, and Mercedes Martinez on her road to the finals, with Sane overcoming Tessa Blanchard, Bianca Belair, Dakota Kai, and Toni Storm in getting to the climatic match.
Baszler and Sane had previously met in a match against each other for the Stardom promotion in Japan prior to either being a part of WWE.
After winning the tournament, Kairi Sane is set for a title match to decide the next NXT Women’s Champion at the TakeOver special event in Houston this November during Survivor Series weekend.
The live special from Las Vegas opened with a video package hyping the finals. Highlights from the red carpet followed with sound bites from the celebrity guests and WWE wrestlers in attendance.
Renee Young was the host of the show while Jim Ross and Lita were on commentary. Lillian Garcia returned in a special appearance doing the ring announing for grand introductions before the match.
Kairi Sane defeated Shayna Baszler to win the Mae Young Classic
Sane pinned Baszler with a flying elbow drop to win the tournament final.
As they circled each other at the outset, dueling chants broke out from the crowd upon the first lock-up.
Early on in the match, they established the story that played on the size difference. The larger heel bullied the babyface-in-peril until finally being vanquished.
The match soon went to the mat when Baszler shot in for a takedown and they began grappling.
Baszler displayed her power advantage during a Greco Roman knucklelock. Sane showed her quickness with a flying headscissors. Baszler mowed down Sane with a kick. Sane rolled outside and Baszler stalked her prey at ringside.
Back in the ring, Baszler began to get heat on Sane by working the arm and elbow. Sane countered at one point with a schoolgirl for a hope spot. Baszler quickly went back to dissecting the arm.
Sane countered a suplex — only to get caught in the clutches of Baszler. That led a couple gutwrench suplexes from Baszler that were dubbed “Two of a Kind.”
Upon firing up, Sane got cut off again with a running knee strike by Baszler. Pausing for a moment to taunt Sane, Baszler is met with a spear as Sane started a comeback. Sane then targets the ribs and applied a body scissors.
Baszler escaped the scissors and repeatedly paint brushed Sane. Baszler is then soon the victim of another spear that sent her into a corner. Sane goes for her signature walking of the plank spot, and she missed on a charge into the corner.
Sane went back to targeting the ribs, and she hit Baszler with an ax kick in the process. Baszler sold her ribs as Sane went to the top rope.
When Sane jumped off attemping her flying elbow, Baszler caught her in a rear naked choke. The submission hold was Baszler’s key to victory throughout the tournament. Sane became the first in the tourney to break the hold as she elbowed Baszler’s ribs to escape.
Sane dropped Baszler with a spinning back fist. Sane climbed the turnbuckles and Baszler tripped her up. Sane countered an attempted superplex, and they exchanged strikes. Baszler applied a kimura lock while perched on the ropes.
Sane shoved Baszler off the ropes to trap her in the tree-of-woe. Sane hit Baszler with a double foot stomp for a near fall and a rope break.
Sane targeted the ribs again in the closing moments to set up the flying elbow drop. Sane dropped the elbow and covered Baszler as the crowd counted along in unison for the three count.
Sane became the winner of the inaugural Mae Young Classic. Her and Baszler hugged after the match.
Sarah Amato, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H joined the finalists in the ring for a presentation ceremoney with the giant trophy. Triple H gave Sane a bouquet of flowers before raising her hand in victory. Sane wept.
No Horsewomen angle at all with the focus was on the match and the tournament finals.
After the conclusion of the live special, WWE announced that Sane will go on to challenge for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Houston in November. Triple H first broke the story during an interview with ESPN.