Four more down, four more to go!

With day three of the Mae Young Classic in the books, three quarters of the second-round spots have been filled. The final four spots will be decided on next week’s episode.

Our WWE Lead Writer, Shalene Hixon, takes a look at this week’s matches and ranks them while giving her thoughts on each.

Let’s get into it!

#4: Kaitlyn vs. Kavita Devi

My least favorite match-up from this week was former WWE superstar, Kaitlyn, taking on Kavita Devi.

While Hard KD controlled momentum for most of the contest with her power and strength, Kaitlyn was able to battle back and secure the victory with a vicious spear.

For me, this match was obviously to show that Kaitlyn still had what it takes inside the ring. It succeeded to a degree, but not as much as it should have. The Hybrid Diva got some offense in at the beginning and end of the bout, but besides that it was all Devi. She definitely should have had more time to show off her skills as well.

Regardless, Kaitlyn looks like she hasn’t missed a beat. Her comeback story continues into the second round, but she’s going to have a tall task ahead of her in Mia Yim.

#2 (tie): Toni Storm vs. Jinny

I couldn’t decide between the middle two matches of the night, so I figured why not make it a tie? In this one, NXT UK superstars clashed as Toni Storm faced off against Jinny.

The Fashionista gave Storm all she could handle, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough. One Strong Zero was all it took to advance to the second round.

Both women are very familiar with each other, battling on numerous occasions on the indies. It was a shame they didn’t have more time, but it won’t be the last time we see them in a WWE ring.

Ever since she was announced as an entrant, Storm has been pegged as a heavy favorite in the tournament. She’ll undoubtedly go far, so it was good that Jinny was given plenty of time to shine. Don’t let her looks fool you, she can hit and hit hard. I was very impressed with her and can’t wait to see her more.

Storm is an absolute star and had the crowd behind her the entire time. A Storm’s a comin’, so her opponents better watch out.

#2 (tie): Karen Q vs. Xia Li

The other half of my tie was Karen Q vs. Xia Li.

This match had some very good back and forth action. When it was all said and done, Li was victorious after hitting a vicious-looking spinning axe kick.

From start to finish, this match was entertaining and the crowd was definitely into it. If you like lots of heavy strikes, this one was for you.

One thing I didn’t understand was how they portrayed Q; she slapped Li and mocked her at the beginning of the bout, which is clearly heel behavior. But then she backed off and it was like it never happened in the first place.

Besides that, each woman was able to shine in their own way. Q got to show off her gymnastics background and how she blends it into her wrestling, while Li used her Chinese martial arts background to inflict a lot of punishment on her opponent.

After being eliminated in the first round last year, Li gets the opportunity to move on this time around. We’ll get to see more of her deadly arsenal next round, but Deonna Purrazzo stands in her way of the quarterfinals.

#1: Mia Yim vs. Allysin Kay

The Frenemies World Tour made its way to the WWE in my favorite match of the night. Long-time rivals Mia Yim and Allysin Kay got to close the episode and they did not disappoint.

In a hard-hitting back and forth contest, it was Yim who earned the win after hitting Sole Food from the second rope.

I personally think this one was even better than Killer Kelly vs. Meiko Satomura, which is saying a lot! Yim and Kay have such a well-documented rivalry and their chemistry is undeniable. They were given plenty of time to tell their story and it paid off extremely well.

This was chalk full of brutal spots, especially Yim hitting her hand off the steel ring post. They kept the crowd interested from the opening bell and earned “This is awesome” chants.

It was a shame to see Kay get eliminated so early, but hopefully this won’t be the last time we see her in a WWE ring.

Yim looks much more dangerous and focused this time around, which isn’t good for whoever crosses her path. That starts with Kaitlyn in the next round.

Photos: Courtesy of WWE

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