How is one expected to keep up with everything going on in the world? Between Summerslam, McGregor/Mayweather, Game of Thrones, it’s difficult to not get fatigued and start to feel like an undead soldier of the Night King. But hopefully, the Mae Young classic on the WWE Network will be a welcome addition to our seemingly endless stream of entertainment. Yes, our full fledged women’s wrestling tournament is finally here.
In the spirit of Glow (also an excellent show) we will be treated to a new cast of characters, many of whom are unknown to even the most avid smark. It’s always refreshing when a new wave of talent crashes onto the shore of WWE. And much like last year’s Cruiserweight Classic, there will surely be a handful of superstars who remain on the roster. While shows like Glow are available to binge watch on Netflix all at once, the Mae Young classic is being release in sections. The first four episodes represent Round 1 of the tournament and the next four episodes will be released next Monday. Don’t miss this unprecedented event for WWE, as it’s sure to make an impact on the main roster’s women’s division, which is in need of a jump start. New talent always brings new surprises, new matchups, and some fresh ideas to the ring.
Whether or not the Mae Young Classic will lead to its own spinoff show remains to be seen. Since the Cruiserweight Classic was the catalyst to 205 Live, it will be interesting to see if there will be a specific show on the Network for these women. We may even see one or two of the finalists wind up on the main roster. But since 205 Live’s success is fairly mild, it’s doubtful that they will have a new show to add to the already overloaded viewing schedule.
Asuka Leaves an Empty Throne
More than likely, many of the participants will wind up in NXT. Some of them have already appeared on NXT, which will need some new female talent in coming months. Last week, as reported by WWE.com, Asuka suffered an injury and was forced to relinquish her NXT Women’s Championship. Coming off a match-of-the-night performance at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn III. This leaves Asuka available to bump up to the main roster whenever she is healthy while protecting her undefeated streak, which recently surpassed Goldberg’s. We will see if the Empress of Tomorrow will continue her path of dominance on Raw or Smackdown soon enough. Hopefully, they will use Asuka wisely and essentially turn her into an unstoppable female version of Brock Lesnar (an unsettling image in itself). What I’m also saying is that Paul Heyman should manage (or advocate) for Asuka. Only in a perfect world.
This also leaves the NXT Women’s Championship up for grabs just in time for the Mae Young Classic, and an open landscape in the NXT women’s division. It’s an excellent opportunity for a newcomer to quickly climb the developmental ladder and hold one of the most highly reputable championships in WWE. At this point, no one holds an NXT Championship who doesn’t have some level of respect and experience in the industry. In the meantime, enjoy binge watching the Mae Young Classic on the WWE Network.
Nathan Burke is a standup comedian based in Boston and can be found on Twitter @IamNathanBurke
