WWE: Top 5 Superstars of the Week (Sept. 11-15)
By Bryan Heaton
4. Kairi Sane
Sandwiched between SmackDown and 205 Live this week was the Mae Young Classic finale. And at first glance, it seemed to be a terrible idea, just based on crowd reaction.
With the exception of the finale, the MYC took place at Full Sail University. If there’s one thing about the WWE Universe that’s a certainty, it’s that a Full Sail crowd is rabid. But a SmackDown crowd who just sat through two hours of uneven action? That’s a whole different beast.
As Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane made their way to the ring for the tournament final, the arena was silent. Like, pin drop silent. How anyone can sit on their hands while Sane is coming out dressed as a literal pirate princess is beyond me. The two standout superstars faced a pretty steep uphill battle to get the crowd on their side.
But here’s the thing: they did it. The story of the match was pretty simple – Baszler has a huge size advantage, so Sane had to weather the storm of a more powerful opponent. And because both women are hugely talented, they nailed every part of the match. By the end of it, the arena was loud – at least as loud as parts of SmackDown, if not louder.
Related Story: Kairi Sane Wins Mae Young Classic
Sane gets the nod here because she won the match – and the tournament – but Baszler deserves some recognition as well. It was a risky move holding the live finale after a TV taping as opposed to at Full Sail. But it absolutely paid off, and was well worth it.