The final match of the First Round featured two of the tournament’s most celebrated athletes: Widely hailed NXT signee Kairi Sane of Japan against third-generation Superstar Tessa Blanchard, from North Carolina.
Intent on making a name for herself at Sane’s expense, Blanchard tried to ruin the much-anticipated WWE debut of The Pirate Princess, blasting Sane with a high-impact arsenal that included fierce top-rope senton.
Sane showed exactly what all the hype was about, however, as she weathered the storm and fired back. The dynamic competitor brought a wicked kick down upon Blanchard’s back, nailed her with an Alabama slam and signaled for the move that the WWE Universe had been waiting for: her world-famous, high-elevation Diving Elbow Drop. The top-rope attack lived up its reputation: Its flight was graceful, its landing destructive and the result academic. Sane pinned Blanchard to claim the exciting match.
Though clearly disappointed by the loss, Blanchard congratulated Sane on her gutsy win. Will the internationally acclaimed Pirate Princess navigate to victory again when she takes on Bianca Belair in the Second Round? Find out Monday, Sept. 4, when the next four episodes of the Mae Young Classic come to WWE Network’s on-demand section.