10 Things We Learned From WWE's Mae Young Classic First Round

1. The Future Is In Good Hands

Toni Storm
WWE.com

While 205 Live's failings show that WWE's women probably don't need their own weekly brand at the moment, the Mae Young Classic's early offerings proved that there's more than enough talent to keep the division well stocked for at least the next four or five years.

Kairi Sane, Mia Yim, and Toni Storm wouldn't look out of place if they arrived on the main roster next week. Shayna Baszler, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and countless others are already streets ahead of most NXT competitors. Performance Center athletes like Zeda and Lacey Evans are are works in progress, but should become stalwarts if their in-ring performances catch up with their character work.

Sure, there were some less than impressive performances on these shows, but at least half of the unsigned competitors are good enough for a full-time role. If WWE follow the CWC blueprint, many of them will ink contracts once the tournament concludes, and the company will be flooded with fresh, exciting talent. There's not enough room for them all to debut at once, but there are more than enough good workers here to not only jolt the stuttering Women's Revolution back to life, but take it to a whole new level.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.