Meiko Satomura def. Mercedes Martinez in a Second-Round Match

https://www.wwe.com/videos/mercedes-martinez-vs-meiko-satomura-second-round-match-mae-young-classic-oct-3-2018

Tonight, Meiko Satomura vs. Mercedes Martinez put the “Classic” in the Mae Young Classic.

In a clash that Michael Cole hailed as “one of the great matches that I have ever called in my career,” Satomura pinned Martinez after hitting The Latina Sensation with her dreaded Scorpion Kick. The final blow crashed down on Martinez like a hammer, yet even well before Satomura landed that vicious clincher, it became clear that the match was entering uncharted territory in terms of sheer intensity.

Martinez showed no fear going against the world-beater. If anything, she was the aggressor, intent on proving that she — and not the 23-year ring veteran from Japan — was the competitor to beat in this year’s tournament. Realizing she had a dangerous foe on her hands, Satomura showed greater urgency than in round one. As soon as Martinez went for the Fisherman Buster, Satomura scrambled free and countered with an armbar, but Martinez forced a rope break. Martinez finally hit the Fisherman Buster on her third attempt (after enduring a frog splash and back-to-back DDTs), and Satomura kicked out at two, garnering a standing ovation from the WWE Universe. Satomura elbowed her way out of Martinez’s subsequent attempt at a Dragon Sleeper before cracking The Latina Sensation with the Scorpion Kick.

Upon the referee’s three-count, Cole belted out an excited “Hell yeah!” and any WWE fan would be hard-pressed to react any differently. The match was vicious, but also a perfect encapsulation of what women’s wrestling in 2018 is all about.