Meiko Satomura vs. Mercedes Martinez
Now, the main event. Mercedes Martinez, who, I’m not gonna lie, hasn’t really up to this point set my world on fire with her wrestling. She is up against a veteran’s veteran in Meiko Satomura. Between both of these women, there are nearly 40 years of wrestling experience and let’s get into it!
Out first is the Boriqua Badass herself, Mercedes Martinez, and she set her gun to STUN in that blue, yes! Out next is Meiko Satomura. Bell rings, tie up, armbar by Meiko and an arm wringer. Back heel trip into a kneebar, then cravate, then front facelock. A wrist lock and roll through and counter by Meiko. Keylock into an arm drag and armbar. Kicks to the chest and a back heel trip followed with knees to the chest for two. Kick to the leg, side headlock, Drop toehold, front facelock. Mercedes powers out and hits a modified Northern Lights/T-Bone suplex combo for two.
Front facelock by Mercedes into a side headlock takedown, Satomura counters into a headscissor. Mercedes finds a way out and slaps the mess out of Meiko leaving her stunned. More slaps, a hard, loud chop that fires Meiko up but Mercedes keeps throwing them hands. She whips Meiko off the ropes, who short arms the whip just to be lifted off her feet and planted with a choke bomb. A two-count into a stump puller by Mercedes, Meiko tries to fight, but Mercedes is over her and pummelling her. Mercedes with a European uppercut, she backs Meiko into the corner and keeps forearming and then lights her up with a thunderous chop – shades of Jericho and Benoit there.
Whip into the opposite corner, Mercedes comes at her looking to kick Meiko’s head off, her leg is caught and Meiko kicks Mercedes into Porsche in 2.2 seconds. Meiko goes to the top rope but Martinez hits the ropes to unbalance Meiko then hits a corkscrew hangman’s neck breaker. Another two! Mercedes goes for the Fisherman Buster but is countered into an armbar. Mercedes rolls through repeatedly but Meiko refuses to break the hold until Martinez gets her feet on the ropes. Meiko goes for what appears a La Magistral but instead kicks Martinez in the face with the back of her foot. She levels Martinez with hard kicks to the chest and a stomp. Meiko hits a beautiful frog splash for two. Meiko tried to keep control with a side headlock to be met with a high angle backdrop to create distance.
Mercedes gets an arm over for two. Mercedes goes for the fisherman buster again, but Meiko gets her knees into Martinez’s abdomen, and plants her with a DDT, a hard kick to the chest, she picks her up and drops her again with a DDT. She follows up with a cartwheel knee drop to the chest for two. Meiko looks unhinged. Meiko goes for the Death Valley Driver, but Mercedes fights out. Mercedes hit a forearm, and Meiko answers with a pele kick…but it’s blocked!
Martinez then levels Meiko with a kick to the face. Now she hits the fisherman buster for a two! This is awesome, indeed, and the crowd gives them a standing O and rightfully so. Kick to the ribs, and a Mexican surfboard into a dragon sleeper attempt, Meiko blocks and elbows her way free. Mercedes is on a knee and is blasted by a spinning heel kick to the face. Meiko then hits a scorpion kick for the win.
Respect.@satomurameiko @RealMMartinez #WWEMYC pic.twitter.com/XMxw5eFgGP
— WWE (@WWE) October 4, 2018
Both women hug, shake hands, Mercedes is crying and Meiko is letting Mercedes have her moment as well. Classy.
Post-match, Mercedes is asked how she feels being defeated having making it all the ways to the semi-finals of the Mae Young Classic last year. Martinez says she still feels elated despite the defeat and only had praises for Satomura. She ends the interview by promising the WWE Universe this is not the last we have seen of the Latina Sensation.
Thoughts: Easy the match of the tournament, it was hard-hitting, fluid and entertaining. As I have not seen any spoilers, I hadn’t a clue as to who was going to win, and after watching Mercedes put in her best performance I had seen of hers, I wasn’t sure who I wanted to see win. Meiko did fabulously on offense and defense. She and Martinez crafted a great match. Anyone can wrestle, but these women WORK. They got the crowd invested in their match, and they deserved that standing O they got. I can’t say enough good things about this match and those two, and I’ll eat crow over not being too impressed with Mercedes. You go, girls!
What did you think? Enjoy the show? Any faves? Sound off!
