As someone who had minimal exposure to independent wrestling at the time, the 2017 and 2018 Mae Young Classics felt like a treasure trove of exciting, new faces, with Io Shirai (now known as IYO SKY) and Toni Storm being two of them. I remembered being especially captivated by the high-flying, face-paced energy of Shirai (which her OG, dance-party theme song totally matched, by the way), who came into WWE as the former Ace of STARDOM. Yes, I had seen aerial moves from the likes of Charlotte Flair and Lita in the years before, but Shirai stood out with the speed that accompanied it.

Shirai brought out both elements in the Mae Young Classic finals against a 22-year-old, punk-rocker Toni Storm at WWE Evolution. Despite being on the smaller side, both women also delivered big moves throughout the 10-minute contest. Shirai connected with a powerful dropkick early in the match. With damage done to Storm’s midsection, Shirai then followed it up with a pair of knees to the same area and a Full Nelson variation. Though a tiny moment in the grand scheme, I appreciated the storytelling that unfolded during it — Storm selling the struggle to break the hold, while Shirai taunted her with a maniacal smile.

Another dropkick came shortly after, with Storm being knocked off the turnbuckle and onto the floor. From there, Shirai nailed Storm with her signature moonsault, causing damage to each competitor. Eventually, Storm got her own gratifying moment when Shirai took a thudding German suplex on the apron, which left me checking on the status of my own neck.

Thrilling near falls followed with Storm driving “The Genius of the Sky” into the mat with a Storm Zero. Shirai then had us on edge with a springboard sunset flip that Storm appeared to barely kick out of. In contrast, Storm definitively pinned Shirai for the win and MYC crown after blocking a moonsault and laying her out with a second Storm Zero.

Not going to lie, Toni Storm’s celebration tears were a heartwarming complement to an awesome match that could have easily spanned another 10 minutes. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance she and Shirai produced. It also served as a teaser of things to come for both women. Shirai, of course, evolved into IYO SKY, a two-time world champion and multi-time tag champ in WWE. Meanwhile, fans now know Storm as a “Timeless” talent and the current All Elite Wrestling Women’s Champion (though that could soon change at AEW All In).

Unfortunately, Shirai vs. Storm marked the last-ever match in a WWE Mae Young Classic, period. The tournament series has not returned since the inaugural WWE Evolution event, which is a shame for existing women’s wrestling fans, such as myself, and potential new ones that could have witnessed the greatness of future ones. Personal shout out to Killer Kelly vs. Meiko Satomura, Mercedes Martinez vs. Meiko Satomura, Piper Niven vs. Toni Storm, and Shirai vs. Storm.

Written by Ella Jay