Given Mia Yim and Allysin Kay’s long adversarial relationship (which started when Yim broke Kay’s nose six years ago), it didn’t take long for this First-Round Match to descend into an all-out war.
Though Yim scored early with a ground-and-pound attack, Kay soon took over by pouncing The Blasian Baddie out of the ring. Moments later, Kay avoided a chop that resulted Yim’s hand slamming into the steel ring post, creating a disgusting sound that reverberated throughout Full Sail Live.
Kay focused her attack on Yim’s hand from there, which created trouble for the submission specialist whenever she tried to clasp on a hold. The intensity ratcheted up after Yim checked a leg kick by Kay, with the bitter foes coming nose to nose before trading big shots, prompting a euphoric reaction from the WWE Universe.
Even as Kay continued walloping Yim with heavy hits (including scoring a two-count off her Big D discus lariat), Yim stayed in the fight. After a struggle near the ropes, Yim launched herself off the turnbuckles with a modified version of her signature move, Sole Food, to earn the victory and secure her berth in the Second Round.
Yim’s path to the Mae Young Classic Final still has a ways to go, but after this incredibly hard-hitting conflict, she can find comfort in knowing that her arch-nemesis is now in her rearview mirror.