NXT UK – December 5, 2018 (Second Episode): They’re Losing Me Fast
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT UK
Date: December 5, 2018
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
It’s the second show in the tapings and that means things are starting to pick up while still being fresh. Things are still starting to grow around here and the shows are still entertaining, but they still don’t have the spark that makes it must see. That’s a hard thing to pull off for any company and I’m not sure if it’s going to happen around here. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
In Memory of Dynamite Kid.
Opening sequence.
Joseph Conners vs. Dan Moloney
Conners has a much more colorful ring jacket this week. Feeling out process to start as Nigel compares Conners to Jack Torrance from the Shining. With that not working for Conners, he rips on Moloney’s ear, due to having lost half of his own ear in a bar fight and wanting to even things up. Well that’s certainly a story.
A short arm clothesline gives Conners one and we hit the chinlock as the pro-Moloney chants start up again. Moloney fights up with some running forearms and a spinning spinebuster gets two. That’s about it for Conners though as a sunset bomb into the corner sets up Don’t Look Down for the pin on Moloney at 4:29.
Rating: D+. I know I say this a lot but Conners is another name who feels like he’s in the huge midcard scene and doesn’t stand out. The match was watchable and the ending sequence was good but that’s about all this had going for it. Moloney is fine for a jobber to the stars, but you need a bigger star the Conners to make it work.
Isla Dawn wants Rhea Ripley so here’s Ripley to say she already has an opponent for tonight. Dawn better be watching.
Gallus and Moustache Mountain got into a shouting match earlier today with Joe Coffey telling them to bring him his coffee. Are we sure he doesn’t want them to go pick up his mother for Christmas?
Mike Hitchman vs. Dave Mastiff
I wish Hitchman would pick a name. Either be Mike Hitchman or Wild Boar instead of Wild Boar Mike Hitchman. Whatever his name is, his early forearms to the head don’t have much effect as Mastiff knocks him down and drives in the elbows. Hitchman is right back by avoiding a charge in the corner and hitting a running shot to the back.
A fishhook crossface chickenwing but Mastiff powers out and throws him down again. That means a big running backsplash but Hitchman slips out of a fireman’s carry. Some running shoulders knock Mastiff into the corner and Hitchman has a shot. That shot is wasted though as Hitchman gets up two feet to block a charge. The Cannonball finishes Hitchman at 4:10.
Rating: C. Slightly better than the opener, partially due to them turning Mastiff into a pretty good monster. He’s rather reminiscent of Vader with the look and I believe he’s used a Vader Bomb before, and that’s a pretty good comparison to make. Hitchman isn’t bad either and plays a good, aggressive character. Not too bad at all here.
We look back at Travis Banks being found hurt a few months ago.
Mastiff feels great after his win and praises Hitchman. Eddie Dennis is watching from behind.
Ligero vs. Tyson T-Bone
The bigger T-Bone takes him down by the arm (popular joint tonight) to start before going with a big right hand to rock Ligero. They head outside with T-Bone hammering away as Ligero is stuck up against the steps. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Ligero fights out without much effort. A slingshot Sliced Bread #2 gets two but T-Bone is right back with an exploder suplex and a running hip attack in the corner. Ligero sends him outside for a running flip dive off the apron. Nigel calls T-Bone the King of the Travelers. I’m not even going to try to figure that one out as Ligero finishes him with a top rope splash at 6:32.
Rating: D. T-Bone is rather high on the list of people I just don’t care about around here. He’s not big enough to be big and he’s not small enough to be small. Having a name that sounds like a mid-level boss on an old arcade beat em up doesn’t help either. Ligero is perfectly suitable for what he does and that’s going to keep him around for a good while.
Video on Rhea Ripley.
Here’s Ripley for a chat. She says she’s all about opportunities because her opportunity let her become the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion. Someone else can have their opportunity tonight so come get your chance of a lifetime.
Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Candy Floss
Floss is challenging and looks exactly like you would think someone named Candy Floss (the British name for cotton candy) would look. Ripley works on the arm to start but Floss is right back with a dropkick to scare Ripley a little. That means a dropkick for two on Floss and it’s already off to the chinlock. Back up and Ripley fires off some shoulders to the ribs in the corner, followed by Riptide to finish Floss at 2:48.
Ripley helps her up and then decks Floss from behind. Floss gets thrown to the floor and no one makes the save.
Earlier today, Flash Morgan Webster and Fabian Aichner set up a match for next week.
Next week: an update on the NXT Tag Team Titles.
Travis Banks vs. Wolfgang
The Coffey Brothers are in Wolfgang’s corner. Banks slugs away and kicks Wolfgang in the ribs but gets his bad shoulder sent into the post. The Coffey Brothers offer a distraction so Wolfgang can get in another shot and we hit the chinlock. Banks fights up and takes it outside again, this time hitting a running double stomp off the apron.
That means another distraction so Wolfgang can run him over. The backsplash sets up a spear for two but Banks kicks him in the face again. That means more Coffey Brothers but Moustache Mountain comes out to take care of them. Banks dives onto everyone anyway and Seven trips Wolfgang to give Banks the pin at 4:16.
Rating: D. I like Banks well enough but they were rushing through this and there was too much going on in a four minute match. I’ll take any loss for Wolfgang that I can get though and it’s nice to see what’s likely a six man tag being set up. Gallus is far from a good stable though and I can’t picture Moustache Mountain with either Banks or Dunne really breaking a sweat over them.
Overall Rating: D+. Well that didn’t work. This was a rather lame show with a lot of stuff packed in. That’s usually a good thing but it doesn’t matter when the stuff that’s packed in doesn’t work very well in the slightest. The wrestling wasn’t great and the stories aren’t interesting, making this a pretty worthless episode. That’s not a good sign when we’re not even fifteen shows in yet.
Results
Joseph Conners b. Dan Moloney – Don’t Look Down
Dave Mastiff b. Mike Hitchman – Cannonball
Ligero b. Tyson T-Bone – Top rope splash
Rhea Ripley b. Candy Floss – Riptide
Travis Banks b. Wolfgang – Pin after a trip from Trent Seven
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