NXT UK – January 2, 2019 (First Episode): Prep Time
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT UK
Date: January 2, 2019
Location: Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph
We’re almost up to Takeover: Blackpool and a lot of the card is becoming clear. There are a few spots left though and some of those are in the Tag Team Title tournament. We have a semifinal match tonight with Moustache Mountain facing Gallus, which could be entertaining if done right. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
In Memory of Gene Okerlund.
Opening sequence.
Travis Banks vs. Jamie Ahmed
Banks goes straight for the arm to start but Ahmed is right in the ropes. Ahmed gets in a few shots of his own until Banks sends him into the corner. That means a running dropkick to the back and a German suplex for two. Another dropkick sets up a running stomp in the corner and the Slice of Heaven finishes Ahmed at 2:42. Pretty much a squash.
Post match here’s Jordan Devlin to say that he and Banks have wrestled all over the world but the difference is Devlin gets to go home to his family every week. Banks looks like he wants to shut Devlin up but Devlin reminds him to never bet against the Ace.
We look back at Zack Gibson beating Trent Seven a few weeks back with the help of James Drake. Tyler Bate came out for the save, leading to Gallus beating Bate and Seven down. The teams will meet for a spot in the first ever NXT Tag Team Title match.
Video on Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis from a few weeks back. The rematch is next week.
Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner
Williams takes Barthel down into an early headlock and then does it again by the arm. Jordan comes in to stay on the arm but stops to dance because that’s his whole deal. Thankfully Barthel knocks him down with one shot and it’s off to Aichner for the beatdown in the corner. Jordan’s comeback is cut off by a cheap shot from the apron and it’s a spinebuster into a running kick to the chest.
The chinlock is broken up with a jawbreaker but Aichner is smart enough to knock Williams off the apron. Barthel grabs another chinlock which is broken in short order as well, allowing the hot tag to Williams. That means some house cleaning until Jordan tags himself back in. Barthel throws him down with a suplex for two and Aichner tosses Williams into the barricade. A powerbomb/belly to back suplex combination finishes Jordan at 7:21.
Rating: D+. This could have been worse and while I’m still not wild on Barthel, he works fine enough as a partner for the pretty good Aichner. Jordan continues to be nothing but a bad joke while Williams is perfectly watchable. Hopefully we can get more from Aichner and Barthel as they could be a rather nice team.
Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo agreed to a match because they both want the Takeover title shot.
Johnny Saint and Sid Scala are trying to announce some Takeover matches when Joe Coffey interrupts. He wants the title shot with Pete Dunne at Takeover and is told it’ll be taken under advisement.
Jinny vs. Candy Floss
The announcers confirm that Storm is getting the Women’s Title shot, making the match with Purrazzo seem a little less important. Floss takes her down into a hammerlock to start as the fans call Jinny a Primark Princess. Jinny gets in some stomping and a hard forearm for two before grabbing a Kimura. A wristlock sends Candy face first into the mat again but she pops up with a dropkick for a breather. Jinny has had it with this offense though and it’s A Touch of Couture to finish Candy at 4:23.
Rating: D. Jinny is starting to get better at this, though she’s still nothing compared to what she does in Progress. That’s because she hasn’t been allowed to be that character, which is going to slow anyone down. Candy continues to be fine as the perky face and that’s a good role to be in on a show like this.
Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Moustache Mountain vs. Gallus
It’s Wolfgang and Mark Coffey for Gallus here. Bate wastes no time in dropkicking Coffey down for one as the fans sing about their love of Moustache Mountain. A backdrop keeps Coffey in trouble and he bails outside for a breather. Back in and Coffey finally runs him over and it’s off to Wolfgang to take over with a front facelock. Wolfgang lets go to take a swing at Seven but walks into a hurricanrana for his efforts.
Now it’s Seven coming in for the chops and a DDT to drop Coffey. Wolfgang suplexes him down though and the beating is on with right hands to the head. A running elbow sets up a waistlock to keep Seven in trouble and the beating continues. Coffey grabs the same waistlock before it’s back to Wolfgang for the same hold, which stays on for a ridiculous amount of time. Wolfgang finally switches over to the bearhug before throwing Seven outside for a breather. Coffey tries to add a dive but gets knocked out of the air, allowing Seven to run around the ring and tag Bate in.
Bate starts fast with a suicide dive on Wolfgang, followed by a middle rope uppercut for a bonus. A t-bone suplex drops Wolfgang again and Bate nips up for good measure. Bate throws him up for the airplane spin and the reverse motion sets up a toss as Wolfgang is rocked. With Bate staggered, Coffey jumps on his back for a choke….so Bate German suplexes Wolfgang and drops Coffey onto the mat at the same time. My jaw actually dropped on that because THAT’S NOT NORMAL!
It’s back to Seven to pick up the pace with a dive off the apron to take out Wolfgang. As Wolfgang comes up holding his knee, Mark enziguris Bate for two. Cue Joe Coffey to get on the apron but Pete Dunne is out to cut him off. An X Plex drops Joe on the apron and it’s Bop and Bang to put Mark down. Wolfgang gets knocked off the apron and it’s the dragon suplex/clothesline to finish Coffey at 14:38.
Rating: B+. I’m still not wild on Gallus but it was nice to see these guys beat the heck out of each other and draw in Joe and Dunne as a bonus. They had a very good match here with Bate looking like a star (I mean DANG) and Seven more than holding up his end. You had to put Moustache Mountain in the title match though as they’re bigger and more interesting stars. This wasn’t up for debate but we had a good match on the way.
Post match the brawl is on with Dunne coming in for the save. British Strong Style stands tall with Dunne saying he’ll defend the title against Joe at Blackpool. Another brawl breaks out to end the show.
Overall Rating: C+. The main event saved the show and that’s all it needed to do. They focused on some different people here and it helped a lot as the show needs some stars other than the established ones. Blackpool doesn’t look awesome yet but they’re putting the pieces in the right places to make it work. Pretty good, but the main event is all that’s worth seeing.
Results
Travis Banks b. Jamie Ahmed – Slice of Heaven
Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner b. Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan – Powerbomb/belly to back suplex combination to Jordan
Jinny b. Candy Floss – A Touch of Couture
Moustache Mountain b. Gallus – Dragon suplex/clothesline combination to Coffey
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