NXT UK – April 17, 2019: It Doesn’t Translate Well
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT UK
Date: April 17, 2019
Location: Brooklyn Pier 12, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
We’re back stateside again with a batch of shows taped from Axxess. That means things could be all over the place as there is usually something big on the episodes for the sake of making it feel special. I’m not sure what to expect from things here though and that can make things a little more interesting. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Coffey Brothers vs. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo
As usual, commentary focuses on how good looking Carrillo is. Mark armbars Mendoza to start before taking him down for an early stomping. It’s off to Joe vs. Carrillo with Humberto’s handspring elbow connecting for one. A moonsault misses and Joe’s running headbutt to the ribs has Carrillo in trouble in the corner. Joe slaps on a seated full nelson and even puts Carrillo face first onto the mat to make it even worse. That’s a simple hold but it does look rather painful.
Carrillo powers out (impressive) so it’s a butterfly swing into the butterfly suplex to give Joe two. Mark comes in and gets punched in the face, allowing the quick tag to Mendoza. A running enziguri staggers Mark again and a springboard missile dropkick takes him down. Carrillo comes back in and stereo suicide dives drop the Brothers. Back in and a moonsault from Carrillo into Mendoza’s 450 gets two on Mark with Joe making a save. Joe uppercuts Mendoza into another enziguri and All The Best For The Bells gives Joe the pin at 5:34.
Rating: C+. Not too bad at all here with the Coffeys being a good power team and Mendoza/Carrillo continuing to impress every time they’re in the ring together. That’s the kind of match that is going to work every time and I’m always glad to see more from Mendoza and Carrillo. These four had chemistry together and it was a rather nice match.
Kassius Ohno doesn’t like the suggestion that things haven’t been going well for him, even though things haven’t been going well for him. He’s here to show the real European style to these so called veterans of the British scene. Like Ligero, who is famous for wrestling a crazy amount of matches. Ohno is quality over quantity and it would only take one match to show Ligero what a real wrestler is like.
Wrestlers want to see Pete Dunne vs. Walter II. Jordan Devlin doesn’t care and gets into a staredown with Walter.
Kona Reeves vs. Dave Mastiff
If I’ve ever wanted to see Mastiff crush someone, it’s right here. Reeves actually manages to get him into the corner and makes it clear that he is in fact the finest. A shoulder block doesn’t have much effect on Mastiff, who wrestles Reeves to the mat in a bit of a surprise. Some elbows to the head rock Reeves again but he knows to get away before the Cannonball can launch.
Reeves snaps him throat first across the top and slaps on the chinlock, which keeps Mastiff down longer than you might have guessed. Back up and Mastiff runs him over with a crossbody, setting up a release German suplex. Now the Cannonball can finish Reeves for good at 4:36.
Rating: D. I know WWE doesn’t like admitting defeat on talents but my goodness how could they possibly see anything left in Reeves? His gimmick is saying his nickname over and over again and his work isn’t anything above below average. Mastiff is something entertaining though and has gotten a little better than the run of the mill monster.
Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews are ready for Moustache Mountain and want to bring the Tag Team Titles to Wales.
Wolfgang cuts off Mastiff’s interview and have to be broken up. Mastiff threatens to have him for dinner.
Kacy Catanzaro vs. Rhea Ripley
Rematch from last year’s Mae Young Classic where Ripley eliminated Catanzaro. Kacy tries to stay away from Ripley to start but gets tossed into the corner with ease. A hair pull down puts Catanzaro on the mat and Ripley hammers away, though she has to stop and yell that she knows the rules. The delayed vertical suplex gives Ripley two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Catanzaro starts to try to speed but her crossbody is countered into a suplex, which is countered into a small package for two on Ripley. Catanzaro gets caught in the corner again and this time it’s Riptide for the pin at 3:29.
Rating: D+. Catanzaro is an intriguing name with her insane athleticism but she’s just so small that there’s only so much she can do when Ripley is that much bigger. Ripley squashed her here and looked dominant all over again, which is probably going to be the case with most of her matches against anyone not named Toni Storm or Piper Niven.
Post match Ripley puts her in the Cloverleaf.
Post break Ripley yells at Catanzaro, saying that’s what she had to expect. Piper Niven comes up and scares Ripley off.
Jinny has nothing to say about her loss.
Next week: Kassius Ohno vs. Ligero. Also, Moustache Mountain vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews.
Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams
Non-title and the fans take their shoes off in protest of Gibson in America too. Before the match, Gibson says the same things he says almost every week and makes it clear that this is non-title, because that’s as close as Jordan and Williams will get to the titles. Gibson takes Jordan down by the arm to start and then does it again for good measure. Drake comes in for a forearm to Jordan, who flips forward and monkey flips Drake over in a big crash.
Williams comes in for an arm shot of his own so Gibson pulls Drake to the floor for a breather. It’s back to Gibson, who goes for the arm again but gets rolled up for two instead. A springboard back elbow to the jaw has Gibson in even more trouble as the champions can’t keep any momentum going. Drake tags himself back in though and it’s a basement dropkick to the knee, followed by a second to the head.
A running dropkick knocks Jordan off the apron and it’s a slingshot elbow into a backbreaker on the floor to make it even worse for Williams. Back in and the chinlock goes on as the fans get behind Williams as much as they can. A snap suplex gives Drake two and it’s another chinlock until Williams jawbreaks his way to freedom. Gibson gets kicked in his recently injured ear but Drake pulls Williams right back into the chinlock.
This time it’s broken up with ease and since Gibson is on the floor, the hot tag brings in Jordan to pick up the pace. A neckbreaker gives Jordan two and Gibson is still down, even waving Drake off when he comes over for a tag. Williams comes back in for a springboard back elbow, drawing Gibson off the floor to make the save. Jordan gets a blind tag and it’s the Swanton Bombay for two with Gibson pulling Drake to the floor. That’s enough for the champs, who take the countout at 10:35.
Rating: D+. The chinlocks killed this one and they would have been much better off by cutting two minutes out of the match. While I didn’t really care for the match, it’s a huge improvement over having Jordan and Williams steal a quick pin to set up the title rematch. Countouts can be the company’s friend in this situation but WWE never seems to remember that. Also, the champs need challengers and this is one way to set those up, especially when they don’t have a deep division in the first place. That being said, I’d be a little more hesitant to already tease a split between Gibson and Drake, unless Gibson is getting a huge push.
Pete Dunne talks about losing the title after nearly two years. He’s not leaving the title behind because it’s an extension of him. People were so used to him being the champion that they forgot about the chase. He’s been everywhere in WWE over the last two years and Walter gave him the fight of his life. Now he knows what to expect and he knows he can get the title back. Since he gave Walter a chance, give him the same courtesy. Give him a rematch. Great promo here with the video backing it up.
Overall Rating: D. Well so much for this one being a big show with something special. This was a rather dull episode with the wrestling not working and the guest stars, save for Mendoza and Carrillo, being rather lifeless. It takes something special to get a boring Catanzaro match but this show managed to make it happen. I wasn’t feeling this one, but the good thing is that NXT UK has become a good enough show that this is a one off misfire instead of a trend.
Results
Coffey Brothers b. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo – All The Best For The Bells to Mendoza
Dave Mastiff b. Kona Reeves – Cannonball
Rhea Ripley b. Kacy Catanzaro – Riptide
Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams b. Grizzled Young Veterans via countout
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You’re spot on with Ripley. She’s too big and dominant to do anything in the NXT UK Women’s division, and I think she would have been perfect to appear on Smackdown. Rhea v Charlotte would be interesting, for one.