NXT UK – July 23, 2021: Better Than America

NXT UK
Date: July 22, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

This was supposed to be the big showdown between Walter and Ilja Dragunov but the injury bug struck, meaning the match has been postponed. Instead, we have to settle for Subculture challenging Pretty Deadly for the Tag Team Titles. I’d call it a downgrade but they can probably make it work. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

The opening video recaps the NXT Title match being canceled and a look at the Tag Team Title match.

Sid Scala opens things up and we go to William Regal (fine after being laid out on Tuesday), HHH and Shawn Michaels (the birthday boy), who announce Walter vs. Dragunov II will take place at Takeover 36 on August 22.

Eddie Dennis says Symbiosis is ready to destroy Moustache Mountain.

Laura DiMatteo vs. Nina Samuels

Samuels works on the arm to start but gets pulled down for a front facelock. That’s reversed back into a wristlock but Samuels reverses into a cradle, which DiMatteo stacks up for two of her own. Samuels takes her down and ties up the legs without much effort, setting up a surfboard of all things. With that broken up, Samuels hits a Hennig necksnap and pulls away at DiMatteo’s face.

DiMatteo reverses into a rollup for two and hits a dropkick for the same. There’s a sunset flip for the same but Samuels powers her into the corner without much effort. Back up and DiMatteo clotheslines her into an enziguri, only to get caught in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. The over the shoulder backbreaker spun into a knee to the face finishes DiMatteo at 6:11.

Rating: C. This was more of a showcase for DiMatteo than anything else and that is not a bad thing. She has a certain spark to her and it makes for some entertaining matches. Samuels is someone who has always seemed primed to move up the ladder but it has never actually happened, though she was showing some more aggression today.

Teoman talks about how important his family is. Rohan Raja joins him to agree, plus a discussion on respect and fear. Family is everything.

Blair Davenport interrupts a Xia Brookside promo and says come talk to her when she has her own last name.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions with this week’s guest: Jinny, with Joseph Conners. Jinny isn’t pleased with the folding chair, so Noam Dar offers her a cushion. Dar talks about his fashion sense and declares himself boyfriend material. He asks if Conners and Jinny have a more personal relationship, which Jinny finds cheap. We get a video of Jinny and Conners living the good life as the two of them talk about being sick of hearing the same question. Dar goes to wrap it up but Jinny calls out Aoife Valkyrie for talking about her when she isn’t there. Come say it to her face. These things are still rather annoying as talk shows go.

Video on Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey, who are set for a hoss fight.

Joseph Conners vs. Tristan Archer

Jinny is here with Conners, who takes Archer down by the arm to start. Archer sends him into the corner though and grabs a headlock. Conners’ leapfrog is pulled out of the air and a hard clothesline puts him down again. That’s it for the surprise offense though as Conners hits a hard shoulder into a reverse Hennig necksnap (ouch). Some kneedrops gets two on Archer and a crucifix of all things gets the same.

We hit the chinlock with a knee in Archer’s back for a bit but he fights up and sends Conners into the corner. A springboard…I think Downward Spiral gets two on Conners and a small package gets the same. Archer hits a Michinoku Driver for two more and Conners is reeling. Conners is fine enough to slip out of a GTS though and rolls into a DDT to plant Archer. The Hierarchy (hangman’s Regal Cutter) finishes Archer at 6:03.

Rating: C+. This was a heck of a match and quite the surprise. Archer is going to get some attention out of this as he managed to get something good out of JOSEPH CONNERS. That’s a trick in its own right but they were starting to roll before the finish. Good match here and well done by both of them.

Post match, Aoife Valkyrie comes out for the staredown with Jinny and hands her a feather. That means a challenge for later.

Jordan Devlin is set for a thirty minute Iron Man match with A-Kid, showing that A-Kid is the dumbest man in NXT UK. Next time, Devlin will finish that knee off.

Jack Starz thanks Dave Mastiff for his inspiration, but Mastiff says there is more to come.

Moustache Mountain is ready to finish this with Symbiosis next week.

Tag Team Titles: Pretty Deadly vs. Subculture

Subculture (Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster), with Dani Luna, is challenging. Sam Stoker takes Webster up against the ropes to start but gets chopped back. A running armdrag takes Stoker down for a second but he snaps off a hurricanrana to get a breather. Webster is right back with a Hennig necksnap (third of some kind tonight) and it’s off to Andrews vs. Lewis Howley.

Andrews snaps off a running hurricanrana but Howley sends him flying without much trouble. Everything breaks down for a second and Howley teases decking Luna, earning himself a shot from Andrews. Back in and an assisted DDT plants Andrews to put the champs in real control for the first time. We hit the chinlock for all of a few seconds before it’s back to Howley for a kick to the ribs.

Andrews gets sent outside for a shot from Stoker, who gets to taunt Luna for a bonus. Back in and Howley has to cut off a hot tag attempt and it’s a splash/legdrop combination. The chinlock doesn’t last long again as Andrews fights up and collides with Stoker, setting up the hot tag to Webster. Everything breaks down and Angel’s Wings gets two on Stoker. Webster flips out of a German suplex and the Rude Boy Block hits Howley for two. There’s a headbutt to Stoker and a leapfrog over Andrews into a Canadian Destroyer gets two more on Howley.

An assisted Codebreaker hits Webster for two but Andrews is back in for the double Pele. Howley comes in off a blind tag though and Andrews is tossed into…something for another near fall. Stundog Millionaire hits Stoker and a poisonrana/running big boot combination connects as well.

Howley breaks up the cover so Stoker and Andrews can trade near falls before Stoker gets dropped again. Andrews loads up Fall To Pieces but Howley pulls Stoker out of the way to cause the crash. Webster’s flip dive is caught and countered into a toss over the barricade. Howley throws in a title for a distraction, setting up Spilled Milk to retain at 15:49.

Rating: B. This was WAY better than I would have expected as they turned it way up near the end, with the last few minutes being a sprint. Pretty Deadly is a team who should have no business being this good and yet they are pulling it off every time. Subculture have some credibility due to being former champions but Pretty Deadly should be holding the title for a fairly long time. Rather good match here and that was a great surprise.

Overall Rating: B. Now this was a heck of a show, with a very good main event and nothing bad. Throw in the big announcement at the start of the show and some things being set up for next week and you had an outstanding use of an hour. This show might actually be better than the regular NXT at this point, or at the very least it is better at being NXT than being NXT. Good stuff this week, because of course it was.

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