NXT UK
Date: July 1, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

We have a pretty stacked card this week with Jordan Devlin vs. A-Kid and Tyler Bate defending the Heritage Cup against Jack Starz. This is a good example of what NXT UK does well, as they have built those matches up to feel important rather than throwing big names out there and having them do whatever. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Emilia McKenzie vs. Isla Dawn

McKenzie charges straight at her but Dawn hammers her down. That doesn’t seem to bother McKenzie, who is back with a swinging neckbreaker into a suplex. Dawn gets in some stomping and a forearm to the back of the neck gets two. What might have been a botched suplex is turned into a small package to give Dawn two more and McKenzie is sent outside.

A whip into the barricade has McKenzie in more trouble but she comes back in with an enziguri and a cutter. McKenzie’s spear only hits knee though and a Saito suplex plants her. A second spear connects with Dawn, who is right back with a superkick. Dawn takes a bit too much time being all freaky though and McKenzie takes her down, setting up a running knee for the pin at 6:07.

Rating: D+. Not much to see with this one and that shouldn’t be a huge surprise. This was a pretty low level women’s match and Dawn isn’t someone who is going to win very often. McKenzie has a long way to go but at least she has started off well enough. WWE might be able to do something with her and it isn’t like her matches have been terrible. For someone who is still getting started around here, this worked well enough.

Post match Dawn looks up and talks to someone.

We look back at Walter attacking Ilja Dragunov after last week’s main event.

Gallus is happy with their friendly rivalry, though Mark Coffey goes off to ask about a match. Everything is cool.

Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate vs. Jack Starz

Bate is defending and has Trent Seven as his second. Round one begins with a feeling out process Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT UK
Date: June 17, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things might be a bit slower this week as we are coming off a pretty awesome title change last week. Meiko Satomura is the new Women’s Champion, meaning we could be in for something a bit slower this time around. I’m not sure what that is going to mean for the show, but NXT UK is pretty awesome at the moment so they should be fine. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Meiko Satomura finally ending Kay Lee Ray’s record setting Women’s Title reign last week. That was a pretty cool moment.

Wolfgang vs. Sam Gradwell

Before the match, Gradwell makes Big Bad Wolf jokes but is very clear that his house is made of stone. Wolfgang shoulders him down without much trouble to start and grabs an armbar. Back up and Wolfgang’s big whip sends Gradwell into the corner as this is one sided so far.

Wolfgang heads up but gets knocked down to the floor, meaning it’s time to grab a shoulder. That doesn’t last long though as Wolfgang is right back up to slug away and run Gradwell over. A suplex gives Wolfgang two but Gradwell elbows his way out of a fireman’s carry. Wolfgang manages to snap Gradwell’s throat over the top though and a spear is enough for the pin at 6:13.

Rating: C. Wolfgang has never been the most interesting singles star so it was nice to see him getting a chance like this. The match wasn’t great or anything, but it gives Wolfgang some momentum. That being said, it would be nice to see Gradwell win something for a change. I don’t remember the last time that was the case and that’s not a good sign.

Kenny Williams is ready to prove himself.

Various wrestlers are excited about Meiko Satomura’s win. Well save for Amele, who wants the title.

Subculture and Jinny/Joseph Conners are about to come to blows but Pretty Deadly pops in to interrupt. They’ll be on commentary for the mixed tag.

Danny Jones vs. Kenny Williams

Jones takes him down in a hurry and grabs a headlock, followed by the armbar. Williams is sent outside and snaps Jones’ arm over the ropes to take over. Back in and Williams bends him around the ropes, setting up a running dropkick to the back. The armbar has Jones in more trouble but he fights up for an enziguri. Jones tosses him into the corner a few times and hits a running boot but Williams takes the leg out. Back up and Bad Luck finishes Jones at 4:11.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but Jones got to showcase himself more than I would have expected. What mattered here was having Williams pick up a win in the end as he is someone NXT seems interested in pushing. I’m not sure how far he is going to go, but they are trying something with him and that is how you start.

We get a sitdown interview with Rampage Brown, Ilja Dragunov and Joe Coffey with the three of them talking about how tough and violent they are. They all seem ready to fight, with Coffey and Brown taunting Dragunov about not being what he used to be. Their match is next week.

Mark Coffey annoys Sha Samuels and makes him run off in frustration.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions because this needs to keep going. This week’s guest is Jordan Devlin, with Noam Dar complimenting his fashion sense. Devlin likes Dar’s shoes too and Dar gives him the new Supernova Sessions shirt. After dominating America, Devlin is back here because America sucks. We hear about Devlin dropping the Cruiserweight Title to “Santa Claus” Escobar. Dar likes Devlin so he can have the big closing statement. Devlin says the franchise brand is back so come to the biggest dressing room and challenge him.

Video on Oliver Carter vs. Teoman next week, with Carter fighting to avenge his injured partner, Ashton Smith.

Dave Mastiff is training in the Performance Center but we cut over to Tyler Bate offering Jack Starz a Heritage Cup shot. Starz says he isn’t ready and Bate says the offer is there later. Bate leaves and Mastiff asks Starz what he is thinking.

Nathan Frazer vs. Rohan Raja

Frazer grabs a quick rollup for two so Raja grabs a headlock to slow him down. Back up and Frazer snaps off a Sling Blade but charges into a hard toss into the corner to give Raja his own two. The waistlock keeps Frazer in trouble until he reverses into a rollup for two of his own. Frazer runs him over with a forearm into a moonsault but Raja rolls away.

That’s fine with Frazer who lands on his feet and hits a standing moonsault for two instead. Raja is back up with a sitout Sky High for two but Frazer grabs a twisting suplex. A springboard moonsault into a Nightmare On Helm Street connects but Raja catches him on top. That just means a headbutt to put Raja down and the frog splash finishes for Frazer at 6:50.

Rating: C. There is something about Frazer that makes him fun to watch. His offense looks crisp and he has the charisma on top of it, which is more than you are going to get out of almost anyone else these days. It wasn’t a big match or even anything important, but I had fun here, as is the case with almost any Frazer match.

Post match an eye pops up on screen so Frazer looks at it but nothing happens.

Jordan Devlin comes in to his huge locker room and finds A-Kid. It seems we have a challenge.

Subculture vs. Jinny/Joseph Conners

That would be Flash Morgan Webster/Dani Luna for Subculture and Pretty Deadly is on commentary. The guys start things off with Webster grabbing a running armdrag to little avail. A knee to the ribs cuts Webster off so the women come in, with Jinny cranking on the arm. It’s back to Conners, with Luna backflipping Webster into a moonsault. Jinny gets in a cheap shot on Luna though and the stomping is on in the corner. A Black Widow has Luna in more trouble but she powers out for a fall away slam.

The hot tag brings in Webster to fire off the clotheslines to Conners to put him outside. Luna backdrops Webster into a flip dive, allowing her to snap suplex Jinny. Luna kicks an invading Conners in the face and sends him over the top but Conners comes back in for I believe Chuck Taylor’s Awful Waffle for two on Webster. Jinny gets in a cheap shot from the apron so Conners can grab a rollup for two more as the referee finally bothers to clear the ring a bit. The distraction lets Luna kick Conners down, setting up a 630 to give Webster the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C+. This was a fast paced match with Luna getting to look like a monster. You can probably pencil in Subculture as Pretty Deadly’s next challengers and that is not a bad thing. What matters here is Subculture getting a win to boost them up a bit, as the group is just getting off the ground. Besides, can Conners really fall that much further down?

Post match, Mark Andrews joins Webster in the ring for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They had a pretty balanced show here and that’s where NXT UK tends to shine. Nothing on here really got a ton of focus, which is fine when none of the matches is that much bigger than the rest. This show is just so easy to watch and that makes all the difference in the world these days. Rather nice show here and I’m not even surprised by that these days.

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NXT UK
Date: May 20, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time for a title match as we have A-Kid defending the Heritage Cup against Tyler Bate in their rubber match. That alone should be enough to carry the show but we should be getting some other good stuff around here to make the rest of the show work. If it is like their recent efforts, everything should be fine. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on A-Kid vs. Bate, with Bate becoming a huge star and A-Kid needing to become his own man. Bate needs to win something to get back on top and it’s time for a showdown.

Opening sequence.

Rampage Brown vs. Wolfgang

They trade cravates to start as we hear about their various European championships. Brown hits a dropkick but gets whipped hard into the corner to put him down as well. It’s already time to go outside for the slugout with Wolfgang sending him into the post. A backbreaker gives Wolfgang two back inside and we hit the bodyscissors to stay on the ribs.

Some shots to the knee get Brown out of trouble but Wolfgang gets up for a middle rope splash to the back. Brown Samoan drops his way to freedom but Wolfgang is right back with a spear for two. Another spear hits knee though and Wolfgang is sent hard into the post. A lariat sets up the doctor bomb to finish Wolfgang at 6:19.

Rating: C+. This was two big guys hitting each other rather hard for a few minutes and that is almost always going to work. Brown does not have the most depth and in his case that is about as perfect as you could get. Wolfgang hasn’t gotten to shine very much on his own but he looked fine here, so we’ll call it a good opener.

Ashton Smith was working at the Performance Center when Teoman came in. He asked where Oliver Carter has been lately and accuses Smith of forgetting about his family.

Aoife Valkyrie is training in the woods because now she knows what failure feels like. Now it is time to look forward and fly.

Rampage Brown is a little banged up but runs into Gallus. Joe Coffey says he’ll let Brown have some time to heal up and then come looking for him.

Amele vs. Xia Brookside

The angry Brookside goes for her in the corner to start but can’t get anywhere. Brookside takes her down by the arm and starts cranking away but gets pulled outside. Amele drives her back first into the apron and it’s time to go back inside for some stomping to the back. Brookside fights up with a running hurricanrana for two but Amele snaps off a northern lights suplex for the same. A kind of spinebuster plants Brookside for the pin at 4:42.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have much time to go anywhere here and I’m a little surprised that Amele won so clean. Brookside has kind of hit a wall in recent weeks and I’m hoping that she gets to bounce back sooner rather than later. At the same time, Amele looked impressive here and maybe she could go somewhere soon.

Nathan Fraser isn’t happy with Sha Samuels messing with him as of late so he takes Samuels’ notes from him. We have a match set for next week.

We recap Meiko Satomura becoming #1 contender for the Women’s Title, meaning champion Kay Lee Ray laid her out as a result.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions. Noam Dar wastes no time this week and brings out Ilja Dragunov for a chat. For the sake of Dragunov not going insane, Dar puts up some videos of waterfalls and they both have nice, comfortable robes. Dragunov’s looks to be more like a kid’s version though and he doesn’t look pleased. Dar brings up the loss to Walter, with Dragunov talking about the violence and anger that has come with the loss. He isn’t that person anymore though, but Dar brings up some of Dragunov’s recent acts of violence.

However, Dar wants to fix things up a bit, so he has a stuffed dog named Lenny. That’s too far for Dragunov, because Dar must think this is funny. Violence is teased, but Dar says he thinks this is an act. Dragunov walks out and Dar looks annoyed as the music plays. Dar was making me laugh here, despite my disdain for pretty much every wrestling talk show.

Sam Gradwell comes in to see Sid Scala to complain about Trent Seven. Gradwell isn’t going to press charges but he’ll singe off Seven’s moustache.

Post break, Scala makes Ilja Dragunov vs. Sid Scala and Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey for two weeks from now.

Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate vs. A-Kid

A-Kid is defending and Trent Seven is Bate’s corner man. Round one begins with a feeling out process as they both seem a bit tentative. A-Kid flips out of headlock and nips up to an early standoff. Bate takes him down by the arm but A-Kid reverses into a wristlock of his own. A monkey flip doesn’t get Bate out of trouble and the wristlock stays on. Bate finally flips out and it’s another standoff to end the round fairly evenly.

Round two begins with A-Kid grabbing a headlock takeover but Bate kicks his way to freedom again. Almost totally even so far with A-Kid’s advantage being pretty minimal. A-Kid has to flip out of a headscissors and cranks on both arms at the same time. Another escape gives us yet another standoff so Bate grabs a headlock to end the round with a minor advantage.

Round three begins Bate slapping on an armbar but getting countered in a hurry. Bate tries to pick up the pace and slides through the legs so A-Kid drops down onto him for a sleeper. That’s broken up and they trade rollups until A-Kid blasts him with a diving forearm to the jaw. Bate uppercuts him to the floor as the pace has picked up in a hurry. Back in and Bate pops him in the jaw but they both crash over the top to end the round on the floor.

Round four begins with Bate charging across the ring for an uppercut to the jaw. A-Kid dropkicks him right back and a fisherman’s suplex gets two. Bate knees him in the face but a middle rope elbow is countered into a backslide (cool). The airplane spin goes on so A-Kid reverses that into a Crossface attempt. A-Kid goes with the sleeper instead so Bate drops him back onto the mat for the break. A guillotine has Bate in trouble but he muscles A-Kid up into a suplex for two as the round ends.

Round five begins with both guys banged up and Bate powers him to the mat for an early two. A bridging German suplex gets two on A-Kid and the Tyler Driver 97 is good for the same. Spiral Tap misses and A-Kid grabs a cross armbreaker, which he switches into a Rings of Saturn with his legs. Time expires just in time though and Bate survives again.

Round six (the final round) begins with Bate in pain but being able to hit the rebound lariat. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a hurricanrana for two so Bate blasts him with a right hand. That earns him a superkick into a rollup but Bate drops down into a cradle for the pin and the title at 58 seconds of the sixth round (18:58).

Rating: B. They made me buy into this and I wouldn’t have bet on that coming in. I like the rules but they made the drama work here, which is a lot harder than having good action. The idea of the rounds and the clock ticking down is a great effect and this was an awesome main event, even if the winner might not have been in the most doubt.

Post match A-Kid is disappointed but presents Bate with the trophy and applauds to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event was what mattered most here (shocking I know) but they managed to get in a few other good things and also build up for later. This show has gotten the NXT formula down to a near science and the one hour run time makes it that much easier to watch. Another quality show here, with the main event getting the most out of its unique rules.

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NXT UK
Date: May 13, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time to get ready for a title match as the main event this time around is a five woman gauntlet match for a future shot at Kay Lee Ray. This is almost a necessary move as Ray has been champion for the better part of forever now, meaning she is going to need a fresh challenger. On top of that, the Heritage Cup rules are back as Nathan Frazer faces Noam Dar. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside is out of the gauntlet match so we have an empty fifth spot. This shouldn’t be hard to figure out.

Nathan Frazer vs. Noam Dar

Heritage Cup rules. Round one begins as Frazer takes him down into a hammerlock and then switches into a wristlock. That’s reversed into the same thing from Dar, who has to avoid a charge against the ropes. They go to the mat with Dar grabbing a headscissors into a standoff as the round ends, with Dar getting in a cheap shot elbow after the bell. Round two begins with Dar going straight to the leg but Frazer is back up with a forearm to the face. A small package finishes Dar at 59 seconds of the second round (4:37 total).

Round three begins with Frazer hitting a dropkick into a running shooting star press for two. Cue Sha Samuels to watch at ringside and the distraction lets Dar get in a shot to the leg to take over. A kick to the arm puts Frazer down but one to the chest is cut off. Frazer goes up top and headbutts him down but time runs out before he can do anything.

Round four begins with Frazer hitting a running dropkick into the corner but Dar avoids a top rope double stomp. Dar strikes him down for two but the Nova Roller is countered into a rollup for two. An enziguri hits Frazer but he gets pulled into an ankle lock to tie it up at 1:14 of the round (10:03 overall). They slug it out to start round five with Frazer grabbing a quick rollup for two. A swinging suplex gets the same and Frazer goes up but Samuels grabs his leg. With that broken up, Frazer misses a springboard and the Nova Roller finishes Frazer at 1:50 of the round (12:27 overall).

Rating: C+. These matches have grown on me a lot over the last few months and I can go for more of them. Frazer lost via cheating so he isn’t hurt that badly and already has a rematch set up. Samuels and Dar might not be the top pairing in the world but they are perfectly adequate for what they are supposed to do.

Rampage Brown throws away Gallus’ ball and still wants to fight Joe Coffey. He seems to settle for a match with Mark Coffey though.

Video on Pretty Deadly.

Trent Seven is giving Jack Starz some advice when Sam Gradwell comes up. Gradwell says Seven is overrated and he sees right through this dad act. The brawl is almost on but it’s broken up in a hurry.

Levi Muir vs. Mark Andrews

The rest of Subculture is here with Andrews. Muir’s wristlock doesn’t last long as Andres rolls him u for two. Back up and Muir snaps off a powerslam before hammering away in the corner. They slug it out with Muir getting the better of things and snaps off a slingshot suplex. Andrews kicks him into the ropes for a 619 to the back but has to counter another slingshot suplex into a Stundog Millionaire (that was cool). Muir is knocked outside so Andrews is right there with the suicide dive. Back in and Fall To Pieces finishes Muir at 4:34.

Rating: C. I liked this better than I was expecting to as Andrews really is one of the better high fliers going today. He is one of those guys that is so easy to get behind and that is harder to find than it might seem. Muir is someone with some potential of his own and could go somewhere if he is given a bit more of a chance and a character.

Amale comes up to Sid Scala but can’t get Xia Brookside’s spot in the gauntlet match. Instead, she’ll be facing….to be announced, whenever Brookside is back to health. They might have spoiled that a bit.

Video on Kenny Williams beating Amir Jordan last week to get rid of him.

We get a sitdown interview between Heritage Cup Champion A-Kid and #1 contender Tyler Bate. A-Kid wants the big win to prove himself over one of the big names. Bate says A-Kid may be the master of the Heritage Cup rules but he isn’t the master of him. They don’t seem intimidated but do shake hands.

Gauntlet Match

Five women, with only four known, and the winner gets a title shot against Kay Lee Ray. Isla Dawn is in at #1 and Emilia McKenzie is in at #2. McKenzie takes her down with the waistlock to start and then forearms away. A swinging neckbreaker gives McKenzie two but Dawn kicks her down and gets two off a suplex. McKenzie is right back with an enziguri and running dropkick, followed by a spear for two of her own. Dawn kicks her in the head though and a bridging half nelson suplex gets rid of McKenzie at 3:31.

Dani Luna is in at #3 and kicks Dawn in the face, setting up some rolling suplexes for two. A fall away slam sets up an exploder suplex for two more but Luna misses a charge into the post, allowing Dawn to roll her up at 5:33. Meiko Satomura is in at #4 and is taking Xia Brookside’s spot. Dawn is smart enough to dropkick her on the way in and takes it outside to send Satomura into the barricade.

Back in and Dawn kicks her into the ropes, with commentary being all stunned. Some Saito suplexes into some double knees get two on Satomura but a knee drop misses. Satomura kicks her in the back but gets rolled up for two. Dawn tries another rollup, only to have Satomura reverse into one of her own for the pin at 9:43.

Jinny is in at #5 to give us the final fight and Satomura gets taken down by the arm. A front facelock gives Jinny two and a rollup is good for the same. Satomura kicks her way out of an armbar and then spins out of a headscissors. Back up and Satomura wins a strike off, capped off by a running dropkick. The Crossface is broken up in a hurry and Jinny hammers away with right hands. Satomura has had it with this and hits the Death Valley Driver, setting up the Scorpion kick for the pin at 16:35.

Rating: C. The match was fine as a way to set up Satomura vs. Ray II and that’s all it needed to be. The action itself worked, though it suffered from the same problem that these matches so often do: Satomura was suddenly spent after being in there for like five minutes because she had beaten a somewhat drained Dawn. All that mattered was Satomura winning though so they got the important part right.

Kay Lee Ray comes out to trade bows with Satomura….and then superkicks her to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was average for the most part with the matches all being watchable, but it served its purpose of setting up some things for later. Satomura vs. Ray and A-Kid vs. Bate should be good, though this was just a preview of the big stuff instead of the actual big ones. It wasn’t the best show, but it did what it needed to do for the future, which is rather important in its own right.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT UK
Date: February 18, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s hoss fight night as Rampage Brown faces Joe Coffey. Actually it isn’t so much of a hoss fight night as much as it is a hoss fight main event, as we also have the Heritage Cup on the line between two decidedly non-hosses. Things have been good around here so far so hopefully they can keep it up this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Heritage Cup: A-Kid vs. Sha Samuels

Kid is defending and they start round one with a feeling out process. They take turns taking each other to the mat with neither being able to get anywhere. Kid is sent face first into the buckle to put Samuels in the first control but he can’t grab a choke in the corner. He can however put on a cobra clutch on the mat with the shoulder pulled back (the Butcher’s Hook) and Kid taps in a hurry at 2:35 of the first round (seemingly playing strategy to avoid extra pain).

Round two begins with Kid charging at him but getting taken down to the mat to work on the shoulder some more. Samuels tries to go for the arm but Kid takes it to the mat, only to get his arm cranked on again. Kid is back up with a choke but Samuels goes straight to the rope. They tumble out to the floor and the round ends.

Round three begins with an exchange of rollups for two each but Kid starts going after the knee. A kick to the chest gets two and a dropkick finishes Samuels at 1:23 of the round to tie it up. Round four begins with Kid rolling him up for a fast two. Samuels runs him over for the same but walks into an enziguri for two more.

Kid goes up for a high crossbody, only to get caught in a Michinoku Driver instead. The Hook goes on again but the bell rings just in time to end the round. Round five begins with Kid pulling him straight into a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up so Kid kicks him in the face, only to charge into a spinebuster for two. Kid escapes the Hook again and grabs the Rings of Saturn to make Samuels tap for the 2-1 win at 2:25 of the fifth round (13:49 total).

Rating: B. These things grew on me quite a bit during the tournament and they are still holding up today. They are rather similar to Ring of Honor’s Pure Rules matches but these are kept sporadic enough that they feel like a treat rather than something that overstays its welcome. A-Kid has something too and I could go with seeing him step up after he’s done with this division.

Video on Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey, including a look at their time against each other in Progress. Various UK names like William Regal, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus talk about how awesome this should be to really make it feel important.

Walter has tied Pete Dunne’s record as longest United Kingdom Champion and breaks the record tomorrow.

Ben Carter vs. Josh Morrell

Carter is taken to the mat to start but uses Johnny Saint’s distraction to escape, which pops the heck out of Nigel. An armdrag into an armbar and sets up a headlock on the mat to keep Morrell down. That’s broken up and Morrell grabs a hurricanrana for two, only to get suplexed for the same. The front facelock has Morrell in more trouble but he reverses into a surfboard but Carter reverses into one of his own. Back up and Morrell gets two off a hiptoss but Carter grabs the suplex neckbreaker. The frog splash finishes for Carter at 6:28.

Rating: C. Carter continues to look polished but above all else, I want to see him win. He’s small enough that he plays a rather good underdog who needs to come from behind to win. Throw in some good technical abilities and a high flying finisher that looks good without being too flashy and it works well. Morrell looks good too, though he isn’t the one who is going to get pushed at the moment.

We get a press conference for the Women’s Title match between Meiko Satomura and champion Kay Lee Ray. Ray loves the challenge, Meiko loves the challenge and has a mission, Ray wants the best in the world, they stare each other down to wrap it up.

Video on Nina Samuels vs. Xia Brookside.

Tyler Bate gets some air outside of the Performance Center and is ready for whatever comes at him.

Aleah James vs. Dani Luna

The rather strong Luna powers her into the corner to start and easily blocks a crucifix attempt. James gets tossed down again and there’s a suplex to send her back into the corner. Luna’s powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana for two so she is right back with a hard clothesline. A forearm puts James on the apron and Luna catches her springboard without much effort. Luna fireman’s carries her into a sitout powerbomb for the pin at 3:33.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here as they seem interested in Luna as a bit of a thing here. That’s not the worst idea in the world as having someone with that kind of power can be a fine choice for a quick push. I’m not sure how far she can go but even a short term deal would work out well enough.

Jinny and Joseph Conners call out Piper Niven. I’m not sure what it is but Jinny just isn’t clicking with me.

Video on next week’s Tag Team Title match with Gallus defending against Pretty Deadly.

Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey

They power each other around to start with Coffey grabbing the required rough headlock. That’s broken up and they run the ropes until Coffey’s leapfrog is countered into a powerslam. Brown hammers him into the corner but it’s too early for the Doctor Bomb. Instead Coffey takes him to the mat and hammers away, setting up a backbreaker to set up his liver shot later. The straitjacket choke goes on, followed by the jumping elbow for two on Brown.

A running basement clothesline gets two and Coffey blasts him with crossface shots to the face. What looked like All The Best For The Bells is cut off by a hard clothesline from Brown before he wins another slugout. A big boot gives Brown two and a hard suplex is good for the same. Coffey fights out of a fireman’s carry though and snaps off a belly to belly.

The running splash in the corner sets up a shotgun dropkick to put Brown on the floor. Coffey follows him out but misses a charge into the steps. The arm is sent into the steps and they’re already back inside. Coffey manages a spinning high crossbody for two but All The Best For The Bells is blocked with a kick to the arm. Brown grabs the Doctor Bomb for the pin at 11:16.

Rating: B. Take two big power brawlers and let them beat on each other for a pretty good while. Brown is the one they are pushing at the moment and that’s a good idea. He does his thing well and beating Coffey feels like an important deal. Good slugout here and I liked it as much as I expected to, meaning it worked well.

We get the big, delayed, respectful handshake to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Two good matches make up for the weaker stuff in the middle and that was a fine way to use a little over an hour. This show continues to be rather solid more often than not and that was the case again this week with a nice mixture of a few styles to make it all work out. We could be seeing some nice stuff from these people going forward and that’s a rare thing to say in WWE these days.

Results

A-Kid b. Sha Samuels 2-1

Ben Carter b. Josh Morrell – Frog splash

Dani Luna b. Aleah James – Fireman’s carry powerbomb

Rampage Brown b. Joe Coffey – Doctor Bomb

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NXT UK
Date: January 14, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s title week here as Walter will be defending the United Kingdom Title against Heritage Cup holder A Kid. This isn’t the kind of match that they can do very often but for a one off special, we could be in for something very good. Other than that, it can probably be anyone’s guess around here. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of A Kid winning the Heritage Cup and wanting the best, so he challenged Walter for the UK Title. Walter finds this to be rather stupid.

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Ed Harvey

Harvey is better known as Sha Samuels. Harvey tells him to bring it and catches Coffey’s running crossbody. With that not working, Coffey hits him in the face and nails a clothesline to the floor. Hold on though as Harvey grabs the mic and says he isn’t here to be Ed Harvey, because everyone knows he is Sha Samuels. Well that’s a different way to go. Back in and Samuels hammers away with forearms before starting on the arm.

Coffey’s rollup gets two but Samuels kicks him into the corner. There’s a kick to Coffey’s back and we hit the chinlock. Coffey fights up and hits a backdrop, followed by an overhead belly to belly. The slugout goes to Coffey but Samuels pulls Coffey’s spinning middle rope crossbody out of the air. Coffey flips out of a sleeper and the high crossbody gives him two. Samuels is sent hard into the corner and All The Best For The Bells finishes for Coffey at 6:40.

Rating: C+. Now that’s how you debut someone, as these two beat the heck out of each other and Samuels looked like a player in a hurry. This was all about two big guys hitting each other hard for a few minutes until one of them couldn’t get up. It’s no classic, but it was a nice debut and the mid-match name change was a pretty cool was to go. Samuels is certainly a name in British wrestling so this was a smart signing for NXT UK.

Pretty Deadly interrupted Sid Scala earlier today and were placed in a four way elimination match for the #1 contendership. In two weeks, they face Ashton Carter/Oliver Smith, the Hunt and Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews. Nice job of giving them a bit of a challenge before what should be an obvious win.

Rampage Brown was lifting earlier when Dave Mastiff showed up to lift the same weight and say that Brown needed a challenge. Brown seems intrigued.

Sam Gradwell vs. Tyler Bate

Gradwell rants about Bate becoming a yogurt living freak during his entrance. Bate shrugs off an armbar attempt and takes him down into a rollup for two. A running crossbody gets the same and there’s an armdrag into an armbar to put Gradwell down for a bit. That’s broken up and Gradwell hammers away, with a big right hand getting two.

The nerve hold goes on for a bit before Gradwell just rips at his face for a change. Bate’s sunset flip is broken up with a grab of the ear but Bate slugs away. A suplex sends Gradwell flying and the running shooting star press gets two. The Tyler Driver 97 is broken up and Gradwell blasts him with a clothesline. Bate shrugs it off and hits the Tyler Driver 97 for the pin at 7:23.

Rating: C. I’m curious about where this stuff with Bate is going and he has altered his in-ring style just enough that you know something has changed. That is a difficult, as well as risky, change to make but Bate is talented enough to make it work. Gradwell has impressed me a bit as well, as he gets your attention and feels a bit out there, unlike some wrestlers where they tell you how out there they are and leave it at that.

Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter are told about the four way #1 contenders match and seem rather pleased.

Ilja Dragunov comes up to Jack Starz and issues a friendly challenge, which Starz happily accepts.

Here are Jinny and Joseph Conners for a chat. Jinny brags about being the new #1 contender and says that Conners deserves a bit of credit. Why are they working together? In short, because Jinny has money. Anyway, Jinny is going to become champion next week so here’s Kay Lee Ray to interrupt. They argue over which of the two is championship material, with Jinny saying she will reign next week.

Eddie Dennis talks about his issues with Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews, who now have to deal with the Hunt. Dennis seems to like the sound of that and the Hunt agrees.

United Kingdom Title: Walter vs. A Kid

Only Walter’s title is on the line so we’re under regular rules. Kid circles around and tries some kicks at the leg but Walter takes him down by the leg instead. Back up and Kid manages to drive him into the corner for a chop and things get a bit more serious. A headlock takeover has Kid down again but he headlocks his way to freedom. More kicks to the leg have Walter limping a bit and Kid pops in a few shots to the chest as well.

Walter’s arm is tied over the rope as some frustration is setting in. Kid actually kicks him down and hits a few kicks to the face, which make Walter growl at him. The huge chop cuts Kid off but the leg gives out and Walter falls as well. Walter slaps on a crossface before switching to a neck crank as the size is giving Kid trouble. Kid tries to fight back so Walter lays him on the top and hits a loud chop. The sleeper on the rope is countered into a dragon screw legwhip over the apron and Walter is down again.

More strikes to the back just make Walter hit him in the face before a shotgun dropkick just crushes Kid. The powerbomb (with Walter only bridging with one leg) connects for two and Walter tells him to bring it. The big chop is countered into a Crossface but Walter takes him outside for an apron powerbomb. Back in and Walter’s sleeper doesn’t work so he just blasts Kid with a pair of clotheslines to retain at 13:51.

Rating: B. This was an interesting change of pace as Walter’s matches have a tendency to be hard hitting, violent tests of endurance but this was much slower paced with Kid trying to cut him down. It worked very well as Walter was getting frustrated at someone who wrestled a more traditional match. Kid looked very good here despite the huge size difference and it’s not like losing to Walter is going to hurt anything.

Walter gives Kid a respectful look to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event is what matters here and it continues to give me hope that Jordan Devlin is the one to take the title off of Walter. That is a direction they could go and it should work well if they go there. The rest of the show was just ok for the most part, but Walter in the ring is enough to make this mean something. They built up a bit for the future as well, meaning the classic NXT formula continues.

Results

Joe Coffey b. Sha Samuels – All The Best For The Bells

Tyler Bate b. Sam Gradwell – Tyler Driver 97

Walter b. A Kid – Lariat

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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NXT UK
Date: December 17, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things continue to stay interesting around here as we close out the year, but this time around it is going to be one more important match before we officially make it to the holidays. This time around it is all about the Tag Team Titles as Gallus defend the titles against the Hunt. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Isla Dawn vs. Kay Lee Ray

Non-title. Ray works on the arm to start so Dawn does exactly the same. Dawn gets in some double knees to the chest for two but Ray is back up to send her into the corner. Something like a basement Meteora gives Dawn two and the hard belly to back suplex is good for the same. Ray is right back with a tornado DDT and a Koji Clutch but Dawn is out in a hurry. That’s about it for Dawn though as Ray grabs the Gory Bomb for the pin at 4:18.

Rating: C-. Dawn is fine for a role like this and they need to give Ray a clean win here or there. It was smart to get the match in and out quickly as Ray shouldn’t be having trouble with Dawn. It’s not like there is much of a story here and Piper Niven or Jinny would seem to be the next challenger for the title anyway.

Post match Ray says you should get used to her being champion because forever is a long time.

Video on Ben Carter, who has officially signed with NXT UK. Good for him for getting a chance like this. Various wrestlers talk about how great he is and we see him in Seth Rollins’ wrestling school.

Ilja Dragunov is near tears in the ring because he came so close to winning the UK Title but came up just short. He’ll be back.

Levi Muir/Jack Starz vs. Saxon Huxley

The bigger Muir tries to power Huxley around to start before hit leapfrog is knocked out of the air. Starz tries a slingshot crossbody and after Muir offers a trip, it takes Huxley down. Back up and Huxley unloads on Stars with right hands before cranking on the neck a bit. A gorilla press sends Starz flying and there’s a running boot to the side of his head.

Huxley knocks Muir off the apron and then throws Starz back in for two. Starz gets in a shot to the face and brings in Muir, who is driven into the corner in a hurry. A double dropkick takes Huxley down though and a sunset flip, with some help from Muir, gives Starz the upset pin at 5:23.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what the point is in having Huxley lose but he isn’t the kind of guy you need to push, meaning the loss isn’t some horrible move. The action was fast paced too and it was a surprise ending so well done on the twist. Starz isn’t going to go anywhere but he’s the show’s designated jobber. Muir on the other hand looks great and could go somewhere if he is given the right push. Not bad at all here.

Post match Huxley beats both of them down but Dave Mastiff runs in for the save.

Earlier this week, Piper Niven showed Sid Scala a video of someone leaving Piper a message at the gym. Apparently it’s a contract for a match with Jinny, who Piper wants to face in three weeks. The match is made for January 7.

Dave Mastiff meets Rampage Brown. That wouldn’t be bad for Brow’s first real challenge.

Here’s A-Kid, who is very proud of what he has done and the pride it has brought Spain. He wants to be the best though and challenges Walter for the United Kingdom Title. Cue Walter to say hang on a second because he sees a lot of skill in A-Kid. But HOW DARE HE go this far? The one thing that will never change is that Walter is NXT UK Champion, which seems to mean no shot.

Earlier this week, Kenny Williams was upset when Amir Jordan comes in to say get back to it because they need to win the Tag Team Titles. Williams, with his bad knee, doesn’t seem convinced and suggests Jordan go on his own for the time being. However, Williams is willing to be in his corner. Something sounds afoot.

Trent Seven says he gave it his all in the Heritage Cup Tournament and had no idea how much he gave in until he lost. There are things that he needs to fix so he’s going away for now. This isn’t goodbye, but see you later, and Seven does not look happy.

Rampage Brown vs. Josh Morrell

Morrell’s headlock doesn’t work at all as Brown runs him over without much trouble. Brown throws him outside and then right back in, setting up the shoulders in the corner. A running shoulder hits the post though and Morrell hits a dropkick for one. Brown isn’t having that and hits the big clothesline, setting up up the Doctor Bomb for the pin at 3:13.

Rating: D+. Brown is one of those guys who continues to impress in the limited around of time that he gets in the ring every week. That’s exactly what he should be doing too, as he is looking more and more like a monster every time he’s in the ring. Just having him throw people around and then crush them in the end works, and he’ll get bigger competition in the future.

Sid Scala makes A-Kid vs. Walter for the UK Title at some point in the new year. Throwing Walter out there in a somewhat challenging title match is a good idea.

Next week: a special Christmas Eve show.

Tag Team Titles: The Hunt vs. Gallus

Gallus is defending and Eddie Dennis is here with the Hunt. Wolfgang gets double teamed in the corner to start with Primate stomping away. That’s broken up with straight power as Wolfgang fights out and drives him into the corner corner so Mark Coffey can come in. Wild Boar shrugs off the headlock though and brings in Primate for a double backdrop. We hit the chinlock on Coffey and a backsplash to the back gets two.

A right hand knocks Wolfgang off the apron but Boar’s charge only hits buckle. The diving tag brings Wolfgang in to clean house, including a top rope ax handle for two on Primate. Dennis pulls Boar out of a powerslam attempt and a shot to Wolfgang’s back puts him down. Cue Joe Coffey to take out Dennis, followed by Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews to go after Primate. That leaves Boar to take a powerslam/jumping enziguri combination for the pin at 7:59 to retain the titles.

Rating: C+. The Hunt were interesting challengers for the titles here as you don’t get to see many teams who can match Gallus for size and power. Gallus are fine once they’re in the ring, but they’re far from the most memorable team in the world. Half the time I forget that they’re the champions, which isn’t a good sign but when you have the titles as long as they have, it is bound to happen at some point.

Post match Pretty Deadly comes out to challenge for the titles. That was coming sooner or later. Cue Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith to send them into the ring for the beatdown from Gallus to end the show. When did this show build a tag division?

Overall Rating: C+. This was a very busy show and they set up a few things for next month. I’m more impressed by the tag division though, which now has several teams running around at the moment and you can imagine a lot of them going after the titles. I’m liking where things are going around here and that’s more than I can say about some other WWE shows at the moment. No it doesn’t mean much and this show is on an island of its own but for what it is, NXT UK is a rather nice hour of wrestling a week, with this show being another good example.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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NXT UK
Date: December 10, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepard, Nigel McGuinness

A lot of wrestling shows have been going all over the place as of late so it would be nice to have one that is more a case of giving you what you probably expect. That is where NXT UK shines and I could go for seeing something like that after all of the ups and downs of this week. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Jordan Devlin is in the ring and issues an open challenge for the Cruiserweight Title. We cut to the back where Ashton Smith tells Oliver Carter to go get the title. And here we go.

Cruiserweight Title: Oliver Carter vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin is defending and wastes no time in pounding Carter down. Carter snaps off an armdrag into a sunset flip but Carter flips him by the leg. That sends Carter legs first into the ropes and he lands on his head, meaning the referee needs to check on Carter. The clearance is given so Devlin elbows him in the head and chokes with the boot because Devlin is kind of ruthless.

The logical neck crank goes on but Carter comes back with a leg trip and a dropkick. An elbow to the face sends Devlin outside for a heck of a suicide dive and a forearm to the back of the head gives Carter two. Carter plants him with a Rock Bottom but the neck is too banged up to cover. Devlin is right back with a poison rana and the Devlin Side retains the title at 6:30.

Rating: C. If this is a way to get Devlin in the ring more often, I’m all for everything about the whole idea. Devlin has cranked it way up this year and it’s a shame that he didn’t get to spend this summer showcasing everything that he can do. I could go for a lot more of everything Devlin is doing and sending out one opponent after another is a great idea.

Earlier this week, Jinny promised to get Piper Niven when she doesn’t see it coming.

Video on the NXT roster going around England.

And now, in case we weren’t infested with them enough yet, it’s time for the new talk show with Supernova Sessions, hosted by Noam Dar. After the usual introductions, Dar brings out Heritage Cup Champion A-Kid as his first guest. Dar talks about how he mentored A-Kid during his early career and now it is time to return the favor. He will even dub him A-Man! A-Kid says not so fast because the one person who mentored him is Tyler Bate. Cue Bate for the first time to suggest he would have won the title had he been in the tournament. Dar says the match should be on for tonight and he’ll even talk to management. Match on.

The Hunt and Eddie Dennis barge into Sid Scala’s office and might threaten their way into a Tag Team Title shot.

Xia Brookside vs. Isla Dawn

Brookside flips out of a wristlock to start and takes Dawn to the mat for a hammerlock. That’s reversed into the same thing on Brookside, followed by a knee to the face to take her down again. We hit the quickly broken chinlock so Dawn knees her in the ribs again. A northern lights suplex gets two but Brookside fights her way out of another armbar. The Broken Wings connect in the corner to send Dawn outside, with the suicide dive connecting. Hold on though as we have some suitcases. Jinny pops up on screen to say Brookside can only carry her bags, allowing Dawn to hit a Saito suplex for the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C-. The match didn’t have time to go anywhere but the point here was to have Jinny cost Brookside the win. If they put the title on Jinny, it could make a heck of a story with Brookside chasing her until the big win. Brookside is going to get the big moment sooner or later, so set her up well over time for a change.

Saxon Huxley has attacked Jack Starz and Levi Muir.

Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate vs. A-Kid

Kid is defending and it’s under the Heritage Cup rules. After the Big Match Intros, the feeling out process is on with Kid taking him down with a headlock. That’s reversed into an armbar which is reversed with a headscissors for a standoff. They fight over some wristlocks until the first round ends. The second round begins with Bate getting spun into a straitjacket choke, only to reverse into one of his own. Kid reverses the reversal into one of his own before it’s time to grapple on the mat a bit. Neither can get anywhere of note and Bate’s ankle crank doesn’t go anywhere as the round ends.

Round three begins with Bate working on the arm again as they’re still in second gear at most. Back up and they run the ropes with Kid slipping out of the airplane spin. Bate blocks a German suplex and sits down on a rollup for the pin at 1:47 of the round (8:47 total).

Round four begins with another slow start with neither being able to go anywhere until Kid kicks him in the head to make things personal. Bate goes all serious and hammers away, with Kid pulling him into a choke as a result. The sleeper goes on but Bate drives him into the corner for the break. Kid slaps it right back on and then switches into a triangle choke. Bate has to powerbomb his way to freedom for the break.

The fifth round begins with a test of strength taking Bate to the mat, where Kid can’t break his bridge. Back up and Kid hits a springboard moonsault DDT to plant Bate for the pin to tie it up at 1:00 of the fifth round (14:07 total). Round six starts with Bate circling around a bit before winning a slugout. The Liger Kick sends Kid outside but he’s right back in with a jumping enziguri. Kid can’t get the Rings of Saturn but he can get a sunset flip to retain the title at 2:04 (16:55).

Rating: B-. This took a little time to get going but the technical stuff worked out well. I’m not sure how well versed Bate is in this style but he did well enough. If nothing else, I’m glad to see Bate back in the ring after such a long absence. He really is one of the best young talents anywhere and it’s good to have him back. Then you have Kid, who already won the tournament and now has a big win to make him look like an even bigger star.

They shake hands to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They had a nice and balanced show here with three matches looking at three different parts of the roster. Throw in that they built up some things for later on and it was a good show overall. Again: not a great show, but you know what you’re getting and it worked out rather well. Nice effort here and the main event worked well.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Oliver Carter – Devlin Side

Isla Dawn b. Xia Brookside – Saito suplex

A-Kid b. Tyler Bate 2-1

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 26, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s Thanksgiving in the United Stats but that isn’t quite so important in the UK. Instead, let’s have a title match as the first ever Heritage Cup is on the line with A-Kid meeting Trent Seven in the tournament finals. Other than that, Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin is defending his title as well. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the importance of the Heritage Cup and features A-Kid and Trent Seven talking about how important the title would mean to them.

Cruiserweight Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Amir Jordan

Devlin is defending and for the sake of simplicity, I’ll only refer to Amir Jordan as Jordan. A shoulder into a headlock takeover has Jordan down to start but he’s back up with a wristlock to flip Devlin over. That just means a big running elbow from Devlin and they trade chops until Devlin blasts him with a dropkick. Devlin cranks on his neck for a bit, followed by the release Rock Bottom into the standing moonsault for two. They head outside with Jordan being stomped against the barricade and it’s a belly to back backbreaker back inside.

We hit the abdominal stretch but Jordan hiptosses his way to freedom. The comeback is on with a clothesline to the floor and there’s a suicide dive to take Devlin down. Back in and Jordan gets caught on top but Devlin has to block the sunset bomb. Instead it’s an electric chair flipped forward into a slam for two on Devlin. Jordan goes up top but the top rope backsplash hits raised knees. The Cloverleaf makes Jordan tap to retain the title at 9:44.

Rating: C. Devlin continues to look sharp out there and Jordan was putting up a good fight throughout. This was much more about having Devlin get in there and show that he can still bring it in a title defense and they pulled that off well. I’m curious about how they’re going to handle the two Cruiserweight Titles, but that isn’t the kind of thing that WWE is going to let last very long.

Post match Devlin says there is one Cruiserweight Champion.

Rampage Brown is training at the Performance Center when Saxon Huxley comes up to say his name. Please just be a squash.

Noam Dar is getting his own talk show. Does he have to?

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews jumped Eddie Dennis and the Hunt on their way in today. That could be a heck of a six man with the right partner.

Isla Dawn vs. Jinny

They trade headlocks to start until Dawn knocks her down and gets two off a double knee drop. Jinny responds by kicking her in the head and then grabbing the Iron Octopus. Dawn makes a rope so Jinny rolls her into a reverse chinlock. With that broken up, Jinny kicks her in the head over and over. Back up and Dawn hits her own kicks to the chest and a Saito suplex gets two. Jinny sends her hard into a knee to the face though and the Tarantula has Dawn screaming. Something like a crossface chickenwing with a leg grapevine makes Dawn tap at 5:04.

Rating: C+. The finish looked good and Jinny was more dominant than she has been in a long time. She has seemed to be ready to move up to the next level for a long time now and maybe this is the time where she finally gets to move up. Nice and quick match here, with Jinny coming off like a killer who can take a hit.

Post match, Jinny calls out Piper Niven.

Alexander Wolfe comes in to see Sid Scala about a match with Joe Coffey. Scala says it’s on, with Gallus and Imperium banned. Wolfe throws him an apple.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Heritage Cup: Trent Seven vs. A-Kid

For the inaugural title. Feeling out process to start with Kid taking him to the mat for a quickly broken headlock. Seven cartwheels his way to freedom and grabs a headscissors on the mat to slow things down a bit. That’s reversed into a double arm crank on Seven and they roll around with some grappling as the first round ends.

Round two begins with a test of strength going to Seven, who can’t break Kid’s bridge. Kid tapes him down and starts pulling on the arms but switches over to a kneebar. Seven is in trouble but manages to survive until the end, where he pops Kid in the jaw with a right hand.

We start round three with Kid kicking the water bottle out of Seven’s hand, only to have the parched Seven unload with chops. Kid kicks him down in a heap though and some running kicks, including one to the face, finish Seven at 1:34 of round three (8:50 total). The fourth round begins with Kid hitting a running kick to the face in the corner again and slapping on a Crossface. The triangle doesn’t work for Kid so he tries a cross armbreaker, which is countered with a heck of a powerbomb. They’re both down as time expires.

Round five begins with Seven grabbing a front facelock and Kid having to flip his way out of it. Back up and Seven plants him with a DDT for two and they both need a breather. Kid pulls himself up in the corner and fights out of the Birminghammer attempt. Seven tries a belly to back superplex attempt instead but Kid turns it into a high crossbody for a very near fall as time expires.

The final round begins with Seven hitting a quick Emerald Flosion for his own near fall. A big lariat gets the same and there’s the Birminghammer for a delayed two as Kid’s foot is underneath the rope. The Seven Star Lariat only gets two so Kid goes for the arm, only to have Seven stack him up for the pin at 2:31 (19:41).

So that’s a tie at the end of round six so let’s go to overtime with no time limit. Round seven starts Kid wins a slugout but the Seven Star Lariat cuts him off. Seven can’t follow up so Kid goes to the apron, with Seven joining him. The slugout goes to Seven, who hits his suplex slam to the floor, leaving Kid mostly done.

Kid still dives in and beats the count so Seven hits another Seven Star Lariat. That’s not enough for a cover as Seven loads up the Birminghammer, only to have Kid slip out and hit a superkick. Seven pulls him into a rollup like the one he won with before but this time pulls him into a Rings of Saturn, with Kid using his leg to pull Seven’s arm back for the tap and the cup at 5:17 of overtime (26:04 total).

Rating: B. That certainly worked and you forget that the rounds are there after a bit, making it a rather good match with both guys trying to survive and hold onto/chase the lead. Seven not being able to hang in there with the young Kid worked, especially with Kid just striking him down over and over. Good stuff here and Kid is a nice choice to see what he can do with the Cup, especially once Imperium realizes it’s perfect for them.

Post match Seven presents Kid with the trophy and streamers fly to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event was more than enough to carry the show and the first two matches were certainly serviceable enough. They wrapped up the tournament on a high note and that’s a positive sign for the future. As usual, they know how to set things up for the future so while they have their work cut out for them following this one, they had a good show here and could pull it off again in the future.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Amir Jordan – Cloverleaf

Jinny b. Isla Dawn – Crossface chickenwing with a leg grapevine

A-Kid b. Trent Seven 2-1

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 5, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the week after the big showdown and I’m not sure where to go from here. At the end of the day, Ilja Dragunov and Walter beating the fire out of each other isn’t exactly easy to follow and I’m curious to see where it goes. The Heritage Cup is still running around as well so they have a few things to do. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s epic title match with Walter surviving Dragunov to retain. They were both banged up after the match.

Opening sequence.

Gallus vs. Pretty Deadly/Sam Gradwell

Mark Coffey throws Sam Stoker around to start so Wolfgang comes in to work on the arm. Stoker’s dropkick allows the tag off to Lewis Howley, who is taken down by the arm. Joe Coffey gets to come in and crank on the arm as well with Howley not even being able to nip his way up to freedom. Back up and Gradwell gets the tag so Joe slaps on a headlock in a hurry. Everything breaks down for a bit so Gallus clears the ring without much trouble. We settle down to Gradwell slapping Joe and diving over for the tag back to Howley.

Wolfgang comes in but gets caught in the wrong corner. He doesn’t seem to mind as house is cleaned in a hurry, allowing the tag back to Mark for a headlock to Stoker. Back up and Stoker grabs a DDT for two on Mark and it’s Howley coming in to work on the arm. Gradwell is back with a quickly broken chinlock but a little too much trash talk lets Mark get over for the hot tag to Joe. That means even more of the house can be cleaned as everything breaks down. All The Best For The Bells finishes Gradwell at 9:47.

Rating: C. This was the welcome home match for Gallus and that worked out just fine. It also seemed to be the trio being full on faces, which they were around the time of the hiatus but it’s nice to get a reminder. They are good as a trio and that is the kind of star power that you need around here. Good enough match here, though little more than a symbol.

We look at how A-Kid and Noam Dar advanced to the Heritage Cup Tournament semifinals.

We look back at the Hunt turning on Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster while aligning with Eddie Dennis.

Earlier today, Rampage Brown came to the NXT UK Performance Center and seemed impressed.

Jinny vs. Aleah James

Jinny shoves her into the corner to start so James shoves her right back. James’ armbar only lasts so long as Jinny takes her into the corner for a stomping. A dropkick works a bit better for James but another kick is blocked and Jinny puts on a straitjacket choke with her knees in the back. That’s broken up so Jinny hits a rolling Liger kick for the pin at 3:47.

Rating: D+. Another match designed to make Jinny look good and it worked well enough. I’m not sure how far she is going to go while Kay Lee Ray is Women’s Champion but it makes a lot of sense to build someone else up. The fashionista thing is little more than a nickname as she doesn’t do much with fashion, and that might be the best course for her.

Post match Jinny grabs the mic and says that’s the killer instinct she can have. People like Piper Niven need to learn that so here’s Niven to interrupt. Hold on though as Kay Lee Ray comes in and slides a chair inside. She wants to see the two of them fight so Niven headbutts Jinny down and Michinoku Drivers James. Jinny is planted onto the chair and it’s Niven chasing Ray to the back.

Eddie Dennis, with the Hunt, talks about Mark Andrews exploiting him for years. Flash Morgan Webster is no better and now it’s payback time. What an odd combination which seems to work.

During the break, Niven caught Ray and took the title from her. I could go for a more aggressive Niven getting the title shot.

In two weeks, Niven gets a title shot.

Video on Rampage Brown.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

We go over the Heritage Cup rules.

Heritage Cup Semifinals: Noam Dar vs. A-Kid

They start rather fast with the rolling grappling into a standoff. Dar gets him down with a wristlock on the mat but Kid is right back with a headlock takeover. Back up and Dar sends him outside as the first round ends. Round two begins with an exchange of snapmares until Kid takes him down by the wrist. Dar is back up with a shot to the leg before going right back to the arm. The very spinning backslide gives Dar two but Kid reverses into a Crossface until time expires.

Round three begins with Dar hitting the stall button to take away the momentum in a smart move. Dar takes him down with some more strikes though and nails a running forearm to the back of the head for two. Some more shots to the head set up an Oomaplata to make Kid tap at 2:04 of the third round (9:27 total).

Dar stays on the arm to start round four and it’s time to pick the Kid apart. Some kicks and knees have Kid down but Dar talks a little trash, allowing Kid to take him down and bridge into a rollup to tie the match at one fall each at 1:27 of the round (11:42 total). Kid strikes him down to start round five but gets sent to the floor so Dar can kick the leg out. Dar follows him to the floor for a kick to the chest but Kid kicks him down for nine. Back in and Kid hits a running kick to the chest for two so it’s a high crossbody for the same. They go with the rapid fire slugout until the round ends.

It’s an exchange of kicks to the head to start round six and then it’s another pinfall reversal sequence. Kid’s kick to the ribs is blocked though and it’s a discus elbow to the face. The Nova Roller doesn’t work though as Kid pulls him down into the Rings of Saturn with his legs to finish Dar at 2:12 of round six (18:08 total).

Rating: B. This was a different kind of match as they were almost carving each other up with the strikes and submissions. That made it more of a match where they were trying to survive and catch the other and that worked out well. Kid is starting to shine like a big deal and if he happens to win a title as a stepping stone, good for him.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event is certainly the best part but this was a pretty skippable show otherwise. It’s certainly a watchable show though and at less than an hour, it’s a completely easy sit. One place where NXT UK needs some work are the shows where they don’t have the heavy hitters included and that was the case again here. Pretty good, but nothing you need to see.

Results

Gallus b. Pretty Deadly/Sam Gradwell – All The Best For The Bells to Gradwell

Jinny b. Aleah James – Rolling Liger kick

A-Kid b. Noam Dar 2 to 1

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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