NXT – May 18, 2021: Then, Now, And For A Few Weeks

NXT
Date: May 18, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Beth Phoenix, Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

It’s time for a big main event with the North American Title being defended inside a cage. Johnny Gargano has to defend against Bronson Reed, which could set up a heck of a Tsunami to crush Gargano for good. That could be quite the match as you have two talented people in there, plus a lot of other things on the show. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at the cage match.

Toni Storm vs. Zoey Stark

Stark starts fast and drives her into the corner to hammer away, setting up a springboard missile dropkick. They head outside with Storm getting knocked around until she manages to whip her into the steps. The running hip attack crushes Stark against the steps and Stark barely beats the count. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Storm boots her down for two.

Stark grabs a backslide for two and nails an enziguri to put both of them down as we take a break. Back with Stark reversing Storm Zero into a hurricanrana for two, followed by a half nelson suplex for the same. Storm is back up with Storm Zero for two and shock exists. That’s fine with Storm, who grabs a judo throw and spins it over into a DDT, which drops Stark on her head (that was TERRIFYING) for the pin at 11:30.

Rating: C+. They got me with the finish as I was thinking Stark was going to win after surviving Storm Zero. Granted I would hope they could come up with a better way to do it than by dropping Stark on her head, but at least she seems to still be alive. Storm really needed the win, and if she can get a less disturbing finisher, she should be good to go.

Post match here is Frankie Monet to stare at Storm.

Legado del Fantasma is ready for MSK but Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher come in to say not so fast. Thatcher goes into Spanish to say…..I believe “the cat does not have shoes.” Ciampa: “That makes perfect sense.” The match seems to be made for later.

Cameron Grimes comes up and says park his car, but he’s in Ted DiBiase’s spot. He gets a match with the valet, who happens to be Jake Atlas, for later.

The Way is at a spa, where Indi Hartwell admits that Candice LeRae was right about everything, including Dexter Lumis. As you might have guessed, Lumis is giving her the massage, though she can’t see him due to the cucumbers over her eyes.

We get a Prime Target on Karrion Kross vs. Finn Balor II. Kross was feeling the injuries from the match for weeks and can’t believe Balor survived as long as he did. At the end though, Kross left with the title. Balor says getting back up is how you keep going though and it’s time to go. Pat McAfee is ready for the rematch and Paul Heyman says everyone is interested in the match, even Roman Reigns. As for a spoiler….it’s a little too close to call. Next week, it’s round two. More greatness from these videos, as usual.

Cameron Grimes vs. Jake Atlas

Before the match, Grimes says everyone is glad to see Ted DiBiase, but he has a video on the REAL DiBiase, including all kinds of bad things happening to him over the years. Atlas dropkicks him to the floor before the bell and we take a break. Joined in progress after a break with Grimes hammering away but charging into a boot to the face. A springboard armdrag sets up a running enziguri in the corner, followed by the middle rope hurricanrana for two.

Grimes clotheslines him down and grinds an elbow into the chest in the corner. Atlas sends him chest first into the corner and snaps off a German suplex….as Ted DiBiase arrives in his limo. Something misses off the top and Grimes snaps off the flipping powerslam. The Cave In is loaded up but we’ve got Ted DiBiase in person, allowing Atlas to grab a rollup for the pin at 4:51.

Rating: C-. The action wasn’t the point here and Grimes losing to Atlas in this kind of situation isn’t going to hurt him. Grimes vs. DiBiase continues to be one of the best things going on in all of wrestling today and I want to see where it keeps going. I’m not sure if it is going to be but they have me wanting to see it every week.

Post match Grimes gives chase but DiBiase is in the limo, saying that Grimes will never be a Million Dollar Man. Ranting ensues again.

Bronson Reed is ready to make everything he has put into his career worth it by winning the North American Title. He has been around the world but now he is going to be here, winning the title and telling his wife that they did it.

We get a sit down interview with Pete Dunne, talking about how he can win any title he wants at any time. He has never had a bad match and even when he loses, people leave the ring a different person. Dunne talks about being influenced by British style and everything he has put together over the years (with the required Fit Finlay reference). The fans’ influence makes a huge difference and he can’t wait to see what is next.

Alexander Wolfe vs. Killian Dain

The rest of Imperium (minus Walter) and the still scared Drake Maverick are here too. Dain punches him into the corner to start but gets kicked and uppercutted for his early efforts. Some uppercuts from Dain allow him to send Wolfe into the corner. Fabian Aichner knocks Maverick off the apron and there’s a German suplex to Dain. Marcel Barthel throws in a chair but Wolfe takes too long, allowing Dain to hit a running crossbody for the pin at 1:49.

Post match, Imperium turns on Wolfe and beats him down, setting up the posing.

Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai are done with Mercedes Martinez and are ready for the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Ever-Rise come in (with coffee mugs) to say Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon are the #1 contenders. They plug their show, but Gonzalez doesn’t watch it. Matt Martel says that sounds like she wants to hit him….and she does, dropping him with one slap. These guys are good.

Legado del Fantasma vs. Tommaso Ciampa/Timothy Thatcher

Wilde dances at Ciampa to start, who takes him outside for a ram into the barricade. Back in and we hit the front facelock on Wilde, setting up the chinlock. Thatcher comes in for a hammerlock on Mendoza, followed by a headscissors from Ciampa. Mendoza fights up and raises a boot in the corner to cut Ciampa off. Thatcher comes back in for a headlock into an ankle lock.

With that still on, Ciampa comes in with his own to Wilde but stereo rollups get….no count because two of the people are illegal. Stereo enziguris put everyone down and we take a break. We come back with Ciampa hitting a string of running clotheslines in the corner. Mendoza breaks up the hanging DDT on Wilde as we see Mendoza’s busted nose being checked on during the break. Ciampa gets punched and chopped in the corner but Mendoza misses a charge into the post.

The hot tag brings in Thatcher to hammer away in the corner, with Ciampa getting to do the same. Legado gets Ciampa into the corner for a clothesline and some moonsaults get two. Thatcher breaks up the Russian legsweep/boot combination and Wilde nails the big running flip dive. Back in and the hanging DDT gets two on Wilde with Mendoza making the save. Cue the Grizzled Young Veterans to jump Ciampa though and now the boot/Russian legsweep is good for the pin at 15:41.

Rating: C+. What we got was good but we got quite a bit of it as this match felt long. Legado is a solid team, though it’s weird to have heels who fly around like they do. At the same time though, it sets up the Veterans vs. Ciampa vs. Thatcher, which more than works for everyone involved. Legado likely gets a title shot too so that is a well used match.

Bobby Fish says his business is with Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan. The torn tricep was a long recovery, but now he is back and there is a debt to be paid. First up is Pete Dunne because they have unfinished business. Next week, they can finish it.

Back at the spa, the Way’s credit card is declined. They think it is Austin Theory, but the spa employee called the credit card company and found out that it was something about a florist three weeks ago. Indi Hartwell puts the pieces together and realizes that Dexter Lumis still loves her. Hartwell runs off screaming this over and over as Candice LeRae is stunned. Beth: “Forget Bennifer! INDEX IS BACK!!!”

Johnny Gargano is ready to prove that Bronson Reed is not on his level. Gargano stops the unstoppable inside of a steel cage.

Aliyah vs. Sarray

Sarray starts fast with a springboard armdrag into a basement dropkick but Jessi Kamea grabs a leg. Aliyah gets in a few shots of her own but walks into a spinning kick to the face. There’s a German suplex into a missile dropkick from Sarray, followed by a running dropkick against the ropes. The high collar suplex finishes Aliyah at 2:25.

Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon are ready for the Way again and it’s time to get gritty and wild. Howling ensues (Moon: “That’s what she said.”).

Hit Row vs. Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese

That would be Ashante Adonis/Top Dolla, with the former taking over on Nese to start. Dollar hits a World’s Strongest Slam/Wasteland at the same time and it’s already back to Adonis for the corner stomping to Daivari. A superkick drops Nese and Dolla has to calm Adonis down. Something like an AA into a neckbreaker gives Dollar the pin on Daivari at 2:20.

Post match, Hit Row brags about the win, with Isaiah Scott promising to watch the North American Title match.

William Regal announces Legado del Fantasma vs. MSK for the Tag Team Titles in two weeks. There are going to be some new stars in the cruiserweight division, and also next week it’s Dakota Kai/Shotzi Blackheart vs. Ember Moon/Raquel Gonzalez.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including Frankie Monet’s debut, Cameron Grimes and Ted DiBiase in a Million Dollar Faceoff, plus Balor vs. Kross II.

North American Title: Johnny Gargano vs. Bronson Reed

Gargano, with Austin Theory, is defending inside a cage. An early escape attempt doesn’t work for Gargano as Reed pulls him back and shoves Gargano out of the air without much trouble. Reed sends him into the cage a few times and drives his face into the steel to make it worse. A missed charge hits cage, but the slingshot spear doesn’t work because of the cage.

That lets Reed snap off a hanging DDT but Theory is there to cut off a climb attempt. Gargano superkicks the knee out and we take a break. Back with Reed hitting a super Samoan drop for a delayed two. That means it’s time to go up but Gargano powerbombs him back down. It’s too early for Gargano to escape though as Reed pulls him back in and sits on his chest. A powerbomb is countered with a grab of the cage though and Gargano hits a poisonrana to put both of them down.

One Final Beat is countered with a toss into the cage but Theory slams the door on Reed’s head. Now One Final Beat can give Gargano two so it’s time to go up. Reed is right there to catch him with a superbomb but makes the mistake of climbing, allowing Theory to cut him off. Gargano gets headbutted off the top and Theory gets punched down. The splash to the back sets up the Tsunami to give Reed the title at 15:25.

Rating: B. This was exactly how such a match should have gone, with Reed overcoming the obstacles/odds and winning clean in the end. There was no fluke here either, as that Tsunami is one of the best looking finishers going today. Gargano was a good choice as champion because he could do something like this, but is more than enough of a legend to be back just fine in a few weeks. Solid main event here, and a good example of how a telegraphed finish isn’t a bad thing.

Pyro goes off for the celebration to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Pretty awesome show here as they had a bunch of nice stuff capped off by the big main event, which more than delivered. I can always go with watching NXT get to do their thing and show how a good show is supposed to be put together. They have things set up for weeks now while delivering this week as well. That’s an efficient two hours and it was worth the watch here as usual.

Results

Toni Storm b. Zoey Stark – Judo throw spun into a DDT

Jake Atlas b. Cameron Grimes – Rollup

Killian Dain b. Alexander Wolfe – Crossbody

Legado del Fantasma b. Tommaso Ciampa/Timothy Thatcher – Russian legsweep/running enziguri to Ciampa

Sarray b. Aliyah – High collar suplex

Hit Row b. Tony Nese/Ariya Daivari – Fireman’s carry flipping neckbreaker to Daivari

Bronson Reed b. Johnny Gargano – Tsunami

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NXT UK – December 3, 2020: The Next Show

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 3, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

The Heritage Cup has finally been awarded in a pretty good match last week, meaning that it is time to move on to something new. The question is what that is going to be though, as NXT UK has had some issues with figuring out a next step from time to time. I’m not sure what to expect from this one, but maybe they have a few surprises ready. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We recap Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews being attacked by mystery assailants earlier this year. Eddie Dennis took responsibility and teamed up with Pretty Deadly, so Andrews and Webster got their friends, the Hunt, to join them. The Hunt then revealed that they were with Dennis and wiped them out again. More on this later.

Rampage Brown vs. Saxon Huxley

Huxley goes with an aggressive headlock to start but Brown reverses into one of his own. That’s broken up so Brown hits a dropkick into a running clothesline for an early two. A suplex gives Brown two more and he clotheslines Huxley outside. Back in and Huxley hits a running clothesline of his own for two but the frustration is setting in off the near falls. Brock catches him on top but gets shoved down, only to have Huxley dive into a powerslam. The Doctor Bomb finishes Huxley at 5:03.

Rating: C. They’re turning Brown into a thing and that’s a pretty good idea. Someone is going to have to be the next challenger for Walter and while Brown is still new, it isn’t like there is anyone better at the moment. Build someone up and put them in a spot because you need someone. It has worked forever in wrestling and it can work here too.

Jinny and Piper Niven got into a pull apart brawl at the Performance Center earlier this week.

Eddie Dennis talks about being a shepherd to his sheep and brings in the Hunt. Dennis claims that Webster and Andrews used the two of them. Now Dennis is taking care of them instead.

Saxon Huxley does not like being told “better luck next time” and storms off.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Aleah James

Valkyrie avoids a dropkick to start but misses a spinwheel kick to the face for the early standoff. A headlock works a bit better for Valkyrie but she has to stick the landing when James snaps off a hurricanrana. They trade rollups for two each and this time it’s James grabbing her own headlock. James takes her to the mat until Valkyrie fights up, only to have her clothesline countered with a Matrix.

Valkyrie sweeps the base out though and gets two off a dropkick to the back of the head. We hit the full nelson with the legs (good looking one too) before a crucifix gets two on James. A northern lights fisherman’s suplex gets two on Valkyrie as she can’t put James away. Another kick to the face sets up a running Blockbuster on James though and it’s the top rope ax kick to give Valkyrie the pin at 4:10.

Rating: C. Valkyrie seems like she could be the next best this and that’s not a bad idea. She has a unique enough look and is stating to get into a groove around here. This was about James though, who got in a lot of offense here and was treated like a threat to pull off the upset, even if it was just a small one. If nothing else, it was nice to see someone fresh getting a chance and that was at least half of the point here.

Pretty Deadly show us how in sync they are by saying the same speech at the same time. They want the Tag Team Titles. I could go for that.

We look at Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews fighting back against Eddie Dennis and the Hunt.

Joe Coffey vs. Alexander Wolfe

There are no seconds here. The grappling starts fast with Coffey taking over on the mat, only to go with the left hands to the face instead. A backbreaker staggers Wolfe again and Coffey unloads in the corner. Wolfe uses the referee breaking them up to get in a shot to the face to take over. Now it’s time to go after Coffey’s arm, which is a smart move given Coffey’s power and striking so far. The armbar goes on but Coffey reverses a suplex into one of his own.

Coffey pulls him off the middle rope and hits some flying shoulders, only to bang up the bad arm some more. A spinning high crossbody gets two on Wolfe and a backbreaker is good for the same. Wolfe blocks the Boston crab attempt so Coffey just drops down and hammers away at the face. Some kicks to the jaw get Wolfe out of trouble and he cuts off a comeback attempt with a boot to the face.

The lifting spinning suplex gives Wolfe two and the Death Valley Driver gets the same. They both need a breather (well yeah) and it’s time to trade kicks and strikes. Wolfe pulls him into a German suplex for two but Coffey gets in All The Best For The Bells to the back of the head. That’s only good for two as Coffey knocked him outside for a delay, meaning more frustration sets in. They slug it out on the apron with Wolfe getting the better of things. Coffey manages a slingshot shoulder though and now All The Best For The Bells can finish Wolfe at 12:33.

Rating: B. Let two physical guys beat the heck out of each other over some time and see what they can do. That’s what we got here as the battle between Imperium and Gallus has potential, even if Imperium is a bit fractured at the moment. Wolfe continues to look like a breakout star in the making and Coffey already is a star so hopefully they both get something out of this rather hard hitting fight.

Jordan Devlin issues an open challenge for a title match next week. Anyone under 205 Live, come test yourself against the Irish Ace. That could be interesting.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

The Hunt vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews

Well what else could main event the show? Eddie Dennis is here with the Hunt. It’s a brawl to start before the bell with the Hunt being sent outside and taken down with stereo suicide dives. Back in and Webster takes Boar into the corner for a tag from Andrews. A running dropkick puts Boar on the floor but he comes back in to plow through Andrews. That means Primate can come in to unload, setting up the rotating double teaming.

Boar hits some Junkyard Dog style headbutts until Webster comes back with an enziguri. That’s enough for the hot tag to Webster and house is cleaned early on. Everything breaks down and Webster snaps off a running hurricanrana off the apron to take Boar down again. Back in and a standing Sliced Bread #2 sets up a running shooting star press for two on Boar. Webster’s leg is grabbed though and Primate uses the distraction to plant him with a German suplex for two.

A headbutt sends Boar into the corner and a double tag allows Andrews and Primate to come in. Andres gets to clean house, including a double tornado DDT. A monkey flip into a jumping knee to the face gets two on Primate with Boar (thrown in by Dennis) making the save. Webster is sent outside and Primate blasts Andrews with a clothesline. Boar is taken out by Webster though and there’s the Stundog Millionaire to Primate. Andrews goes up but Dennis crotches him back down, allowing Boar to hit a spear. An AA into a sitout powerbomb finishes Andrews at 10:01.

Rating: C+. Power vs. speed has always worked in wrestling and it always will because any fan can get the idea in a hurry. There was a higher energy to this one and that’s how it should be given their history with each other. Both teams are going to be fine going forward, though the Hunt vs. Gallus has more interest at the moment.

Overall Rating: B-. This was more like it with a bunch of matches that all either moved something forward or made someone look good. The limited roster would seem to be an asset here as more people get a chance to showcase themselves. It worked here as I had a good time with the show, which flew by pretty easily. Nice show this week.

Results

Rampage Brown b. Saxon Huxley – Doctor Bomb

Aoife Valkyrie b. Aleah James – Top rope ax kick

Joe Coffey b. Alexander Wolfe – All The Best For The Bells

The Hunt b. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews – AA into a sitout powerbomb to Andrews

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 – October 1, 2020: Tell Me More…..

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 1, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s tournament time as we are starting up the Heritage Cup. This is a special one as we are going to be seeing a tribute to the old British rounds system. That could go multiple ways and we’re going to have Pete Dunne as a special guest referee. Other than that, we are continuing to build up the United Kingdom Title match between Walter and Ilja Dragunov. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Heritage Cup Qualifying Match: Kenny Williams vs. Ashton Smith vs. Amir Jordan

The winner gets the Wild Card spot. Williams and Jordan seem surprised to see each other. Smith misses a double clothesline and the regular partners dropkick him down. That leaves Jordan and Williams to shake hands and then go to the grappling, with Jordan popping up for a pose. It doesn’t work out that well though as Smith comes back in with a double clothesline to take them both down.

They trade rollups for two each before it’s time to double team Smith again. That doesn’t work overly well as Smith suplexes Jordan down but Williams dropkicks Smith to the floor. Smith pulls his dive out of the air so Jordan hits his own dive to take Smith down. Back in and Smith can’t hit a superplex on Jordan, allowing him to try a sunset bomb. Jordan can’t get him down, so Williams comes in off the top with a back elbow to finally put Smith down.

Smith is back up again to slug away at both before ducking a clothesline so that Jordan hits Williams. Jordan knocks Smith out to the floor and grabs a rolling Downward Spiral on Williams for another near fall. With Smith down, Williams and Jordan slug it out until Jordan is knocked outside. A hurricanrana drops Smith for two and Jordan adds a Swanton for the same. Smith gets knocked down and it’s Williams running in for a tornado DDT to pin Smith at 8:45.

Rating: C+. They did something interesting here by not having the monster Smith winning here and going with half of the tag team instead. I liked what we got here too as Smith and Williams looked very good while Jordan’s dancing was kept to a minimum. It was a rather nice match and Williams gets a push, as he probably should have a good while ago.

Video on Jinny.

Eddie Dennis is ready to be our teacher.

We look at Mark Andrews being attacked.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews are ready for Webster to win the Heritage Cup. Andrews doesn’t get to say much.

Jinny vs. Xia Brookside

Jinny grabs a headlock to start and gets taken down into an armbar. Back up and Jinny grabs a wristlock so Brookside does her rope grab flip. That earns her a hard toss into the corner but Xia comes out with a hurricanrana and La Majistral gets two. Brookside grabs a leglock but Jinny breaks it up and palm strikes away. That earns her a hurricanrana and Xia puts her on the top, only to have Jinny snap her throat across the top. Jinny grabs a cross between an STF and a crossface chickenwing for the tap at 6:33.

Rating: C. I’m not wild on the fashionista deal but Jinny is growing on me. There is something about her that makes her seem evil and that’s not something every heel has. Brookside might be the most adorable person in WWE today and it’s hard not to like her. Now move one of them closer to the title picture and we might get somewhere.

Post match Jinny says no one has seen her best side yet. Just wait to see how ruthless she can be.

Video on A Kid.

We go over the Heritage Cup rules:

Six three minute rounds
20 seconds break between rounds
Each match is 2/3 falls
You can win a fall by pinfall, submission or countout
The round ends on a fall
DQ/Knockout ends the match
Whoever leads after six rounds wins

Heritage Cup First Round: Alexander Wolfe vs. Noam Dar

Pete Dunne is guest referee and Wolfe has a modified version of the Imperium theme. They go to the mat to start with Wolfe scaring him into the corner. The grappling goes to Dar as he takes Wolfe down by the arm. Back up and it’s Wolfe grabbing his own armbar while pulling at Dar’s face at the same time. They get up again and Dar bails into the corner as the first round ends.

The second round begins with Dar trying for something like a Crossface to no avail. Wolfe tries a test of strength to keep Dar’s shoulders down but he’s right back up. That earns him a headlock takeover before Dark grabs a very spinning backslide for two more. With that broken up, Dar grabs a rollup and lays on Wolfe’s legs to win the round at 2:49 (8:13 total, counting breaks.

Round three begins with Wolfe taking him straight down but Dar starts pulling at the leg. Wolfe reverses into some kicks to the face and suplexes him down for another two. Dar cranks on both arms at once before it’s time to slug it out. Neither gives an inch as the round ends, though Wolfe does get in a cheap shot to knock Dar down between rounds.

Dar is still getting up as round four begins but manages a kick to the face and a running clothesline to the back of the head. The Nova Roller misses though and Wolfe kicks him in the face, setting up a bridging German suplex to tie it up at 58 seconds of the fourth round (10:59 total).

Round five begins with Dar trying a rollup but Wolfe knocks him down again. Some more kicks to the head from the mat rock Wolfe though and Dar pulls on a Fujiwara armbar. That’s broken up as well and they strike it out until Dar gets another armbar. Wolfe fights up again and grabs a kneebar until Dar snaps the finger. Dunne is checking on Wolfe and Dar hits the Nova Roller for the winning pin at 2:56 of round five (14:20 total).

Rating: B-. I’m really not sure what to think of this as it’s so different than what you are used to seeing. They did something interesting here and it was a big change of pace, mainly in a good way….I think. It was not boring and the system was easy enough to understand. I had to look back at the rules a few times to make sure I was understanding everything but nothing was too complicated. It’s just a system I’m going to need to see more of to get used to, but I do want to see more of it so they’re off to a nice enough start.

Post match Wolfe blames Dunne for the loss and gets destroyed. Cue Walter before the Bitter End can hit though and you know Dunne is down for that. Wolfe sneaks in for the cheap shot and feeds Dunne to Walter for the powerbomb. Ilja Dragunov runs in for the save before Dunne gets planted though and Imperium bails to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. It was a good enough show overall and the Heritage Cup is off to a nice start. Again though, this whole show changes when Walter comes out there. He was in workout gear here and even then you could feel things getting bigger. They’re setting things up well enough here and I want to see more of the tournament style matches. It was a really fast watch here too so they’re doing something right.

Results

Kenny Williams b. Ashton Smith and Amir Jordan – Tornado DDT to Smith

Jinny b. Xia Brookside – Crossface chickenwing with a leg trap

Noam Dar b. Alexander Wolfe 2 – 1

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NXT UK – August 13, 2020 (Hidden Gems): The Modern Day Coliseum Video

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: August 13, 2020
Commentators: Andy Shepard, Vic Joseph
Host: Andy Shepard

Believe it or not we actually have something different this week with some more Hidden Gems. These are a bunch of dark matches from various NXT UK TV tapings and some of these have been pretty good before. There is something nice about having a fresh match with no storyline behind it between bigger names and that is what we are getting here. Let’s get to it.

Andy throws us to the first match.

From June 16, 2019 at the Download Festival.

NXT Title: Adam Cole vs. Zack Gibson

Cole is defending after having won the title about two weeks earlier. The fans ask where is their….I’m not sure but they’ll have to settle for an exchange of wristlocks to start. Gibson elbows him down and stomps away in the corner, setting up a wristlock on the mat. The fans stand up in their hatred for Gibson and then sit down for the same reason. That’s enough of a distraction for Gibson to delay his cover for two and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and Gibson charges into a superkick for the double knockdown. Cole hits a pump kick and the fireman’s carry backbreaker, followed by a Backstabber for two. Gibson is right back with something close to an Angle Slam as the fans still don’t like him. Shankley Gates is blocked but Cole can’t hit the Last Shot.

Instead it’s Gibson with the Ticket To Ride but Cole superkicks him again for two. The Panama Sunrise is countered with an arm twist to the mat and Gibson’s middle rope Ticket To Ride gets two more. Back up again and they slug it out again until Cole superkicks him out of the air. The brainbuster onto the knee rocks Gibson and the Last Shot retains at 9:57.

Rating: B-. That was a fast ten minutes and it was nice to see Cole having to break a sweat against someone like Gibson. I know Gibson is in a good team with the Grizzled Young Veterans but he can do some good stuff on his own as well. It was weird seeing Cole as the default face here but he can wrestle that style well, so this was a nice time.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie, who seems to live in trees and wants the NXT UK Women’s Title.

The Hunt wants to hurt other teams.

From March 6, 2020.

Xia Brookside vs. Nina Samuels

Samuels flicks her hair at the handshake offer so Xia dropkicks her into an armbar. That’s reversed with a pull of the hair as they’re getting the face/heel dynamic set up fast this time. A headlock puts Samuels down until she reverses into a headscissors. Xia headstands her way out and kicks Samuels outside, setting up a baseball slide and a smile.

Back in and Samuels whips her hard into the corner but Xia hits some running knees to the back in another corner. Samuels grabs a rollup and some trunks but the referee actually does her job and catches her. That’s enough for Brookside to hit a high crossbody for the pin at 5:18.

Rating: C-. This was something that could have served as a very good opener for a show as they were in and out in a hurry and did just fine. I like both of them, even though they don’t seem to be the most viable Women’s Title contenders at the moment. Brookside seems to have all kinds of potential, and keeping her in a short match like this lets her shine and get out. Samuels is good at what she does, but her getting much higher than this doesn’t seem likely.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews want to make their future better.

Amele, the French Hope, wants to be the first French NXT UK Women’s Champion. She is a leader, not a follower.

From July 20, 2019.

Pete Dunne vs. Alexander Wolfe

They go straight to the slugout to start with Dunne knocking him outside in a hurry. Dunne follows him outside and goes for the fingers, which are stomped onto the steps. Wolfe staggers up the ramp and gets caught in the arm stomp, only to send Dunne into the apron. Back in and Wolfe hits a top rope clothesline before hammering down right hands. Wolfe slams him down and cranks on an arm and leg at the same time. Dunne fights up and hits a German suplex, followed by the X Plex for two.

Another X Plex is countered with a drop over the top rope but Dunne knocks him out of the air for two more. Dunne stomps away but Wolfe kicks him in the head, setting up a Death Valley Driver. They strike it out from their knees (BOO/YAY) and Wolfe snaps the fingers. The Bitter End is countered into a German suplex to give Wolfe two but Wolfe’s German superplex is countered with a nice backflip. A kick to the head sets up the Bitter End to finish Wolfe at 8:28.

Rating: B-. Dang I’ve missed Dunne as it’s so fun watching him in the ring. Wolfe is great for a midcard villain and it felt like Dunne needed to work to get his win here. They beat each other up for a good while and Dunne is someone who still looks like he could be in the WWE Title picture in the blink of an eye. Wolfe is good in his own right and this was a perfectly solid main event.

Overall Rating: B-. This worked rather well and it’s nice to see something new from NXT UK for a change. They have a lot of talent around here and some names who seem like they could be on regular NXT if not the main roster. Good show here, as this feels like a bunch of Coliseum Video exclusives, which isn’t a bad thing to have (sometimes).

Results

Adam Cole b. Zack Gibson – Last Shot

Xia Brookside b. Nina Samuels – High crossbody

Pete Dunne b. Alexander Wolfe – Bitter End

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:

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NXT UK – July 16, 2020 (Greatest Hits): The Cupboard Is Shrinking

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 16, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

We’re still doing the Greatest Hits deal this time around, which has been the case more often than not over the last few weeks. There isn’t much else that can be done, though we have been seeing some promos and vignettes thrown in. They aren’t anything great, but it gives me some hope that things could be getting back to normal sooner rather than later. Let’s get to it.

Andy gives us a quick intro.

Zack Gibson introduces us to our first match.

From NXT UK, October 31, 2018.

Zack Gibson vs. Noam Dar

They fight over arm control to start with Dar getting some very early control. The fans sing some more but Dar stops to mock Gibson’s boots in a weird moment. Gibson’s headscissors doesn’t get him anywhere so Dar goes for the leg and tries to take the boot off. I’m still not sure what that’s about so Dar just cranks back on the leg instead. Gibson’s armbar works a bit better as Dar can’t even roll his way out. The break finally has Gibson annoyed so Dar grabs some rollups for two each.

Another kick to the knee stops Gibson again and they head outside where yet another shot to the knee cuts Gibson down. Back in and a belly to back suplex gives Dar two but Gibson goes right back to the arm. The fans sing something else that I’m assuming is anti-Gibson, though it’s not always easy to tell. Gibson hits a few clotheslines for two and we hit the chinlock. There’s the stomp on Dar’s arm, which has become almost a requirement in arm work today.

A wristlock suplex keeps Dar in trouble but he’s right back with a few shots to the face. Dar gets two each off a pair of suplexes so Gibson gets his own near fall off a middle rope Codebreaker. The Shankley Gates is broken up and they head outside again with Gibson powerbombing him onto the ramp for a very painful sounding crash. That gives us the dive in at nine and the Shankley Gates go on.

Since that move only works in matches that aren’t incredibly important, Dar dives over to the rope for the break. Dar fights up again and kicks the knee out but the Nova Roller misses. Gibson can’t follow up so Dar heads up and hits a top rope double stomp to the knee. They get in a fight over arm cranking and knee kicks until Dar slaps on a kneebar, which is broken up as well.

Gibson’s Backstabber is countered into an ankle lock with a grapevine but that’s STILL not enough as Gibson punches his way out, including grabbing Dar’s ear. Dar misses a middle rope stomp to the knee and hurts his own knee in the process. Helter Skelter (a lifting spinning suplex) finishes Dar (with Gibson raising the bad leg) at 21:10.

Rating: B-. Well that was rather long, though it was also pretty good. Dar is SO much better as a face than a heel that it’s almost funny, while Gibson is a rather strong heel who has turned into one of the better villains on the show. This could have been five minutes shorter (it would have kept the show under an hour) but it was still an entertaining match that didn’t feel as long as it was.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews had a big 2019 and they’re ready to find out who jumped Andrews from behind and then get their titles back.

Kay Lee Ray has our second match.

From NXT UK, June 19, 2019.

Battle Royal

Xia Brookside, Jinny, Jazzy Gabbert, Kay Lee Ray, Piper Niven, Isla Dawn, Nina Samuels, Killer Kelly, Candy Floss, Rhea Ripley, Rhio, Kanji

The winner gets a future Women’s Title match. Everyone but Jazzy go to the ropes to start before three of them go after Jazzy instead. That means Rhio and Kanji being tossed out, followed by a Dominator to Floss. Jinny gets rid of her and the ring has cleared out in a hurry. Ray is sent outside (not over the top) and comes up holding her knee. Niven picks Jazzy up and puts her on the apron, allowing Brookside to get in a sliding dropkick for the elimination.

That leaves Jinny surrounded so it’s a triple team from Brookside, Dawn and Niven. Jinny is thrown over the top but Jazzy catches her and slides the boss back in. Jazzy is ejected so Xia gets rid of Jinny a few seconds later. Ripley muscles Kelly out and we’re down to five. Brookside and Dawn go after Ripley but Xia gets tied in the Tree of Woe for her efforts.

There goes Dawn and it’s the Ripley vs. Niven showdown. Hang on though as Samuels is tossed and it’s Ripley, Niven, Brookside and Ray on the floor. A Cannonball crushes Ripley but she shoves Ripley over the top to the apron. Niven pulls her out with her and Brookside eliminates them both with a dropkick. The celebration is on but Ray comes back in and dumps Brookside for the win at 8:40.

Rating: C. It’s the right end result and the match was well paced but STOP WITH THAT STUPID ENDING!!! It feels like every other battle royal has that same exact ending and it’s so overdone these days. As soon as Ray was seen on the floor, you knew where this was going because that’s how so many battle royals go these days. Ray winning is fine, but come up with a better way to do it.

Jinny has shown her dominance before and is ready to do it again.

Ilja Dragunov wraps us up with this.

From NXT UK, January 2, 2020.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe

No DQ with Gallus and Imperium barred from ringside. Dragunov comes to the ring but sneaks through the dark arena to attack Wolfe during his entrance in a smart move. The fight heads to ringside with Dragunov getting the better of it, only to have Wolfe post him. Dragunov is fine enough to hit a spinning chop into a backsplash, setting up a big ax handle out to the floor to knock Wolfe silly.

Wolfe is right back up to disarm Dragunov of a kendo stick so Dragunov says bring it on and goes for the stick, only to get kicked in the face. Some stick shots to the back have Dragunov screaming but he blocks the big shot to the head. Wolfe is back with a kendo stick legsweep into a backbreaker for two, followed by the stick going across the mouth. That’s broken up as well and Dragunov starts striking away with the cane as well. Dragunov hits a heck of a shot to the chest on the floor, meaning it can be table time.

The table is set up in the corner and Dragunov kicks him down to the floor again. Wolfe is right back up with a chair shot though, setting up a Death Valley Driver onto the apron for the big knockdown shot. Dragunov hits a quick enziguri and shakes his head as Wolfe goes for the chair. Said chair is put onto Wolfe’s face in the corner for a Coast To Coast and a near fall, only to have Wolfe come back with a chair shot of his own.

Wolfe can’t follow up though so Dragunov throws in a bunch of chairs of his own. That takes too long so Wolfe grabs a German suplex and a DDT onto the chair for two. A chair gets sent into Dragunov’s throat but Dragunov gets up and says bring it. That’s what Wolfe does, by slamming the chair around Dragunov’s hand. Wolfe does it to the other hand as well but Dragunov is back with a clothesline and a running Death Valley Driver through the table. Torpedo Moscow finishes Wolfe at 14:52.

Rating: B+. They beat the fire out of each other here and this was the kind of match that shows Dragunov’s incredibly high potential. He could be a top star around here in a heartbeat because of his insane facials alone but when you throw in his ability in the ring, the star power is even stronger. Heck of a match here and I had a great time with it.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event was good but it is becoming a little more obvious that this show doesn’t have the history to keep airing so many greatest hits show. You would think that they might find another place to go for some more matches, like say that huge vault of theirs, but NXT UK alone isn’t going to cut it much longer. I’m not sure when they’re going to have fresh content, though things are starting to get thin.

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

NXT UK – July 9, 2020 (Superstar Picks): A Good Thursday

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 9, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

We have another theme show this time around as we look at NXT UK wrestlers coming over the United States. That makes for some interesting possibilities as the NXT UK wrestlers coming over has been a semi regular treat. There is some incredible talent over in the UK and seeing their styles mesh against others is rather fun to see. Let’s get to it.

Andy welcomes us to the show and wastes no time in throwing it over to Alexander Wolfe to introduce us to our first match. Well actually an Imperium video and then the first match.

From NXT, October 9, 2019.

Kushida vs. Walter

Non-title. Feeling out process to start until Walter powers him onto the apron and pats him on the head. They take turns riding each other on the mat until Kushida gets in a dropkick to send us to a break. Back with Kushida slipping off a springboard and getting kicked in the face for his efforts. The one legged Liontamer has Kushida in more trouble as Walter cranks away.

That’s broken up so Walter chops away but the powerbomb is countered into a DDT for the breather. Kushida gets sent to the apron and manages to snap the arm across the rope. A sunset bomb is blocked though and Walter stomps on the face to put Kushida on the floor. He’s right back up with a rolling DDT to the floor though and they both have to beat the count.

Back in and a kick to the arm sets up the Hoverboard Lock but Walter reverses into the sleeper. Kushida flips out of that and Walter has to grab the hands to block a cross armbreaker. Walter powers out again and it’s a half nelson pumphandle suplex into a bridge for two.

The frog splash is broken up and Kushida grabs the Hoverboard lock on top before superplexing him down by the arm. A foot on the rope gets Walter out of trouble so Kushida dropkicks the arm again. Walter dropkicks the heck out of him and the powerbomb gets two in a great near fall. With nothing else working, Walter hits a ripcord lariat to FINALLY put Kushida away at 16:48.

Rating: B. Much like Kai vs. Belair, this one took its time getting going but once they hit that other gear, it was some awesome stuff with both guys hitting each other very hard and setting up a big finish. It didn’t hit the level that some of Walter’s matches have but it was the match Kushida has been looking for around here. Walter still feels like a treat and a big, special performer, which is why you put him in a spot like this. Very good main event.

Eddie Dennis video.

Xia Brookside picks this from the second Mae Young Classic.

Semifinals: Meiko Satomura vs. Toni Storm

The fans are split, as you probably guessed. Toni’s wristlock doesn’t work to start so Satomura takes her down with a headlock. That’s reversed into another headlock but Satomura gets on top to put Storm in trouble again. The first few kicks wake Storm up a bit and a shoulder block has no effect either way. Storm is tired of this even stuff and kicks her hard in the chest for two. A few more shots keep Meiko in trouble and Storm goes back to the arm, only to get the tar kicked out of her.

Kicks to the chest and legs have Storm down and Meiko cranks on the leg in something like a seated reverse figure four. A rope is finally grabbed and Toni elbows her way out of a suplex. Meiko spinwheel kicks her down and the fans are right behind Satomura again. Toni grabs an STF and it takes a good while for Meiko to make it to the ropes. A good fisherman’s suplex gets two on Satomura and Toni knocks her to the floor for a big suicide dive.

Back in Toni kicks her in the face, only to be screamed at for her efforts. They trade kicks until Satomura plants her with a DDT. The Death Valley Driver gets two on Storm but Toni hits a hard German suplex. Storm Zero only gets two but Meiko blocks another and hits a Pele kick to the head. The step up Scorpion kick knocks Toni silly….for two. The fans were buying that as the finish and you can hear them being surprised by the kickout. Storm has had it though and hits a last gasp Storm Zero for the pin and the spot in the finals at 13:06.

Rating: B+. It took some time to get there but they were rocking at the end. I’m not sure what to think of the pick, as Satomura was clearly the top star in the tournament (at least in the fans’ eyes) but Storm is the kind of prospect that you have to push to the moon. You could have gone either way here and been right, but egads the kickout on that Scorpion kick was hard to ignore.

They both cry on the announcement as Meiko gets a LOUD thank you chant. Of course they hug, as they should. Kairi Sane comes in to present Storm with roses as HHH is on the stage to bow to Meiko. Storm can barely speak and can barely believe that she just won that match. She’s living her dream and thanks everyone for working so hard to get here.

Nina Samuels video.

Flash Morgan Webster picks our last match.

From NXT, August 22, 2018.

United Kingdom Title: Zack Gibson vs. Pete Dunne

Dunne is defending and gets a roar from the crowd. The fans chant for the UK as Gibson works an armbar to start. Dunne flips him down to break a wristlock but Gibson hits him hard in the throat to take over. That just earns Gibson a hammerlock and Dunne cranks back on the fingers to make it worse. With that not working, they lock legs and stand on their heads to slap each other in the face. British wrestling is weird at times.

Dunne gets the better of it and kicks the arm but Gibson hits a hammerlock faceplant to take over. A belly to back suplex sets up another armbar as Gibson really isn’t hiding his style here. The cobra clutch goes on for a few moments until Dunne has had enough and forearms him in the face. A moonsault over Gibson sets up an enziguri and the X Plex sets up a quickly escaped cross armbreaker.

With Gibson bailing to the floor, Dunne moonsaults down onto him for the big crash and a double knockdown. Back in and a sitout powerbomb gets two, only to have Gibson kick a moonsault out of the air for the same. Dunne blocks another chop though and stomps on the hands. Stereo enziguris give us a double knockdown though and let’s pause for the standing ovation.

Dunne is up first and tries a superplex but Gibson twists it into one of his own. The Shankly Gates seated armbar goes on so Dunne lunges for the rope. Gibson pulls him back so Dunne bites the rope for the break. Dunne’s mouthpiece gets knocked out so Gibson goes to throw it out, only to have his finger snapped. The Bitter End retains the title at 13:38.

Rating: B. So uh….who is supposed to beat Dunne? He’s been champion longer than CM Punk was and while people give him a run for his money, you could see him holding the title indefinitely. I mean, other than Cole (if they’re coming up on the WarGames match that seems to be the case), is there anyone who seems likely to do it? Anyway the match was more good stuff from these two, though it would be nice to have the NXT UK people beat someone other than themselves.

Overall Rating: A. What else do you want here? It’s about an hour long and the worst match is a hard hitting match that goes for almost fourteen minutes. This was the kind of Best Of show that is as easy to watch as it gets and makes for a good use of the archives. They can do this for a LONG time to come too and that’s a nice way to spend an hour on Thursdays.

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

NXT UK – March 12, 2020: Keep Calm And Wrestle On

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 12, 2020
Location: Coventry Skydome, Coventry, England
Commentators: Andy Williams, Nigel McGuinness

We’re on a fresh taping cycle and that means we’re on the way towards Dublin for the next Takeover. You can probably guarantee a Finn Balor vs. Walter United Kingdom Title match and that could be a heck of a showdown. The rest of the show is yet to be built but they still have time to get there. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s Balor to get things going. He’s not here because he wants to boost the ratings but because he wants Walter. Therefore, here’s Walter, but the rest of Imperium follows him out. They come in after him but Balor nails a Sling Blade and bails in a hurry for fear of being destroyed.

Viper got involved in the I Quit match because she couldn’t let Kay Lee Ray cripple Toni Storm. Ray is evil and Viper isn’t standing for that.

Video on Tyler Bate.

Pretty Deadly vs. Dereiss Gordon/Dan Moloney

Stoker and Howley throw their shirts at them to start and the beatdown is on in a hurry. Stoker takes Moloney into the corner to start so Howley can come in for a headlock. Moloney gets in a suplex and works on the arm before handing it off to Gordon for the same. A headscissors and leg lariat give Gordon a fast two but he gets taken into the corner as Nigel tries to figure out which movie characters Stoker and Howley look like.

Stoker gets two and it’s back to Howley for a running uppercut in the corner. A chinlock is broken up though and Howley gets shoved away, allowing the hot tag off to Moloney to start cleaning house. Everything breaks down though and Moloney gets caught in Deadly Pretty for the pin at 6:08.

Rating: D+. Pretty Deadly continues to be just kind of there, but establishing a new team with some wins is fine enough. It’s always hard to figure out what you have with a team when they keep beating jobbers so maybe we don’t know what they’ve got. They’re far from wasted or anything so just give them a bit more time.

Alexander demands and receives a match against Finn Balor tonight. He leaves so here is Jordan Devlin, who is told he will be defending the title in two weeks against Travis Banks.

Gallus and Dave Mastiff/Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews set up a six man for next week.

Ligero vs. Noam Dar

Dar grabs the arm to start and then PULLS THE HORN to annoy Ligero. A missed charge in the corner makes things worse for Ligero and Dar sends him outside for the big crash. Back in and Dar makes bullfighting jokes before stomping away even more. Ligero fights up and kicks him to the floor for the slingshot dive, followed by the reverse DDT for two back inside. The Lethal Injection is countered into a Fujiwara armbar though, meaning Ligero has to counter into a rollup for two. A missed charge lets Dar kick him in both legs and the Nova Roller is good for the pin at 6:13.

Rating: C-. Dar is someone else who keeps going up and down without doing much in the way of going forward. He’s a good choice to keep around though and that’s not the worst place to be. They need something for him to do, or at least a feud, but having him out there doing random matches is fine enough for now.

Travis Banks promises to win the title in two weeks.

Amele vs. Dani Luna

Feeling out process to start with Amele taking her down by the arm and controlling with a wristlock. Back up and Amele switches to a hammerlock but Luna lifts her up without much trouble. A suplex drops Amele but here’s Kay Lee Ray to jump Amele for the DQ at 1:59.

Post match Ray clears the ring and says there is no making a name for yourself around here. Luna tries to fight back but gets knocked down again.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie.

Alexander Wolfe vs. Finn Balor

Balor takes him down by the arm to start before rolling through a sunset flip into a basement dropkick. The chinlock has Wolfe in early trouble but he’s right back up, only to get stomped down in the corner. Running chops in the corner make it even worse so Wolfe kicks him in the ribs a few times. We hit the waistlock and here’s the rest of Imperium for the menacing stares.

The bearhug stays on Balor’s ribs until he forearms his way to freedom, followed by running forearms to keep up the trend. Balor stomps away while glaring down at Walter, meaning it’s time for Imperium to try and interfere. That’s broken up and we get an ejection but Wolfe scores with a running clothesline. A powerbomb is broken up and Balor hits a double stomp, followed by an Eye of the Hurricane. The shotgun dropkick sets up the Coup de Grace and 1916 finishes Wolfe at 8:21.

Rating: C+. This was just a step below a squash for Balor, who ran through Wolfe like he wasn’t even there. That’s what they should be doing with him though as Balor is likely getting the big showdown title shot against Walter and it makes sense to have him run through Imperium to get there. It’s not like losing to a former World Champion is a downgrade so everything is fine.

Overall Rating: D+. Pretty nothing show this time around with only the main event meaning anything, and even then it wasn’t that much. The weak first night of a taping seems to be the norm around here though and hopefully that is the case this time around too. This wasn’t a good show for the most part and while we are kind of starved for sporting events at the moment, it didn’t make things that much better.

Results

Pretty Deadly b. Dereiss Gordon/Dan Moloney – Deadly Pretty to Moloney

Noam Dar b. Ligero – Nova Roller

Amele b. Dani Luna via DQ when Kay Lee Ray interfered

Finn Balor b. Alexander Wolfe – 1916

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

NXT UK – March 5, 2020: How It Should Have Gone

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 5, 2020
Location: York Barbican, York, England
Commentators: Aiden English, Tom Phillips

It’s time to get serious around here again with Walter defending the United Kingdom Title against Dave Mastiff. This might not be the most suspenseful title match in the world but they have done a good job of making Mastiff into a big deal where a win over him will mean a little something for Walter. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Walter vs. Mastiff, including Mastiff dropping the champ with one right hand because Walter’s power advantage won’t be here this time.

Opening sequence.

Travis Banks vs. Alexander Wolfe

Banks hits a running knee to the floor and a suicide dive takes Wolfe down in the first ten seconds. Back in and the Slice of Heaven is elbowed out of the air, allowing Wolfe to take his jacket off. A dropkick gives Wolfe two and we’re onto the chinlock to keep Banks in trouble. Banks fights up and dropkicks him into the corner, setting up a hard kick to the chest from the apron.

More kicks to the chest have Wolfe in trouble but he’s right back with a swinging suplex. Wolfe’s German suplex gets two more but Banks gets in his own suplex. They fight to the apron and Banks gets to the middle rope for a kick to the chest, knocking both of them outside. Wolfe is fine enough to hit a hanging DDT onto the floor for two back inside, followed by a sitout powerbomb for the pin at 9:00.

Rating: C+. Banks is a weird case as he never seems to get as high up as he should be going. I’m not sure what is slowing him down but it’s kind of disappointing to see someone like him not be able to get over the hump. Then there’s Wolfe, who is proving to be a bit more than the lower singles member of Imperium, which is a bit surprising.

Eddie Dennis talks about how he went from being a principal to a wrestler. He has a mathematics degree and it takes a certain intellect to manipulate the mind.

Video on the tag team division.

Ridge Holland vs. Saxon Huxley

Huxley pounds away in the corner but gets caught in an early suplex. Back to back Northern Grits finish Huxley at 1:18. Holland looked awesome.

Jordan Devlin says he’ll be back next week.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Isla Dawn

They fight over a wristlock to start and Valkyrie gets a few near falls off some rollups. A monkey flip lets Valkyrie put her down for two and they go into the pinfall reversal sequence. Valkyrie misses the big kick though as Dawn drops into the splits. Dawn powers her into the corner to get out of something like a Kimura, setting up a Meteora for two. Valkyrie gets in a kick to the face though and the top rope ax kick is good for the pin at 4:30.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have much time and while Valkyrie continues to look dominant, she isn’t looking like a star most of the time. Maybe she needs some adjustments, but I haven’t seen the big moment from here that makes me think there’s something special there. Then again she has had a handful of matches around here so maybe she just needs some more time.

Ligero is annoyed that Noam Dar has been talking about him on social media. People need to come to him face to face and Dar will have the chance next week. Maybe it would help if you took the mask off dude.

United Kingdom Title: Walter vs. Dave Mastiff

Walter is defending and takes Mastiff into the corner, only to have the chop blocked. Mastiff gets two off a running crossbody and we hit the quickly broken chinlock. The sleeper doesn’t work on Mastiff so Walter kicks him in the face. A powerbomb doesn’t work either so Mastiff sits on his chest. Walter gets German suplexed into the corner but he cuts off the Into The Void attempt with a dropkick.

Another big boot has less effect as Mastiff is up for the big slugout, with Walter getting the better of things. The top rope splash misses though and Mastiff hits a rebound German suplex. A Regal Roll gets two and Into The Void connects for the same. Mastiff gets knocked off the top but is fine enough to hit a big forearm. Walter goes to the throat though and finally manages a powerbomb to retain at 7:59.

Rating: B. The ending wasn’t in doubt and that was cemented as soon as Into The Void got two but I have a great time with this. They didn’t both with anything more than having two big guys trade hard shots until one of them couldn’t get up. It wasn’t supposed to be some long, drawn out classic with a bunch of drama and they didn’t go anywhere near something like that.

Overall Rating: B-. Another good episode this week with the big main event (big for between Takeovers that is) and some other nice stuff underneath. Walter vs. Finn Balor is going to be awesome in Ireland though and a title change isn’t completely out of the question. You can see the card coming together from here and after the most recent Takeover around here, that’s rather appealing.

Results

Alexander Wolfe b. Travis Banks – Sitout powerbomb

Ridge Holland b. Saxon Huxley – Northern Grit

Aoife Valkyrie b. Isla Dawn – Top rope ax kick

Walter b. Dave Mastiff – Powerbomb

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

NXT UK – January 2, 2020: They’re Doing Something Very Right

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: January 2, 2020
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips

We’re back from a week off and it’s time to hit the gas on the build towards Takeover: Blackpool II. Most of the card is either already set or all but set, meaning it’s time to firm everything up. That is where NXT shines so hopefully they can do the same thing over in England. Let’s get to it.

Sid Scala and Johnny Saint confirm Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin and Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis for Takeover. Nothing wrong with keeping these announcements quick.

Opening sequence.

Dave Mastiff vs. Kona Reeves

Before the match, Reeves rants about how unfair it was when the fans threw him off against Trent Seven a few weeks back. The jet lag messed up his nutrition and his sleep so he wasn’t ready! Then there’s Mastiff, who used to be undefeated around here. Now he gets to go home and tell his family that he was defeated by the Finest.

They go to the floor almost immediately and Reeves’ dive is puled out of the air. He’s fine enough to slip out and send Mastiff’s knees into the steps a few times in a row. Reeves ties him in the ring skirt for more shots to the head before taking it back inside. A DDT gets two on Mastiff and a big boot connects for the same. Mastiff is right back with a suplex into the corner and Into The Void is good for the pin at 3:18.

Rating: C-. Mastiff gets another win and I got to see Reeves getting crushed so I’m rather pleased with the whole thing. Mastiff is someone who surprises me quite a bit most of the times he’s in the ring and this was no exception. He only hit two moves here but Into The Void is a good finisher and something they have built up as a winning move so they’ve got a little something there.

Here’s Toni Storm for a chat. Kay Lee Ray took her to a very dark place and it made her snap on someone she considers a friend. Therefore, she would like to talk to Piper Niven right now. Cue Piper in person and Storm says she hasn’t been cool to Piper lately. Before they get past this though, Toni needs a favor. She’s going to need Piper to step aside from the title match so she can deal with Ray on her own. Then after Toni gets the title back, Piper can get the first title shot.

That doesn’t seem to be happening as Piper says she’s gone through a lot to get here and Toni has had her shot. Toni grabs her but Piper nails a headbutt, only to immediately regret it. Referees break it up so here’s Ray to laugh at the brawl, sending Toni after Piper again. It’s a good idea to give Toni and Piper a reason to fight because it makes things more of a triple threat, which you don’t get very often.

Takeover rundown.

Kassius Ohno vs. Ligero

We get a production gaffe as the recap video says this is fallout from “earlier this year”. Ohno grabs the arm to start but Ligero flips out in a hurry. A forearm puts Ohno down and he shouts that HE’S TRYING TO WRESTLE! Back up and Ligero starts kicking at the leg, including a dropkick to the thigh. Ohno misses a flip splash attempt and gets anklescissored out to the floor early on.

Ligero throws him back in but gets caught with a neckbreaker over the ropes to put him right back down. The Kassius Clutch goes on with Ohno demanding that Ligero not make Ohno hit him. Ligero slips out and hits a missile dropkick so Ohno goes for the mask, as he did in their previous match. That’s broken up and Ligero gets two off a sunset flip, only to have Ohno pull him down off the ropes. Another Kassius Clutch on the mat makes Ligero tap at 6:55.

Rating: C. Just a match to get Ohno back on track here as he lost a big one to Tyler Bate and needed a correction. Ligero is someone the fans are going to get behind every time and it’s not like a loss really hurts him. It’s good to have people like him around and I’m impressed that Ohno has had some staying power around here. Usually he loses and moves on but this could have some legs.

Post match Ohno says he’s back to being the best in the UK because no one in the back knows anything about British wrestling. Tonight he beat Ligero with wrestling instead of knocking him out because he is the greatest British wrestler alive.

Joseph Conners interrupts an A-Kid interview to say he is worthy of a spot on Takeover.

Dave Mastiff tells Kassius Ohno that if he wants a match with a British heavyweight, Ohno knows where to find him.

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Outliers

Moss gets a running start to run Smith over as they’re starting fast. Carter is right back up with a kick to the face, only to get caught with a running elbow to the face. Mack comes in for a big toss but a double dropkick puts him out on the floor. Some double forearms do it again and Smith and Carter clear the ring.

Back in and Mack gets more serious with some running elbows to Carter in the corner. The aggressive Moss forearms Carter down in the corner but Carter fights out of a chinlock. That’s enough for the hot tag to Smith so house can be cleaned, including some kicks to the faces. Moss shoulders Smith right back down, only to get small packaged to give Smith the pin at 5:52.

Rating: C. Another standard match here with Smith and Carter finally picking up a win. The Outliers are a team who look rather good but might not have enough to back it up in the ring. The tag division is pretty stacked around here and having two more teams like this is a good thing. That being said, finding roles for all of them to play could be rather tricky.

We get a rather awesome video on the Tag Team Title ladder match with all four teams talking about how important the titles are and how all four teams want to be the best. The clips of classic ladder matches make it even better.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe

Post match Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel come in for the beatdown. Walter approves from the stage but Joe Coffey runs out for a cheap shot on Walter before bailing from the numbers advantage.

Overall Rating: B. This show did what they needed to do to make me want to see how Takeover is looking. They only have a little time left to really hammer things down and that’s what they did here. The main event was awesome and I want to see these people fight again. Now that the setup is going well, the payoff needs to work as well, and that very well may be the case. Check out the main event if you have the time.

Results

Dave Mastiff b. Kona Reeves – Into The Void

Kassius Ohno b. Ligero – Kassius Clutch

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter b. Outliers – Small package to Moss

Ilja Dragunov b. Alexander Wolfe – Torpedo Moscow

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

NXT UK – November 21, 2019: Father Russia

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 21, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

Things are picking up around here with the suddenly united forces of Gallus and Ilja Dragunov vs. Imperium. For the first time since the promotion started, it feels like something other than British Strong Style is at the forefront and that is a very good feeling as you can only ride those (great and incredibly talented) guys for so long. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Trent Seven vs. Kona Reeves

Dang it why couldn’t Reeves get held up at customs? During his entrance, Reeves talks about how he is here to teach the UK fans something because it is NXT’s crooked tooth cousin. Reeves rants about how Seven is out of date and not a superstar, even with his moustache. Seven backdrops him at the bell and starts in with the chops.

A trip to the floor lets Reeves tie him in the ring skirt though and forearms to the back have Seven in trouble. Some quick suplexes get Seven out of trouble and it’s the suicide dive to take Reeves down again. The corkscrew Swanton misses though but the Seven Star Lariat connects….for two. That’s enough for Seven who goes big with the Birminghammer for the pin at 3:25.

Rating: C-. Seven has grown on me a lot as he has his own style instead of being Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate’s old friend. If nothing else, anyone who calls a move the Birminghammer has to be worth something. Reeves on the other hand….I just can’t get into him whatsoever, but WWE seems to have caught onto the problem and keeping him as a jobber like this is acceptable.

Post match Seven goes to celebrate with the fans but runs into the returning Eddie Dennis, which seems to shake Seven a bit.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how Alexander Wolfe trained him in Germany but Wolfe made all of the decisions. Now he is trying to do the same thing here by making Dragunov feel like nothing. Tonight, it’s time to show him who is in charge of Dragunov’s future.

Takeover: Blackpool II is on January 12 and it’s already sold out.

Jack Starz vs. A-Kid

Feeling out process to start with Starz rolling his way out of an early wristlock. Kid snapmares him down and gets an early two so Starz has to slip out of a headlock. That’s fine with Kid, who flips back into a leglock before cranking on both arms at the same time. Starz grabs the leg and spins into some cranking as they stay pretty close to the mat. A triangle choke has Starz in more trouble until a powerbomb gets him loose. Kid tries a backslide for two but pulls Starz down into the Rings of Saturn for the tap at 4:07.

Rating: C. Starz is a good choice for a jobber to the stars as he’s getting in a little more offense than he has before. You can’t just have people lose over and over again and expect it to mean anything so a match like this is a good idea. A-Kid had to sweat a bit here and that is better than running through Starz like he’s not even there.

Jinny says Rhea Ripley ran away to America rather than face her. Now it’s Piper Niven as the Superstar of the Month and she actually thinks she is championship material. Jinny really is championship material and Piper can try to overthrow the queen.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans for a chat and the shoes are off before their music ends. They would be the NXT Tag Team Champions if not for a horrible decision, but like other great tag team, they can bounce back. Not too long ago they had Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews beaten but Gallus and Imperium messed everything up.

So what is going to happen to those teams? Absolutely nothing of course and every day that they don’t hold the NXT UK Tag Team Titles, the titles depreciate in value. Gibson talks about a stadium and gets shouted at by the fans. There is a statue of a man at that stadium which says “he made the people happy”. Well NXT UK needs to make the people happy by letting them have another title shot at Takeover: Blackpool II.

Jordan Devlin shows us a highlight reel of himself and how inspirational he is. Then there is A Kid who is endorsed by Tyler Bate. That won’t be enough, so maybe the kid should face Devlin next week.

Oliver Carter vs. Ridge Holland

Holland is the former rugby player who wrestled under his name Luke Menzies. The much bigger Menzies throws him around to start with a hiptoss sending Carter to the apron. Carter is right back with a running hip attack to the back of the head but a crossbody is countered into an overhead belly to belly. Another suplex makes it even worse and there’s a cobra clutch so Holland can swing him around a bit. Carter tries a comeback but gets Pounced down. A headbutt sets up something like a scoop brainbuster (Northern Grit) for the pin on Carter at 4:04.

Rating: C-. Carter was trying here but Holland looked rather impressive here with a lot of power on display. The rugby background gives him enough of a moveset for a good foundation and the rest of it should go well for him. I could go for more of his stuff and that’s an encouraging sign.

Post match Ashton Smith comes out to check on Carter and glare at Holland.

We look at Joseph Conners costing Ligero a loss to Travis Banks last week.

Banks didn’t like it, Ligero didn’t like it, Conners is glad he left a good impression. Someone please explain Conners to me. Anything positive anywhere?

Smith tries to encourage Carter when Noam Dar comes up to mock them. Dar vs. Smith is set up for next week.

Next week: Piper Niven vs. Jinny.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe

They go to the mat grappling to start and get up to do it some more without so much as a quick break. The referee breaks it up and the threat of a left hand has Wolfe backing off. Dragunov says bring it on before hitting a crossbody and falling out side off the kickout. Wolfe sends him into the barricade but takes too much time going after a camera cord, allowing Dragunov to miss a 619.

Back in and the kick to the ropes sets up the low blow puts Dragunov down for a bit longer this time. He fights out of a neck crank so Wolfe knees him in the face to really rock Dragunov this time. Some shots to the face put Dragunov outside, where Wolfe can throw a chair down. The chinlock goes on again but Dragunov fights up and drives him into the corner.

They slug it out with Dragunov chopping away at the neck and nailing a jumping enziguri. Dragunov goes up and knees off a superplex attempt, setting up a middle rope knee for two more. A running knee has Wolfe in more trouble and he gets bridged into a German suplex. Wolfe rolls away before Dragunov can come off the top so it’s Coast to Coast into the leg. Wolfe’s knee is fine enough to hit a suplex of his own, plus a top rope superplex for a bonus.

The kickout frustrates Wolfe again so he slaps Dragunov in the face while saying he had a chance. They slap it out until it’s a slugout. Dragunov gets the better of it and hits the 61Line to knock Wolfe silly. He has to deal with the invading Imperium though and Torpedo Moscow is countered into a DDT. That and a sitout powerbomb are enough to finish Dragunov at 16:45.

Rating: B. The more I see of Dragunov the more I like him. He has that warrior presence and you could picture him getting to the top of the card in a hurry. Wolfe was a good choice for an opponent here and the ending protected Dragunov thanks to the interference. Pretty sweet match, with Dragunov looking like a star.

Post match the group beatdown is on until Gallus makes the save. Joe Coffey grabs at Walter’s title as the teams glare at each other to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The main event helped a good bit but it wasn’t enough to bring up the rest of the show. Everything else was fine enough, but there was nothing that you really needed to see. That made the main event angle better due to feeling more important, though the show being a little longer didn’t help things. Not a bad show, but the main event is the only thing that has much value.

Results

Trent Seven b. Kona Reeves – Birminghammer

A-Kid b. Jack Starz – Rings of Saturn

Ridge Holland b. Oliver Carter – Northern Grit

Alexander Wolfe b. Ilja Dragunov – Sitout powerbomb

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