NXT UK
Date: September 2, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

With the reaction to the UK Title change out of the way, it’s time to move forward around here. Now in this case, that makes me interested in where they’re going, as NXT UK has been quite the fun show for a rather long while now. That being said, there is always the chance that WWE pulls the plug around here and none of this matters again. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Blair Davenport vs. Nina Samuels

Hold on actually as Davenport jumps Samuels before the bell and hits her with a Falcon Arrow. Officials, including Sid Scala, come out, with Davenport laying out Scala as well. No match.

We look back at Aoife Valkyrie beating Jinny last week in a heck of a fight. Valkyrie has injured her knee though and will be out of action for a “significant period of time”.

Jinny takes credit for injuring Valkyrie.

Symbiosis is ready for Saxon Huxley and whoever he can get to team with him.

Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff vs. Dan Moloney/Andy Wild

Wild can’t do anything with the much bigger Mastiff to start, including a headlock having no effect. Mastiff’s bridging northern lights suplex gets two and it’s off to Starz for the same. Moloney comes in to go after Starz’s arm but a standing armbar doesn’t get him very far. It’s back to Mastiff for the backsplash but a Wild distraction lets Moloney dropkick Starz to take over. We hit the nerve hold to keep Starz in trouble for all of ten seconds before Starz makes the tag back to Mastiff. House is cleaned and Moloney is tied in the Tree of Woe, with Starz adding a running headbutt. Into The Void finishes Moloney at 5:50.

Rating: C. Totally fine squash here with Starz and Mastiff as the latest oddball team, though they have played it straight so far. Starz has come a long way since being the whipping boy for new names and the team is doing well at what they’re trying. Nice opener here and I wouldn’t mind seeing Mastiff and Starz out there again.

Pretty Deadly danced in a fountain earlier this week, until Gallus shoved them into the water. Are they already out of challengers?

Amele vs. Emilia McKenzie

McKenzie takes her down into a leglock to start and goes with a variety of mat grappling. Back up and a running dropkick puts Amele down again and a neckbreaker gets two. Amele sends her to the apron though and a running kick to the face puts McKenzie on the floor. Back in and a corner clothesline gives Amele two and we hit the chinlock.

McKenzie’s comeback just frustrates Amele and she hammers away to drop McKenzie again. A cobra clutch sets up a running shoulder to give Amele two and McKenzie is in trouble. Amele’s shotgun dropkick into the corner sets up a running boot to the face….but McKenzie rolls her up for the surprise pin at 6:44.

Rating: C-. This was mostly a squash until the surprise ending, which will likely set up Amele to wreck McKenzie even more to set up her title shot. Amele did well here and had the aggression, though I’m not sure if she needed to lose here. It was certainly a surprise ending, though hopefully it doesn’t derail Amele’s momentum too badly.

We look back at Blair Davenport attacking Nina Samuels and Sid Scala.

Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith agree to team with Saxton Huxley next week. Carter: “I LOVE THAT MADMAN!”

Sam Gradwell and Wolfgang are ready to face each other in the Heritage Cup #1 contenders tournament.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including another look at the Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov rematch, with additional insight from legends and WWE stars. Could be interesting.

Heritage Cup #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Teoman vs. Nathan Frazer

Rohan Raja is here with Teoman. Round one begins with a fight over a lockup and they take it to the mat to make it more interesting. Teoman starts cranking on the arm by driving Frazer to the mat, complete with a knee in the shoulder. Frazer fights up and doesn’t care for being hit in the face, meaning it’s a slugout to put Frazer in control. A dropkick takes Teoman down to end the round in a hurry.

Round two begins with Teoman going after the arm but Frazer hits him in the face some more. Teoman is sent outside and Frazer’s suicide dive takes him down. That’s fine with Teoman, who sends Frazer hard into the steps. Back in and a sliding forearm gives Teoman the pin at 1:03 of the round (4:43 overall) to go up 1-0.

Round three begins with Teoman kicking Frazer down and a shot to the face gets two more. Frazer manages to headscissor him outside but Teoman ties him in the ropes and stomps away. Back in and Teoman misses another sliding forearm and gets crotched on top. A springboard super hurricanrana gets two on Teoman as time expires just before the three.

Round four begins with Frazer slugging away and driving him into the corner. That’s broken up and Teoman’s missile dropkick hits Frazer in the back of the head for another near fall. Back up and Frazer grabs something like a powerslam small package at 1:50 of the round (10:51 overall) to tie it up.

Round five begins with Frazer grabbing a fast Sling Blade for two but Teoman goes right back to the arm. Teoman grabs a spinout inverted DDT for two more but Frazer drives him to the floor. A suicide dive drops Teoman and a springboard elbow connects. Hold on though as a Raja distraction means the Phoenix splash completely misses, allowing Teoman to hit….kind of a dragon sleeper into Natural Selection for the win at 2:47 of the round (14:10 overall).

Rating: B. I was expecting good things here and it lived up to the hype, as Frazer seems incapable of having a bad match and Teoman is moving up the villains’ ladder. They put together a nice match here and I liked what we were getting throughout. Teoman is probably the favorite to win the whole thing and I could certainly go for his showdown with Tyler Bate.

Overall Rating: C+. As usual, NXT UK is a good show and I don’t think that’s even a surprise anymore. The main event is by far the best thing on the card but the rest of it was far than bad. This show knows how to set something up and then knock it down, which is exactly what you should be able to do on a weekly show. It’s still mostly slow and steady and, again, it still mostly works.

 

 

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NXT UK
Date: June 10, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s a title night as Meiko Satomura is challenging Kay Lee Ray for the Women’s Title. The two of them had quite the showdown back in March and it could be great to see what they could do again with the stakes at a high level again. Other than that, Walter is back and that means we could be in for an important appearance. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Walter for the first time in about two months to get things going. Walter talks about his title defenses in two days on two continents. Now he is the longest reigning champion of the modern era but his mission has never changed. His goal is to make this title prestigious and keep the ring sacred. And that’s it.

Subculture is ready for Jinny and Joseph Conners next week.

Jordan Devlin vs. Saxton Huxley

The bigger Huxley powers him into the corner to start and hits a knee to Devlin’s ribs. A headlock grinds Devlin down but he low bridges a charging Huxley outside. That doesn’t seem to bother Huxley, who drops Devlin throat first across the barricade. Commentary is stunned by the dominance as Huxley pulls him shoulder first into the post. Back in and a Thesz press drops Devlin again so it’s a rake to the eyes to cut Huxley off. Some kicks to the ribs keep Huxley down but he is right back up with a sitout chokebomb for two. Huxley puts him in a fireman’s carry but Devlin slips out and the Devlin Side finishes Huxley at 6:24.

Rating: C. This was a nice showcase for Huxley and there is no shame in coming up short against Devlin. I’m still convinced that Devlin could be the next challenger to Walter, if nothing else for the sake of mixing up the challengers. Devlin has been treated as being on a pretty high level, though Walter is on a level all of his own. Anyway, nice opener here.

Gallus is annoying Sid Scala when Sam Gradwell pops in. Then he pops out, leaving Gallus to be told they might get a match they want, possibly vs. Gradwell.

Symbiosis vs. Andy Wild/Dan Moloney

Eddie Dennis is here with Symbiosis (T-Bone/Primate) and Pretty Deadly is on commentary. Primate hammers on Moloney to start and cranks on the head. It’s off to Wild, who scares Primate into the corner for the tag to T-Bone. A snapmare into an elbow gets two on T-Bone, who is right back with a fall away slam. T-Bone holds up Moloney for a top rope ax handle to the back and a pair of stomps get two. Moloney finally gets in a few shots of his own and brings in Wild to clean house. That just earns him a belly to back suplex though and a spear drops Wild again. A powerslam into a top rope headbutt finishes Moloney at 6:10.

Rating: C-. Not quite a squash here but there wasn’t much drama about the result. Symbiosis are a good pair of brawlers and they looked good running over two game opponents. I’m not sure I can see the two of them getting the next title shot against Pretty Deadly, but I’ve heard worse ideas.

Teoman doesn’t like Oliver Carter getting in his way and wonders if Ashton Smith would even help him.

Next week: Sam Gradwell vs. Wolfgang and Joseph Conners/Jinny vs. Subculture.

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Kay Lee Ray

Ray is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. Satomura kicks at the leg to start and forearms away in the corner. Ray can’t hit an early Gory Bomb attempt and bails to the floor from a fireman’s carry attempt. Back in and Ray hits a superkick for two and the chinlock goes on. With that broken up, Ray chops her against the rope for two and a clothesline sets up the trash talking.

A gordbuster sets up the Koji Clutch but Satomura reverses into an STF. Ray makes the rope and scores with an elbow, followed by some neck cranking. Satomura has to slip out of the Gory Bomb and it’s a DDT to plant the champ again. Back up and Ray nails a Death Valley Driver, only to walk into the Gory Bomb to put them both down. They trade kicks to the face, with Satomura smiling before hammering away again.

Ray is back with a tornado DDT for two but Satomura pops back up. Two superkicks make her pop up again so there’s a third, which just fires Satomura up enough for a Death Valley Driver. Another superkick from Ray sets up the Gory Bomb which sets up a Swanton for a rather near fall. Ray teases walking out but walks into a Death Valley Driver on the floor.

That barely slows Ray down and she hits the Gory Bomb onto the apron. Back in and they head up with Satomura managing a sunset bomb for a rather close two. Satomura grabs a sleeper but Ray gets over to the rope. Ray’s attempt at a Koji Clutch doesn’t work so it’s Scorpion Rising to give Satomura the pin and the title at 18:27.

Rating: B. This is how you should want a major title change to go and they made it work. It made sense for Satomura to put everything she had into this as you cannot have her lose twice in a row in major matches. Satomura winning the title to end Ray’s reign fits well as Ray has gotten everything she can out of the title (and it has been a lot). This was the right call at the right time and a rubber match is not the worst idea.

A lot of replays and celebrating, including red and yellow streamers, end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event is the most important thing by far here and while Walter’s appearance was cool, he didn’t really say anything. This show did a nice job of making me want to see the title match though and that is what matters most. NXT UK has done a great job of making its champions feel important and they did it again here with Satomura’s title win. Good show here, with the main event feeling like the big match it should have been.

 

 

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NXT UK
Date: May 27, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things picked up a lot last week when the Heritage Cup changed hands. Tyler Bate defeated A-Kid to win a heck of a main event, and now we could be in for a few different directions. The big story coming up would seem to be Meiko Satomura challenging Kay Lee Ray for the Women’s Title, whenever that is going to take place. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Nathan Frazer vs. Sha Samuels

Noam Dar is here with Samuels. Frazer chops away to start but Samuels hammers him with right hands in the corner. A running clothesline is countered into a Downward Spiral into the corner but a Dar distraction lets Samuels toss him REALLY far off the top. The chinlock goes on, followed by a hard elbow for two on Frazer. Back up and an elbow drops Frazer again as the power is working for Samuels. Dar suggests and receives a slam for two and it’s time for some fishhooking. Samuels runs him over for two more and the chinlock goes on again.

Frazer is sent into the corner and a belly to back suplex gets two. That’s enough to finally start the comeback with some right hands and a running forearm to drop Samuels. Some rapid fire chops in the corner have Samuels in trouble but Dar distracts Frazer from the floor. Frazer decks Dar, who is ejected for trying to come after him. A running clothesline puts Samuels on the floor for a heck of a running flip dive and a nine count. Back in and Samuels tries his Butcher’s Hook but gets dropped with a springboard moonsault into Nightmare on Helm Street. The frog splash gives Frazer the pin at 9:33.

Rating: C. Frazer continues to impress, but more importantly he continues to appear, as NXT UK seems to have at least some kind of a plan for him. I’m not sure where that plan is going, but it is a lot better than never making television. This was a nice comeback win over a big name, and the fact that he got rid of Dar in the same match made it even better.

Last week, Dani Luna and Flash Morgan Webster had a staredown with Jinny and Joseph Conner.

Joseph Conner and Jinny are ready to show Subculture what they are all about.

Noam Dar is annoyed at being ejected and will take it out on Ilja Dragunov next week.

Teoman vs. Ashton Smith

This is fallout from Teoman mocking Smith for Oliver Carter being gone. Smith shoves him around to start and hits a release backdrop to send him flying. A shot to the face puts Teoman down again as it’s all Smith to start. More right hands and a judo throw get two on Teoman and Smith knocks him outside. The following only gets Smith caught in the ring skirt so Teoman can pound him in the back though, meaning the slow beating can starts up back inside.

Teoman takes the knee out and kicks the arm, setting up a stomp onto the shoulder. The arm is wrapped around the post but the Crossface attempt is countered into a suplex. Teoman is right back with a sliding forearm to the head for two more but Smith hits him in the face a few more times. A gutwrench suplex sends Temoan flying again but he sends the arm into the corner. The Crossface makes Smith tap at 6:39.

Rating: C+. Smith was getting to show off a bit here, which is nice to see after him not really doing anything for a good while now. It might not lead anywhere, but one nice match is more than some people get. Teoman continues to look good and once he gets an actual story, he might be able to go somewhere. For now though, these one off matches will do fine for him.

Post match Teoman puts the Crossface on again but Oliver Carter runs in for the save.

Ilja Dragunov isn’t worried about Noam Dar because he has changed, which is the truth. Dar keeps giving his own version of the truth. Now it’s time to bring violence to Dar.

Pretty Deadly come in to see Jack Starz and mock him for not having friends. Starz yells at him and a match seems ready, if Starz can find a partner.

Andy Wild vs. Kenny Williams

Williams has a new look but gets tossed into the corner by the neck to start. Wild puts him on the top but a rake to the eyes cuts him off. A chop block puts Wild down again and Williams stays on the leg, including a standing leglock. Williams charges into a boot in the corner though and an overhead belly to belly gives Wild a breather. The leg gets taken out again though and a bulldog driver gives Williams the pin at 4:03.

Rating: C-. Short and to the point here as Williams gets his first win after dispatching Amir Jordan. I’m not wild on the bulldog driver as a finisher but it is a pretty emphatic knockout move. This went about as well as it could have and Wild looked good even in defeat, so not a bad use of four minutes.

Video on Kay Lee Ray vs. Meiko Satomura in two weeks. Ray talks about trying to show respect but she isn’t trying to make friends. Satomura just wants the title and wants a clean match but then Ray laid her out a few weeks ago. Now it’s time to fight again.

Video on Joe Coffey vs. Rampage Brown, with Coffey being ready for a rematch. They’re on for next week.

Trent Seven vs. Sam Gradwell

Gradwell has been calling out Seven for coasting on his reputation as of late. They go with the aggressive lockup to start with Gradwell taking him down by the arm. Seven is right back with a crossbody but Gradwell hits a rather hard STO to cut that off in a hurry. A few forearms to the face (with Nigel saying they had some mustard, ketchup and a bit of mayonnaise as well) keep Seven in trouble and there’s a hard shot to the back as well.

The chinlock goes on, with Gradwell cranking on it pretty hard. Seven fights up and hits a DDT (Andy: “That’s going to mes up his hair!”) and a half and half suplex sets up the Emerald Flosion. Gradwell is sent outside for the suicide dive, with Seven coming up holding his knee. Back in and Seven misses a splash, banging up the knee in the process. Gradwell grabs a half crab but Seven reverses into one of his own.

That’s broken up and Gradwell sends him outside, setting up a pretty hard forearm off the apron. They both beat the count at nine with Gradwell going up top but getting caught with a top rope superplex. Gradwell forearms him so hard that Seven might have lost a tooth and a Samoan driver gets two. The Seven Star Lariat gets the same and the double frustration has set in. With nothing else working, the Birminghammer finishes Gradwell at 14:08.

Rating: B. These guys beat each other up rather hard and that is what you would want to see out of a match like this. Gradwell has come a LONG way since his return and it might have made more sense for him to get the win here. Seven did need a win to get him back on track though so it isn’t a horrible decision. Still though, Gradwell winning something in the future would be a good idea.

Overall Rating: C+. Another good show this week, which has long since become a trend around here. NXT UK has the talent pool and the setup to make a weekly show work, with the one hour run time continuing to be the right length. I continue to like this show every week and that has been the case for a long time now, again showing that it can be done if they don’t overthink things.

 

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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