NXT UK – October 8, 2020: They’re Back

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 8, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

The comeback continues as we are now into the second week of the Heritage Cup tournament. I’m still not sure what to think of last week’s first match but I certainly didn’t hate it. Hopefully we get another good one this week, though it takes the right kind of match under these rules. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside/Dani Luna vs. Amale/Nina Samuels

Luna and Samuels start things off with Samuels working on the arm. That’s reversed into Luna’s wristlock and Brookside comes in for a headlock takeover. A double chop puts Samuels down again but it’s off to Amale to take over on Brookside. The running kick to Luna’s chest gets two but she’s back with her own double clothesline. Brookside comes back in and charges straight into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to put her in trouble for a change.

Samuels gets two off a reverse suplex but doesn’t like it when Amale comes back in. Brookside rolls away from Amale and makes the hot tag to Luna so the pace can pick up. The beating is on but Samuels doesn’t seem to care from the apron. Samuels offers a rather weak tag and then drops down as Amale gets closer. So it’s down to a handicap match with Luna suplexing Amale and handing it off to Brookside for a Brookside Bomb into a powerbomb for the bridging pin at 7:12.

Rating: C-. I’ve liked Brookside for a long time now so it’s nice to see her getting a win, but at the same time history has shown that pushing Samuels only works to a certain extent. This was a little bit of a strange choice overall, but the women’s division needs new stars so this works as well as anything else. Amale and Luna looked fine too so maybe they have several new ideas in mind.

Ilja Dragunov doesn’t have time for questions so he goes up to Sid Scala, with Pete Dunne there as well. Dragunov wants Walter or Alexander Wolfe so the tag match is made for next week.

Piper Niven isn’t all that impressed by Kay Lee Ray giving us a state of the women’s division tonight but she’ll be there.

Saxon Huxley vs. Jack Starz

Huxley throws him into the corner to start and knees Starz in the ribs to break up a wristlock. Some arm cranking keeps Starz in trouble but Starz climbs over his shoulders to set up a dropkick. Huxley unloads in the corner though and sends him flying again. A torture rack doesn’t last long for Huxley so Starz dropkicks the knee out for two. That’s about it for the comeback as Starz hits a running knee to the ribs and an over the shoulder powerbomb drop (basically the Big Ending with Starz facing up) for the pin at 5:18.

Rating: D+. There is only so much you’re going to get out of these two. They aren’t the most interesting people in the world and Starz is little more than the show’s designated jobber to the stars. Huxley has never done anything for me since he debuted and this newer version of him isn’t exactly changing my expectations.

Video on Gallus.

Pretty Deadly thinks they were impressive against the Hunt but won’t talk about Eddie Dennis.

Xia Brookside and Dani Luna are looking forward to Ray’s address.

We go over the Heritage Cup rules.

Heritage Cup First Round: A Kid vs. Flash Morgan Webster

Kid takes him down by the head to start and armbars Webster down for trying to escape. The grappling continues but we wind up at a standoff on their feet, as tends to be the case. Morgan sends him to the apron for a springboard dropkick as the first round ends. We start the second round with Kid grabbing another headlock on the mat before switching over into a bow and arrow. Webster gets out again and works on Kid’s arm, which barely gets him anywhere. They go back to the mat for a pinfall reversal sequence with Webster stacking him up for the pin at 2:00 of the second round (5:23 overall).

The third round begins with Kid driving him into the corner for little avail. Kid’s arm cranking is on again but this time Webster reverses into a double arm choke. With that broken up, Webster is back up with the Rude Boy Block for two and a reverse hurricanrana connects as time expires. Round four begins with Webster hitting a nasty running knee to the face for two and going up top. Kid is right there with a super Spanish Fly and a hard superkick for the pin at 48 seconds of the round (9:56 total).

We’re tied up going into the fifth round and Kid smacks him in the face early on. They trade loud strikes until Webster gets two off a Falcon Arrow. Kid is back up with another kick to the head but Webster headbutts him down. Webster sends Kid outside for a suicide dive but it’s something like the Rings of Saturn to make Webster tap at 2:57 (13:11 total).

Rating: C+. I’m starting to get the hang of this idea and that’s going to make things easier. It’s such a different concept but when you ignore the 2/3 falls stuff, it’s basically a longer match with some breaks in the middle and that’s fine. I liked this one well enough and Kid continues to look like a rather nice project in the making. Webster losing isn’t the biggest surprise, but he hung in there after a bit of a weak start. Good match and the rules are starting to feel more natural.

Webster doesn’t look happy but he does shake hands.

Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov for the UK Title in three weeks.

Video on Dragunov’s path to the title shot. Walter talks about making Dragunov but this is his profession and he isn’t losing the title. We see some clips of their WXW matches with Dragunov shouting that Walter will not break him.

Flash Morgan Webster has been attacked and Mark Andrews runs up to check on him.

Here’s Kay Lee Ray to talk about how awesome her title reign has been. Cue the four women from tonight’s tag match, plus Piper Niven. A big brawl breaks out with extra women joining in. Ray tries to leave but Jinny catches her near the entrance. Jinny knocks Ray back to ringside and Niven cannonballs onto a bunch of people. Aoife Valkyrie hits a big dive of her own and Ray leaves to end the show. Kind of a weird segment but it did get some people on camera.

Overall Rating: C. This was more like the normal version of the show and I’m getting into the Heritage Cup. They are starting to showcase more of the roster in a good way and now that we have the big title match set, there is a point to a lot more of this. For a show that was mainly focused on the midcarders, this worked out rather well as NXT UK is starting to feel like its old self in a hurry.

Results

Xia Brookside/Dani Luna b. Amale/Nina Samuels – Brookside Bomb into a powerbomb to Amele

Saxon Huxley b. Jack Starz – Over the shoulder powerbomb drop

A Kid b. Flash Morgan Webster 2-1

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

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

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

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NXT UK – July 30, 2020: Pick Better

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 30, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

The barrel scraping continues as we look for some more content to fill in time until they can do some fresh tapings. I’m not sure more they can do in this situation but it might be time to look at some other NXT content, or even content from somewhere else. Hopefully we get something good here so let’s get to it.

Joseph Conners sends us to the Download Festival on June 26, 2019.

Mark Andrews vs. Joseph Conners

Andrews rolls out of a wristlock to start and takes him down with an armdrag. The fans are VERY appreciative of an armbar but Conners cuts them off by bending Andrews’ neck around the ropes. A running clothesline gets two and a suplex is good for the same as they’re keeping the offense simple so far. Some choking on the apron and a neck snap across the rope somehow wake Andrews up so he can slug away.

The knee slide into the enziguri sets up a suicide dive to the floor to rock Conners again. He’s right back with a sunset bomb into the corner though and a belly to back faceplant gets two. The fans are all over Conners, showing that the Download Festival has bad taste in heels. Andrews can’t get a backslide but can get a Stundog Millionaire. Fall To Pieces finishes Conners at 6:09.

Rating: C-. Just a match here and nothing that hasn’t been done better before. What makes me feel better though is that it seems Conners is falling down the card, which means we don’t have to listen to him anymore. Andrews is still easy to cheer for and that’s a good piece to have around on any show.

So Conners picked a match where he lost. I knew he was kind of dense.

A Kid is ready to come back because he has been studying everyone in NXT UK.

Isla Dawn wants to clip Xia Brookside’s wings. From NXT UK, January 9, 2019.

Isla Dawn vs. Xia Brookside

We actually get a handshake to start as the fans aren’t sure who they like more here. A wristlock gives us a standoff so Dawn takes her down into a quickly broken armbar. Dawn slips out of a headscissors and works on the legs, which just seems to annoy Brookside. Back up and Brookside dances out of a crossarm choke to put Dawn in one of her own. Dawn reverses into the same thing before it’s off to a pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls each. Brookside tries a victory roll but Dawn uses the Owen Hart counter by sitting down on it for the pin at 4:59.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere but Brookside continues to be all kinds of charming and adorable while Dawn is the kind of person who could be built back up into something bigger down the line. They’re going to need some fresh challengers after Takeover and while Dawn has already lost a shot, it’s not like they have any better options at the moment.

Dani Luna is ready to show us another side of herself.

Noam Dar is waiting on his birthday wishes and has a present for us. From NXT UK, October 17, 2018.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Noam Dar

Dar is challenging and General Manager Johnny Saint is in the ring for the introductions. Dunne gets a hero’s welcome, as you had to expect. Feeling out process to start but hang on because the fans need to sing Happy Birthday to Dar. That’s not cool with Dunne so he blasts Dar with a clothesline, which is fine with the fans as well. Dar sends him outside for a hard soccer kick to the arm and Dunne in in some sudden trouble.

Back in and Dunne hits a quick X Plex for a breather and unloads in the corner. Dar kicks him with the face so Dunne flips out of a German suplex and gets two off a powerbomb. A northern lights suplex gives Dar the same so Dunne goes for the fingers like a true villain who the fans cheer anyway. Dar is right back with a release fisherman’s suplex onto the apron and they’re both down. Stereo dives beat the count at nine as the fans declare this awesome.

Dunne goes to the fingers again so Dar spins around into an elbow to the face. A leglock is reversed into a cross armbreaker but Dar reverses that into an ankle lock. Dunne staggers him with an enziguri so Dar forearms him in the back of the head for the double knockdown. Dar kicks the leg out but the Nova Roller is forearmed out of the air. The Bitter End is reversed into a kneebar with Dunne having to dive for the rope. That’s enough for Dunne, who bends the fingers back again and stomps on the arm, setting up the Bitter End to retain at 11:35.

Rating: B. This didn’t have the drama or the emotion (or the time) that a lot of Dunne’s matches have but Dar more than showcased himself here. They’re doing a very good job of having Dunne get closer and closer to losing the title but surviving in the end. Whoever eventually figures out the puzzle is going to look like a star and that’s the point of such a long title reign. Good first main event here.

Post match Dunne offers a handshake but the injured Dar sticks his pinkie up, which Dunne seems fine with as he returns the gesture and smiles.

Overall Rating: C. I was getting flashbacks to the old days of the show here and not just because they had so many older matches. This felt like a show from their formative days, with two nothing matches and then a good main event to bail it out. I’m getting worried about how bad things are going to get, if nothing else due to having the Best Of be people picking matches where they lose. They don’t have anything better than that?

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 – April 2, 2020: I Miss You Alma

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 2, 2020
Location: Coventry Skydome, Coventry, England
Commentators: Andy Williams, Nigel McGuinness

Unless there are some matches that aren’t listed, this is it as far as original episodes go for the time being. It’s a shame too as you could have imagined a match taking place over Wrestlemania weekend or something and then the huge Takeover: Dublin show. As for tonight though, it’s a big battle royal to crown a new #1 contender. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video is ALL about the battle royal as everyone wants to win the match and become #1 contender. As they should.

Opening sequence.

Kay Lee Ray/Jinny vs. Dani Luna/Piper Niven

Despite Dani’s protests, Piper and Jinny start things off….but Piper tags Dani in anyway. Jinny’s running crossbody doesn’t work but Ray comes in for a cheap shot to put Dani down. Ray pulls Piper off the apron and has to run away, allowing Jinny to knock Dani down for two. Some double teaming in the corner keeps Dani in trouble and Ray’s gordbuster gets two.

Ray forearms her in the chest as we hear a voiceover from Nigel about Wrestlemania being a two night show. Jinny grabs an Octopus Hold but has to let go as Dani powers towards the corner. A few forearms allow the hot tag to Piper and it’s time to run Jinny over. A buckle bomb sets up the Cannonball but Ray breaks up the Vader Bomb. Everything breaks down and Piper gets sent into the steps, leaving Luna to get Gory Bombed for the pin at 7:10.

Rating: C. Nice energetic match here and that’s the best thing that they could have done. Piper vs. Ray seems to be coming sooner or later and that’s the most logical match they have. Luna has gotten a nice little push as of late and while the loss didn’t help her here, she has some potential and could go somewhere in the future.

Next week: the Rise of NXT UK. Looks like a history special.

Video on Gallus.

Xia Brookside vs. Amele

Amele works on a wristlock to start but Xia takes her down into a crossbody for two. The armbar keeps Amele down but she’s right back up to work on the arm again. Another armbar works on Xia’s arm this time until a flying mare and jawbreaker get Xia out of trouble. Some running knees in the corner set up the Broken Wings for the pin on Amele at 2:59.

Battle Royal

Ashton Smith, Ridge Holland, Kassius Ohno, Alexander Wolfe, Dave Mastiff, Oliver Carter, Travis Banks, Ligero, Saxton Huxley, Joe Coffey, Jordan Devlin, Ilja Dragunov, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Noam Dar, Kenny Williams, Tyson T-Bone, A-Kid, Amir Jordan, Flash Morgan Webster

The winner gets a UK Title shot at some point in the future. Ohno backs away from Holland and Mastiff to start and is promptly ganged for the early elimination. Huxley throws out Williams and it’s Webster and Kid throwing each other to the apron for no avail. Coffey gets rid of Webster and Jordan headscissors Huxley out. Kid is thrown onto Huxley’s back but chokes him out and climbs back in for a clever save.

T-Bone is out next and Coffey seems to be favoring his leg. A chokebomb plants Banks and Mastiff gets rid of him, meaning it’s time for everyone to fight near the ropes. Mastiff gets rid of Jordan (Nigel: “Jordan with a mere ten minutes in the match!”), followed by Holland powering out Carter (with a huge overhead belly to belly) and Smith back to back. Ligero is thrown onto the two of them, leaving Mastiff vs. Holland. As usual, Dar messes things up by interrupting the showdown but here’s Joseph Conners to distract Holland so Coffey and Dragunov can get rid of him as well.

Coffey and Dragunov have the big slugout for a double knockdown, leaving Moustache Mountain to hit stereo airplane spins on Dar and Kid. Seven drops Bate (with love of course) but Coffey tosses Seven from behind. Bate manages to get Mastiff on his shoulders but can’t keep him up so it’s time for everyone to pair off. Kid hits a springboard clothesline on Coffey but gets headbutted out by Devlin. A Rock Bottom puts Dragunov onto Coffey and Devlin moonsaults onto both of them, only to have Dar throw Devlin out.

Mastiff is waiting on Dar though and it’s a big backsplash to crush him hard. Everyone gets together to get rid of Mastiff though and we’re down to Coffey, Dar, Bate, Dragunov and Wolfe. Bate gets rid of Dar (the fans sound VERY pleased) and everyone takes a corner. Coffey swings Dragunov for a long time before crushing Bate in the corner. A running tackle crushes Bate and Dragunov at the same time but Wolfe sends him to the apron. Wolfe kicks Coffey out and we’re down to three.

Bate and Dragunov double team Wolfe but some heel miscommunication lets him take them both down, including a heck of a German suplex to drop Bate on his head. Bate staggers Wolfe though and Dragunov clotheslines him out, leaving Bate vs. Dragunov. They tease some eliminations until Bop and Bang drops Dragunov in a heap. A suplex plants Dragunov again but Bate walks into a hard clothesline.

The 6 1 Line plants Bate again and they’re both down for a bit. Bate unloads with rights and lefts until an enziguri takes him down again. They both go over the top and out to the apron so Bate loads up a rather illogical superplex. Dragunov throws him back in and hits a top rope backsplash but can’t hit Torpedo Moscow. Bate gets sent over the top but holds on with one hand, allowing Dragunov to hit Torpedo Moscow for the win at 28:40.

Rating: C+. The length was a bit of a problem but they kept things energized for a good chunk of the time. The ending was the best part and Dragunov is the best choice for the title shot. Odds are that was set for Dublin and they can go back to it whenever things are back to normal. A lot of people looked good in this though and that’s what matters in a match like this.

Overall Rating: C. The show itself was built entirely around the battle royal and the other two matches were just kind of there. It was nice to have the two other matches be all about the women because they weren’t going to get a place in the rest of the show. This was a good way to go out, but it feels like a season finale on a lower level indy company than what we have here. Then again, it’s not like anything going on today makes sense so that’s about as good as they could have gotten.

Results

Kay Lee Ray/Jinny b. Dani Luna/Piper Niven – Gory Bomb to Luna

Xia Brookside b. Amele – Broken Wings

Ilja Dragunov won a battle royal last eliminating Tyler Bate

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 19, 2020: Take What You Can Get

IMG Credit; WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 19, 2020
Location: Coventry Skydome, Coventry, England
Commentators: Andy Williams, Nigel McGuinness

Things should feel a bit more normal this time around as this show was taped before everything went loopy. We should be good for a few more weeks around here as NXT UK tapes pretty far in advance. That being said, last week’s show wasn’t all that great so hopefully they pick things up this time around. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Finn Balor showing up last week, getting in a few shots on Imperium, and running.

Opening sequence.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Dani Luna

Luna takes her down with ease to start but a charge into the corner is cut off with a knee to the ribs. Ray grabs a seated abdominal stretch and hammers at the chest, followed by a middle rope dropkick for two. Back up and Luna muscles her over with a suplex for her own two, only to have Ray grab the Gory Bomb for the pin at 2:33. Short and to the point here.

Post match Ray loads up another Gory Bomb but Piper Niven runs in for the save.

Last week, everyone glared at Finn Balor as he left, including a staredown with Tyler Bate.

Bate went to the bosses about a match with Balor but gets put in a twenty man battle royal for the #1 contendership in two weeks instead.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie.

Nina Samuels is tired of hearing this buzz about Valkyrie.

Ridge Holland vs. Joseph Conners

Conners bails into the corner to start and then gets thrown into it for a change of pace. A release tilt-a-whirl slam sets up some forearms to Conners’ face as the power beating is on. Conners manages to kick at the leg though and Holland is knocked outside, meaning it’s a suicide dive. Back in and Holland starts in on the leg with a DDT and chop block to keep Holland down.

The leg is wrapped around the post and Conners kicks away at it in the corner, where the leg is wrapped around the rope. Holland is strong enough to grab an overhead suplex before a Pounce puts Conners back on the floor. Conners kicks at the knee again and gets two off a slingshot Downward Spiral, only to get caught in Northern Grit to give Holland the fast pin at 7:45.

Rating: C-. Holland might not be the most in-depth character, but he has the two things he needs to be a star: a great look and a dainty hat. He’s the kind of guy that WWE stereotypically would love to push so it makes sense that he is getting a chance around here. If nothing else, going with someone who looks that much different than the rest of the roster makes a lot of sense.

Mark Andrews has been attacked before tonight’s six man main event.

Video on Ilja Dragunov.

Kassius Ohno vs. Kenny Williams

Ohno takes him to the mat with ease to start as the fans are behind Ohno for a change. Back up and Ohno knees him in the ribs but has to kick out of a sunset flip. A headscissors works a bit better for Williams, who grabs him by the wrist and goes up. You don’t do that to someone like Ohno though, as he pulls Williams down by the arm without much effort. Back up and Williams strikes away, including some kicks to the head. Ohno gets knocked to the floor and that means a suicide dive, only to knock Williams silly with a shot to the face. The Kassius Clutch finishes the out cold Williams at 6:59.

Rating: C. Williams was trying here but there’s something to be said about Ohno winning by hitting people in the face really hard and then bragging about how awesome he is at pure wrestling. I mean, he is good at it, but the whole thing is better than it should be. Not a bad match either, as Ohno continues to play his role well.

A-Kid interview, Noam Dar interrupts, match next week.

Video on Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks for the Cruiserweight Title next week.

Gallus vs. Dave Mastiff/Flash Morgan Webster/Trent Seven

Seven, Andrews’ replacement, shoulders and hiptosses Wolfgang down to start and it’s off to Webster in a hurry. Wolfgang shoves him into the corner though and it’s off to Mark, who gets hurricanranaed right back down. A quick distraction lets Mark get in an elbow to the face and it’s off to Joe for a pop up uppercut. Joe’s sliding lariat gets two more and we hit the neck crank.

It’s already back to Wolfgang for a running hip attack, plus some stomping from Mark. We hit the chinlock for a bit until a kick to the head allows the hot tag off to Mastiff. Everything breaks down and it’s Joe and Mastiff trading big shoulders. Trent comes back in to DDT Wolfgang but Mastiff blocks All The Best For The Bells. Webster Swantons Joe for two and a rollup gets the same but Wolfgang tags himself back in. With Mastiff and Seven down, All The Best For The Bells finishes Webster at 10:17.

Rating: C. It came, it went, it ended like you would have expected it to and it was fine. I’m not sure what else there is to say about it because there was nothing important to talk about here. They did their stuff and they did it fine, but the mixed bag of opponents for Gallus didn’t exactly make me interested.

Overall Rating: C-. That was one of the most decisively mediocre shows I can remember watching in a long time. There was nothing very good and there was nothing very bad, but it set up some stuff for the future so it was hardly a big waste of time. It was ok enough, but I need a little bit more than ok enough to get my interest up.

Results

Kay Lee Ray b. Dani Luna – Gory Bomb

Ridge Holland b. Joseph Conners – Northern Grit

Kassius Ohno b. Kenny Williams – Kassius Clutch

Gallus b. Dave Mastiff/Flash Morgan Webster/Trent Seven – All The Best For The Bells to Webster

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 – February 6, 2020: It’s Becoming A Favorite

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: February 6, 2020
Location: York Barbican, York, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Aiden English

It’s time for a big fight and that means no turnbuckles this time around. The main event for this week is Eddie Dennis vs. Trent Seven in a match with all of the turnbuckles exposed after Dennis cheated to win at Takeover. Other than that, we continue the build towards…well I’m not sure actually as it could be a long time before the next Takeover. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Piper Niven vs. Dani Luna

Piper drives her into the corner to start but Luna drives her right back thanks to a powerlifting background. That earns her a cobra clutch but Luna is out with a kick to the face. Luna can’t slam her though, allowing Piper to slam her down instead. A seated crossbody sets up a chinlock but Luna fights up and dropkicks the knee. The real power display sees Luna get her up in a fireman’s carry but can’t do anything with it. Instead, Niven slips out and grabs the Michinoku driver for the pin at 4:33.

Rating: C-. Luna is a newcomer and got to show off with the power game, which is what you can do with a monster like Niven. It wasn’t a great match or even a very good one, but Luna made an impression and Niven got the win to get her back on track. The power displays were what mattered here though and they worked out as they were supposed to.

Gallus is ready for Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan.

Jordan Devlin is very proud with his new title and now he’s proven his greatness.

A-Kid vs. Tyler Bate

Mentee vs. mentor. The fans start singing to Tyler as A-Kid takes him down with a waistlock. That’s broken up in a hurry and we have an early standoff. Bate headlocks him down but A-Kid reverses into a headlock. Back up and A-Kid scores with a northern lights suplex but Bate is right back with a suplex of his own. The running shooting star press is countered into a triangle choke so Bate muscles him up into the airplane spin. That’s broken up as well and A-Kid throws him to the floor for a moonsault from the top. Back in and Bate hits the rebound clothesline and the Tyler Driver 97 for the quick pin at 5:52.

Rating: C+. A-Kid is someone who could go somewhere around here and that’s a good sign for the future. He’s young and talented, though I’m not sure how much he has done to stand out just yet. What matters though is the fact that he is hanging with one of the biggest stars around here and that’s a good sign. Bate is…well he’s Bate and I think that speaks for itself.

Post match respect is shown but here’s Joseph Conners to say Bate can come find him when he wants to fight a man instead of a boy. If Bate can’t make him interesting, no one can.

We look back at last week’s main event, capped off by Dave Mastiff and Walter staring each other down.

After last week’s show, Mastiff went Walter hunting to no avail.

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Pretty Deadly

Smith shoulders Howley down to start and gets two off a stalling suplex. Carter sunset flips in for two and it’s off to Stoker, who gets beaten up as well. It’s already back to Smith, who beats up both of them at once, including a backdrop to Howley. Stoker offers a distraction though and Howley gets in a cheap shot to take over on Smith.

That means the heels can start the tandem offense, setting up a seated abdominal stretch to keep Smith in trouble. A backdrop puts Howley on the floor again and the hot tag brings in Carter to clean house. Stoker intentionally low bridges Howley to the floor to get him out of trouble but Carter beats them both up again. A One Winged Angel into a backbreaker finishes Stoker at 5:45.

Rating: C. Just a match here but what matters here is adding in some new teams. There are only so many teams around here and it’s a good idea to add in some new ones where you can. Carter and Smith can be fine as the plucky team who can go somewhere in the future, while Pretty Deadly is likely to get a bit better when they’re given some time to do some promos or vignette.

Post match Pretty Deadly jumps Smith so Carter can make a save.

Ilja Dragunov beat up a tire earlier this week but makes it clear that he’s ready for Joe Coffey.

Here’s Kay Lee Ray for a chat. She says she’s never giving this title up but we pause for a Toni Storm chant. Ray talks about how she has all of the power and respect and there is nothing Storm can do about it. Cue Storm to say Ray stole the win at Takeover and the title belongs to her. Ray issues another challenge: they can have an I Quit match, but when Storm loses, she’s done getting title shots. Storm can think about it.

Aoife Valkyrie debuts next week.

Eddie Dennis vs. Trent Seven

There are no turnbuckle pads and anything goes. Seven jumps him to start and takes it to the floor for a whip into the barricade. Eddie is back with a whip into the steps though and it’s time to throw the top half of the steps away. A forearm puts Seven down again but the Severn Bridge into the crowd is broken up. Instead, Seven grabs a DDT onto the steps and they fight into the crowd for a change.

Another whip into the barricade has Seven in trouble and now the Severn Bridge over the barricade and onto the steps gets two. That’s only good for two so Seven tries to whip him into the corner, but Eddie is smart enough to drop to the floor and avoid the steal. They go back into the crowd with Seven being sent over to the commentary area.

The Severn Bridge is broken up again and it’s a Birminghammer off the announcers’ table onto another table and they’re both rather down (with Dennis apparently injuring his shoulder in the process). They would have been better off having this as a falls count anywhere match so that could have been the finish.

Dennis is sent back to ringside but Trent misses a corkscrew dive off the barricade. They pull themselves to the apron and it’s Seven going into the buckle first. The Next Stop Driver is blocked and Eddie is whipped into the corner, setting up the second Birminghammer for the pin at 11:25.

Rating: B-. Injury aside, this could have been really good if they had let it be a regular street fight and given it a bit more time. The problem is they barely went near the buckles until the end as the rest was spent on the (good) brawling in the crowd. I liked the intensity though and the match felt like a main event, but it could have been something even better but as such we only got something good.

Overall Rating: B. The main event is the best thing on the show but what mattered here was how much they seemed to get in despite not even being on the air for an hour. This felt very similar to one of the great NXT formula shows and that’s some of the best praise I can give it. A bunch of stories were advanced or at least mentioned and the show never felt like it had too much going on. I liked this a lot and this show is rapidly becoming a favorite.

Results

Piper Niven b. Dani Luna – Michinoku Driver

Tyler Bate b. A-Kid – Tyler Driver 97

Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith b. Pretty Deadly – Electric chair backbreaker to Stoker

Trent Seven b. Eddie Dennis – Birminghammer

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 – September 25, 2019: The Big Relief

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: September 25, 2019
Location: Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

This taping almost has to be coming to an end right? It feels like we’ve been on this same taping cycle forever now and that doesn’t seem to be changing. Last week saw Kassius Ohno defeat Sid Scala in a British Rounds match and that means….well not much actually, but it was good stuff. This week it’s Noam Dar vs. Trent Seven, which is an upgrade for one and a downgrade for the other. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Moustache Mountain came to work earlier today.

Oliver Carter vs. Ligero

They slap hands to start and Carter grabs a quickly broken headlock. Carter flips over his back but gets rolled up for a fast two and we hit the standoff. Ligero’s headscissors doesn’t work so Carter rolls him up for two more. Carter heads to the apron and scores with a knee to the face but gets armdragged off the top for a big crash.

We hit the double arm crank for a bit until Carter slips out and kicks Ligero in the horn. An overhead belly to belly sets up another kick to the head for two, followed by a Lionsault for the same. Ligero is right back up with a monkey flip into the corner though and a springboard Stunner rocks Carter again. C4L finishes Carter at 5:26.

Rating: C. I don’t know what the deal is with Carter as they built him up as someone of note and then he loses his first two matches clean. I’d assume they have something planned for him and if that’s the case then fine, but it’s quite the odd way to go to start with him. Then again, it’s not like he was that interesting in the first place.

Walter showed up at the UK Performance Center and yelled at some trainees for not working hard enough. Some of them practiced a bit so Walter chopped them down for laughing. That’s why he’s going to be the champion forever: there is no future around here.

Starting next week: NXT UK is on Thursdays. That’s quite the relief as there was no need to pack in so much stuff on one day when Thursday was sitting there empty.

Here’s Tyler Bate for the first time since Takeover. The fans are rather pleased and sing about him in approval. Takeover was one of the hardest nights of his career and it wasn’t just because of the beating from Walter or not leaving as champion. It was because he felt like he had left the fans down, which earns him a NO chant. He’s far from finished around here though….and here’s Jordan Devlin to interrupt.

Yeah Bate worked hard at Takeover but it didn’t impress Devlin. Why was he on the sidelines at Takeover while Bate failed miserably? Everyone knows Devlin is the only man around here who can beat Walter and he would be United Kingdom Champion if he had the shot at Takeover. Bate may be big and strong but he’s a boy instead of a man. The fight is almost on but Devlin bails instead.

Video on Tegan Nox’s impressive start to her WWE career, which was then cut short by her second horrible knee injury. Rehab was hard but now she’s back and facing Kay Lee Ray next week.

Nina Samuels vs. Dani Luna

Luna is a Welsh wrestler who gets a rather strong reaction. A wristlock doesn’t work well on Luna as she powers out but Nina takes her down and punches away. Nina gets two off a Hennig Neck Snap and dropkicks her in the back for two. We hit the cross arm choke and Nina adds some trash talk for flavor. That’s broken up and Dani gets in a deadlift suplex, but the shaken up Nina kicks her in the head. Luna’s fall away slam gets two but Nina kicks her in the face and grabs the Final Act for the pin at 5:55.

Rating: D+. The fans were behind Luna but it’s clear that she has a long way to go. Nina is an interesting case as it was clear they wanted to push her but she somehow feels like a throwback to the early days of NXT UK (if such a thing exists) as the promotion has come a long way in a short amount of time. Nina can get back to the important part of the card, but it might take some tweaking.

Next week: Isla Dawn vs. Piper Niven.

Noam Dar vs. Trent Seven

Dar goes straight to the ropes for a delay before going to the hair to take over with a wristlock. A nearly clean break has Dar raving about the lack of a clean break so he headlocks Trent down and pulls on the moustache. They take turns sending each other into the ropes until Seven hits a crossbody for two. Dar goes back to the beard before crotching Seven on top to really take over. The middle rope clothesline drops Seven again and Dar sends him upside down into the ropes for a crash to the floor.

Back in and Seven makes his comeback with some forearms, only to get uppercutted right back down. Seven is fine enough to chop away and hit a DDT to really stun Dar. A twisting corkscrew misses so Seven punches him in the face. The Seven Star Lariat connects for two though and they’re both down. Dar is right back up with a shot to the face and another to the back of the head, but he stops to mess with Seven’s towel. This includes putting it down his trunks and that’s too much for Seven, who unloads on him for the DQ at 9:28.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have Seven back and as usual, Dar is a lot easier to hate when he stays in the ring being a jerk than when he runs his mouth backstage. He really isn’t the most interesting guy, but he keeps coming back onto my good side every now and then, which is a lot better than some people. Just be consistent and we might be able to get somewhere with him.

Post match Dar escapes and smiles to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. While not bad, this was a completely skippable show with almost nothing going on save for the setup for what could be a good Bate vs. Devlin match. They didn’t have a lot of the big names here and it was showing badly, which isn’t the best kind of show as a result. It wasn’t awful, though just not much that you need to see.

Results

Ligero b. Oliver Carter – C4L

Nina Samuels b. Dani Luna – Final Act

Noam Dar b. Trent Seven via DQ when Seven attacked in the ropes

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