NXT UK
Date: July 21, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re coming off of a title change last week as Mark Coffey FINALLY took the Heritage Cup from Noam Dar, ending his record reign. After the match, Joe Coffey made his return to celebrate with his brother as things seem to be going well for Gallus for a change. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Mark Coffey’s win last week.

Opening sequence.

Isla Dawn vs. Fallon Henley

Henley forearms away to start and hits an elbow to the face before armdragging her into the ropes. That means a forearm to the face but Dawn sends her into the corner to take over. A running kick to the chest gives Dawn two and we hit the cross arm choke. Henley fights up and drives her into the corner for the break, only to get kicked in the head. Dawn hits a half nelson slam for the pin at 5:13.

Rating: C-. I continue to have no idea what is going on with the bottom half of the women’s division as Dawn gets a win after seemingly not winning anything for the better part of ever. At the same time, you would think that Henley would be one of the more protected stars from NXT, though it does at least give Dawn a win with some value. That isn’t likely to go anywhere, but at least she got something.

Sarray is happy to be here but stops to ask Meiko Satomura for a match. Satomura is down for a change, but tells Sarray to be prepared.

We look back at Amale beating Stevie Turner but not impressing Blair Davenport.

Amale goes to find Blair Davenport and says she’s keeping her anger for whenever they get in the ring.

Josh Morrell vs. Dave Mastiff

Morrell has both shoulders taped up. Mastiff grabs a headlock to start and takes it to the mat, where Morrell hand walks his way to freedom. A wristlock has about the same luck as Morrell spins out, leaving Mastiff frustrated. Instead of the holds Mastiff tries the power, with a hard shoulder and belly to back suplex to drop Morrell for the first time. The slow pounding begins, with Mastiff forearming him down and putting on the nerve hold.

Back up and an overhead belly to belly sends Morrell flying for two in a good looking crash. Morrell can’t get a sunset flip but he can hit a dropkick, setting up a corkscrew moonsault for two. Another dropkick puts Mastiff on the floor, setting up a big running flip dive. Back in and Mastiff snaps off a powerbomb into a Regal Roll for two. Another Regal Roll sets up a backsplash to finish Morrell at 7:01.

Rating: C. So you have Morrell get a win a few weeks ago and then he gets beaten down here in a near squash. I’m not sure what the logic is there, as Morrell seems to have something that might be worth giving a small shot. Mastiff winning is fine enough, but why have Morrell lose after building him up recently?

Respect is shown post match.

Sha Samuels and Noam Dar are having some trouble paying off the gambling debts from last week’s Heritage Cup loss. They can’t even afford a paper or booze so Dar leaves. Two hours later, Johnny Saint showed up to get his money, sending Dar running off.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen are fired up to be champions and they’re down for a title defense against Wild Boar/Mark Andrews.

Nina Samuels vs. Emilia McKenzie

They fight over a lockup to start until McKenzie gets up the ropes for a quick hurricanrana. Samuels gets taken into the corner for some kicks to the leg but sends McKenzie face first into the ropes. A dropkick to the back puts McKenzie in trouble and she gets tossed around the ring without much trouble.

The comeback is cut off with a forearm to the face for a delayed two before Samuels puts her on top. That’s fine with McKenzie, who pounds her down for a crash outside. Back in and a faceplant drops Samuels for two but McKenzie misses a charge into the corner to give Samuels two of her own. That doesn’t seem to matter as McKenzie hits a spear for the pin at 4:57.

Rating: C. They’re building to something with McKenzie, as she isn’t happy with Meiko Satomura paying more attention to Sarray. A win here gives her a bit of momentum and it wouldn’t shock me to see her get involved in the upcoming Sarray vs. Satomura match. That’s a way to go, as McKenzie is certainly talented enough to go somewhere if given a chance.

We get a face to face showdown between Ilja Dragunov and Wolfgang before Dragunov’s United Kingdom Title defense next week. Wolfgang has wanted to be champion since 2017 and wants to take it from Dragunov. That’s cool with Dragunov, who says Wolfgang is the kind of person who helped him get to the title in the first place.

Wolfgang wants to win the title, but Dragunov talks about Wolfgang being stuck in the shadow of Gallus. Next week, Dragunov wants to fight Wolfgang one on one, not a member of Gallus. Wolfgang is ready to do Dragunov a favor by taking the champion’s burden away, but Dragunov doesn’t think so. Simple and to the point here, but it’s a little hard to buy Wolfgang as a major threat to Dragunov.

Trent Seven vs. Sam Gradwell

Seven is sent outside with Gradwell hitting a suicide dive eleven seconds in. Gradwell knocks him around ringside before pulling Seven off the apron to keep him in trouble. They get up to the apron, with Seven nailing a hard lariat to drop Gradwell for a needed breather. Back in and a suplex drops Gradwell, allowing Seven to kick away at the chest. That just wakes Gradwell up so he fires off forearms to the face and a belly to belly suplex for a bonus.

A running clothesline puts Seven on the floor again but he’s right back in for a hard suicide dive to knock Gradwell into the barricade. Back in and Gradwell catches him on top for a top rope butterfly suplex (and a heck of a crash). That’s enough for Seven to run, which is enough of a ruse to let Seven send Gradwell knee first into the steps. They get back in and it’s time to stay on Gradwell’s knee, with the brace being ripped off.

Something close to a Figure Four has the knee in trouble, though Gradwell turns it over, with Seven getting straight to the rope. Gradwell hits a hard clothesline for two but Seven goes right back to the knee. The Seven Star Lariat gets two so Seven grabs the knee brace. A big swing misses, so Gradwell drops him with a discus forearm. Gradwell picks up the brace but gets it taken away, allowing Seven to kick him low (because he’s a modern heel). Another Seven Star Lariat finishes Gradwell at 11:02.

Rating: C+. This was the same problem that Seven has had since his heel turn: he’s only so good/interesting in the ring and his way out of trouble is a low blow. Other than the eventual match with Tyler Bate, I’m not sure how interesting he is going to be. As long as he isn’t pushed as the next top heel or even a huge deal, it should work out, but I don’t know what kind of legs he has in this role after the Bate showdown.

Post match Seven loads up another low blow but Tyler Bate returns and chases him off to end the show (with Seven giving a great “I’ve just seen a ghost” face).

Overall Rating: C-. Not their best effort of a show, as you can feel the energy draining out. Maybe things can get a bit better with a fresh taping cycle, but Dragunov vs. Wolfgang isn’t exactly a top feud. I don’t know if Seven vs. Bate is the big solution, but things have not been the most thrilling around here as of late. At least the NXT invasion seems to have gone away, though it isn’t like things are great again. This wasn’t a very interesting show and that needs to change in the coming weeks.

Results
Isla Dawn b. Fallon Henley – Half nelson slam
Dave Mastiff b. Josh Morrell – Backsplash
Emilia McKenzie b. Nina Samuels – Spear
Trent Seven b. Sam Gradwell – Seven Star Lariat

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NXT UK
Date: July 14, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We are in for a big time title match this week as the Heritage Cup is on the line. Noam Dar has dominated the division for such a long time that he is starting to repeat challenges, which will be the case this week as Mark Coffey gets another shot. Other than that, we have the continuing adventures of just about everyone else around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oliver Carter vs. Teoman

The rest of Die Familie is here with Teoman. They go technical to start until Teoman elbows him in the face. It’s too early for a wristlock though (if that’s possible) and Carter takes over on the arm instead. That’s broken up as well and Teoman hits a neckbreaker onto the knee for two.

We hit the chinlock for a bit, followed by some slow stomping to keep Carter down. Carter fights up and hits a quick springboard moonsault to start the comeback, including an elbow to the face. Another neckbreaker cuts Carter down for two, only to have him kick Teoman in the face for a breather of his own. That means it’s time for Carter to cut off Die Familie’s interference, setting up the springboard missile dropkick. A running spinwheel kick in the corner gives Carter the pin at 7:27.

Rating: C. Carter is someone who could do something interesting on his own but odds are that is not going to be done for whenever Ashton Smith comes back. The good thing is that NXT UK has turned Carter and Smith from little more than a jobber team to stars and a team that means something. That is something WWE and NXT have struggled to do for a long time but they pulled it off here, so well done.

Post match Die Familie comes in and beats Carter down.

Trent Seven jumped Sam Gradwell at the Performance Center.

Fallon Henley is at the Performance Center when Isla Dawn comes up to freak her out. Well at least she tries to, as Henley doesn’t seem impressed.

Dave Mastiff congratulates Josh Morrell on his win last week but says next week won’t go so well when they meet. Morrell says he’ll give it everything he has.

Wolfgang is kicking a soccer ball around and has heard that Ilja Dragunov respects him. That means something, but there is no animal more dangerous than Wolfgang. Why can’t he take the United Kingdom Title?

Stevie Turner vs. Amale

Blair Davenport is on commentary. Turner grabs a headlock to start and runs Amale over, setting up the pose as Davenport brags about her own awesomeness. Amale is back with a running neckbreaker into a running basement dropkick. That’s too early for a comeback (assuming she was in enough trouble to count it as a comeback) though and Turner kicks her down again. A running boot to the face and a running knee lift get two on Amale as Davenport doesn’t approve. Amale starts screaming a lot and hits a running bulldog for two, followed by the Hope Breaker for the pin at 4:16.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here, but the interesting thing is the fact that there are a few things going on in the women’s division. This is impressive not just because things are going well, but also because there are enough people and stories to make an actual division for a change. It might not have been a great match but I’d kind of like to see where things go, and that is an improvement.

Sha Samuels can’t accompany Noam Dar to the ring tonight.

Meiko Satomura and Sarray are happy with their win, but Satomura wants a match with her next week. Satomura doesn’t say anything but leaves with Sarray. Emilia McKenzie isn’t happy but is less thrilled with Nina Samuels coming up to ask how that makes her feel. McKenzie leaves as well, with Samuels finding this intriguing.

Mark Andrews and Wild Boar would like a Tag Team Title shot.

Sid Scala announces Ilja Dragunov vs. Wolfgang for the United Kingdom Title in two weeks.

Heritage Cup: Mark Coffey vs. Noam Dar

Dar is defending and has no Sha Samuels, who has put Coffey as a 100-1 underdog. Round One begins with a bit of a slow pace as they go for some grappling. The threat of an armbar sends Dar into the ropes, where he compliments Coffey on his intelligence. Coffey takes him to the mat before letting him back up for a running shoulder. The armbar has Dar in more trouble as the round ends, with Dar seeming to sucker Coffey into an illegal cheap shot (the referee isn’t pleased).

Round Two begins with the Nova Roller missing and Coffey grabbing the Gator Lock (kind of a Tazmission but with Coffey on the mat like he would be for a crossface) for a tap and a 1-0 lead at 16 seconds of the round and 3:56 overall. Round Three begins with Coffey going for an early rollup, followed by a quick middle rope bulldog. Dar is sent to the apron and manages to get up a kick to the face.

Another shot the face gives Dar two and it’s time to start stomping on the arm. Coffey tries to fire up but gets kicked down for two more. A suplex is blocked but Dar can’t hit the Nova Roller before the time runs out (leaving Samuels panicking even more in the back). Round Four begins with Coffey grabbing another rollup but getting kicked in the face for his efforts. The kneebar makes Coffey tap to tie it up at 40 seconds of the round and 9:01 overall.

Round Five begins with Dar hitting a running corner dropkick for two. Another kneebar is countered so Coffey can boot him in the face. Dar is back up with a guillotine choke, which is countered into a suplex for a double knockdown. They fight up against the ropes until Dar kicks the knee out. Dar goes up top but gets caught, setting up a superplex as time expires.

Round Six begins with another kneebar being blocked so Dar kicks him in the face. The Gator Lock goes on again, with Dark making it over to the rope in a hurry. They head outside with Dar taking him out but Coffey just beats the count. An elbow to the face gives Dar two but Coffey is back with a running clothesline. The sliding forearm gives Coffey the pin and the title at 2:58 of the round and 18:35.

Rating: B. These two beat each other up rather well and I was wanting to see just how much one of them could take before they gave out. Coffey got the big win that he has been waiting on for a long time now and that opens up a bunch of doors going forward. If nothing else, Joe Coffey coming back could set up a heck of a showdown if that’s where they go. Good main event here, and Dar should be in line for a shot at the United Kingdom Title after a run like this one.

Post match Samuels comes out, tears up his betting slips, and cries a lot as Dar comes over to him. A lot of the locker room comes out to celebrate with Coffey….and to get their money. With everyone else gone, Joe Coffey comes to the ring and celebrates with Mark to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event carried the show and they did a nice job of not having the NXT stars take over the show again. This felt like the old school NXT UK show and it was nice to have something like that around again. At its best, NXT UK can be a lot of fun and that is what they made work here. I don’t quite believe the show will be back to where it was before, but I’ll take it for a start.

Results
Oliver Carter b. Teoman – Running spinwheel kick in the corner
Amale b. Stevie Turner – Hope Breaker
Mark Coffey b. Noam Dar 2-1

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NXT UK
Date: June 23, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things have gotten a little more interesting around here as Trent Seven has gone full evil and it should set up a heck of a personal feud with Tyler Bate. Other than that, Kenny Williams is still trying to figure out what is up with Tiger Turan and Ilja Dragunov needs something to do. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Moustache Mountain losing the Tag Team Titles and the official split last week.

Opening sequence.

Here are Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter to get things going, with Smith having his knee heavily braced and showing a limp. Smith talks about how he was going nowhere until Carter became his partner. Now he is a champion in WWE because they are the NXT UK Tag Team Champions. However, that makes what he is about to say next all the harder: he has ruptured his MCL and the titles have to be vacated due to his injury.

Smith apologizes to Carter, who says Smith didn’t let him down. Carter says he’s always there for Smith, who tells Carter to make a go of it while he’s out of action. Sid Scala comes out to accept the vacated titles, but does announce Smith and Carter as the champions one more time. Smith and Carter leave so here is Die Familie to interrupt. Those titles should be theirs but here are Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen, Jack Stars/Dave Mastiff and Mark Andrews/Wild boar to interrupt. No one says anything, but Scala makes a four way elimination match for the titles in tonight’s main event.

Sarray comes in to see Meiko Satomura and pays some respect. With Sarray gone, Meiko tells Emilia McKenzie that she gets to face Fallon Henley next week. Meiko wants some fighting spirit.

Sha Samuels isn’t happy with Sid Scala but Wolfgang interrupts and a match is teased.

Myla Grace vs. Isla Dawn

Grace takes her to the mat to start and spins around a lot, setting up the basement dropkick to the side of the head. Dawn isn’t having that though and kicks her down, setting up the chinlock. Grace fights up and strikes away before a tornado DDT gets two. A middle rope dive misses though and Dawn kicks her in the head. The half nelson slam finishes for Dawn at 5:05.

Rating: C. Not much to this one but Grace is someone who has been around a few times now and isn’t too bad. The division can always use some fresh blood and that is what we might be seeing here. She wasn’t squashed here but there is no shame in losing to someone who has been around as long as Dawn.

Tyler Bate has taken a leave of absence after Trent Seven attacked him last week.

Kenny Williams is still obsessed with Tiger Turan.

Noam Dar comes in to see Sid Scala and thinks he is going to have to retire as Heritage Cup Champion. Or maybe he’ll have one more match, for some money money.

Nina Samuels vs. Sarray

Sarray grabs the leg to start and the threat of a half crab sends Samuels over to the rope. Back up and Samuels cranks on the wrist until Sarray sends her into the corner. Samuels knocks her down though and ribs at the face in the ropes. That’s broken up and Sarray dropkicks the knee out before knocking her off the top. The running dropkick against the ropes sets up a high collar suplex to finish Samuels at 5:35.

Rating: C. I get the idea of Sarray, but the transforming thing is just a weird deal that doesn’t add anything and is weird throughout. I’m not sure what the point of the thing is other than to give Sarray something, but it isn’t exactly working. Samuels continues to be the person with a gimmick who you can put out there for loss after loss and not have her drop very far. That’s a good thing to have and NXT UK seems to know it.

Blair Davenport is back next week.

Xia Brookside and Eliza Alexander mock Sarray but Meiko Satomura comes in to scare them off.

Tag Team Titles: Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs vs. Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff vs. Wild Boar/Mark Andrews vs. Die Familie

Elimination match for the vacant titles with Charlie Dempsey in Die Familie’s corner. Starz and Andrews flip around to start so it’s Raja coming in, only to get sent into the corner by Boar. Jensen comes in to powerslam Boar so Teoman tags himself in and hammers away. A clothesline out of the corner gets Boar out of trouble and Mastiff brings himself in to start wrecking people.

Starz and Mastiff start double teaming Teoman, with Starz grabbing a chinlock. Mastiff comes back in and glares Teoman off, meaning Briggs comes in for the monster staredown. They knock everyone else off the apron first though and then clothesline each other down for a bit of a twist. Everything breaks down and Briggs chokeslams Teoman onto the pile at ringside.

Andrews adds the big dive before throwing Teoman back in to get beaten up as well. A running dropkick/German suplex combination sends Teoman into the corner for the tag off to Starz, who gets blasted by Boar’s lariat. Fall To Pieces hits Stars but Mastiff makes a save, allowing Starz to cradle Andrews for the elimination at 9:36.

Starz is banged up and the referee checks on him, only to have Teoman kick him in the bad knee. A dropkick out of the corner gives Starz a breather though and it’s Jensen coming in to fight Mastiff. That works for Mastiff, who crossbodies him down but a distraction lets Raja hit a jumping Downward Spiral to finish Mastiff at 12:15.

So we’re down to Die Familie vs. Briggs/Jensen for the titles with Jensen getting enziguried into a spinebuster for two. A belly to back suplex gets Jensen out of trouble and the hot tag brings in Briggs to really clean house. Dempsey’s distraction lets Teoman hit a Backstabber for two with Jensen making a save. Teoman stomps on Briggs’ back a few times, setting up a crossface. That’s broken up with a rollup and the second hot tag brings in Jensen to clean house. Teoman and Dempsey get kicked off the apron and it’s a high/low to give Briggs the pin and the titles at 18:16.

Rating: B-. The match was long and felt like a big deal, which is one of the best things that can be aid here. What matters here is that Briggs and Jensen won the titles, which may or may not be a good thing. It felt like a cool moment as the team finally wins something, but at the same time it is a bit much to have the Americans come over and win the titles over three NXT UK teams. Die Familie winning here might not have been as fun of a moment, but it would have made more sense.

Fallon Henley comes in to celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event was the big deal as NXT UK had to do something big to take care of a bad situation. That was accomplished, though the rest of the show wasn’t exactly great. What matters here is that they got the important part right, which is often a lot harder than it seems. Good enough show here, though the creeping factor of the lower NXT card coming over to NXT UK isn’t a positive sign.

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NXT UK
Date: May 19, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

We’re on to the next two hundred episodes after last week’s big milestone show. That means things will likely take a step off the gas this week and I’m not sure what that is going to include. Odds are that we are going to be seeing some of the NXT lower card around here, as has been the case in recent weeks. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside/Eliza Alexander vs. Amale/Angel Hayze

Amale and Brookside start things off with Brookside being thrown into the corner. Back up and Brookside’s headlock doesn’t get her very far, meaning Hayze can come in and hits some corner clothesline on Alexander. A superkick is cut off with a knee to the face and it’s back to Brookside for a reverse chinlock. That’s broken up and Amale comes back in with a bulldog on Alexander. Brookside tags herself back in and gets Sling Bladed by Hayze, only to send her throat first into the middle rope. Everything breaks down and Brookside hits Broken Wings for the pin on Hayze at 5:58.

Rating: C. I’m still not sure that Brookside needs a bodyguard to go behind her but they are decent as a team. Amale has cooled off a bit in recent weeks but she hasn’t lost the big match yet. I don’t know how far any of these four are going at the moment, though they’re fine for an opening match like this.

Ivy Nile challenged Meiko Satomura for a Women’s Title match. Satomura: “Okay.” You knew Nile was getting a shot sooner or later.

Sha Samuels, now dubbed the East End Bookie, isn’t happy with Damon Kemp coming over here and promises that he is still the odds on favorite.

Die Familie vs. Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff

The winner is added to the triple threat Tag Team Title match and Charlie Dempsey is in Die Familie’s corner. Starz knocks Raja out of the air to start and it’s quickly off to Starz to take Raja down for two. Teoman takes him down and grabs a chinlock before scoring with a rather hard kick. A blind tag brings Raja in so Starz takes him into the corner but Mastiff stops to glare at Dempsey.

That means Raja and Teoman can take over on Mastiff, including working over his rather large leg. A double clothesline gets Mastiff out of trouble but Teoman cuts Starz off like a good villain. Mastiff throws both of them down and brings Starz back in to clean house. Dempsey offers a distraction though, meaning Starz has to dive onto him. With Mastiff on the floor, Teoman hits his flipping faceplant to finish Starz at 8:08.

Rating: C. Starz and Mastiff might have had their day already and that is kind of a shame as they are a pretty good team. Die Familie makes more sense to move forward at the moment though as the title match is going to need a full on heel team. They’re as good as anything else right now so this is the logical move.

Lash Legend and Emilia McKenzie get in a fight in the back but it’s quickly broken up.

Sid Scala isn’t happy with Die Familie cheating and bans the rest of the team from ringside for Charlie Dempsey vs. A-Kid.

Josh Morrell vs. Kenny Williams

Dempsey takes him down to start for some quick near falls, even as he stands on Morrell’s arms. Morrell is up with a headlock but gets sent outside. The fight goes to Morrell but Williams is back with a shot to the face for his own two. A fan in a mask distracts Williams though, even as he cranks on Morrell’s ankle. Williams gets distracted again, allowing Morrell to small package him for two (which I bought as WWE has turned that into a cliché). Williams grabs a bulldog driver for the pin at 5:30.

Rating: C-. The false finish with the small package was good but this was more about Williams’ further descent into paranoia which might not be paranoia. I like them going with something other than the common ending as it keeps Williams strong. That’s something you don’t see enough of these days, as those losses make a difference no matter how much WWE thinks otherwise.

Post match, we see that there are multiple masked men.

Von Wagner isn’t worried about Sam Gradwell. Cue Gradwell and the two have to be separated.

Moustache Mountain is ready for whomever they face for the titles.

Mark Andrews is ready for the main event when the paranoid Kenny Williams comes up. Andrews doesn’t think much of him and leaves.

Wild Boar vs. Eddie Dennis

Dog collar match with Boar jumping Dennis before the bell and beating on him outside. The chain is attached but Dennis uses the chain to pull him throat first into the ropes. That doesn’t seem to bother Boar, who whips him from the apron and into the barricade. Dennis gets in another shot to take over though and it’s time to start the whipping. The chain is wrapped around Boar’s face but he fights out of the corner without much trouble.

Boar gets sent into the corner again though and they head to the apron. This time Dennis is pulled into the post so they crash out to the floor again. Boar gets in his own whipping and an elbow connects for two. Cue Symbiosis to go after Boar, as there are no disqualifications so it’s totally fine. Boar has had it with this and clotheslines Dennis down, setting up a Crossface with the chain wrapped around his head for the tap at 10:17.

Rating: C-. Well that happened. I’m still not sure why this story is supposed to be such a big deal as it isn’t like the Hunt was a top level team when they split up. Dennis got in a pretty good amount of offense here for someone who should have been destroyed, making this a pretty long way to go for an ending that wasn’t quite in doubt. I wasn’t feeling this one but it should wrap up the feud.

Overall Rating: C. You could definitely feel the lack of star power here and it made the show that much less interesting. This was a week about the mid to lower midcard stories and it showed a lot, as I can barely remember anything from the show. Nile getting a shot at Satomura should be good, but it’s a little much to ask me to care about Boar vs. Dennis and Williams vs. the inside of his mind.

Results
Xia Brookside/Eliza Alexander b. Amale/Angel Hayze – Broken Wings to Hayze
Die Familie b. Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff – Flipping faceplant to stars
Kenny Williams b. Josh Morrell – Headlock driver
Wild Boar b. Eddie Dennis – Crossface with a chain around Dennis’ head

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NXT UK
Date: May 12, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a big time show this week as we have the 200th episode (though that doesn’t seem to be the case if you actually count them up). Counting issues aside, we have a big main event as United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov is defending against Jordan Devlin in a title match that is also Loser Leaves Town. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the title match.

Opening sequence.

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Gallus

The winners move on to a triple threat Tag Team Title match and it’s the Coffey brothers for Gallus. Mark powers Carter to the mat to start and it’s quickly off to Joe for a chop as commentary talks about Joe never winning anything. Carter sends Mark into the corner with a headscissors and starts in on the arm, with Smith coming in to do the same. That doesn’t work for Mark, who runs Carter over and hands it back to Joe….who is quickly knocked to the floor.

We settle back down to Joe hammering on Smith, setting up an overhead belly to belly. Joe seems to tweak his knee on a leapfrog though, allowing Carter to come back in with a slingshot shoulder. An assisted 450 gives Smith two but a Silly String moonsault hits raised knees. Joe gets in another suplex and the hot tag brings in Mark to clean house. Mark hits a middle rope bulldog for two on Carter and a belly to back drops Smith. Joe comes back in with a high/low for two, leaving Mark to dive onto Carter. A missed springboard bangs up Joe’s knee again and another assisted moonsault gives Carter the pin on Joe at 10:24.

Rating: C+. They kept things moving here but Smith and Carter winning was the only thing that makes sense. The two of them have seemed primed to get the titles for awhile now and Gallus’ losing streak gets to continue. I’m not sure where that is going but things are continuing to go badly, which makes things interesting.

Post match, Gallus isn’t happy.

A-Kid has gotten his match with Charlie Dempsey to be held under Heritage Cup rules.

Video on NXT UK over the years and how some of them have gone on to main roster success. They’ve had some good stuff.

Lash Legend cuts off Emilia McKenzie’s interview but doesn’t have time for McKenzie getting annoyed at her.

Nina Samuels vs. Ivy Nile

Samuels offers a quick pose off, which is kind of stupid when Nile’s biceps are bigger than Samuels’ head. Nile takes her to the mat for a headscissors, complete with pushups. Samuels goes to the ropes for a needed breather before snapping Nile’s throat across the top. That lets Samuels get in her own pushups, followed by the double fish hook. Nile fights up with the kicks to various parts of Samuels and a running dropkick in the corner gets two. A slap to the face rocks Nile on the ropes but she’s right back with the dragon sleeper for the win at 4:43.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t much but it is nice to see Nile getting a win over a more established name. Nile seems ready to move up to the title picture soon as it isn’t like there is much more for her to do otherwise. Samuels is pretty firmly established in her spot and the Nina Samuels Show stuff can get her right back after another loss.

Damon Kemp doesn’t think much of Sha Samuels jumping him last week.

Dave Mastiff and Jack Starz mock one of Die Familie’s meetings, including a cardboard cutout of Charlie Dempsey’s head. A beating is promised.

Joe Coffey says he’s going to take some time away by himsel.f

Wild Boar blames Eddie Dennis for his troubles last year and now he wants revenge.

Kenny Williams continues to go insane and still believes that Tiger Turan is behind everything. He even has a wall covered in papers as all sane people do.

United Kingdom Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov is defending and this is Loser Leaves NXT UK. Devlin gets taken to the mat to start, with Dragunov working on a headlock. The comeback attempt just earns him another headlock before it’s time to go with the slugout. Devlin catches him on top with a shot to the face and it’s a brainbuster onto the top turnbuckle for a nice tribute to El Generico.

Back in and Dragunov can barely stand so Devlin kicks him in the ribs for two. A running legdrop just wakes Dragunov up but Devlin knocks him into the corner. One heck of a clothesline drops Dragunov and we hit the half crab, complete with some stomps to the head. That’s broken up though and Dragunov starts firing off elbows, with commentary saying Dragunov is more volatile than Bitcoin.

Back to back German suplexes drop Devlin again but he’s able to crotch Dragunov on top. A moonsault out to the floor drops Dragunov and a reverse cutter gets two back inside. Dragunov catches him on top with a superplex, setting up a hard forearm to the face for two. Torpedo Moscow only hits buckle though, allowing Devlin to hit the Devlin Side for the pin (with Dragunov’s foot in the ropes).

Devlin celebrates but here is Johnny Saint to say restart things. Another Torpedo Moscow is countered into a Canadian Destroyer (that was sweet) and a brainbuster gets two. Dragunov is back up with a German suplex and the Torpedo Moscow retains the title/gets rid of Devlin at 16:12.

Rating: B. Dragunov continues his reign in another good match, though some of his kickouts do get to be a bit much. There come points where he feels indestructible and that can be hard to take at times. Other than that, Devlin leaving could be interesting, as he could be on his way to regular NXT or out altogether, or he might be back under some shenanigans. Either way, I’m curious to see what is next for both of them, as Dragunov is in need of a new challenger and no one seems to be ready for him.

Dragunov celebrates and Devlin is crushed to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a much better show than the last few, as there is only so much you can get out of a show focused on the lower level NXT stars. Instead, this show was about the United Kingdom Title with a big time main event. That is what the show has been needing, though I have a bad feeling that this is a one off rather than a shift back to what made the show work over (most of) the last 200 weeks.

Results
Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter b. Gallus – Assisted moonsault to Joe
Ivy Nile b. Nina Samuels – Dragon sleeper
Ilja Dragunov b. Jordan Devlin – Torpedo Moscow

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NXT UK
Date: April 14, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re in an interesting place here as this is one of the few shows without a title match over the next few weeks. Instead we have A-Kid vs. Teoman in a match that should be worth a look and some other stuff that should work out as well. This kind of show tends to work well for NXT UK so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Coffey Brothers vs. Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz

Joe and Mastiff collide to start but the shoulders don’t send either of them anywhere. Mastiff tries it again to some more success before bringing in Starz. This doesn’t go as well as Joe takes him into the corner for the tag to Mark and some arm cranking. A double atomic drop sets up a backbreaker for two but Starz manages a dropkick. Joe gets driven into the corner for a change and the tag brings in Mastiff.

That actually doesn’t go well at first as Joe tries a slam, only to have Starz hit a dropkick to the back to knock Mastiff onto him. A slingshot splash gives Starz two, with Nigel wondering how Joe isn’t spitting up Irn Bru. Joe finally gets up and sends Starz at Mastiff, which is enough for a tag and another splash crushes Joe again. With the power not working, Joe gets in a shot to the face and hits a middle rope missile dropkick for the needed breather.

The hot tag brings in Mark to clean house and a middle rope bulldog gets two on Starz. A half nelson suplex is broken up though and Starz gets in a much needed backdrop. Mastiff comes back in but gets enziguried, only to have Joe tag himself in. Joe tries to get the pin himself but the delay lets Mastiff knock him silly. Starz’s powerbomb finishes Joe at 8:32.

Rating: C+. This got a bit of time and the story continues to be the issues between Gallus. They can’t win a match at the moment and I’m curious to see if it leads to a heel turn, a split or both. Starz has come a LONG way since he was the designated victim and this big guy/little guy team with Mastiff is working. The result was a bit predictable but I liked the match.

Post match the winners are happy and the losers aren’t. Wolfgang comes out to calm things down but Joe yells about how Mark and Wolfgang are the team and walks off.

Video on Ilja Dragunov retaining the United Kingdom Title last week over Roderick Strong.

After the match, the two of them met up in the back, with Strong saying Dragunov is special but they’ll see each other again. They shake hands but Jordan Devlin comes in to say he’s the Irish Ace. Dragunov sneers a bit.

Video on Kenny Williams vs. Sam Gradwell, as Williams keeps pushing Gradwell, who seems ready to push back. They’ll be having a back alley brawl, which Williams says is a mistake for Gradwell. This gets some time and they make it look a good bit bigger than it had been coming in.

Here is Meiko Satomura for a chat about wanting her title back. Satomura wants Isla Dawn out here with the title right now so here is a laughing Dawn to respond. The lights dim and the camera gets a bit weird as Dawn talks about getting attached to the title. They have a future together, but she is willing to hand it back over on one condition: a rematch, under Dawn’s own chaotic rules. Dawn throws the title down and stares at her as the rematch is accepted. That works for Dawn, who mists Satomura and says she’ll get the title back in a world of darkness.

Amale will be watching Eliza Alexander’s match and says she is still full of rage. It is a matter of time before she gets her hands on Eliza and Xia Brookside.

Gallus argued during the break and Joe Coffey left.

Mark Andrews says he and Wild Boar have been friends for fifteen years. The only time that hasn’t been the case was when Eddie Dennis got involved. Boar promises to hurt Dennis as soon as he gets the chance. Andrews holds up a chair and Boar says Symbiosis is the hunted.

Eliza Alexander vs. Angel Hayze

This is Alexander’s in-ring debut and Xia Brookside is in her corner. Alexander grabs a headlock to start as we hear about Brookside’s father training Alexander when she was 13. Hayze grabs a rollup for two but gets taken down with a clothesline to the back of the head. There’s a kick to the back and the fans aren’t pleased with Alexander. The slow beating continues with Alexander dragging her around by the wrist but Hayze gets in some shots of her own. A Sling Blade gives Hayze two but Alexander cuts her off with another clothesline. One heck of a running knee knocks Hayze silly for the pin at 3:09.

Rating: C. That knee alone is going to get Alexander noticed as she blasted Hayze with that thing. Other than that, you had little more than a squash here, as Alexander toyed with her for a few minutes before getting serious to finish it off. Good debut here, though there is only so much to get out of something like this.

Emilia McKenzie talks about training hard and being successful thanks to coaching from Meiko Satomura. Stevie Turner pops in to say Satomura is helping McKenzie because Satomura doesn’t see her as a threat. McKenzie seems to think about it.

Moustache Mountain is ready for their 2/3 falls Tag Team Title defense against Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith. This includes Trent Seven being a good bit more nefarious lately as he has to keep the titles.

Teoman vs. A-Kid

The rest of Die Familie is here with Teoman. Feeling out process to start with A-Kid taking him to the mat. That doesn’t last long so let’s have a standoff. Teoman gets in a kick to the chest out of the corner but A-Kid seems pleased that things are picking up. A headlock takeover puts Teoman down but he switches into a headscissors. That’s reversed into a bow and arrow but Teoman slips out to land on top for a quick two.

A-Kid starts cranking on the ankle, which is reversed into a crossarm choke. With that not working either, A-Kid pops up for a dropkick to stagger Teoman again. Charlie Dempsey offers a distraction though and Teoman hits a dropkick down to the floor. Back in and the chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a forearm to the back of A-Kid’s neck. A slam cuts off a comeback attempt but Teoman hurts his own knee to slow things back down.

The delay lets A-Kid fight up and chop away and a loud kick to the chest gets two. There’s a fisherman’s suplex for the same but Teoman is back with a kind of brainbuster onto the knee, setting up a sliding forearm for two of his own. A cross armbreaker is blocked as Teoman rolls over to the ropes, sending both of them to the apron. Teoman misses a sliding forearm and goes into the steps so A-Kid moonsaults onto the rest of Die Familie. The distraction lets Teoman hit a reverse flipping DDT for the pin at 11:12.

Rating: B. I keep going back and forth on both of these guys as they both seem ready to move up to the next level but it never seem to happen. Teoman does seem like the leader of the team, though Charlie Dempsey gets my attention every time he’s in there. As for A-Kid, he seems to be falling further and further down each week, even after that random NXT cameo. At least they had a good match here though, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

Teoman yells about the Eye seeing everything to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. They had a series of good matches this week, though it is kind of interesting that we seem to be getting back to Jordan Devlin as the challenger for the United Kingdom Title. I have long since thought that Devlin would be getting the title, though I’m not sure if Dragunov is anywhere close to being ready to lose the belt. Other than that, this was a show about moving stories forward and as usual, NXT did it fairly well.

Results
Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff b. Coffey Brothers – Powerbomb to Joe
Eliza Alexander b. Angel Hayze – Running knee
Teoman b. A-Kid – Flipping reverse DDT

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NXT UK
Date: April 7, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for the big title fight as United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov is defending the championship against Roderick Strong. It says a bit that NXT UK has to import challengers for Dragunov, but it isn’t like there is anyone around to give Dragunov a run for his money at the moment. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the title match and makes it feel like a big deal.

Opening sequence.

Primate vs. Wild Boar

The rest of Symbiosis is here and if Boar wins, he gets to face Eddie Dennis. They go straight to the slugout with Primate getting the better of things for all of a few seconds. Boar takes him down and stomps away before going after Dennis. T-Bone gets in the way and the distraction lets Primate take Boar down. That doesn’t last long either though as Boar knocks him into the corner and hits the big reverse Cannonball. T-Bone offers another distraction though and Dennis gets in a chain shot to give Primate the pin at 3:36.

Rating: C. This was a storyline advancement match as Boar is going to need some help to fight off Symbiosis and get his hands on Dennis eventually. You don’t have these two in there for a technical match so they didn’t bother trying, which is how something like this should go. Not exactly a classic, but it did its thing well enough.

Post match Dennis wraps a collar around Boar’s neck and whips him with the chain. Mark Andrews returns from injury though and runs in for the save with a chair.

This week, Sam Gradwell arrived at the Performance Center but found maggots in his bag. Gradwell blames Kenny Williams but has he checked with Bray Wyatt?

Die Familie is at their apartment and Charlie Dempsey is ready to make Wolfgang tap. Dempsey warns Teoman to be ready for his match with A-Kid but Teoman doesn’t seem scared.

Dave Mastiff and Jack Starz are training together when Gallus comes in to get in their faces. A match seems to be set.

Wolfgang vs. Charlie Dempsey

Rohan Raja is here with Dempsey. Feeling out process to start with Dempsey grabbing a cravate. Wolfgang suplexes his way to freedom and starts working on an armbar to keep Dempsey down. That’s countered with a choke and they slug it out with Dempsey’s running shoulders not really working. Instead he goes after Wolfgang’s leg to put Wolfgang back in trouble, setting up an armbar.

Make that an armbar with a leg crank, at least until Wolfgang punches his way to freedom. Back up and the uppercut it out until Wolfgang hits a top rope ax handle. Dempsey knees him down and goes for the leg again, setting up a knee to the back of the knee. That doesn’t last long either as Wolfgang fights up and grabs a suplex. The spear is loaded up but the Eye of Teoman appears on the screen. That’s enough of a distraction for Dempsey to grab a bridging butterfly suplex for the pin at 7:20.

Rating: C+. There is something so fun about seeing Dempsey tie people up and that is what he did again here. Wolfgang has come a good way too as I didn’t think much of him when he started and now he is a perfectly competent singles guy here. Gallus’ issues continue, but the question is if they go heel again as a result. I’m not sure if one is better than the other, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

Meiko Satomura is a champion without a championship but she’ll remedy that next week.

Kenny Williams knows nothing about the maggots in Sam Gradwell’s bag. Then he finds a note saying keep watching your back. Williams yells at whoever left the note, saying come out and they can do this right now.

Xia Brookside is happy to have won her match against Amale with a little help from her daddy and her new friend Eliza Alexander. Eliza is debuting next week and promises to batter someone.

Sid Scala has Moustache Mountain and Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter in his office and promises to settle things. In two weeks, it’s a 2/3 falls match and the teams are down.

Wolfgang wants to know where the Coffey Brothers were. They say it won’t happen again but Wolfgang is still annoyed.

United Kingdom Title: Roderick Strong vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov is defending. They fight over a lockup to start until Strong takes him down into an armbar. With that broken up, Strong has to duck a spinning backfist to the head but Dragunov avoids a jumping knee. An exchange of chops fire each of them up even more, with Dragunov getting the better of things. Dragunov misses a running headbutt though and falls outside, allowing Strong to stomp away.

We hit the armbar back inside and Dragunov can’t roll out of it. A shoulder breaker sets up another armbar but Dragunov is back up with some hard chops. Dragunov’s charge is countered into a backbreaker (you knew that was coming) for two and the armbar goes on again. That’s broken up as well and Dragunov hits a running kick to the head. Strong has to kick his way out of a kneebar so Dragunov switches to a Brock Lock.

Another kick to the bad arm breaks that up though and they’re both down. With the grappling not working, Dragunov rolls some German suplexes but the bad arm gives out, leaving them both down again. Back up and the threat of Torpedo Moscow sends Strong outside but he pulls Dragunov out with him.

The half nelson slam sends Dragunov into the steps for two back inside. A backbreaker onto the top turnbuckle rocks Dragunov again but he kicks out anyway. Some more forearms stagger Dragunov but he manages some jumping enziguris. Dragunov strikes away but Strong hits the jumping knee…which Dragunov shrugs off and hits Torpedo Moscow to retain at 14:39.

Rating: B. Of course this was good, as Dragunov is one of the most consistently interesting people around, but I could go for him having a match without focusing on his arm. I don’t think Strong was meant to be a serious threat to the title here but they did a nice job of making you believe that Dragunov was in some trouble. At least until he shrugged off the jumping knee and hit his finisher for the win.

Replays and celebrations wrap us up.

Overall Rating: B-. Strong main event to go with some stuff being set up for the future. This was a slightly better than usual NXT UK, which continues to be nice and steady. That’s all it needed to be and it worked out just fine again. They already have the next two title matches set up and I want to see how both matches go. Nice job. Again. As always.

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NXT UK
Date: March 3, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another title week here as Ilja Dragunov is defending the United Kingdom Title against Nathan Frazer. That should make for a great one, as the two of them have a nice record of rising to the occasion in the big matches. Other than that, Gallus gets Sha Samuels in a preview of Joe Coffey vs. Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup later this month. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on Nathan Frazer vs. Ilja Dragunov.

Opening sequence.

Sha Samuels vs. Mark Coffey

There are no seconds here for a change. They slug it out to start with Samuels headlocking him over. With that not working, Coffey is back up and starts working on the arm, setting up a Russian legsweep. A backdrop sends Samuels rolling to the floor but he’s right back in to kick away. Samuels drops him with a running clothesline before pulling up the suspenders for some reason.

Coffey gets twisted down by the arm and the logical armbar goes on. That’s broken up and Coffey runs him over for a change, setting up a double clothesline for a double knockdown. Back up and they slug it out until Coffey hits a half nelson slam, setting up a sliding uppercut for the pin at 7:40.

Rating: C. It’s almost strange to see Coffey having a singles match but he looked good enough in there. Samuels has gotten himself in pretty impressive shape so the his stuff has an extra impact. This was little more than a preview for next week though, which is probably going to feel like a major title match when we get there.

Charlie Dempsey interrupted A-Kid’s training session and asks for a demonstration of the style A-Kid was using. A-Kid says no because Dempsey will use it against him, only to have Die Familie jump him from behind. Dempsey tells them to back off as medics come in to check on A-Kid.

Isla Dawn is around what seems to be some castle ruins and sings a lot, talking about how Meiko Satomura will soon fall. Then she puts a flower in a box.

We look back at Trent Seven kind of cheating to retain the Tag Team Titles last week.

Moustache Mountain is happy with retaining the titles when Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter come in to yell about the ending. Seven says it’s about retaining the titles by any means so Smith and Carter want a rematch. Cool with the champs.

Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz vs. Pretty Deadly

Carter now has his leather vest to match Mastiff. Howley isn’t sure what to do with Mastiff to start so Mastiff drives him up against the ropes. Some kicks to the leg stagger Mastiff but he clotheslines both of them down at once. Stoker comes in and gets caught in the wrong corner so Starz can come in with a slingshot splash for two. It’s back to Howley, who gets his arm cranked on but Stoker is back in off a blind tag. That means Starz is sent into the post and the beating is on.

A splash/legdrop combination gets two on Starz and an assisted middle rope bulldog gets two. The chinlock goes on but Mastiff hits Howley from the apron. That means when Stoker catapults Starz, he is able to sunset flip Howley for two. The hot tag brings in Mastiff to clean house but Stoker grabs Starz’s new vest. It’s back to Starz to clean house in a hurry, including a powerbomb to finish Stoker at 10:35 (leaving Mastiff STUNNED).

Rating: C+. This is an interesting way to go for the story as Mastiff and Starz seemed to being on their way to a split and then come back to win a big match here. It makes enough sense and now we might be in for a new direction for the team. If nothing else, it was cool to see Starz get a win like this, as he has come a long way over the years.

Xia Brookside calls her dad and asks her for help with something. Then she yells at the cameraman for filming her.

The truck driver from last week is walking in the woods while someone (not clear if it is the truck driver or not) talks about surviving. The driver finds a tin can and some bones before what looks to be a masked man pops out from behind a tree. Voice: “The hunt has begun.” So it’s Wild Boar?

Video on Joe Coffey vs. Noam Dar, who meet next week for the Heritage Cup.

United Kingdom Title: Ilja Dragunov vs. Nathan Frazer

Dragunov is defending and can’t get very far off a wristlock to start. With that not working, Frazer backs him into a corner for the tease of a clean break, only to pull him down into a headlock instead. That’s fine with the champ, who switches into one of his own until Frazer fights up and starts running the ropes rather quickly, allowing him to run Dragunov over. Back up and Dragunov gets in a few shots of his own to slow things back down and start striking away.

A cobra clutch keeps Frazer down for a few more seconds so Dragunov chops him in the corner, setting up a spinning elbow for two. The cobra clutch takes Frazer back to the mat but this time he pulls himself up for an enziguri. Dragunov is fine enough to roll some German suplexes, with Frazer landing on his feet off the third though. Frazer gets knocked down again though and this time it’s a cobra stretch to put him in more trouble.

That’s escaped as well and Frazer superkicks him into a standing hurricanrana for two. An exchange of shots to the head goes to Dragunov, who forearms the mat by mistake. Frazer scores with a Sling Blade and a pair of superkicks get two more. That lets Frazer go up top but he has to roll through a slam back down.

Dragunov hits him with the bad arm before going up top but the injury lets Frazer catch up and hit a super hurricanrana. The phoenix splash gives Frazer two more and it’s time for the big slugout. Another hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb to give Dragunov two so Frazer starts kicking at the bad arm. Said bad arm blasts Frazer with a clothesline, setting up Torpedo Moscow to retain the title at 14:31.

Rating: B. This didn’t quite get as good as I was expecting but it was very entertaining for a big television main event. Dragunov is likely going to hold that title for a long time to come and this was his latest effort against a rather tough challenger. Frazer will be back around the title picture one day, but he needed to be a bit more seasoned, which is where a loss like this can be helpful. Good match here, as both of them could be top stars for a long time to come.

Dragunov helps him up and shakes his hand to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, the main event is the best part of the show and carries a lot of the rest of the week. Dragunov gets to keep his reign going for probably at least another month as we get to find out his next challenger. Other than that, Mastiff and Starz get their momentum back and we have another title match next week. Not too shabby, as always seems to be the case around here

Results
Mark Coffey b. Sha Samuels – Sliding uppercut
Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz b. Pretty Deadly – Powerbomb to Stoker
Ilja Dragunov b. Nathan Frazer – Torpedo Moscow

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NXT UK
Date: February 24, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another title show as Moustache Mountain is defending their Tag Team Titles against Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter. That could be quite the showdown, as NXT UK tends to do rather well when it comes to title matches. I’m curious to see what else they have on the show so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the Tag Team Title match, as Smith and Carter are ready for their big shot at the gold.

Opening sequence.

Amale vs. Xia Brookside

They fight over wrist control to start with Amale taking her down into an armbar. Back up and a shoulder drops Brookside, who can’t believe Amale would do that to him. Amale tries to pull her out to the corner but Brookside says Amale can’t do that. Brookside: “I’M SPECIAL!” Amale counters a crossbody into a slam and a basement dropkick gets two. Brookside finally gets in a shot of her own and chokes Amale on the ropes before standing on her back for some screaming.

The armbar has Amale in trouble and the look on her makes would make you think she is being stabbed by a lightning bolt. Some elbows to the head have Amale in more trouble and Brookside mocks her again. Back up and Amale strikes away, including a running boot to the side of the head. Brookside forearms her back though and a kick to the head makes it worse. Amale isn’t having that though and sends her into the corner for a running boot to the face. The Hope Breaker gives Amale the pin at 6:17.

Rating: C+. Brookside is really starting to feel it with this stuck up brat daddy’s girl and that could suit her very well going forward. At the same time though, Amale continues to seem to be the future of the division and odds are she will wind up being the Women’s Champion one day. If nothing else, they are building her up some something and having her win matches over and over is the right way to go.

Sha Samuels and Noam Dar want to see Gallus suspended for stealing Supernova Sessions. Instead, Sid Scala is giving Joe Coffey a Heritage Cup shot. Mark Coffey can face Samuels too.

Pretty Deadly walks through a Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff interview. Mastiff tells Starz that he knows what to do. That brings us to Challenge #4: Bomber Initiative. Starz goes into Pretty Deadly’s dressing room and we cut to Pretty Deadly in their street clothes….which now have holes in the chest. Yelling ensues.

Rohan Raja vs. Danny Jones

The rest of Die Familie is here with Raja. Jones can’t spin out of a wristlock to start but some right hands in the corner work a bit better. A knee to the ribs takes Raja down and a boot to the face sends Raja outside for a Die Familie meeting. For some reason Jones decides to go outside after him and gets driven into the apron to put Raja back in control.

A running basement dropkick to the back of the head gives Raja two but his trash talk brings Jones back up. An enziguri into a belly to back suplex drops Raja again but it’s a rather slow near fall. Jones’ banged up back gives out though and it’s a Backstabber into a jumping Downward Spiral to give Raja the pin at 5:03.

Rating: C. It wasn’t a classic or anything but it was a way to have Jones get in some offense before going down to the bigger star. That was a nice rub to Jones, with is really just a guy in trunks, which makes it a little harder to find something for him to do. Not a bad match whatsoever, and Raja gave him a pretty good bit here.

Post match the big beatdown is on with Jones being left laying, though Charlie Dempsey didn’t seem sure about it at first.

Eddie Dennis whispers to Symbiosis about how an arrow has to be pulled back before it can go forward. The team looks ready to come back.

A truck driver is distracted by eating a hamburger and hits….what might have been a werewolf. The wolf/person is watching from the road as the driver looks at some fur on the road. I have no idea who or what this was supposed to be about and thought it was some weird commercial.

Sha Samuels runs into Mark Coffey for an exchange of insults before their match next week.

Die Familie again runs into A-Kid and stares at him. Charlie Dempsey calls the other two off and asks if A-Kid has something to say to him. A-Kid thought Dempsey was better than that and Dempsey says maybe.

Andy Shepherd brings out Meiko Satomura to honor her career. First up, we see a video on her title reign and Andy hands her a bouquet of flowers. Satomura says thank you but Isla Dawn pops up (with the camera going a bit wacky, like it’s in a weird world) to say she is distressed over not receiving an invite.

She thanks Satomura for giving us something to desire but now she needs her final trophy. At the moment, Satomura possesses it, so Satomura says if she wants a title shot, all she has to do is ask. Dawn says she takes things and kicks Satomura in the head. Then she takes and eats the flowers. So she’s Maleficent with a taste for flowers?

Sam Gradwell tells himself to get over having his hair being shaved but what gets to him is people, like his son, asking what happened to his mohawk. He can get over Kenny Williams doing that, but he doesn’t think Williams can get over what Gradwell is going to do to him.

We look back at Nathan Frazer challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Title.

Ilja Dragunov accepts the challenge, even though he had to win a battle royal just to get a title shot. Then he failed, because he wasn’t ready yet. He knows how good Frazer is, but he also knows how great he can be. Frazer isn’t ready, but he’ll take his first step.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith

Moustache Mountain is defending. Bate and Smith lock it up to start with Smith having to bail to the corner to escape a takedown attempt. Carter comes in and gets taken to the mat as well but manages to pull Bate into an armbar. That’s broken up and Bate takes him down, allowing Seven to come in for an assisted twisting moonsault. Carter is able to forearm him into the corner and there’s an armdrag into an armbar.

Smith comes back in and gets chopped/slammed, allowing Seven to drop a leg for two. It’s back to Bate to grind away on a headlock before unloading with forearms to both of them. Smith gets in a shot of his own though and brings in Carter, whose springboard…is pulled out of the air. Bate swings him around to knock Smith down as well but it makes Bate dizzy too. That means Carter can kick Bate in the head before a hurricanrana out of the corner sends him flying.

Carter even knocks Seven off the apron before he can do anything about it but Bate is back up with a suplex. The running shooting star press looks to set up the Tyler Driver 97 but Carter backdrops his way out. Bate settles for the rebound lariat and it’s back to Seven, leaving Bate to knock Smith off the apron. Something like Private Party’s Silly String into a tornado DDT lets Carter hit a springboard moonsault for two of his own and Seven is in trouble.

Seven sends Carter outside though and hits the Seven Star Lariat on Smith. Emerald Flosion gets two with Carter having to make a save. Bate comes back in so Smith Blue Thunder Bombs him for two of his own. An assisted moonsault (how they won the tournament) gets two on Bate and Carter is down too. A Silly String moonsault is cut off by Seven so Smith goes with a top rope Rough Ryder for two on Bate.

One heck of a Doomsday cutter drops Bate again but this time it’s Seven making the save. Everyone is down for a much needed breather Smith knocks Seven’s right hand back into Bate but Seven and Carter are knocked outside. That leaves Smith to hit a great superkick on Bate but Bop and Bang into an enziguri knock Smith silly. Bate knocks Smith silly with a left hand and covers, with Smith getting his foot on the ropes….but Seven shoves it off so Bate (who didn’t seem to see what Seven did) can retain the titles at 13:12.

Rating: B. Action packed fight here as Moustache Mountain was stretched to their breaking point here, with Seven having to tease a bit of a turn to keep the titles. Smith and Carter were keeping up from these two every step of the way and that was an awesome thing to see. Pretty great main event here and I’m not sure who is going to be able to take the titles, but at least it will be fun to watch people try.

Overall Rating: B-. As tends to be the case, the main event carried this show as the other two matches were fairly skippable. The main event was worth seeing though and it made the show feel important. I’m curious to see where some of these stories are going and then you can expect some good matches to blow the stories off. Now just get some kind of a major show scheduled and we could get somewhere special. For now though, it just continues to be the best weekly WWE show.

Results
Amale b. Xia Brookside – Hope Breaker
Rohan Raja b. Danny Jones – Jumping Downward Spiral
Moustache Mountain b. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter – Left hand to Smith

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

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NXT UK
Date: February 17, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

Things toned down a bit last week after back to back title match weeks. This time around seems to be more of the former as well, with the main event being a grudge match between Wolfgang and Jordan Devlin. Other than that, it’s hard to say what we might be getting around here week to week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sam Gradwell vs. Kenny Williams

Hold on though as Williams, in street clothes, is out on crutches. There was a terrible accident so the match cannot happen. Hold on to that holding on though as Sid Scala pops up on screen to say there is no evidence of Williams being injured, so start the match. Gradwell pulls him in and hammers away to start as Williams is rocked early.

A forearm out of the corner staggers Gradwell and a rake to the eyes lets Williams hit a rebound lariat. The cravate goes on for a bit before Williams rakes at the back. Gradwell fights up and hits some clotheslines into a butterfly suplex, only to get rolled up for two. Back up and Williams tries a sunset flip but Gradwell sits down on him for the pin at 3:58.

Rating: C. Williams finally gets caught and oddly enough it’s in a wrestling counter, which was a nice change of pace after Gradwell being all intense most of the time. It’s nice to see Gradwell getting a win, even if it is a small one like this. Odds are the feud continues though and I’m not sure if that is the best thing, as it’s only so interesting.

Post match Williams jumps Gradwell with the crutch as this is indeed going to continue. Williams pulls out some scissors from underneath the ring and cuts off Gradwell’s mohawk to really make this personal. Gradwell is furious, though not quite furious enough to go after Williams, who is standing at the entrance.

We recap Gallus stealing Jordan Devlin’s sunglasses last week.

The Coffeys find this funny but Wolfgang takes it a bit more seriously.

Xia Brookside is very happy to have an interview but she freaks out when she is asked about Amale. Her daddy will be hearing about this!

We recap Jack Starz wanting to earn one of Dave Mastiff’s bomber jackets, meaning Mastiff has some challenges for him.

First up it’s Challenge #1: Bomber Physicality. That means an hour of free squats, but Mastiff forgets to check on him and comes back three hours later, with Jack mostly still squatting and a pool of sweat underneath him.

Challenge #2: Bomber Appetite. Starz has to eat a bunch of what looks to be cookies or crackers.

Challenge #3: Bomber Guts. Starz has to streak through the Performance Center but he can’t do it and runs off (censored) instead.

Sam Gradwell is furious and goes hunting for Kenny Williams.

Angel Hayze vs. Emilia McKenzie

McKenzie grabs a headlock to start but gets rolled up for a fast two. Hayze hiptosses her over for two more and it’s off to a front facelock. That’s eventually broken up with McKenzie powering her down for two of her own. There’s a forearm for two more and McKenzie grabs a chinlock.

This time it’s Hayze fighting up and hitting her own forearm for a breather. A running elbow in the corner sets up a Sling Blade for two as McKenzie is having to work here. McKenzie is right back with a fisherman’s neckbreaker into a belly to back suplex for a needed breather. A superkick gives Hayze two more but McKenzie grabs a wheelbarrow faceplant for the pin at 4:57.

Rating: C+. This was a back and forth match and much better than I would have expected. Hayze got in a ton of offense here and looked like a pretty solid prospect, making this a very nice surprise. The women’s division can always use some fresh stars and if that is Hayze, good for her.

Earlier this week, Nathan Frazer talked about how last week’s win over Teoman might shut up Die Familie for a bit. As for facing the Ring General (no name given), he was scared to death of what was in front of him and he didn’t know how he got there. Now he needs something new though, so he’s challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Title. That’s a big step forward.

Die Familie is in their apartment, where Teoman says he’s ashamed of his loss. Rohan Raja says Teoman kept his promise of looking after his family, but Teoman says he will never be a loser, as long as the family wins. Charlie Dempsey says the loss might make the family come closer together.

Stevie Turner vs. Myla Grace

They fight over a lockup to start with Turner taking her into the corner. Grace armdrags her down into an armbar but Turner is back up with a Thesz press. A running boot to the face knocks Grace against the ropes for two and we’re off to the chinlock. Nigel tries to explain Stevie’s futuristic deal as Grace fights up, including a clothesline which is more like a punch to the stomach. Turner cuts that off without much trouble though and finishes with a Side Effect at 4:36.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what is missing from Turner but she has yet to click around here. Granted part of that is due to the still weird futuristic deal, which seems to involve her wearing slightly strange clothes. Grace was fine here, but didn’t exactly stand out for the most part.

Sid Scala announces that Meiko Satomura will be presented with a gift next week.

Moustache Mountain is very happy with their Tag Team Titles and now they’re ready to defend against Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter. Smith and Carter are ready too, with the title match coming next week.

Jordan Devlin vs. Wolfgang

Feeling out process to start with Wolfgang driving him into the corner. It’s time to work on the arm, including some driving shoulders to put Devlin down. Back up and Devlin’s running shoulder has no effect so Wolfgang shows him how it’s done, which bangs up the arm even more. Another shoulder puts Devlin on the floor but he pulls Wolfgang outside too. It turns out that it’s a bad idea to brawl with someone named Wolfgang, as Devlin is beaten up against the barricade.

Back in and the slingshot cutter is blocked, allowing Wolfgang to hit a delayed vertical suplex for two. It’s back to the armbar but Devlin knocks him outside. The Asai moonsault is pulled out of the air but Devlin manages to post him shoulder first for a breather. Devlin’s armbar is broken up as well but he kicks at the arm to cut Wolfgang down again. The arm is fine enough to hit a gorilla press drop, only to have Devlin get his knees up to block a moonsault.

Devlin gets a cross armbreaker but Wolfgang is in the ropes almost immediately. There’s a running kick to Wolfgang’s arm and another puts him down on the floor. Back in again and Devlin grabs a hammerlock before kicking at the arm again. Wolfgang manages a catapult over the top to send Devlin outside for a breather before hitting a top rope ax handle back inside.

The spear only hits buckle though and now the slingshot cutter gives Devlin two. Devlin unloads on him with shots to the head but Wolfgang hits a spear, which hurts his arm even more though. Wolfgang goes up top but gets caught with a super Spanish Fly….for two. That’s enough for Devlin, who hits the 450 for the pin at 13:43.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match where they didn’t have much of a build coming in (stolen sunglasses remember) but put together a good story with both of them having bad arms. Wolfgang looked solid in a rare singles match but there wasn’t much drama as Devlin needed to get a win after losing to Ilja Dragunov a few weeks back.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event is quite good but this show was really feeling the lack of star power. Maybe they front loaded these tapings too much or something but the last two weeks haven’t been as sharp as the weeks before them. I’m not sure what they are going to do next with with Satomura’s gift, though maybe it can lead to something bigger. Good show, assuming you don’t mind the midcard getting the focus.

Results
Sam Gradwell b. Kenny Williams – Rollup
Emilia McKenzie b. Angel Hayze – Wheelbarrow faceplant
Stevie Turner b. Myla Grace – Side Effect
Jordan Devlin b. Wolfgang – 450

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

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.