IMG Credit: WWE

How can they go seven months between major shows for a promotion these days? Somehow they’ve managed to do it around here, though in this case the company has done a lot of growing up in between. The card is rather stacked and one that I could go for almost anything on the show. There are some interesting looking matches around here so let’s get to it.

Travis Banks vs. Noam Dar

Ok so they can’t all be winners. This feels pretty tacked on for the sake of getting both guys on the card and it’s not like there is anyone else who needs to be on the show (certainly no Irish Ace). Dar is a rather nice smarmy heal (as I continue to go back and forth on him) and Banks is someone who looks like he could be a big deal but is trying to get out of the blocks.

Since they both need a win, I think I’ll go with Banks here, but I’m already not the most confident. Dar is someone they really like to push and I can get why, but Banks seems to have a lot more potential as a top star. This feels like a match used to let the crowd come down from a bigger one later, though it still seems like it would be better suited as a dark match.

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey

These two are victims of some bad timing as they get to have a big man hoss fight three days after Keith Lee and Dominick Dijakovic tore the roof off of Full Sail. This is a Last Man Standing match to give it some flavor and there is actually a decent history here. They fought to a draw earlier, though what you might not remember is Coffey defeating Mastiff in last year’s #1 contenders tournament, which I believe is Mastiff’s only televised pinfall loss in the company. They’ve protected the heck out of him and that could pay off here.

I think I’ll actually go with Mastiff here as Coffey can bounce back better from a loss. Mastiff is someone they have treated like a special monster and under the right circumstances, he could have a big time TV match against Walter for the UK Title down the line. Giving him a win over Coffey here would go a long way towards that and I don’t think they’re going to pull the plug on Coffey just yet.

Tag Team Titles: Grizzled Young Veterans(c) vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Gallus

This match doesn’t feel like it has much of a story but at the same time, I have no idea who wins here. You have the heat magnet champions, the young home country stars and then the established team who could become monster heels if they win the titles. While the Veterans have a great point that Webster and Andrews got into the match by winning singles matches (which is weird), this really could go any of the three ways.

I’ll take…dang I’m not sure here. Uh….Webster and Andrews I guess, though I don’t have much confidence in it. They seem like they would be transitional champions (maybe dropping the titles to Gallus or Imperium) at best and that’s fine, but give the fans something to cheer for here with the improbably win. It would make the most sense, and hearing Zack Gibson rant about how they got cheated out of the titles could be some great stuff.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Kay Lee Ray

This has had a nice build, though I’m still wondering what was up with that weird promo where Storm seemed to be drunk or whatever it was. Ray has done a good job of getting inside Storm’s head, though I still don’t feel like I know anything about her. She isn’t really developed in any way and that’s a bit of a problem (although that’s the case with a lot of people on this roster). Storm isn’t much better but she’s an established star.

We’ll say Ray wins here to give us another new champion, though I’m not sure where that leaves Storm. She’s easily the top star in the women’s division and doesn’t have many real challengers, though she could be used to help bring some new talent up (without putting them over that is). Ray needs the title more than Storm does at this point and while I expect to see Storm in regular NXT by this time next year, I think she loses here as she needs to be away from the title for a bit.

United Kingdom Title: Walter(c) vs. Tyler Bate

Walter is the undisputed monster champion of the promotion and that means he needs someone to slay him. Who better than the former champion and eternally undersized Bate? These two had an instant classic in London for Progress with Bate coming this close to winning the Progress World Title and sending the fans into a full on riot but can they do that again here? And with a different ending?

In short, yes and no, as I think the match is great but Walter wins in the end. It’s going to take someone very special to take the title from Walter and while Bate is special, I don’t think Walter has had enough of a reign to drop the title just yet. Bate is going to fight his heart out but come up short in the end. That is going to give us some incredible near falls though and that is going to carry the whole thing.

Overall Thoughts

The more I look at this card, the less sure I am of the whole thing. Bate’s push towards the title should be good and the Welsh guys winning the Tag Team Titles could be a great moment, but the rest of the card looks a little shaky. Now if they do put Cesaro vs. Pete Dunne on as rumored, things will be that much better in a hurry, because those two will beat the fire out of each other. The card should be good, but it is far from a guarantee of a great show.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: August 28, 2019
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for Takeover: Cardiff, which feels like it was announced a very long time ago. Last week’s show saw Tyler Bate and Walter have their big showdown, which makes me wonder what is left for this week’s show. The good thing is I have some confidence that they could pull this one off so maybe we’re in for a strong last show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Tyson T-Bone

Dragunov’s music is still awesome. T-Bone grabs a headlock and runs Dragunov over with a shoulder. That earns him a knee to the face and a backsplash (make sure you get in your backsplash) so T-Bone is back with a right hand. The armbar goes on with Dragunov giving T-Bone the crazy eyes.

T-Bone slaps on a nerve hold instead, which lasts as long as any standard nerve hold. Dragunov fights back with the collection of clotheslines and a German suplex, but a second attempt is knocked down with a right hand. A missed charge sends T-Bone’s shoulder into the post and it’s a top rope backsplash to crush him. Torpedo Moscow gives Dragunov the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C-. How in the world is Dragunov not on Takeover? Normally I would ask how in the world he isn’t a heel but with that kind of intensity, it’s easy to see why he’s cheered so soundly. You can imagine him turning heel somewhere down the line though as he could be a heck of a monster heel despite his size. Just don’t have him lose to Kassius Ohno of all people again.

Video on Toni Storm’s path to the Women’s Title and Kay Lee Ray wanting to take it from her. Ray has made it personal, including bringing up their past friendship and Toni’s dad walking out on the family.

Jack Gallagher asks the fans who is the better British wrestler: Kassius Ohno or himself? Ohno pinned him despite the foot being underneath the ropes, so he’d like a rematch next week.

Joseph Conners vs. Oliver Carter

Nothing to get you in the mood for a big show like a Joseph Conners match. Carter is from Ghana but lives in Switzerland for a pretty unique mix. Some early strikes set up a backdrop to Conners, who is tossed outside in a fast start. Back in and Conners pulls him down by the hair and forearms away at the chest. Conners runs him over for two as the fans are trying to get into this. Carter fights back with more shots to the face and scores with some top rope knees to the chest. An overhead belly to belly into a kick to the face gives Carter two but he misses a Lionsault. Don’t Look Down finishes Carter at 6:26.

Rating: D+. Carter is someone with some potential as he looks fine and had some good fire, but my goodness what do they see in Conners? He’s been around since the beginning of the show and is little more than a gatekeeper, so he wins here? Conners has been one of the few true misses since the promotion debuted and this match could have fit into any spot in his history. The matches aren’t even that bad but they’re so uninteresting that I was checking the clock to see how much longer it could possibly go.

Takeover rundown.

Cesaro says he’s coming to Cardiff to take a more hands on approach.

Video on Piper Niven vs. Rhea Ripley. They meet next week.

Kenny Williams vs. Jordan Devlin

Feeling out process to start with Williams taking him down by the arm, followed by a backdrop and a clothesline to the floor. That’s enough for Devlin but Williams isn’t letting him walk so easily. Devlin sends him back first into the barricade though and it’s a suplex back inside to bang Williams up even more. With Devlin saying that he isn’t breaking a sweat, it’s another shot to Williams’ back.

Devlin kicks him in the back and says he’s the ace to Kenny’s joker, which brings Williams up to hit Devlin in the face. Another kick to the face gives Williams two but Devlin is back with a shot to the ribs. They head to the apron but Devlin can’t get a Spanish Fly to the floor. Back inside and Williams hits a great looking top rope elbow to the face. Devlin counters a charge into a wheelbarrow suplex (fans: “YOU KILLED KENNY!”), followed by a Spanish Fly for two.

What looks like a super Regal Roll is countered into a springboard hurricanrana to bring Devlin back down and a wheelbarrow faceplant gives Williams two more. Williams gets sent chest first into the buckle though and Devlin hits a moonsault onto the back for another near fall. Devlin has had it with this and pulls Williams in for the Saito suplex and the pin at 12:33.

Rating: B-. Williams is good for a completely passable if not above average performance every time he’s out there and you have Devlin who is one of the best all around performers on the show. The problem is that this felt like the least important match since the previous one, which has been the case for the entire show. Devlin could be a big deal around here but they keep putting him in matches like this one and it’s getting repetitive.

Long video on Tyler Bate vs. Walter, with Walter winning the UK Title and forming Imperium to go after British Strong Style. Walter injured Pete Dunne so Bate is fighting for the team’s honor. And the title.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans to complain about Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews qualifying for the Tag Team Title match by winning singles matches (fair point). Cue Gallus and Webster/Andrews for the big brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. Oh this didn’t work. Other than a few parts here and there, this felt like they ran out of ways to build up Takeover last week and threw everyone not on the show out here to fill in time. It’s a perfectly watchable nearly hour long show but it took a lot of the energy out of the build to Takeover. The show itself is all that matters, but what we had here wasn’t working in regards to setting up Saturday.

Results

Ilja Dragunov b. Tyson T-Bone – Torpedo Moscow

Joseph Conners b. Oliver Carter – Don’t Look Down

Jordan Devlin b. Kenny Williams – Saito suplex

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: May 8, 2019
Location: Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back in the UK and that means things can get a bit more back to normal around here. In this case we have a Tag Team Title match with the Grizzled Young Veterans defending against Amir Jordan and Kenny Williams, which seems like a filler feud until we get to something more important. Let’s get to it.

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

Sid Scala welcomes us to the show and announces an upcoming fatal four way for the #1 contendership. Tonight, we get the first of four qualifying matches with the eventual winner going on to face the winner of Walter vs. Pete Dunne.

Opening sequence.

Moustache Mountain vs. The Hunt

They seem to have dropped Wild Boar and Primate’s regular names, thank goodness. Bate takes Boar down to start and gets two off a crossbody. Seven comes in to chop Primate in the corner, which just gets him growled at for his efforts. Primate yells at him again so it’s a chop to the leg into a DDT to take Primate to the floor. The suicide dive drops him again but a Boar distraction lets Primate take over back inside. Seven fights up on Boar but it’s way too early for the Seven Star Lariat.

The Hunt hits a double slam and Primate drops Boar onto Seven for two. A missed charge sends Primate into the corner and the OH TRENT SEVEN ARMY chants fuel the hot tag off to Bate. An overhead belly to belly into a running shooting star gets two on Boar. Seven’s sitout slam gets the same on Primate but Boar throws Primate at Seven for two of his own. Everything breaks down and it’s a double Bop and Bang, setting up the clothesline/dragon suplex combination to pin Primate at 7;22.

Rating: C+. The Hunt looked better than usual here and that’s a good sign for their future. Just dropping their real names makes them seem that much more animalesque and the wrestling backed it up. Having them wrestle like wild men is a unique way to go for them and the match was entertaining with Moustache Mountain being built up for a future title shot.

Amir Jordan has been attacked and seems to be favoring his arm as he goes to the trainer’s room.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Joe Coffey vs. Flash Morgan Webster

Coffey is the hometown boy. Flash gets thrown down with raw power to start and the fans are very pleased with Coffey. Another hard charge takes Webster down for the biggest reaction you’ll ever see to a shoulder block. Webster gets in a shot of his own to knock Coffey outside and a dropkick knocks him off the apron. Back in and a flipping splash gives Webster two, followed by a hard whip into the corner as it’s almost all Coffey so far. The swinging butterfly suplex gets two and it’s off to the nerve hold.

Webster fights out of a full nelson for a crossbody and some right hands. They fall out to the floor with Webster getting back in and hitting a running flip dive. Back in and a jumping knee to the face gives Webster two, with the fans being rather pleased on the kickout. The Swanton hits knees though and it’s All The Best For The Bells to finish Webster at 6:06.

Rating: C. Interesting crowd reaction aside, this was a fun match with both guys trying hard and Webster not being sure what to make of the fans booing him. You had to see that coming though and Coffey winning was the obvious ending, especially if they didn’t want the fans to storm the ring or something. Not bad at all and Coffey looked fired up.

Post match Gallus says this is their kingdom to try and cool the fans off but it doesn’t work in the slightest. Wolfgang wants Dave Mastiff next week but Joe tells him to focus on the four way.

We look at Pete Dunne training for his rematch with Walter in two weeks.

Ilja Dragonov is coming.

Nina Samuels vs. Kasey Owens

The fans are behind Kasey, who looks to be a little goofy. Nina stomps her down in the corner to start and a dropkick to the back makes it even worse. The chinlock goes on until Kasey fights back up for a running dropkick of her own. A shot to the back takes Kasey down again though and Nina cartwheels off the top to avoid a charge. The fireman’s carry backbreaker finishes Kasey at 2:52. Notice how they’re building Nina up. Instead of beating the champ and going for the shortcut version, she’s winning a bunch of matches in a row before she gets the bigger match. It’s worked for years and it still works now.

Post match Nina talks about how she respects Toni Storm but she’s coming for the title.

Dave Mastiff promises to beat up Wolfgang next week and smash Gallus’ kingdom. He leaves but here’s Kay Lee Ray to take his place. Kay applauds Nina for her gumption, but Kay is getting the next title shot.

Preview of the remaining qualifying matches.

Tag Team Titles: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams

Jordan and Williams are challenging. Before the match, Gibson says the title match isn’t happening because Jordan is injured. The fans need to put their shoes back on and head home because the fairy tale ending isn’t happening tonight. Williams comes out to accuse the champs of attacking Jordan so he has a replacement partner.

Tag Team Titles: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Kenny Williams/Noam Dar

Williams and Dar are challenging. The fight is on in a hurry with all four heading outside. Back in and Dar knocks Gibson into the corner with a northern lights suplex getting two. Drake comes back in for a running dropkick to Dar’s head and it’s a forearm to put him on the floor again. We settle down to Dar getting beaten down with Drake driving a knee into the ribs to keep him in trouble.

A diving save cuts off a hot tag attempt and for once it doesn’t go through a few seconds later. Dar gets in a clothesline and dives over but Gibson pulls Williams to the floor at the last second. The third attempt works a bit better and now it’s Williams coming in to clean house in a hurry. A bulldog sends Drake head first into the corner and a tornado DDT makes it even worse.

The champs head to the floor for a springboard trust fall from Williams, followed by a top rope back elbow for two on Drake. It’s back to Dar for a kick to Gibson’s knee into the ankle lock but Gibson is too close to Drake for the tag. That’s fine with Dar, who ankle locks Drake with a grapevine. Williams does the same to Gibson at the same time but Gibson kicks and punches his way to freedom.

Everyone is down until Drake gets a half crab on Dar’s recently repaired knee. Williams grabs the hand to block the tap and then kicks Drake in the face for the save. A running clothesline has Gibson in trouble but he’s right back with a middle rope Codebreaker to Dar. Williams’ wheelbarrow faceplant gets two on Gibson but Drake breaks up the Nova Roller. That leaves Williams alone against the champs, with Drake hitting a running dropkick in the corner. Helter Skelter into the 450 retains the titles at 13:30.

Rating: B. I wasn’t expecting much from the match in the first place but they made a very smart change by swapping Dar in for Jordan. This was a serious match and there was no room for Jordan’s dancing in the middle. Dar isn’t my favorite guy in the world but he was working well here and the match was rather good as a result.

Overall Rating: B+. These shows have gotten better recently and this was no exception, mainly because of another NXT principle. The main event wasn’t the biggest deal in the world but the announcers treated it like something that mattered more than anything else going on. They didn’t spend the match talking about the four way or the UK Title match and it made all the difference in the world. Rather good show here and the Glasgow crowd helped carry things very far.

Results

Moustache Mountain b. The Hunt – Dragon suplex/clothesline combination to Primate

Joe Coffey b. Flash Morgan Webster – All The Best For The Bells

Nina Samuels b. Kasey Owens – Fireman’s carry backbreaker

Grizzled Young Veterans b. Noam Dar/Kenny Williams – 450 to Williams

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 17, 2019
Location: Brooklyn Pier 12, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back stateside again with a batch of shows taped from Axxess. That means things could be all over the place as there is usually something big on the episodes for the sake of making it feel special. I’m not sure what to expect from things here though and that can make things a little more interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Coffey Brothers vs. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo

As usual, commentary focuses on how good looking Carrillo is. Mark armbars Mendoza to start before taking him down for an early stomping. It’s off to Joe vs. Carrillo with Humberto’s handspring elbow connecting for one. A moonsault misses and Joe’s running headbutt to the ribs has Carrillo in trouble in the corner. Joe slaps on a seated full nelson and even puts Carrillo face first onto the mat to make it even worse. That’s a simple hold but it does look rather painful.

Carrillo powers out (impressive) so it’s a butterfly swing into the butterfly suplex to give Joe two. Mark comes in and gets punched in the face, allowing the quick tag to Mendoza. A running enziguri staggers Mark again and a springboard missile dropkick takes him down. Carrillo comes back in and stereo suicide dives drop the Brothers. Back in and a moonsault from Carrillo into Mendoza’s 450 gets two on Mark with Joe making a save. Joe uppercuts Mendoza into another enziguri and All The Best For The Bells gives Joe the pin at 5:34.

Rating: C+. Not too bad at all here with the Coffeys being a good power team and Mendoza/Carrillo continuing to impress every time they’re in the ring together. That’s the kind of match that is going to work every time and I’m always glad to see more from Mendoza and Carrillo. These four had chemistry together and it was a rather nice match.

Kassius Ohno doesn’t like the suggestion that things haven’t been going well for him, even though things haven’t been going well for him. He’s here to show the real European style to these so called veterans of the British scene. Like Ligero, who is famous for wrestling a crazy amount of matches. Ohno is quality over quantity and it would only take one match to show Ligero what a real wrestler is like.

Wrestlers want to see Pete Dunne vs. Walter II. Jordan Devlin doesn’t care and gets into a staredown with Walter.

Kona Reeves vs. Dave Mastiff

If I’ve ever wanted to see Mastiff crush someone, it’s right here. Reeves actually manages to get him into the corner and makes it clear that he is in fact the finest. A shoulder block doesn’t have much effect on Mastiff, who wrestles Reeves to the mat in a bit of a surprise. Some elbows to the head rock Reeves again but he knows to get away before the Cannonball can launch.

Reeves snaps him throat first across the top and slaps on the chinlock, which keeps Mastiff down longer than you might have guessed. Back up and Mastiff runs him over with a crossbody, setting up a release German suplex. Now the Cannonball can finish Reeves for good at 4:36.

Rating: D. I know WWE doesn’t like admitting defeat on talents but my goodness how could they possibly see anything left in Reeves? His gimmick is saying his nickname over and over again and his work isn’t anything above below average. Mastiff is something entertaining though and has gotten a little better than the run of the mill monster.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews are ready for Moustache Mountain and want to bring the Tag Team Titles to Wales.

Wolfgang cuts off Mastiff’s interview and have to be broken up. Mastiff threatens to have him for dinner.

Kacy Catanzaro vs. Rhea Ripley

Rematch from last year’s Mae Young Classic where Ripley eliminated Catanzaro. Kacy tries to stay away from Ripley to start but gets tossed into the corner with ease. A hair pull down puts Catanzaro on the mat and Ripley hammers away, though she has to stop and yell that she knows the rules. The delayed vertical suplex gives Ripley two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Catanzaro starts to try to speed but her crossbody is countered into a suplex, which is countered into a small package for two on Ripley. Catanzaro gets caught in the corner again and this time it’s Riptide for the pin at 3:29.

Rating: D+. Catanzaro is an intriguing name with her insane athleticism but she’s just so small that there’s only so much she can do when Ripley is that much bigger. Ripley squashed her here and looked dominant all over again, which is probably going to be the case with most of her matches against anyone not named Toni Storm or Piper Niven.

Post match Ripley puts her in the Cloverleaf.

Post break Ripley yells at Catanzaro, saying that’s what she had to expect. Piper Niven comes up and scares Ripley off.

Jinny has nothing to say about her loss.

Next week: Kassius Ohno vs. Ligero. Also, Moustache Mountain vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams

Non-title and the fans take their shoes off in protest of Gibson in America too. Before the match, Gibson says the same things he says almost every week and makes it clear that this is non-title, because that’s as close as Jordan and Williams will get to the titles. Gibson takes Jordan down by the arm to start and then does it again for good measure. Drake comes in for a forearm to Jordan, who flips forward and monkey flips Drake over in a big crash.

Williams comes in for an arm shot of his own so Gibson pulls Drake to the floor for a breather. It’s back to Gibson, who goes for the arm again but gets rolled up for two instead. A springboard back elbow to the jaw has Gibson in even more trouble as the champions can’t keep any momentum going. Drake tags himself back in though and it’s a basement dropkick to the knee, followed by a second to the head.

A running dropkick knocks Jordan off the apron and it’s a slingshot elbow into a backbreaker on the floor to make it even worse for Williams. Back in and the chinlock goes on as the fans get behind Williams as much as they can. A snap suplex gives Drake two and it’s another chinlock until Williams jawbreaks his way to freedom. Gibson gets kicked in his recently injured ear but Drake pulls Williams right back into the chinlock.

This time it’s broken up with ease and since Gibson is on the floor, the hot tag brings in Jordan to pick up the pace. A neckbreaker gives Jordan two and Gibson is still down, even waving Drake off when he comes over for a tag. Williams comes back in for a springboard back elbow, drawing Gibson off the floor to make the save. Jordan gets a blind tag and it’s the Swanton Bombay for two with Gibson pulling Drake to the floor. That’s enough for the champs, who take the countout at 10:35.

Rating: D+. The chinlocks killed this one and they would have been much better off by cutting two minutes out of the match. While I didn’t really care for the match, it’s a huge improvement over having Jordan and Williams steal a quick pin to set up the title rematch. Countouts can be the company’s friend in this situation but WWE never seems to remember that. Also, the champs need challengers and this is one way to set those up, especially when they don’t have a deep division in the first place. That being said, I’d be a little more hesitant to already tease a split between Gibson and Drake, unless Gibson is getting a huge push.

Pete Dunne talks about losing the title after nearly two years. He’s not leaving the title behind because it’s an extension of him. People were so used to him being the champion that they forgot about the chase. He’s been everywhere in WWE over the last two years and Walter gave him the fight of his life. Now he knows what to expect and he knows he can get the title back. Since he gave Walter a chance, give him the same courtesy. Give him a rematch. Great promo here with the video backing it up.

Overall Rating: D. Well so much for this one being a big show with something special. This was a rather dull episode with the wrestling not working and the guest stars, save for Mendoza and Carrillo, being rather lifeless. It takes something special to get a boring Catanzaro match but this show managed to make it happen. I wasn’t feeling this one, but the good thing is that NXT UK has become a good enough show that this is a one off misfire instead of a trend.

Results

Coffey Brothers b. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo – All The Best For The Bells to Mendoza

Dave Mastiff b. Kona Reeves – Cannonball

Rhea Ripley b. Kacy Catanzaro – Riptide

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams b. Grizzled Young Veterans via countout

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 3, 2019
Location: Coventry Skydome Arena, Coventry, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for Takeover: New York meaning we’re likely to get the final push towards Walter vs. Pete Dunne for the UK Title. That has the chance to steal the show on Friday night, which is saying a lot given the insane amount of potential that show has. Other than that, we’re likely going to be setting up something for the next few weeks. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel

Jordan and Barthel start things off with Marcel not approving of all the dancing. I mean, fair enough indeed. Barthel takes him into the corner to hand it off to Aichner but a blind tag lets Williams come in. A hurricanrana is blocked so it’s a sunset flip instead, with Aichner being sent outside. The Europeans take over back inside with Barthel punching Jordan down in the corner before it’s a double stomping for good measure.

The chinlock doesn’t last long and Barthel misses a charge in the corner, allowing the tag to Williams. A wheelbarrow faceplant gives Williams two and a springboard back elbow knocks Aichner to the floor. Williams takes too long trying to skin the cat though and gets dropkicked to the floor. Aichner catches a diving Jordan on the floor and it’s a spinebuster into a kick to the chest for Williams. With Jordan trying to get back in, Williams escapes a suplex and rolls Aichner up for the fast pin at 7:58.

Rating: C. I still don’t care much for Williams and Jordan but at least they’re being pushed as winners for a bit and can lose to the Grizzled Young Veterans in a little while. Jordan’s dancing is still dumb and Williams is still the star who deserves better, but at least they’re doing something for a change.

Rhea Ripley promises to make this place Piper Niven’s nightmare.

Jordan Devlin wants to know how Walter is getting a title shot so fast after he’s won match after match and gotten nothing (save for the title match he already lost). There’s nothing that can be done to change Friday because the contracts have been signed, but Devlin promises to be watching.

Isla Dawn vs. Kay Lee Ray

The battle of Scotland. Ray goes after the arm to start but Dawn spins out and goes to the splits on the mat. It’s right back to the arm with Ray taking him to the mat, tying the arm up with the legs and spinning it around. The arm gets pulled on even more, this time with Ray trapping it for a seated abdominal stretch. Back up and Ray hits a superkick into a Gory Bomb to complete the squash at 4:57.

Rating: D+. Total destruction here with Ray looking good, which again is the most important thing at the moment. The women’s division needs more than two or three people and Ray being the next big thing (or even a thing at all) is a perfectly fine idea. Dawn continues to fall, after having a good start and a cool gimmick with the witch stuff that went nowhere.

Jinny attacks Toni Storm, who can’t get up.

Travis Banks used to look up to Kassius Ohno but now he’ll beat him up.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans for a chat. Gibson talks about how awesome they are but they’re not competing tonight because they’re not dressed and he’s not medically cleared. He’s tired of the fans disrespecting him in person and on social media or from the locker room or from commentary. Gibson talks about all the people coming into this place, such as the kickpad wrestlers and the flippy skinny wrestlers, all trying to jump over the two of them.

That’s why they won the Tag Team Titles at Takeover: Blackpool and now Williams and Jordan want a title shot after winning three matches? They run this place now and that isn’t changing. Gibson is still a great promo, but it only serves to show how unnecessary Drake is for the most part.

Next week: Ohno vs. Banks, Niven’s debut and Storm defends against Jinny.

Joe Coffey vs. Trent Seven

Coffey shows off the strength to start by catching a crossbody and firing off chops. Seven fires off his own chops and gets two off a DDT. The fans chant for the Trent Seven Army as the guys head to the floor with an attempted dragon suplex being driven into the barricade for a break. Coffey bends Seven’s back around the post before going to the chinlock inside. That’s switched into a bearhug as it’s all Coffey so far.

A belly to belly makes it even worse and Coffey drops knees on the back to keep Seven down. Seven finally gets up and fires off the chops into a modified Falcon Arrow for two. Coffey rolls outside and takes a suicide dive as the fans are rather pleased. Back in and Coffey blasts him with a lariat for two of his own into a release German suplex. The powerbomb gets two on Seven and they’re both down.

Seven goes old school with a Figure Four until Coffey makes the rope and crawls to the apron, where Seven backdrops him for a big crash. They barely make it back in to beat the count and it’s Coffey missing a spinning springboard crossbody. The Seven Star Lariat connects for a solid false finish but Coffey is right back up with another powerbomb. This one transitions into a Boston crab and after being pulled away from the ropes, Seven actually taps at 14:12.

Rating: B-. Well I didn’t see that coming. You don’t see heels win clean with a submission like that but it’s a good way to set up the Boston crab as a dangerous hold going forward. Coffey winning can help build him up again, though I’m still not sure how big of a star he can be around here. Seven has proven that he’s bulletproof and at least he looked good in defeat here.

One more Walter vs. Dunne video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C+. It’s rather odd that there wasn’t anything more than videos on Walter vs. Dunne, which should be the biggest match in the history of the promotion. What we got here was a solid enough regular show but you kind of expect more with such a big match later this week. That being said, Walter vs. Dunne kind of speaks for itself so it’s not that bad. The rest of the show was pretty good stuff with a nice main event and matches being set for next week. Good enough show, but not what you were likely expecting.

Results

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan b. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel – Rollup to Aichner

Kay Lee Ray b. Isla Dawn – Gory Bomb

Joe Coffey b. Trent Seven – Boston crab

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: February 27, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re still in Phoenix and this time around we have a heck of a card, including a Tag Team Title match as the Grizzled Young Veterans defend the titles for the first time. The arguably bigger draw though is Walter, who will be facing Kassius Ohno for his biggest challenge to date. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tyler Bate vs. Jack Gallagher

Feeling out process to start with Gallagher kicking him away and going for the leg but Bate is in the rope. Now it’s Bate taking him to the mat for a hammerlock but Gallagher walks on his hands for an anklescissors to take Bate down. Bate’s handstand counter doesn’t really work so he bounces around a bit until he’s able to flip out of the hold in another sweet counter sequence.

Gallagher switches to the ankle by allowing Bate to grab a foot, knowing that he can counter into a better hold for some rather scientific style. That’s escaped as well and Bate traps one arm to pull on the other. Gallagher is up again for a stomp to the knee and a rather nasty Indian deathlock. Bate slips out again but still can’t maintain a hold of his own.

Instead Gallagher pulls him into Eddie Guerrero’s Lasso From El Paso but lets go as Bate is getting too close to the rope, switching over to an arm pull. With the submission attempts not working, Gallagher tries a sunset flip but Bate rolls over into a cradle, sending them around the ring for a series of one counts that lasts a good twenty seconds. That’s broken up and Bate grabs a quick rollup for the pin at 9:47.

Rating: B-. This was very, very different than your usual match but also highly entertaining. Some of the psychology and scientific counters were outstanding here, though the ending was so out of nowhere that it didn’t quite work. It made sense with Bate realizing that he couldn’t outwrestle Gallagher and powered him down for the pin instead, but it felt out of place after what they had been doing for the first nine and a half minutes.

Jordan Devlin jumped Travis Banks at the UK Performance Center with wrestlers and trainers breaking it up.

Video on Walter.

Video on Nina Samuels.

Eddie Dennis talks about rupturing his pectoral muscle just over a year ago. Then he signed with WWE that May because adversity motivated him. Now he’s back and more vindictive than ever, so he’s taking down the roster one by one.

Kassius Ohno vs. Walter

It’s weird seeing these two with people equal to their size. A test of strength goes to Walter, even as Ohno tries to take the knee out. Walter wristlocks him into an armbar and Ohno makes the mistake of chopping him. One heck of a big boot sends Ohno outside as Nigel compares Walter to the early years of Andre the Giant: stand there and don’t be aggressive, but attack when someone comes near you.

Ohno gets in a backsplash to the arm as Walter gets back in and pounds away with forearms in the corner. The cravate is broken up with a hard shove and they go to the strike off with Walter chopping him in the back. A big German suplex drops Ohno and a running seated senton gets two. Ohno knees him down but misses a moonsault, allowing Walter to dropkick him into the corner. The powerbomb finishes Ohno at 8:37.

Rating: B. I liked this one in a different way from the opener, partially because they went with a change of style, which is one of the best things they could have done. Ohno clearly wasn’t winning, but that doesn’t mean he can’t put up a good match on the way. This was all about two big guys hitting each other really hard and it gave Walter a bit of a sweat for the first time. That’s a good step for him and the match took both of them in the direction they should be going.

Ligero is willing to beat up Joseph Conners again if he has to.

Next week: Ligero vs. Conners and Banks vs. Devlin in a falls count anywhere match.

Tag Team Titles: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

James Drake and Zack Gibson are defending. Drake grabs Burch’s arm to start as it’s the early setup for Gibson’s Shankley Gates. That’s reversed into a regular armbar and then a hammerlock as Burch takes over on the mat. Gibson comes in and punches Burch in the face, giving us a nice mixture of the first two matches. It’s already back to Drake, who gets slapped in the chest so Burch can bring Lorcan in. As usual, Drake isn’t quite as skilled as Gibson but that’s how teams work. Drake pokes Lorcan in the eye and sends him into the post as the champs take over for real.

Back in and the chinlock goes on, followed by a nerve hold to really mix things up. Gibson gets two off a belly to back and it’s right back to the chinlock. Somehow, Lorcan is able to fight off a variety of chinlocks and bring in Burch for the suplexes. A middle rope dropkick sends Drake into his own corner so Burch forearms Gibson off the apron. Everything breaks down with Lorcan getting knocked outside, setting up the Ticket to Ride for two on Burch. A pair of headbutts get Burch out of trouble though and Lorcan comes in with a double Blockbuster.

It’s already back to Burch (that was fast) with a Doomsday Device getting two as Gibson backdrops Lorcan onto the cover for the break. All four come in and Lorcan (legal) grabs the half crab on Drake as Gibson (also legal) puts Burch in Shankley Gates. The slap off breaks the holds and it’s Lorcan hitting a running dive to take out both champs. Back in and the elevated hanging DDT gets two on Drake so Burch punches him in the face. Lorcan gets knocked to the floor though and the Ticket to Mayhem finishes Burch at 13:08.

Rating: B. Another very good showing here with the two teams working well enough together to give you the hope of a title change. They also seem to be planting the seeds of Gibson being the focal point of the team (as he should be) which could be leading to a split. Throughout the match the announcers talked about Gibson having a God complex, which very well could cause some tension between the two of them. It’s WAY too early to split them though as they could hold the titles for several months to come.

Overall Rating: A-. Now that was a fun show with three high quality matches. As tends to be the case around here, the storytelling isn’t the strongest and having the focus be on the wrestling instead of the stories is a good way to go. You can’t do that every week, but when they get it right, it works very well. I had a great time with this and it flew by while leaving me wanting to see more, which is one of the best things that can be said.

Results

Tyler Bate b. Jack Gallagher – Rollup

Walter b. Kassius Ohno – Powerbomb

Grizzled Young Veterans b. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch – Ticket to Mayhem to Burch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: February 20, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s the second week in Phoenix and last week got things off to a good start. The different venue and crowd offer a nice change of pace and that can help freshen things up a little bit. We’re still on the way towards Walter vs. Pete Dunne for the UK Title and with the right build, it could be a classic. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Toni Storm beating Rhea Ripley to become Women’s Champion last month and Ripley not handling the loss well. The rematch is tonight.

Opening sequence.

Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster vs. Coffey Brothers

For the sake of sanity, I’ll only refer to Mark Coffey as Mark and Mark Andrews as Andrews. Mark literally throws Flash around to start and it’s off to Joe for some stomps to the ribs. A quick dropkick gets Flash out of trouble and it’s off to Andrews as the pace picks up in a hurry. That’s a good thing for Andrews, though a blind tag lets the Brothers hit a pop up uppercut to take over again. You can’t beat the brotherly thinking. A double chop keeps Andrews in trouble and they take turns on full nelsons.

Joe switches to a double underhook but a buckle bomb attempt is countered and the hot tag brings in Flash. The standing Lionsault sets up a hurricanrana from the apron to the floor to keep Mark down. A jumping knee to the face into an assisted moonsault gets two on Joe. We settle back down with Joe slugging away at Andrews until Flash tags himself in to help on a tornado DDT. Stereo flip dives to the floor drop the Brothers and there’s a Stundog Millionaire to Joe. Mark suplexes Andrews onto the apron though and All The Best For The Bells finishes Flash at 8:29.

Rating: B-. This was a good sign on multiple fronts, starting with the fact that it was a rather nice match. As usual, power vs. speed is something that is always going to work and that was the case here. Other than that, it makes the Coffey Brothers they should have been all along. Joe vs. Pete Dunne was good, but when you have your brother right there, why is he teaming with another guy like Wolfgang? It never made sense, though Joe vs. Dunne was a better idea than Dunne vs. Wolfgang any day.

Video on Nina Samuels, who seems to like the spotlight.

Jordan Devlin is back in Ireland and promises to be the best, as always.

Video on Kay Lee Ray, who is awesomely Scottish and coming to the women’s division.

Trent Seven vs. Shane Thorne

Shane is making the rounds as of late and this makes as much sense as anything else for him. Feeling out process to start with Seven’s wristlock giving Thorne some early problems. Thorne’s shoulder doesn’t get him very far so he snaps Seven’s arm across the top rope. The shoulder gets wrapped around the post and it’s off to an armbar. Seven is right back up with a suplex into a slam for two and it’s off to a rather quick Figure Four.

The hold is turned over and they fall to the floor with both guys banging up their knees. Back in and Thorne gets slammed off the top but manages to block the Figure Four. A hard belly to back suplex puts Seven down for two and a kind of chickenwing hold is right back on the arm. Not that it matters as Seven shoves him away and hits the Seven Star Lariat for the pin at 8:59.

Rating: C. I know the Mighty wasn’t the most popular team in the world but Thorne is carving out a very nice place for himself as someone who can have a watchable match with just about anyone. That’s going to keep him around for a long time and we had a nice match here. Seven sells limb injuries well and this was no exception.

Jack Gallagher wants to wrestle in NXT UK and will talk to Johnny Saint about it over a cup of tea.

Joseph Conners’ loss to Ligero was a fluke and he’ll prove it.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans for a chat. The heat isn’t as strong on Zack Gibson here as he talks about how hard the two of them have worked to get here. He doesn’t like being here instead of back home in Liverpool having a cup of tea, but he’s here to explain why British wrestling is the best in the world. They can’t have the best competition because they are the best competition.

The challengers can be from 205 Live, NXT or NXT UK because it won’t matter. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch can come for their shot whenever. Here are Burch and Lorcan in person with Burch telling Gibson to shut up. Burch is proud to be British but he’s more proud to represent these fans. The match is next week but Burch and Lorcan chase them off now.

Next week: Gallagher vs. Tyler Bate.

Also next week: Walter vs. Kassius Ohno. That’s a stacked show.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley

Storm is defending and the fight starts before the bell with Ripley throwing her into the corner. The bell rings and Ripley stomps away before forearming the champ against the ropes. Ripley starts in on the back with a backbreaker getting two as the pace slows a bit. The bodyscissors goes on for a bit until Storm is up with some right hands.

Those just earn her a dropkick for two, which is quite the visual from the rather big Ripley. The standing Cloverleaf has Storm in even more trouble but she rolls Ripley outside. That means a suicide dive to start the real comeback and a running hip attack in the corner makes things worse for Ripley. The back is too banged up for Storm Zero so it’s a Backstabber instead, which works well enough.

Storm takes some time following up though and it’s a slugout from their knees. The champ gets the better of it but gets caught on top, allowing Ripley to grab a superplex for two. Ripley misses a charge into the post though and a quick Storm Zero retains the title at 11:00. That was a very fast finish and it felt like they had another minute or two in there.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t anything great but it was high enough quality to work just fine. Storm retaining wasn’t exactly a surprise and that’s ok for a pretty big TV main event. Both of them looked polished and the women’s division is getting some depth, meaning that it doesn’t have to be these two over and over. Ripley can go rebuild for a bit and she’s going to be fine in the long run.

Overall Rating: B-. This show worked well as it felt more like a regular NXT show: one feature match and enough other stuff to keep the whole thing entertaining. They moved around enough from one story to another and all of those things feel fresh. Also, and again just like NXT, they don’t have the same people on every week and it keeps the shows from being repetitive. They’re getting the formula right and that’s a very positive sign.

Results

Coffey Brothers b. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews – All The Best For The Bells to Webster

Trent Seven b. Shane Thorne – Seven Star Lariat

Toni Storm b. Rhea Ripley – Storm Zero

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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