NXT UK
Date: August 12, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andrew Shepherd

It’s tournament time as we have eight people vying to become the new #1 contender to the Heritage Cup. That alone should take quite a while to cover so hopefully they have something else going on to fill in some of the gaps. I’m not sure what that is going to be, but NXT UK has surprised me before. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Flash Morgan Webster vs. Wolfgang

This is fallout from Webster slapping Wolfgang to prove a point of some kind. Webster knocks him into the corner to start but Wolfgang takes him to the mat without much trouble. That means a third slap to Wolfgang so he runs Webster over and grabs a cravate. A dropkick puts Wolfgang on the floor but he sends Webster hard into the barricade.

Back in and a hard whip into the corner rocks Webster’s ribs and it’s time for some forearms to make them worse. We hit the nearly required bearhug, followed by the slightly less required abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and Webster hits another dropkick but what looked like a tiger driver is easily countered with a backdrop. A poisonrana plants Wolfgang out of nowhere but a Swanton hits knees. Wolfgang spears him for the pin at 7:32.

Rating: C+. You can do a power vs. speed match at any time in wrestling and it is going to work out just fine. That is as basic of a wrestling match as you are going to get and it was acceptable here as well. Wolfgang isn’t one of the Coffeys and Webster isn’t Mark Andrews but they did well enough to make this work out.

In two weeks, Joe Coffey vs. Rampage Brown, knockout or submission only.

The rest of Subculture is proud of Flash Morgan Webster for coming so close to beating Wolfgang but Isla Dawn comes up behind Dani Luna and reaches for her. Luna says back off and Dawn does, though still looks creepy in the process.

Moustache Mountain is ready for Pretty Deadly, who has to face the best team around here. Tyler Bate is ready to complete the Grand Slam (Shouldn’t that be Triple Crown?) and Trent Seven is ready to get his first title.

Jinny is fine with getting to face Aoife Valkyrie in a No DQ match but isn’t happy that Joseph Conners will be locked in a shark cage.

Nina Samuels vs. Amele

Samuels gets aggressive to start by driving her into the corner for the shoulders to the ribs. Amele isn’t having that and hammers away with forearms of her own. A bulldog gives Amele two and we hit the cravate. An elbow misses though and Samuels is back with a Hennig necksnap, setting up some double knees to the back in the corner. Amele is right back with a running boot in the corner but Samuels grabs back to back tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. A bridging northern lights suplex gives Amele two and a t-bone suplex into a spinebuster finishes Samuels at 4:58.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to get very far but it was energetic while it lasted. The women’s division is in a bit of a weird place as you have the very top firmly established and then a bunch of people scattered around underneath them. These two are firmly in that secondary group and maybe this can start Amele moving up a bit. It likely won’t, but it was a good enough match.

We look back at the first Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov match, with Dragunov talking about how he gave everything he had but he will be ready next time.

We look back at Walter costing Ilja Dragunov a match against Pete Dunne this week on NXT but Dragunov laid Walter out after the match.

Saxon Huxley runs around shouting BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME. Symbiosis isn’t sure what to make of him.

Meiko Satomura is ready to defend the Women’s Title against Stevie Turner next week.

Pretty Deadly is at the WWE Warehouse and find some photos of Moustache Mountain. Right now, Moustache Mountain is the best team in NXT UK but next week, they will be the best team that Pretty Deadly has beaten.

Heritage Cup #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Mark Andrews vs. Noam Dar

Dani Luna is here with Andrews. Round one begins with the grappling exchange and Andrews putting on an armbar on the mat. Andrews spins out of a wristlock and hits a dropkick to send Dar into the ropes. Back up and Dar pulls him down by the leg but Andrews twists him down by the arm again as time expires.

Round two starts with a test of strength, which is always odd to see from smaller guys like these two. Dar takes him to the mat for a fast two and a snapmare into the ropes of all things makes it worse. Now it’s time to work on Andrews’ arm for a bit before taking him outside for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Andrews snaps off a cartwheel into a dropkick to put Dar outside as the round ends.

Round three begins with Dar kicking the leg out to take Andrews off the middle rope. Cue Teoman and Rohan Raja to watch as Dar stays on the knee. Luna offers a distraction though and Andrews pulls Dar down for a quick double stomp. Stundog Millionaire sends Dar outside and there’s the big dive to drop him again. Back in and Andrews misses a springboard though and the knee gets banged up again. Andrews tries a Pele kick but gets pulled into a kneebar for the tap at 2:43 of the round (9:47 overall).

Round four starts with Raja and Teoman leaving and Andrews hitting a 619 onto Dar’s knee in the ropes. The leg gets snapped over the middle rope, setting up a kneebar back inside. Dar breaks that up and reverses an enziguri into an ankle lock. That’s fine with Andrews, who flips him over into a cradle for the pin at 1:38 of the round (12:03 overall).

Round five begins with Andrews hooking another rollup for two but his 619 is countered into Dar’s ankle lock. The Nova Roller is countered with an enziguri but Dar catches him on top again. Dar goes after Luna though, drawing Andrews over. That means Dar can kick him in the knee and hit the Nova Roller for the pin at 2:38 of the round (15:12 overall).

Rating: C+. They were building things up rather well here and the knee/Luna both played into the end. These matches are some of the better things about NXT UK at the moment and I could go for more of them like this. They have figured out the formula and these two made it work well, as was the case here. I’m not wild on Dar moving on, but he would be fine for a villain to make a decent run.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t their strongest show of the last few weeks but it isn’t like it was a bad fifty three minutes. The action was mostly good and I liked enough of what they did. It is the kind of show where you are better off just reading are cap rather than watching the show in full, but even if you did, you would be completely fine.

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NXT UK
Date: July 29, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re coming up on Ilja Dragunov vs. Walter II for the United Kingdom Title….but it’s going to take place in Florida on the regular NXT Takeover. Well so much for that. Instead, we’ll have to get read for the Iron Man match between Jordan Devlin and A-Kid. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jordan Devlin vs. Tristan Archer

Devlin takes him down by the arm to start without much effort and the cranking begins. Back up and Archer reverses into a wristlock of his own so Devlin nails a dropkick. Archer tries to knee away but gets hit in the face to drop him without much trouble. A belly to back backbreaker plants Archer again and Devlin grabs the chinlock with a knee in the back. We hit the neck crank for a bit until Archer fights up again. Devlin gets dropped for a running backsplash but Archer’s back is banged up. That’s enough for Devlin, who snaps off the Devlin Slide for the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C. They packed in a bit of a story into a five and a half minute match, which is quite the little trick. Archer has looked good in his limited appearances so far and I could see him doing something more in the future. Devlin continues to be one of the bigger stars around here and I’m still expecting him to become a main eventer at some point in the future.

Post match, Devlin says he has heard about a thirty minute Iron Man match against A-Kid. That’s cool with Devlin, but he has warned Johnny Saint that it will be the end of A-Kid’s career. Cue A-Kid on his crutches, which Devlin kicks away while issuing threats. A-Kid hits him anyway and cleans house, including some dropkicks. With Devlin on the floor, A-Kid says Devlin failed to get rid of him and next week, he’ll have thirty minutes to fail again.

Video on Jinny vs. Aoife Valkyrie.

We get the announcement that Ilja Dragunov will face Walter at Takeover on August 22. Walter is ready to destroy Dragunov for the greater good.

Meiko Satomura comes in to the women’s locker room and says she wants a challenge. Satomura then stands back while everyone else argues and smiles at all of them.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Jinny

Joseph Conners is here with Jinny. Valkyrie works on the arm to start and Jinny can’t snapmare her way out of it. A kick to the head staggers Valkyrie, who is right back up with a running sunset flip for two. Conners offers a quick distraction though and Jinny gets in a shot from behind to take over. A shoulder takes Valkyrie down again but she sweeps the leg. Back up and Conners offers another distraction, allowing Jinny to snap the arm.

It’s off to the double arm crank until Valkyrie flips forward and kicks her way to freedom. Something like a surfboard takes Valkyrie down again and Jinny kicks her in the back to make it worse. That’s broken up and Valkyrie strikes away, including some kicks to the head. There’s a spinning kick to the face for two so Valkyrie goes up for the ax kick. Conners gets up for another distraction though, meaning Valkyrie has to settle for an enziguri. ANOTHER Conners distraction lets Jinny get in a shot from behind though and a rolling kick to the head finishes Valkyrie at 4:59.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t exactly feeling Conners having to interfere that many times but it isn’t like there is much of a reason to believe that Jinny is going to be a real threat to Valkyrie otherwise. That is Jinny’s biggest problem by a wide margin: she is a great character and can talk, but she is only so much inside the ring. She did fine enough here, but there is a gap between this and the top of the division.

Video on Joe Coffey vs. Rampage Brown, who are geared up for a hard hitting hoss fight.

A-Kid is ready to make history again when he wins next week’s Iron Man match.

Aleah James vs. Stevie Turner

They go technical to start with a wristlock not working, though Turner’s headlock doesn’t either. James ducks underneath a clothesline, but Turner stomps her down into the corner without much effort. There’s a facewash against the ropes but Turner misses a running boot and gets rolled up for two. James is back up with a running forearm and a dropkick, setting up a crossbody for two more. A missed charge rocks James so Turner hits a running clothesline, only to bounce off the ropes into a Downward Spiral to put James away at 4:28.

Rating: C. Turner is growing on me and James looked fairly smooth out there. I’m curious to see where Turner can go, but I don’t know if it is going to work out that well with her futuristic deal. It works fairly well, but I’m not sure if it is going to be good enough to get her into the title picture.

Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff train in the ring, with Starz having some issues with the size.

Symbiosis vs. Moustache Mountain

Eddie Dennis is in Symbiosis’ corner. Symbiosis jumps Bate and Seven during their WAY too choreographed entrance (it wasn’t hard to get in a cheap shot) and we start in a hurry. That’s fine with Bate, who busts out some nunchucks to clear the ring before the bell. Back in and T-Bone hammers Seven into the corner but Seven is back with a crossbody. A slam puts T-Bone down and it’s off to Bate for some driving shoulders. Seven comes back in and gets caught in a fast hot shot.

There’s a whip into the corner to keep Seven in trouble, followed by a catapult into a right hand to make it worse. A double stomp gives T-Bone two, followed by a backbreaker for the same. Seven fights up and hits Primate in the ribs, setting up a quick DDT for the hot tag to Bate.

Everything breaks down with Bate hitting Primate in the face and getting two off the running shooting star press. There’s the airplane spin with T-Bone attempting a save, only to have Bate throw Primate at him. The Tyler Driver 97 gets two on Primate with Primate making a save. T-Bone powerslams Bate down and takes out Seven, allowing Primate to hit his top rope head butt for two.

Bate chokes Primate on the apron but Eddie Dennis pulls him into the Severn Bridge into the barricade (egads). Back in and Bate manages a double clothesline to get him out of trouble, allowing Seven to make a blind tag. Bate dives onto Dennis and T-Bone, leaving Seven to hit the Seven Star Lariat for two on Primate. The top rope knee/Burning Hammer combination finishes Primate at 10:56.

Rating: B-. The ending was the right call as you don’t want to have Moustache Mountain losing unless it’s a big change. Symbiosis made the better team sweat a bit here with some of those near falls at the end being pretty hot. Other than that, this was a good showcase for both teams and a nice main event for a lower level TV show.

Pretty Deadly comes out for the staredown with Moustache Mountain to end the show. They had to get there at some point.

Overall Rating: C. While it wasn’t bad by any means, this show was pretty flat without much of anything that you need to see. The main event was by far the biggest thing this week and the ending has me interested in the title showdown, but there wasn’t much else worth mentioning. That is going to happen from time to time but NXT UK has enough of a reputation to be fine for a single off week.

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NXT UK
Date: July 22, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

This was supposed to be the big showdown between Walter and Ilja Dragunov but the injury bug struck, meaning the match has been postponed. Instead, we have to settle for Subculture challenging Pretty Deadly for the Tag Team Titles. I’d call it a downgrade but they can probably make it work. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video recaps the NXT Title match being canceled and a look at the Tag Team Title match.

Sid Scala opens things up and we go to William Regal (fine after being laid out on Tuesday), HHH and Shawn Michaels (the birthday boy), who announce Walter vs. Dragunov II will take place at Takeover 36 on August 22.

Eddie Dennis says Symbiosis is ready to destroy Moustache Mountain.

Laura DiMatteo vs. Nina Samuels

Samuels works on the arm to start but gets pulled down for a front facelock. That’s reversed back into a wristlock but Samuels reverses into a cradle, which DiMatteo stacks up for two of her own. Samuels takes her down and ties up the legs without much effort, setting up a surfboard of all things. With that broken up, Samuels hits a Hennig necksnap and pulls away at DiMatteo’s face.

DiMatteo reverses into a rollup for two and hits a dropkick for the same. There’s a sunset flip for the same but Samuels powers her into the corner without much effort. Back up and DiMatteo clotheslines her into an enziguri, only to get caught in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. The over the shoulder backbreaker spun into a knee to the face finishes DiMatteo at 6:11.

Rating: C. This was more of a showcase for DiMatteo than anything else and that is not a bad thing. She has a certain spark to her and it makes for some entertaining matches. Samuels is someone who has always seemed primed to move up the ladder but it has never actually happened, though she was showing some more aggression today.

Teoman talks about how important his family is. Rohan Raja joins him to agree, plus a discussion on respect and fear. Family is everything.

Blair Davenport interrupts a Xia Brookside promo and says come talk to her when she has her own last name.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions with this week’s guest: Jinny, with Joseph Conners. Jinny isn’t pleased with the folding chair, so Noam Dar offers her a cushion. Dar talks about his fashion sense and declares himself boyfriend material. He asks if Conners and Jinny have a more personal relationship, which Jinny finds cheap. We get a video of Jinny and Conners living the good life as the two of them talk about being sick of hearing the same question. Dar goes to wrap it up but Jinny calls out Aoife Valkyrie for talking about her when she isn’t there. Come say it to her face. These things are still rather annoying as talk shows go.

Video on Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey, who are set for a hoss fight.

Joseph Conners vs. Tristan Archer

Jinny is here with Conners, who takes Archer down by the arm to start. Archer sends him into the corner though and grabs a headlock. Conners’ leapfrog is pulled out of the air and a hard clothesline puts him down again. That’s it for the surprise offense though as Conners hits a hard shoulder into a reverse Hennig necksnap (ouch). Some kneedrops gets two on Archer and a crucifix of all things gets the same.

We hit the chinlock with a knee in Archer’s back for a bit but he fights up and sends Conners into the corner. A springboard…I think Downward Spiral gets two on Conners and a small package gets the same. Archer hits a Michinoku Driver for two more and Conners is reeling. Conners is fine enough to slip out of a GTS though and rolls into a DDT to plant Archer. The Hierarchy (hangman’s Regal Cutter) finishes Archer at 6:03.

Rating: C+. This was a heck of a match and quite the surprise. Archer is going to get some attention out of this as he managed to get something good out of JOSEPH CONNERS. That’s a trick in its own right but they were starting to roll before the finish. Good match here and well done by both of them.

Post match, Aoife Valkyrie comes out for the staredown with Jinny and hands her a feather. That means a challenge for later.

Jordan Devlin is set for a thirty minute Iron Man match with A-Kid, showing that A-Kid is the dumbest man in NXT UK. Next time, Devlin will finish that knee off.

Jack Starz thanks Dave Mastiff for his inspiration, but Mastiff says there is more to come.

Moustache Mountain is ready to finish this with Symbiosis next week.

Tag Team Titles: Pretty Deadly vs. Subculture

Subculture (Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster), with Dani Luna, is challenging. Sam Stoker takes Webster up against the ropes to start but gets chopped back. A running armdrag takes Stoker down for a second but he snaps off a hurricanrana to get a breather. Webster is right back with a Hennig necksnap (third of some kind tonight) and it’s off to Andrews vs. Lewis Howley.

Andrews snaps off a running hurricanrana but Howley sends him flying without much trouble. Everything breaks down for a second and Howley teases decking Luna, earning himself a shot from Andrews. Back in and an assisted DDT plants Andrews to put the champs in real control for the first time. We hit the chinlock for all of a few seconds before it’s back to Howley for a kick to the ribs.

Andrews gets sent outside for a shot from Stoker, who gets to taunt Luna for a bonus. Back in and Howley has to cut off a hot tag attempt and it’s a splash/legdrop combination. The chinlock doesn’t last long again as Andrews fights up and collides with Stoker, setting up the hot tag to Webster. Everything breaks down and Angel’s Wings gets two on Stoker. Webster flips out of a German suplex and the Rude Boy Block hits Howley for two. There’s a headbutt to Stoker and a leapfrog over Andrews into a Canadian Destroyer gets two more on Howley.

An assisted Codebreaker hits Webster for two but Andrews is back in for the double Pele. Howley comes in off a blind tag though and Andrews is tossed into…something for another near fall. Stundog Millionaire hits Stoker and a poisonrana/running big boot combination connects as well.

Howley breaks up the cover so Stoker and Andrews can trade near falls before Stoker gets dropped again. Andrews loads up Fall To Pieces but Howley pulls Stoker out of the way to cause the crash. Webster’s flip dive is caught and countered into a toss over the barricade. Howley throws in a title for a distraction, setting up Spilled Milk to retain at 15:49.

Rating: B. This was WAY better than I would have expected as they turned it way up near the end, with the last few minutes being a sprint. Pretty Deadly is a team who should have no business being this good and yet they are pulling it off every time. Subculture have some credibility due to being former champions but Pretty Deadly should be holding the title for a fairly long time. Rather good match here and that was a great surprise.

Overall Rating: B. Now this was a heck of a show, with a very good main event and nothing bad. Throw in the big announcement at the start of the show and some things being set up for next week and you had an outstanding use of an hour. This show might actually be better than the regular NXT at this point, or at the very least it is better at being NXT than being NXT. Good stuff this week, because of course it was.

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NXT UK
Date: June 24, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time for a big fight as we have a triple threat main event between Ilja Dragunov, Rampage Brown and Joe Coffey. That alone should be worth seeing, and it would be hard to imagine that the winner is not in line for the next shot at Walter. It isn’t like there is anyone else available to challenge for the title at the moment. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Coffey vs. Sha Samuels

They go with the power lockup to start and fight over a headlock exchange. Coffey’s elbow to the face drops Samuels and it’s an armdrag into an armbar. Back up and Samuels hits a hard clothesline and then does it again to turn Coffey inside out. Coffey tries a comeback but runs into an even harder clothesline for two. The Butcher’s Hook is blocked though and Coffey suplexes him down. A middle rope bulldog gives Coffey two more and Samuels’ spinebuster gets the same. The Butcher’s Hook is countered again and this time it’s a running elbow to finish Samuels at 6:30.

Rating: C+. This was about two hard hitting power guys beating each other up and it worked well. These guys can work a physical style and they did so here, as Samuels continues to lose in almost any match that matters in the slightest. At the same time, I’m surprised that Coffey actually got a win, as that has not been his custom on his own.

Emilia McKenzie is happy to see Meiko Satomura win the Women’s Title. Isla Dawn comes in, complete with spooky lighting, and McKenzie leaves.

A woman named Mila is at the Performance Center but Aoife Valkyrie runs into the ring to start training. Jinny pops up to say it’s pitiful that Mila (whose last name is Schmidt) is just stuck watching. A match seems to be teased.

Subculture is proud of their win last week but Pretty Deadly pops in to seem unimpressed.

Stevie Turner vs. Laura di Matteo

Matteo is from Progress. Turner drives her into the corner to start and grinds away on a headlock. They fight over arm control until Turner sends her into the ropes. Some running shots to the head keep Matteo in trouble and a pump kick gives Turner two. The crossarm choke doesn’t last long as Matteo escapes and hits a dropkick. A missed charge cuts off the comeback though and a springboard Downward Spiral finishes Matteo at 4:15.

Rating: C-. Turner is certainly unique and it is nice to see someone with a different kind of gimmick out there. I’m not sure if she is exactly blowing away anyone in the ring but she is serviceable enough at what she does. Matteo being out there in little more than a jobber spot was weird as she is a big enough deal in Progress. Maybe she can stick around and get a bigger chance down the line though, which has been done before.

Gallus is happy with Mark Coffey’s win and are ready for the main event.

Kenny Williams interrupts Nathan Frazer at the Performance Center and a challenge seems to be accepted.

A woman opens a briefcase and signs a contract. Her name is Blair Davenport, and I would assume this is Bea Priestley.

Video on Tyler Bate vs. Jack Stars for the Heritage Cup. Starz talks about coming up on the summer camp circuit, just like William Regal. He is looking forward to fulfilling his dream and it starts next week.

Oliver Carter vs. Teoman

Carter is out for revenge for Teoman hurting his partner Ashton Smith. Carter starts fast by snapping off a headscissors and striking away, setting up some yelling in the corner. Teoman charges into a kick to the face to put him on the floor, where Carter sends him into the steps. That earns him an arm twist into the steps and it’s time to work on Carter’s arm back inside.

A running forearm to the back of the head cuts Carter down again and the Fujiwara armbar sends Carter to the ropes. Teoman misses a handspring elbow though and Carter hits a standing Lionsault for two. Carter’s superkick gets the same, followed by an ax kick for two more. Back up and Carter gets caught with a shot to the face, setting up Teoman’s middle rope DDT for two. With that not working, the Crossface makes Carter tap at 7:06.

Rating: C+. Teoman is starting to grow on me and there is always something to be said about someone working away at a limb until it is useless. Carter sold well here and you could buy that he was making a comeback. Surprisingly solid match here as Teoman gets to look better than usual here.

Post match the beatdown continues but Rohan Raja runs in….and turns on Carter. Teoman and Carter leave together.

Video on A-Kid vs. Jordan Devlin.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Joe Coffey vs. Rampage Brown

Time for a hoss fight and I’m trying to get my mind around Coffey’s weird green/white trunks. Brown drops Dragunov to start but gets suplexed by Coffey. It’s Dragunov getting back up to pull Brown to the mat for some elbows to the head. Coffey sends Dragunov outside before slugging it out with Brown. That means a Boston crab to Brown with Dragunov having to hammer away for a good while to break it up.

Brown is back up with a double clothesline to put the other two down, followed by a double suplex to send both of them flying. Coffey manages to backdrop Brown to the floor but Dragunov is back up with a bridging German suplex. Dragunov comes up holding his ribs as he goes up but has to fight Coffey off. That means Coffey goes crashing down, allowing Dragunov to jump over Brown into a backsplash for two.

Brown slams Dragunov onto Coffey for two but Dragunov gets back up to lose a slugout. A big lariat drops Brown though and Dragunov gets all insane again. Dragunov knocks Brown into the corner but Coffey hits his running tackle to send Dragunov into him. Coffey hits a big dive to take both of them out on the floor but Dragunov wins a slugout back inside. A second slugout goes to a draw to put them both down but Dragunov is up….and charges into a discus lariat. Brown knocks Coffey outside in a big crash but it’s Dragunov back up and striking away.

Some German suplexes rock Brown but he is fine enough to German suplex both Dragunov and the returning Coffey. An electric chair drop lets Coffey plant Brown and they all have to pull themselves up. They all collide for another knockdown but Brown is up first with a Doctor Bomb to Coffey. Dragunov makes the save and, after slipping out of another Doctor Bomb, hits a top rope Torpedo Moscow to finish Brown at 16:14.

Rating: B+. This was every single thing you would have expected from these three and that is a very good thing. They did nothing but hit each other really hard for a long time until one of them was left standing. Dragunov winning is the right call as he has the redemption story going so there isn’t even a complaint about the result. They had a hoss fight here and it was a very, very good one.

Post match here is Walter to hold up the title at Dragunov and then slap him down. Walter chokes him out and poses with the title to end the show. If they have a Takeover coming at any point in the next few months, they have the headliner right in front of them.

Overall Rating: B. Nothing on here was close to bad and the main event was a heck of a fight, with Walter showing up at the end to set the stages for the rematch making it even better. It was an awesome show from one of the best weekly series around today. Check out the main event if you have the time because it is one of the better fights I’ve seen from anything WWE related in a long time.

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NXT UK
Date: June 17, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things might be a bit slower this week as we are coming off a pretty awesome title change last week. Meiko Satomura is the new Women’s Champion, meaning we could be in for something a bit slower this time around. I’m not sure what that is going to mean for the show, but NXT UK is pretty awesome at the moment so they should be fine. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Meiko Satomura finally ending Kay Lee Ray’s record setting Women’s Title reign last week. That was a pretty cool moment.

Wolfgang vs. Sam Gradwell

Before the match, Gradwell makes Big Bad Wolf jokes but is very clear that his house is made of stone. Wolfgang shoulders him down without much trouble to start and grabs an armbar. Back up and Wolfgang’s big whip sends Gradwell into the corner as this is one sided so far.

Wolfgang heads up but gets knocked down to the floor, meaning it’s time to grab a shoulder. That doesn’t last long though as Wolfgang is right back up to slug away and run Gradwell over. A suplex gives Wolfgang two but Gradwell elbows his way out of a fireman’s carry. Wolfgang manages to snap Gradwell’s throat over the top though and a spear is enough for the pin at 6:13.

Rating: C. Wolfgang has never been the most interesting singles star so it was nice to see him getting a chance like this. The match wasn’t great or anything, but it gives Wolfgang some momentum. That being said, it would be nice to see Gradwell win something for a change. I don’t remember the last time that was the case and that’s not a good sign.

Kenny Williams is ready to prove himself.

Various wrestlers are excited about Meiko Satomura’s win. Well save for Amele, who wants the title.

Subculture and Jinny/Joseph Conners are about to come to blows but Pretty Deadly pops in to interrupt. They’ll be on commentary for the mixed tag.

Danny Jones vs. Kenny Williams

Jones takes him down in a hurry and grabs a headlock, followed by the armbar. Williams is sent outside and snaps Jones’ arm over the ropes to take over. Back in and Williams bends him around the ropes, setting up a running dropkick to the back. The armbar has Jones in more trouble but he fights up for an enziguri. Jones tosses him into the corner a few times and hits a running boot but Williams takes the leg out. Back up and Bad Luck finishes Jones at 4:11.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but Jones got to showcase himself more than I would have expected. What mattered here was having Williams pick up a win in the end as he is someone NXT seems interested in pushing. I’m not sure how far he is going to go, but they are trying something with him and that is how you start.

We get a sitdown interview with Rampage Brown, Ilja Dragunov and Joe Coffey with the three of them talking about how tough and violent they are. They all seem ready to fight, with Coffey and Brown taunting Dragunov about not being what he used to be. Their match is next week.

Mark Coffey annoys Sha Samuels and makes him run off in frustration.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions because this needs to keep going. This week’s guest is Jordan Devlin, with Noam Dar complimenting his fashion sense. Devlin likes Dar’s shoes too and Dar gives him the new Supernova Sessions shirt. After dominating America, Devlin is back here because America sucks. We hear about Devlin dropping the Cruiserweight Title to “Santa Claus” Escobar. Dar likes Devlin so he can have the big closing statement. Devlin says the franchise brand is back so come to the biggest dressing room and challenge him.

Video on Oliver Carter vs. Teoman next week, with Carter fighting to avenge his injured partner, Ashton Smith.

Dave Mastiff is training in the Performance Center but we cut over to Tyler Bate offering Jack Starz a Heritage Cup shot. Starz says he isn’t ready and Bate says the offer is there later. Bate leaves and Mastiff asks Starz what he is thinking.

Nathan Frazer vs. Rohan Raja

Frazer grabs a quick rollup for two so Raja grabs a headlock to slow him down. Back up and Frazer snaps off a Sling Blade but charges into a hard toss into the corner to give Raja his own two. The waistlock keeps Frazer in trouble until he reverses into a rollup for two of his own. Frazer runs him over with a forearm into a moonsault but Raja rolls away.

That’s fine with Frazer who lands on his feet and hits a standing moonsault for two instead. Raja is back up with a sitout Sky High for two but Frazer grabs a twisting suplex. A springboard moonsault into a Nightmare On Helm Street connects but Raja catches him on top. That just means a headbutt to put Raja down and the frog splash finishes for Frazer at 6:50.

Rating: C. There is something about Frazer that makes him fun to watch. His offense looks crisp and he has the charisma on top of it, which is more than you are going to get out of almost anyone else these days. It wasn’t a big match or even anything important, but I had fun here, as is the case with almost any Frazer match.

Post match an eye pops up on screen so Frazer looks at it but nothing happens.

Jordan Devlin comes in to his huge locker room and finds A-Kid. It seems we have a challenge.

Subculture vs. Jinny/Joseph Conners

That would be Flash Morgan Webster/Dani Luna for Subculture and Pretty Deadly is on commentary. The guys start things off with Webster grabbing a running armdrag to little avail. A knee to the ribs cuts Webster off so the women come in, with Jinny cranking on the arm. It’s back to Conners, with Luna backflipping Webster into a moonsault. Jinny gets in a cheap shot on Luna though and the stomping is on in the corner. A Black Widow has Luna in more trouble but she powers out for a fall away slam.

The hot tag brings in Webster to fire off the clotheslines to Conners to put him outside. Luna backdrops Webster into a flip dive, allowing her to snap suplex Jinny. Luna kicks an invading Conners in the face and sends him over the top but Conners comes back in for I believe Chuck Taylor’s Awful Waffle for two on Webster. Jinny gets in a cheap shot from the apron so Conners can grab a rollup for two more as the referee finally bothers to clear the ring a bit. The distraction lets Luna kick Conners down, setting up a 630 to give Webster the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C+. This was a fast paced match with Luna getting to look like a monster. You can probably pencil in Subculture as Pretty Deadly’s next challengers and that is not a bad thing. What matters here is Subculture getting a win to boost them up a bit, as the group is just getting off the ground. Besides, can Conners really fall that much further down?

Post match, Mark Andrews joins Webster in the ring for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They had a pretty balanced show here and that’s where NXT UK tends to shine. Nothing on here really got a ton of focus, which is fine when none of the matches is that much bigger than the rest. This show is just so easy to watch and that makes all the difference in the world these days. Rather nice show here and I’m not even surprised by that these days.

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NXT UK
Date: June 3, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for a grudge match as Joe Coffey gets to face Rampage Brown in a hoss fight rematch. What more could you really ask for from a show than that? Well in this case we will also be getting Ilja Dragunov vs. Noam Dar and Pretty Deadly defending the Tag Team Titles. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Noam Dar

Dar actually takes over on the mat to start but it’s a quick break to let them both up. This time Dragunov down but he holds himself back from going nuts. Instead Dragunov wrestles him back to the mat without much time and cranks on the arm. A big boot staggers Dar again but he is right back with a cradle for two. Dragunov tries the Constantine Special but the knee gives out, allowing Dar to knock him outside in a hurry.

Back in and Dar starts working away on the arm but Dragunov pulls him into an armbar of his own. Dragunov fights up for a German suplex until the knee gives out, though he manages to hold on anyway. The half crab is broken up in a hurry so they slug it out, with Dragunov nailing an enziguri.

Back up again and now the Constantine Special can connect for two on Dar. Dragunov misses a middle rope knee and Dar is right there to bar that knee. The rope gets Dragunov out of trouble so Dar strikes away….which wakes Dragunov up. Something like a fireman’s carry slam into a gutwrench suplex gets two on Dar. An elbow staggers Dragunov though and Dar loads up the Nova Roller, only to walk into Torpedo Moscow to give Dragunov the pin at 13:36.

Rating: B-. This was two guys beating each other up and trying to pick the other apart. When the technical and submission stuff wasn’t working for Dragunov, he resorted to a flying headbutt to the chest. Dragunov as the man to dethrone Walter is not impossible and this was a good showcase of why it was possible. Dar held up his own end as well, as he can deliver when he is given the chance with the right opponent.

Video on Aoife.

Jordan Devlin is back and Sid Scala is glad to see him. Before Devlin is back for good though, he has some demands: a private dressing room, someone taking care of his Mustang and a spot on Supernova Sessions. I hope he itemized that list.

Tag Team Titles: Pretty Deadly vs. Jack Starz/???

Pretty Deadly is defending and this is fallout from the two of them mocking Starz. The mystery partner is…Nathan Frazer, which should work rather well. Stoker drives the much smaller Starz around without much effort to start, followed by a front facelock. Howley comes in to whip Starz hard into the corner but Starz jumps over him for the hot tag off to Frazer.

A very quick armdrag into an armbar doesn’t last long on Howley, as he takes Frazer into the corner as well. It’s back to Stoker and Frazer is tossed hard out to the floor. Frazer is back in rather soon and dives over for a hot tag of his own. Starz gets to clean house as everything breaks down. Something like a slam faceplant gives Starz two on Howley but Frazer is sent outside. That leaves Starz to get jumped, setting up Spilled Milk to retain the titles at 7:10.

Rating: C. This wasn’t exactly strong when it came to drama but it felt like a one off match more than anything else. The good thing here was that I never thought they would have Frazer take the loss here, because thankfully NXT UK is smart enough to know better than to do something so stupid. Throw in Pretty Deadly being a rather snappy heel team and this worked fine.

Tyler Bate is doing some blindfolded training and meditation, while saying anyone can come after the Heritage Cup.

Flash Morgan Webster vs. Joseph Conners

Jinny is here too. Webster works on a wristlock to start and some leg trips set up a standing inverted flip backsplash. That’s a bit too much for Conners, who unloads on Webster to take over. Some quick rollups give Webster two so Conners cuts him off with a backbreaker.

For some reason Webster decides to slug it out with Conners and actually gets the better of things, including knocking Conners outside. That means the big running flip dive on the floor. Back in and they stagger each other again so Jinny grabs Webster’s helmet. The referee deals with that, allowing Jinny to crotch Webster on top. The hangman’s neckbreaker gives Conners the pin at 5:03.

Rating: C. This was pretty quick and mainly a way to establish Conners as more of a threat. That’s all well and good, though Mark Andrews would seem to be the bigger accomplishment. Subculture is a group that works well together, even if it is a team we have seen for months now with a woman added. Not a bad match, but it seems to be setting up more for later.

Post match Subculture runs in for the save.

Walter is back next week. That’s an upgrade.

Video on Kay Lee Ray vs. Meiko Satomura before their rematch for the title next week. Satomura almost has to win there, but I’m not sure she will, which is a hard trick to pull off.

Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey

Rematch from a few weeks ago where Brown won. No seconds here and they go straight to the power off, as you might have guessed. Coffey goes for what might be banged up ribs before getting dropkicked out to the floor. They slug it out on the apron before going inside, where Brown stomps on Coffey’s hand. That doesn’t work for Coffey, who knocks him outside for a dive into the barricade.

Back in and Coffey unloads on the ribs, including rights and lefts into a side slam. The running shoulder to the ribs in the corner have Brown in even more trouble, followed by a belly to belly. A double jump moonsault gives Coffey two more and some rapid fire right hands in the corner keep Brown down. Brown blocks a superplex but and rives off the top to drop Coffey again but the ribs give out. Coffey misses a spinning high crossbody and comes up favoring his knee.

They crash outside again with Coffey getting the better of things, though they both break the count. Then they go right back to the floor to slug it out, with Brown being sent into the steps. Back in and Coffey hits a missile dropkick, followed by a bridging German suplex for two. Brown can’t hit the Doctor Bomb so Coffey hits a pair of running headbutts to put him in the corner. All The Best For The Bells finishes Brown at 11:38.

Rating: B-. There is nothing wrong with having two big power guys beating each other up until one of them couldn’t get up. Brown losing actually feels like a bit of a big deal so they have done a good job building him up. Coffey needed a win to boost him back up after not doing much for a little while. Good power match here, which was about all you could have expected.

Respect is shown post match and they both seem up for a rubber match. Cue Ilja Dragunov to stare them both down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked the show again and I can’t say I’m even a bit surprised by that these days. NXT UK has figured out the formula with a pair of good matches wrapped around some just ok ones. That is something that is going to work, and my goodness Walter returning and the Women’s Title showdown for next week sound like a great core for the show. This was good, but the big one is next week.

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NXT UK
Date: May 13, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time to get ready for a title match as the main event this time around is a five woman gauntlet match for a future shot at Kay Lee Ray. This is almost a necessary move as Ray has been champion for the better part of forever now, meaning she is going to need a fresh challenger. On top of that, the Heritage Cup rules are back as Nathan Frazer faces Noam Dar. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside is out of the gauntlet match so we have an empty fifth spot. This shouldn’t be hard to figure out.

Nathan Frazer vs. Noam Dar

Heritage Cup rules. Round one begins as Frazer takes him down into a hammerlock and then switches into a wristlock. That’s reversed into the same thing from Dar, who has to avoid a charge against the ropes. They go to the mat with Dar grabbing a headscissors into a standoff as the round ends, with Dar getting in a cheap shot elbow after the bell. Round two begins with Dar going straight to the leg but Frazer is back up with a forearm to the face. A small package finishes Dar at 59 seconds of the second round (4:37 total).

Round three begins with Frazer hitting a dropkick into a running shooting star press for two. Cue Sha Samuels to watch at ringside and the distraction lets Dar get in a shot to the leg to take over. A kick to the arm puts Frazer down but one to the chest is cut off. Frazer goes up top and headbutts him down but time runs out before he can do anything.

Round four begins with Frazer hitting a running dropkick into the corner but Dar avoids a top rope double stomp. Dar strikes him down for two but the Nova Roller is countered into a rollup for two. An enziguri hits Frazer but he gets pulled into an ankle lock to tie it up at 1:14 of the round (10:03 overall). They slug it out to start round five with Frazer grabbing a quick rollup for two. A swinging suplex gets the same and Frazer goes up but Samuels grabs his leg. With that broken up, Frazer misses a springboard and the Nova Roller finishes Frazer at 1:50 of the round (12:27 overall).

Rating: C+. These matches have grown on me a lot over the last few months and I can go for more of them. Frazer lost via cheating so he isn’t hurt that badly and already has a rematch set up. Samuels and Dar might not be the top pairing in the world but they are perfectly adequate for what they are supposed to do.

Rampage Brown throws away Gallus’ ball and still wants to fight Joe Coffey. He seems to settle for a match with Mark Coffey though.

Video on Pretty Deadly.

Trent Seven is giving Jack Starz some advice when Sam Gradwell comes up. Gradwell says Seven is overrated and he sees right through this dad act. The brawl is almost on but it’s broken up in a hurry.

Levi Muir vs. Mark Andrews

The rest of Subculture is here with Andrews. Muir’s wristlock doesn’t last long as Andres rolls him u for two. Back up and Muir snaps off a powerslam before hammering away in the corner. They slug it out with Muir getting the better of things and snaps off a slingshot suplex. Andrews kicks him into the ropes for a 619 to the back but has to counter another slingshot suplex into a Stundog Millionaire (that was cool). Muir is knocked outside so Andrews is right there with the suicide dive. Back in and Fall To Pieces finishes Muir at 4:34.

Rating: C. I liked this better than I was expecting to as Andrews really is one of the better high fliers going today. He is one of those guys that is so easy to get behind and that is harder to find than it might seem. Muir is someone with some potential of his own and could go somewhere if he is given a bit more of a chance and a character.

Amale comes up to Sid Scala but can’t get Xia Brookside’s spot in the gauntlet match. Instead, she’ll be facing….to be announced, whenever Brookside is back to health. They might have spoiled that a bit.

Video on Kenny Williams beating Amir Jordan last week to get rid of him.

We get a sitdown interview between Heritage Cup Champion A-Kid and #1 contender Tyler Bate. A-Kid wants the big win to prove himself over one of the big names. Bate says A-Kid may be the master of the Heritage Cup rules but he isn’t the master of him. They don’t seem intimidated but do shake hands.

Gauntlet Match

Five women, with only four known, and the winner gets a title shot against Kay Lee Ray. Isla Dawn is in at #1 and Emilia McKenzie is in at #2. McKenzie takes her down with the waistlock to start and then forearms away. A swinging neckbreaker gives McKenzie two but Dawn kicks her down and gets two off a suplex. McKenzie is right back with an enziguri and running dropkick, followed by a spear for two of her own. Dawn kicks her in the head though and a bridging half nelson suplex gets rid of McKenzie at 3:31.

Dani Luna is in at #3 and kicks Dawn in the face, setting up some rolling suplexes for two. A fall away slam sets up an exploder suplex for two more but Luna misses a charge into the post, allowing Dawn to roll her up at 5:33. Meiko Satomura is in at #4 and is taking Xia Brookside’s spot. Dawn is smart enough to dropkick her on the way in and takes it outside to send Satomura into the barricade.

Back in and Dawn kicks her into the ropes, with commentary being all stunned. Some Saito suplexes into some double knees get two on Satomura but a knee drop misses. Satomura kicks her in the back but gets rolled up for two. Dawn tries another rollup, only to have Satomura reverse into one of her own for the pin at 9:43.

Jinny is in at #5 to give us the final fight and Satomura gets taken down by the arm. A front facelock gives Jinny two and a rollup is good for the same. Satomura kicks her way out of an armbar and then spins out of a headscissors. Back up and Satomura wins a strike off, capped off by a running dropkick. The Crossface is broken up in a hurry and Jinny hammers away with right hands. Satomura has had it with this and hits the Death Valley Driver, setting up the Scorpion kick for the pin at 16:35.

Rating: C. The match was fine as a way to set up Satomura vs. Ray II and that’s all it needed to be. The action itself worked, though it suffered from the same problem that these matches so often do: Satomura was suddenly spent after being in there for like five minutes because she had beaten a somewhat drained Dawn. All that mattered was Satomura winning though so they got the important part right.

Kay Lee Ray comes out to trade bows with Satomura….and then superkicks her to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was average for the most part with the matches all being watchable, but it served its purpose of setting up some things for later. Satomura vs. Ray and A-Kid vs. Bate should be good, though this was just a preview of the big stuff instead of the actual big ones. It wasn’t the best show, but it did what it needed to do for the future, which is rather important in its own right.

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NXT UK
Date: May 6, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time to get rid of someone as the main event of this week’s show will feature Amir Jordan vs. Kenny Williams in a loser leaves NXT UK showdown. This presents an interesting challenge as the result should not be surprising, but neither of them are really major stars in the first place. NXT UK can probably find a way to make it work though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Dave Mastiff

Dragunov slugs away to start but Mastiff gets in a shot of his own. A headlock doesn’t last for Dragunov, who is sent into the ropes in a hurry but comes off with a heck of a forearm. Dragunov jumps on his back for a choke as something seems to be wrong with Mastiff. A drop back breaks the hold but the referee checks on Mastiff and stops the match at 1:37.

The replay shows that the forearm busted Mastiff open and he did look shaken up.

Video on Xia Brookside (the first of five, one for each of the entries in the gauntlet match). She’ll fight for us.

Kenny Williams is ready for the main event.

Stevie Turner wants the best in NXT UK and seems to like the future. Must be an Asuka fan.

Ilja Dragunov doesn’t want to talk about what happened out there.

Gallus plays with a ball because whenever they drop it, they pick it back up. Rampage Brown comes up and isn’t happy that Joe Coffey isn’t here.

Video on Isla Dawn, who will sacrifice her soul to be Women’s Champion.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions, with Noam Dar talking about how people see him as underrated. That doesn’t make sense to him, but he doesn’t need validation from the fans anyway. With that out of the way, we’ll get to our guest with Nathan Frazer coming out. Frazer changed his name from Ben Carter because Carter was the name he used to hide his wrestling career from his family and coach. Now he is with WWE though so how much hiding can he do? Sha Samuels says Frazer isn’t a real British wrestler and after some yelling, a challenge is set.

Video on Jinny, who has studied for next week.

Amir Jordan is ready for the main event.

Subculture video. They want you to join them.

We look at Tyler Bate beating A-Kid in their first match last year, with both guys watching. Then they wrestled again, with the more confident and experienced A-Kid beating Bate, his mentor. Now it’s time for the rubber match for the Heritage Cup.

Video on Dani Luna, who is strong.

Saxton Huxley vs. Trent Seven

Huxley backs him into the corner to start and uppercuts away at the ribs. Some knees to the ribs put him down Seven down again but he’s right back with a slam into a legdrop. Back up and Huxley hits a running knee into a Thesz press to take over again. Some facewashes in the corner set up a running hip attack into a big boot as this is almost one sided so far.

Seven gets knocked down to the floor for an elbow off the apron for

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NXT UK
Date: April 22, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time for a special reunion around here as we have the first ever Moustache Mountain in this building. We have not seen the two of them together in a very long time now and it should be good to see how good they can be after such a layoff. There are some high expectations but if anyone can pull it off, it would be those two. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Joey Coffey vs. Eddie Dennis

Fallout from a brawl on Supernova Sessions last week. They fight to the floor in a hurry before Coffey takes him back inside for some knees to the face. Dennis judo throws him down and grabs a cravate (seems like something he would use) but Coffey powers him off without much effort. Coffey’s spear is blocked though and Dennis elbows him in the face, setting up some hard shots to the face on the mat. Back up and Dennis hits a swinging sitout Rock Bottom for two and frustration is setting in.

Dennis wins a slugout so Coffey is right back with an overhead belly to belly. Coffey goes up but Dennis is right there to catch him with the Severn Bridge. The Neck Stomp Driver is loaded up but Coffey reverses that into the Boston crab. Cue the Hunt for a distraction so Dennis grabs a rollup for two. Gallus comes out to deal with the Hunt and it’s the running headbutt to put Dennis into the corner. All The Best For The Bells finishes Dennis at 8:27.

Rating: C. The ending was the right way to go as Gallus has lost quite a few of their recent matches so it makes sense to give them a win. Dennis is someone who is going to be fine even after a loss like this, so it isn’t like this hurt much. The big six man, whenever we get there, should be fine.

Post match the beatdown is on for Coffey but Gallus makes the save to clear the ring.

Ilja Dragunov is having flashbacks to his violent matches.

Gallus is in the back when Joe Coffey runs into Rampage Brown. Coffey wants a rematch and Brown doesn’t seem to disagree.

Dave Mastiff vs. Sam Gradwell

Mastiff knocks him into the ropes to start and grabs a surprising hammerlock. Gradwell gets knocked down for some splashes to the back and we hit a rather large chinlock. Back up and Mastiff drops him again but another backsplash hits raised knees, including one with a brace. Gradwell starts in on the back with some hard forearms, followed by the chinlock to keep him in trouble. Mastiff fights up with some headbutts and a running clothesline but Gradwell snaps off a Samoan driver for the pin at 4:56.

Rating: C-. It’s becoming more and more clear that Mastiff is mostly done as anything important every time he is out there. Once you beat a monster, they lose almost all of their aura at once and that was the case with Mastiff. Gradwell has been one of the best surprises in a long time around here and I could go with seeing him getting to do something a little bigger.

Aoife Valkyrie says it is time, and next week she gets Meiko Satomura. So wouldn’t next week be time?

Video on Emilia McKenzie, who is back to be part of UK wrestling again.

Dani Luna vs. Jinny

Joseph Conners is here with Jinny. The stronger Luna takes her down without much effort but Jinny gets in a takedown and hammers away without much effort. The Octopus doesn’t last long so Jinny forearms her down and grabs the same hold again. Luna powers out again and rolls some gutwrench suplexes for two. Back up and they slug it out until Luna blasts her with a running clothesline. Conners offers a distraction though and Jinny hits a Liger kick to set a rolling cradle for the pin at 4:09.

Rating: C-. Just a quick match and it worked well enough to keep Jinny looking strong. I’m just not sure where she can go though, as Kay Lee Ray isn’t likely to drop the title to her, which doesn’t leave very many options. I’m also not sure how far she is going with Conners as her big associate, but maybe we get a mixed tag with Luna and someone else.

Post match Conners and Jinny go after Luna but Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews (Luna’s trainers) make the save. Odds are there is your someone else.

Amir Jordan wants a rematch with Kenny Williams and Sid Scala agrees, as Williams has said the same. However, it is going to be No DQ and the loser leaves NXT UK. Jordan thinks about it and signs the contract.

Video on Rohan Raja, who is British born, Australian raised and Canadian trained. He debuts next week and isn’t tapping out to Teoman.

Teoman isn’t worried about Rohan Raja.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Moustache Mountain vs. Noam Dar/Sha Samuels

During the entrances, we find out that Nigel is a Star Wars fan. Bate armdrags Dar down to start and then slaps on an armbar to make it worse. That’s broken up so Samuels comes in to run Seven over with a shoulder. Seven is right back up with his fireman’s carry slam so Bate can bounce off of Seven’s shoulders for a flip dive.

Everything breaks down in a hurry and the airplane spin is broken up, meaning it’s back to Seven. A bunch of right hands put Seven down on the mat and it’s time for Samuels to rip at his face. Dar comes in for some shots to the back of his own and Samuels kicks Seven between the shoulders. Samuels hammers away again and we hit the chinlock. A bunch of stomping has Seven down again and Dar puts on a chinlock of his own.

Seven fights up and hits a DDT, allowing the hot tag off to Bate. House is cleaned with Bate grabbing a bridging northern lights for two on Dar. It’s already back to Seven, who is taken down in a hurry. This beatdown doesn’t last as long as Seven fights up and knocks Dar outside again. Bate tags himself in and hits the dive, allowing Seven to load up the Birminghammer, complete with Bate’s top rope knee for the pin at 12:51.

Rating: B-. It was nice to see Moustache Mountain back and since they never won the Tag Team Titles around here, it would make sense to think about giving them a chase. I’m not sure how much interest there would be in giving them a run against Pretty Deadly but it would be a story worth trying. Moustache Mountain still has it in the ring so pushing them is not the worst idea.

Overall Rating: C. Not too bad of a show here with the main event being the best thing. As usual though, NXT UK doesn’t seem capable of having a bad show. They know how to keep things moving and have enough going with all of the wrestlers that they have. Next week feels like a big show too and that is always a good thing. Now just make it work and things should be fine. Pretty good show this week, but above all else, a very easy watch.

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NXT UK
Date: March 11, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time for a first ever match as we’re getting a mixed tag this week. I’m not sure how much of a deal that is but they have hyped it up well enough. On top of that we are getting a Heritage Cup rules match as Tyler Bate continues to try and get back on track. That could make for an interesting story so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tyler Bate vs. Dave Mastiff

Heritage Cup rules. Feeling out process to start with Bate’s headlock being countered with a wristlock. The much bigger Mastiff powers him down but Bate nips up into a standoff. Mastiff takes him down with some tests of strength for two each and Bate pops up before Mastiff can sit on his chest. Mastiff flips him down by the wrist to end the first round.

The second round begins with Bate having to dodge the big man and getting in a few shots to the face. Bate ducks underneath him and goes to the middle rope where a sunset flip gives him the first fall at 1:35 of the round. Bate slowly strikes away to start the third round, with Mastiff taking over off a shot to the face. For some reason Bate tries a fireman’s carry….and manages to get him up, only to have Mastiff reverse into a crucifix for the tying pin at 1:27 of the round.

Bate is all freaked out as round four begins and Mastiff sends him flying with a toss. Some slams have Bate in trouble as Mastiff channels his inner Ezekiel Jackson. Mastiff hits a powerbomb and then drops down onto his ribs, which is enough to send Bate bailing to the floor for a labored breather. Bate gets rammed into the barricade to make it worse but he dives back in to beat the count at nine. Mastiff gets some near falls as the round ends.

We start the fifth round with Mastiff elbowing away at the back and chest until Bate has to escape a fireman’s carry. Bate can’t hit a German suplex but he can collapse before Mastiff can hit a corner splash. A German suplex sends Mastiff flying but Into The Void misses. Somehow Bate manages the airplane spin and the Spiral Tap finishes Mastiff at 1:34 of the round (13:58 total).

Rating: B-. This was the David vs. Goliath formula with some crazy strength displays from Bate. The good thing about Bate is he has both the reputation and the skills to be moved into any spot so heating him up again is always a good idea. Mastiff continues to be impressive when he is given the chance, but these wins over him aren’t meaning as much as they start to pile up.

Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan are ready for Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster on their way to the Tag Team Titles.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie.

Teoman vs. Eddie Jones

That would be Lucky Kid from WXW. Teoman slaps him on the head out of the corner and then takes Jones down for a basement dropkick. Back up and Jones’ comeback is cut off by a shot to the ribs and Teoman stands on his head. The double arm crank doesn’t last long and Jones grabs a Backstabber. Teoman kicks him in the back and hits a missile dropkick to the back for a bonus. A double stomp to the back into a Crossface makes Jones tap at 3:30.

Rating: C. The wrestling was ok but there is a charisma from Teoman that got my attention. He feels like someone you are going to want to pay attention to and that is always a nice thing to see. NXT UK needs some new stars and if he can be part of that next generation, we could be in for a treat.

Xia Brookside has Nina Samuels clean her kitchen without telling her there is a dishwasher.

Eddie Dennis is not happy with Wild Boar causing Dennis to take a beating in the street fight.

Video on Amale.

Gallus is in an otherwise empty pool and promise to get back on top after losing the Tag Team Titles.

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews

Webster, with his taped up ribs, starts with Williams and takes him to the mat by the arm. A few spins let Webster take Williams down and it’s off to Andrews for a step up dropkick. After a quick chat on the floor, Jordan comes in and is quickly caught in Andrews’ wristlock. A double hiptoss takes Jordan down and Andrews hits a standing moonsault for two. There’s a basement dropkick for two more and Webster grabs a snap suplex for the same. It’s back to Williams to knock Webster down for a camel clutch on the bad ribs.

That’s broken up in a hurry so Jordan comes back in for a chinlock. Webster breaks that up in a hurry and dropkicks his way over to the corner for the tag off to Andrews. Everything breaks down with Andrews getting to clean house until a standing Sliced Bread drops Williams. A standing flip splash gets two and it’s a double tag so Jordan and Andrews can come back in.

Stundog Millionaire drops Jordan but Williams makes the save. It’s back to Williams with a springboard elbow to drop Webster but Andrews shoves him into Jordan for the crash. Williams is fine enough to blast Webster with a clothesline and they’re both down. There is no Jordan to tag so Williams hits a quick low blow (much to Jordan’s disapproval) and grabs a bulldog driver for the pin at 10:57.

Rating: C+. This is fairly interesting as Williams and Jordan have grown on me a bit since they have started taking things more seriously. I’m not sure I could have gotten all that interesting in seeing them as challengers for the titles though so doing this kind of a story could be more interesting. Williams is the more complete star, and him dropping Jordan makes a bit more sense.

Video on Ilja Dragunov going a bit scooters lately.

Video on Trent Seven, who is working harder than ever to be ready for his weigh-in. Tyler Bate has ever seen him work so hard. The weigh-in is next week on the Bump.

Ben Carter is ready for a new start so he has a new name: Nathan Frazer. That’s certainly a WWE name.

Jinny/Joseph Conners vs. Jack Starz/Piper Niven

The women start but Jinny tags out before anything happens (with a smirk on her face). Conners takes Starz to the mat by the arm (that’s really popular around here) but a cravate is broken up in a hurry. An armdrag into an armbar has Conners in some trouble for a change and Starz nails a dropkick to send Conners outside. It’s back to the women with Jinny rolling away until a Conners distraction lets her get in a few cheap shots.

That doesn’t work out so well so Jinny has to bring Conners back in, with Starz grabbing a fast backdrop. Conners uses a Jinny distraction to hit something like a bulldog to the apron, where Jinny nails a kick to the head. A tilt-a-whirl slam plants Starz and he hammers away in the corner, only to charge into an elbow to the face. Starz misses a crossbody though and goes sailing out to the floor.

Back in and Starz wins a slugout, setting up a diving tag to bring in Piper. Jinny gets thrown around to set up the running basement crossbody. A rolling Liger kick rocks Piper but a headbutt puts them both down. Conners tags himself back in so Piper feeds him into a suplex from Starz, setting up stereo Cannonballs. The Piper Driver plants Conners and Niven drops Starz onto him for the pin at 9:41.

Rating: C. Well that happened. This is a match that served as little more than a way to keep Jinny vs. Niven going, as somehow it is a feud that hasn’t gone on long enough already. The men were just people here for the sake of being there and they did their job well enough. It just wasn’t anything of note aside from Niven beating up Conners, and even that is only so interesting.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a more entertaining show than usual as they kept things moving. The matches weren’t the best but I had a fun time with the show. You can always go for something like that and what we got here worked out well. NXT UK continues to be very good stuff and that is never a bad situation to have.

Results

Tyler Bate b. Dave Mastiff – Spiral Tap

Teoman b. Eddie Jones – Crossface

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan b. Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster – Bulldog driver to Webster

Piper Niven/Jack Starz b. Joseph Conners/Jinny – Splash to Conners

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