IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 19, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

We’re starting to see the path towards Blackpool taking shape and that’s a good thing. The show is in about a month and with the main event and a few title matches set, there aren’t many things left to get ready. The show is looking good and under the right circumstances, we could be in for a heck of a night. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams vs. Pretty Deadly

Williams takes Stoker down by the arm to start and it’s off to Jordan in a hurry. The running crossbody gives Jordan two on Howley, who rolls outside. Back to back dives put him down again and Jordan hits a slash for two back inside. It’s Stoker coming in again to work on the recently repaired shoulder, including sending it into the post for two. The armbar goes on but Jordan jawbreaks his way to freedom.

An attempt at some double teaming is broken up and a diving tag brings Williams back in to speed things up. Stoker pulls Howley to the floor to get him out of trouble so Williams dives onto both of them at once. Back in and everything breaks down with Howley stealing a rollup for two on Williams. A gorilla press tossed into a gutbuster gets the same but Williams victory rolls Howley down, setting up the Swanton Bombay for the pin at 7:59.

Rating: C. Williams and Jordan have grown on me as they’re fine for the midcard face team and can get some nice reactions. They might not be able to go very far but at least they’re getting a little chance to shine. You never know where you might be able to go with things and maybe they can turn into a little something.

Imperium isn’t happy about a ladder match for the Tag Team Titles but they’ll win them anyway.

Ligero used to respect Kassius Ohno until he figured out that Ohno felt none for him. In two weeks, he’ll knock some respect into Ohno.

Here is Trent Seven for a chat. Trent talks about Eddie Dennis getting involved with him lately and they’ve known each other for a long time now. Then Eddie grabbed his hand from the crowd and it wasn’t the same Eddie Dennis that he knew. Last week, a wrestler named Michael May was trying to make his NXT UK debut and make a name for himself but Dennis took him out and offered him up as a gift to Trent.

It’s weird, so he would like Eddie out here now for an explanation. Cue Eddie, but before he says anything, Trent asks why he’s doing this. Trent talks about being proud of being one of the Founding Fathers of NXT UK. Eddie gets in and knocks him down before saying he’ll see Trent at Takeover. Works for me.

Video on the Women’s Title triple threat at Takeover.

Amale vs. Jinny

Jinny wastes no time in starting with the knees before throwing Amale down for the right hands to the head. Amale tries a comeback but gets knocked down again, this time setting up a rocking boat hold. That’s broken up so Jinny stomps her down in the corner. A dropkick gives Amale a breather but Jinny avoids a charge and hits a slingshot hilo for two. The Makeover finishes Amale at 3:33.

Rating: D+. The match was just a squash but that’s the kind of match that Jinny needs. I know she has Jazzy Gabert around to do the enforcing but at some point Jinny has to do something for herself so she has credibility later on. This was also a nice performance from Amale, who showed some nice fire at times.

Post match Jinny sends Jazzy after Amale. The beatdown is on but Gabert changes her mind and walks away.

Walter is ready for Imperium to get a technical advantage when Alexander Wolfe beats up Ilja Dragunov.

Noam Dar vs. Tyler Bate

The fans are behind Bate, as you almost knew they would be. Bate takes him into the corner and adjusts the mustache before it turns into a fight over arm control. The fans appreciate Dar’s efforts to take over with an armbar but he bails to the rope when Bate takes over. It’s too early for the Tyler Driver 97 so Dar backs off and we get a staredown. Dar gets in a few shots in the corner but Bate does a headstand and pulls out Jack Gallagher’s one foot stop.

Some uppercuts stagger Dar but Bate tries the handstand again, this time earning himself a running dropkick to the face. Dar’s armbar goes on again before he snapmares Bate into the ropes for a nasty crash. We hit the neck crank to mix things up a bit but Bate belly to back suplexes his way to freedom. Dar kicks the leg out though and baseball slides him to the floor.

It’s back to the snapmares, this time with one sending Bate into the steps. That’s good for a nine count (Nigel: “LUCKY!”) but Bate blocks a big kick to the chest. An exploder suplex into a running shooting star gets two on Dar but he pulls Bate into an ankle lock. That’s broken as well and it’s an exchange of rollups until Dar grabs the Rings of Saturn. Bate slips out again but another running shooting star is countered into a small package for two. The Nova Roller is blocked with an enziguri, only to have Dar pull him into the kneebar.

The big dive reaches the rope to get Bate out of trouble so Dar kicks him in the head for two more. Bate’s leg is fine enough for a rolling Liger kick but it takes him a long time to get to the top. Dar rolls to the floor so Bate kicks him off the apron. That sets up the big dive and the rebound lariat connects to give Bate two more. The Tyler Driver 97 is loaded up but here’s Jordan Devlin for the distraction. Dar’s rollup only gets two and it’s the Tyler Driver 97 to finish Dar at 18:00.

Rating: B+. This got going at a level that had me feeling Bate’s magic all over again. The guy just knows how to make a match feel exciting and that’s what he did here. Dar was right there with him every step of the way too. He’s a very talented guy in the ring and while I can’t get into most of the other stuff he does, I can get behind one of his matches and he brought me in hard here.

Post match Devlin teases coming in but bails. We do get what sounds like a Takeover challenge though.

Overall Rating: B. The main event easily powers this one and it became a good show all around. I’m wanting to see Takeover at this point as they’ve turned it into a heck of a card. We could be in for a great one if they hit everything that they’ve set up, and this card is looking like the best yet. Check out Dar vs. Bate if you get the chance as they were rolling at the end.

Results

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams b. Pretty Deadly – Swanton Bombay to Howley

Jinny b. Amale – Makeover

Tyler Bate b. Noam Dar – Tyler Driver 97

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: November 28, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

The incredibly busy week for WWE continues as we head over to a place where Thanksgiving is just another Thursday. The big story around here has been Gallus vs. Imperium, which has the potential to be a heck of a feud under the right circumstances. There is almost no way of knowing what we’ll be seeing here though, as things can go in a variety of directions in this promotion. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap focuses on Gallus vs. Imperium, with some extra attention going to Ilja Dragunov. Alexander Wolfe cheated to beat Ilja Dragunov last week and it was a big beatdown until Gallus made the save.

Opening sequence.

Jinny vs. Piper Niven

Jazzy Gabbert is here with Jinny. Niven starts with the big shoves and Jinny can’t do much against the size and power. A missed charge into the corner gives Jinny a break though and Jinny gets two off a slingshot hilo. The Iron Octopus sends Piper down to one knee before powering out. Jazzy trips her up though and that’s good for an ejection.

Niven drops a big elbow for two as Nigel is wondering how Jinny can survive without her best friend. A headbutt knocks them both down but it’s Piper up first to snap off a belly to back suplex. Jinny gets caught on top and it’s an electric chair faceplant to give Piper two. Piper gets kicked in the face for two so she dropkicks Jinny hard into the corner. The Cannonball sets up the Michinoku Driver for the pin on Jinny at 7:28.

Rating: D+. The size difference caused some problems here as there are only so many ways you have have a monster like Niven as the face in a match like this. Jinny doesn’t have the most in the ring either and it made for a bit of a difficult situation. The match could have been worse, but this didn’t work all that well.

Post match Niven calls out Kay Lee Ray for a Women’s Title shot. Cue Ray to slap Niven in the face and the fight is on. It’s Toni Storm running out to go after Ray as well, which seems to confuse Niven more than anything else.

Eddie Dennis vs. Deriese Gordon

Dennis isn’t about to have his wristlock broken to start so Gordon tries again to some more success. Not that it lasts long though as Dennis reverses into a cravate, only to have Gordon come back with a dropkick. Dennis knocks him outside for a hard right hand and the beating continues in the corner. The cravate goes on again, setting up the Severn Bridge into the Neck Stomp Driver for the pin on Gordon at 4:08.

Rating: D+. Dennis continues to be someone intriguing, though I don’t know how far he can go. If nothing else he looks intimidating and can do some nice power stuff, though how many people is he going to get to do them to? It’s just nice to have him back though and hopefully we get a longer run from him this time around.

Joseph Conners is ready to allow Ligero and Travis Banks a triple threat match.

Ashton Smith vs. Noam Dar

Fallout from Dar attacking Oliver Carter last week. Smith powers him into the corner to start and a quick throw has Dar hiding in the corner. Dar’s sunset flip doesn’t work as Smith powers him up and hits a dropkick out to the floor. Back in and Dar’s running shoulder bounces off of the bigger Smith so he goes after the knee for a smart change of pace. A few forearms to the back are shrugged off for the sake of Smith’s very delayed vertical suplex.

They head outside again but this time Dar bounces off the ropes and hits a quick forearm to the face to take over. Back in and Dar starts in on each of the limbs, meaning we get the required Ronnie Garvin reference. Some kicks to the shoulders look to set up the Rings of Saturn but Smith elbows his way to freedom. Smith is right back with a Death Valley Driver for two of his own but Dar kicks him in the face. The Nova Roller is countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Smith two more as the fans are behind Dar again. Dar hits a running kick to the face and it’s the Nova Roller for the pin at 7:46.

Rating: C-. Just a match here to make up for Dar messing with Carter last week. Dar is settling nicely into his heel role and he really does have one of those punchable faces. I’m sure I’ll change my mind on him again the next time I see him because he’s that kind of a wrestler, but at least we had a passable match here.

Next week: A-Kid vs. Jordan Devlin and Conners vs. Ligero vs. Banks.

Imperium vs. Gallus/Ilja Dragunov

I thought they would wait a bit longer for this one. Wolfe and Wolfgang start things off with Alexander taking over and pulling Wolfgang over to the corner. Aichner comes in to work on the arm and it’s Barthel doing the exact same thing. That’s broken up though and it’s Joe Coffey coming in for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to Wolfe. A running elbow to the back of the neck gets two and it’s Dragunov coming in for the wild running forearms.

Aichner has some better success with stomping and uppercutting in the corner. Dragunov runs him over though and even smacks Walter in the face, drawing everyone in for the big staredown. We settle back down a bit and Dragunov gets sent outside with Walter getting in a big boot to take over. It’s Dragunov getting beaten down in the corner with Walter getting to come in and pull on his own trunks a lot (he has to do that rather frequently). The nerve hold goes on as the fans get in a disturbing/amazing JOLLY WALLY chant.

One heck of a chop rocks Dragunov again and it’s back to Wolfe to stomp away in the corner. Aichner cuts off a dive over for the hot tag attempt and it’s Barthel grabbing a chinlock. Back up and a hard clothesline gets Dragunov out of trouble but Wolfe breaks up the hot tag attempt. Dragunov clotheslines him down though and there’s the hot tag to Mark Coffey to clean house. It’s already off to Wolfgang and everything breaks down with Wolfgang backsplashing Aichner for two.

Mark gets caught in a spinebuster into a kick to the chest but Dragunov catches Aichner with Torpedo Moscow. The big (and dramatic) double tag brings in Walter and Joe so it’s hoss fight time. Joe can’t German suplex him so he settles for hammering away in the corner. Walter’s running dropkick sends Joe into the corner as well though and it’s time to start throwing people to the floor. Dragunov and Wolfe fight into the crowd and the match is finally thrown out with the double DQ at 15:32.

Rating: B-. That’s the right ending as you don’t want either of them to lose here, not when they could be having a bigger match down the line. The idea of having someone being able to hang in there against Imperium is almost hard to believe but it is the kind of thing they needed to do. Give the fans a reason to believe Imperium can be stopped and then go from there, as long as you start with something like this.

Post match everyone keeps brawling with Joe knocking Walter down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Not their best show here as a lot of the positives from the non-main event level stars weren’t on display this week. Aside from the main event, this was a rather skippable show, outside of Toni Storm returning. It isn’t a bad show, but it isn’t something you need to watch. Given that this is taking place on Thanksgiving, I doubt many people were watching in the first place anyway though so it doesn’t matter that much. Gallus vs. Imperium was good but the rest wasn’t so much.

Results

Piper Niven b. Jinny – Michinoku Driver

Eddie Dennis b. Deriese Gordon – Neck Stomp Driver

Noam Dar b. Ashton Smith – Nova Roller

Imperium vs. Gallus/Ilja Dragunov went to a double DQ when everyone brawled on the floor

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: October 31, 2019
Location: Brentwood Centre, Essex, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

This is one of those shows that might be in a weird place as it comes on the same day as a huge afternoon which also included Crown Jewel. There is a fairly stacked card for a show not featuring the main eventers, as we’ll be seeing Dave Mastiff vs. Jordan Devlin and the debut of A-Kid. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert vs. Piper Niven/Rhea Ripley

Jinny and Piper start things off and an early Jazzy distraction completely backfires with Piper knocking Jinny down with ease. Rhea comes in to a massive reaction and sends Jinny outside, where she is caught between Rhea and Piper for a scary visual. Back in and Rhea nails a running basement dropkick to Jinny’s head but a second Jazzy interference works a bit better as Rhea gets taken down.

Jazzy blasts Rhea down and hands it back to Jinny for something close to the Black Widow. That’s broken up with raw power and it’s time for Piper to run into Gabbert really hard. A backsplash crushes Gabbert and Jinny at the same time but Gabbert is right back up with a spear for two. Piper comes back in for the save and the villains are sent to the floor for the big flip dive from Ripley. Back in and Niven Michinoku Drivers Gabbert for the pin at 6:04.

Rating: C. Ripley looks more and more like a superstar every second she’s out there that Toni Storm is gone. She’s a complete star and someone who seems ready for the main roster today (she isn’t there yet, but that’s how it feels a lot of the time). Her move over to NXT is overdue as she needs better competition, and that was on full display here.

A-Kid vs. Kassius Ohno

The fans are behind the Kid here and the much bigger Ohno takes him down by the arm to start, only to let him go in a hurry. That seems like a bit of a waste of time as Ohno grabs another armbar on the mat a second later, only to get rolled up for two instead. Kid’s headlock is countered into a rather hard headscissors but Kid is out again. An armdrag out of the corner into a dropkick has Ohno in trouble so he hits Kid in the throat.

Ohno grabs a chinlock and drops a backsplash for two but can’t keep Kid down on the mat with a test of strength. Kid gets up and snaps off a springboard hurricanrana but Ohno powers out of a cross armbreaker. A catapult sends Kid throat first into the middle rope and they stagger around outside. The slugout is on but Kid hits a 619 underneath the bottom rope (apparently not breaking the count) for the countout at 6:36.

Rating: C+. Kid definitely has some potential, which was on display in the few times I’ve see him before here too. The match got just enough time to go somewhere and Ohno is the kind of guy who can easily bounce back from a loss like this. You can all but guarantee a rematch too, which would be just fine.

Post match Ohno beats him down but Tyler Bate, who endorsed Kid before he got here, runs in for the save.

Killer Kelly is medically cleared and is off to demand a match.

Joseph Conners vs. Roy Johnson

Johnson is a friend of a friend so this is a cool moment. The fans certainly seem to like Johnson (Big Wavy you see) so he dances a bit and hits a right hand, only to get caught with a clothesline. Johnson goes head first into the buckle and gets his ribs bent around the post for a bonus. Conners shouts about this being his so Johnson makes the comeback with a series of forearms and elbows. A backbreaker connects and the straps come down, only to be sent face first into the buckle. A reverse Hennig neck snap sets up Don’t Look Down to give Conners the pin at 4:06.

Here’s Kay Lee Ray to talk about how great it is to have Toni Storm gone. What matters now though is the fact that she has Xia Brookside saying that she wants a title shot. Xia tries to claim that Ray cost her a title shot but all Ray did was win a battle royal. Now, she stands here as your champion.

Gallus says as long as they’re around, Imperium doesn’t hold all the gold. Joe Coffey is coming for the UK Title.

Dave Mastiff vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin goes right at him but is smart enough to bail to the floor when he feels the power. Back in and Mastiff throws him around again, followed by a hard shot to the face. A choke takes Devlin to the top rope but he takes Mastiff’s arm down across said rope to take over. The arm goes around the rope again and Devlin stands on Mastiff’s head. The short armscissors goes on and some of those slaps to the leg look like taps. Anyway Devlin backflips away and muscles Devlin up for the break.

Back up and an overhead belly to belly sends Devlin flying but has to slap his own arm. Devlin tries the Devil Inside for as much success as you would have expected. A hard whip puts Devlin on the floor and there’s a Regal Roll to crush him even worse. Back in and Devlin hits a slingshot cutter into a moonsault for two, only to try it again and hit raised boots. Into the Void connects but Devlin collapses to the floor. Mastiff pulls him back in and goes up for some reason, allowing Devil to hit an enziguri. A super Devil Inside finishes Mastiff at 12:03.

Rating: B-. Devlin is looking more and more like a main eventer every single day and Mastiff does things that a giant should not be able to pull off. That gave us a rather entertaining match with Mastiff’s power and freaky athleticism being enough to hold Devlin down, but in the end it was one creative move that stopped him. That made for a rather strong story in a match where you wouldn’t have expected it.

In the back, Alexander Wolfe gives Ilja Dragunov another sales pitch to join Imperium but Dragunov isn’t convinced to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. It felt like they were in a bit better groove this time and I liked the show as a result. What mattered the most through was the main event, which came off better than I would have bet on. A-Kid looks good and Ripley is still a star. That being said, the lack of Walter is starting to hurt as it feels like this is all the second stringers because he’s so dominant on top of the roster. Good enough show here though, and an improvement over most recent weeks.

Results

Piper Niven/Rhea Ripley b. Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert – Michinoku Driver to Gabbert

A-Kid b. Kassius Ohno via countout

Joseph Conners b. Roy Johnson – Don’t Look Down

Jordan Devlin b. Dave Mastiff – Super Devil Inside

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 7, 2019
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

With less than a month to go before Takeover: Cardiff, the card has mostly taken shape and now we have the big main event set. Tyler Bate vs. Walter for the United Kingdom Title could be the best match the promotion has ever had in its short history and that should be enough to carry the whole thing. In addition to that, it’s time to find out about the Tag Team Titles, meaning some Zack Gibson greatness. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with the Harley Race tribute video. I’d say he’s earned it.

Opening sequence.

Noam Dar vs. Ashton Smith

The bigger Smith drives him into the corner to start so Dar grabs the arm. Since it’s kind of hard to flip around with someone holding your arm, Smith gets pulled down without much effort. Smith goes to the arm as well with Dar heading straight to the ropes to show the intelligence. A nice dropkick works better for Smith but Dar claims an eye injury. As Smith has seen a Dar match before, he goes straight at Dar in the corner and gets backdropped to the floor.

Back in and Dar grabs the armbar again before countering an enziguri into the ankle lock. That lasts less than three seconds as Smith is right back up with a clothesline and a running kick to the chest. Dar kicks him in the leg and hits a running elbow to the back of the head for two of his own. This time it’s Smith playing possum so he can score with a superkick, but Dar avoids the middle rope leg lariat. The Nova Roller gives Dar the pin at 5:44.

Rating: C. There was something here with Dar’s goldbricking being well known by this point. It makes sense to go that way and is the next step in what he’s been doing lately. Smith is someone with obvious athleticism but he has nothing in the way of character or anything that makes him stand out. How many people does that apply to around here?

Post match Dar talks about how he’s here to wrestle all the time and promises to be in Cardiff. Thank you, bye bye.

Tyler Bate talks about Trent Seven not being medically cleared but he isn’t going to let Walter get away with this. In Cardiff, he’s becoming a two time champion.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans for a chat. Gibson does the usual intro and a fan asks where his car stereo is. Has he checked his car? Anyway, Gibson doesn’t want to hear about Gallus beating a bunch of Joe Blows and Johnny Kickpads to get a title shot. Cue Gallus to say they’re not demanding but rather taking their championship match in Cardiff.

Hang on though as here are Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews to interrupt. They want in on this title match as well because Andrews is the hometown boy in Cardiff. Webster knows they can beat both teams but Gibson says Johnny Saint makes the matches. If they want a title shot, earn it.

Video on Takeover: Blackpool, which is inspiring everyone to be ready for Cardiff. Various people are excited, even if they are unlikely to be on the show.

Travis Banks has promised himself that he’s going to Cardiff. Dar can say he’s going to Takeover all he wants but his spot isn’t guaranteed either. Banks leaves and Webster/Andrews come out of Saint’s office, saying they have to earn their Takeover spot as well. They can prove themselves over the next few weeks.

Jazzy Gabert/Jinny vs. Xia Brookside/Piper Niven

This could be interesting. Xia and Jinny start things off with Xia going straight to the dropkick. Jinny gets up an elbow in the corner but walks into a headscissors, which leaves Xia right in front of Gabert. It’s Jinny with a hard forearm to the face so Gabert can come in to knock Xia silly. A slam is enough to bring Jinny back in as Gabert isn’t the most time consuming monster.

Since no one is wasting time, Xia gets in her own shot to the face and brings Niven in for a running buckle bomb on Jinny. It’s right into the Gabert corner, with the announcers not being sure if that was a mistake or not. Niven knocks Gabert down and hits the running crossbody for two, followed by the backsplash to give Brookside her own two. Since Brookside is an average sized human, Gabert side slams her down to cut off the momentum.

Cue Rhea Ripley though and Piper brawls with her up the ramp. Brookside realizes she’s alone and grabs a Codebreaker on Jinny. Another headscissors sets up some running knees to Jinny’s back in the corner for two. Xia crossbodies both of them at once but Gabert shrugs it off and hits a Dominator for the pin at 7:40.

Rating: C. This was a nice way to set up a few things at once with Niven vs. Ripley being ready for a heck of a monster showdown later. At the same time, if Toni Storm survives Cardiff, Jinny and Jazzy would be a great next step for her. Jinny and Jazzy are a very good example of the formula that has worked for years so giving them a harder push would be fine.

Video on Toni Storm vs. Kay Lee Ray, with Storm citing Ray as an inspiration. Ray talks about seeing Toni as a bubbly girl and they have a long history in the ring. Now they get to do this on the big stage.

Ilja Dragunov was about to be interviewed in the dark when Kassius Ohno came in and turned on the light. That’s it for Ohno, which doesn’t sit well with Dragunov. They’ll fight next week.

Also next week: Flash Morgan Webster vs. Mark Coffey.

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey

They collide to start and slug it out with Coffey getting the better of things so Dave hiptosses him for one. Coffey is sent to the apron so he goes up but has to slip out of a German suplex attempt. The second attempt works better for Mastiff, though Coffey is able to pull the middle turnbuckle pad off at the same time. Coffey knows what happens and hits the running headbutt to the ribs in the corner, sending Mastiff into the buckle. A backbreaker and backsplash give Coffey two, followed by a fairly questionable armbar.

Mastiff headbutts Coffey down and throws him down with a release German suplex. One heck of a forearm to the ear stuns Mastiff and they head outside, where Mastiff hits him in the ear to bust it open. Mastiff hits him in the face and takes it back inside for a series of elbows to the ear. Another backsplash gives Mastiff his own two and Coffey heads to the apron. That means another running headbutt, sending Mastiff’s back into the buckle again. It’s a double countout at 7:44.

Rating: C-. It was a good enough power brawl though the ending felt pretty lame. You can pencil them in for a rematch at Cardiff in a similar story to Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee from the regular NXT, which isn’t a bad idea. Mastiff has been a well protected force around here and that could go somewhere if they decide to pull the trigger on him.

They have to be separated, with Mastiff shouting at Joe to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This wasn’t their strongest show but they moved forward with most of the matches already set up for Takeover. There are still a few more things that need to be made ready and those can be hammered out in the next few weeks. Takeover can be a rather good show, and while this week wasn’t the best, the Bate vs. Walter match is going to be more than enough to carry everything.

Results

Noam Dar b. Ashton Smith – Nova Roller

Jinny/Jazzy Gabert b. Xia Brookside/Piper Niven – Dominator to Brookside

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey went to a double countout

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: July 24, 2019
Location: Download Festival, Leicestershire, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

The build towards Takeover: Cardiff continues as we now have some challengers coming up for Walter. First up is Trent Seven, who is fighting for the injured Tyler Bate, taken out at Walter’s hands. Odds are Bate gets the shot at Cardiff, but that doesn’t mean this is a nothing match. Seven has been awesome as of late and this could be quite good. Let’s get to it.

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

Trent Seven arrives and is ready to knock Walter’s head off.

Opening sequence.

Kenny Williams vs. Noam Dar

Grudge match after a few weeks of issues. Feeling out process to start with Dar taking him down by the arm and grabbing a front facelock. That’s escaped in a hurry for a standoff and some nice applause. They grapple a bit more until Dar tries a school boy, only to have Williams be ready for it and ruffle his hair. Dar bails to the floor and catches Williams with a shot to the head to take over for real this time.

Vic thinks punching Williams in the face to take over was the turning point of the match as we hit the chinlock. Williams gets back up and hits a superkick to start the comeback. Dar is sent outside for the suicide dive and a top rope back elbow to the face keeps Dar in trouble. The springboard spinning crossbody misses though and Dar grabs a fisherman’s buster for two.

The ankle lock is broken up and Williams nails a rebound lariat for a double knockdown. Williams tries to hit the ropes but gets pulled down into the kneebar. That’s broken up as well in a bit of a surprise and Williams loses his shoe. With the referee getting rid of it, Dar kicks him low and nails the Nova Roller for the pin at 10:10.

Rating: C+. I liked this one more than I was expecting to as Williams looks to have the skills to go somewhere and Dar feels like a star. This was a good way to continue the feud and I wouldn’t complain about seeing them fight again. If nothing else, this was a good way to have a story going without a title, which the smaller shows tend to be a lot better at than the major shows.

The Grizzled Young Veterans don’t want to talk. Everyone has come after them and they have won every time because they’re locker room leaders. So what could anyone ask them about?

We look back at Kay Lee Ray surprising Xia Brookside to win the #1 contenders battle royal. She’s getting the title shot on August 31 at Takeover: Cardiff.

Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert/Kay Lee Ray vs. Xia Brookside/Toni Storm/Piper Niven

Ray hides from Storm to start so it’s Jinny taking over to start until Toni shoves her away. It’s off to Jazzy vs. Piper with Jazzy managing to knock her down. Since Jinny is willing to come in and take over, Niven runs her over instead. Xia comes in for a dropkick to Ray but walks into a gordbuster. Jazzy adds a big slam as the fans are staying with this one. That’s enough to bring Kay back in for the choking as Xia is a rather good choice to take a beating like this.

A good looking tornado DDT takes Ray down though and it’s back to Toni. Ray runs off again so Toni settles for a German suplex on Jinny. Everything breaks down and Toni hits a dive onto all three. Niven cannonballs off the apron onto them and Xia hits her own big dive from the top. Back in and Piper crossbodies Jazzy (nearly crushing Toni in the process) but Jazzy is fine enough to catch Xia on top. The middle rope X Factor gives Jinny the pin on Brookside at 7:36.

Rating: C. I can always go for a good six person tag and that’s what we got here. They had enough of the feuds going together at once and Xia has another reason to come after Jinny in the future. Jazzy vs. Piper could be a heck of a hoss fight in the future and Toni vs. Ray is already set. Not bad for less than eight minutes.

Trent Seven vs. Walter

Non-title. Trent dives on him to start and sends Walter into the barricade before the bell. They get inside for the first time to officially start but Trent sends him right back out for a baseball slide. Walter is back up and tries the powerbomb but gets backdropped on the floor instead.

Back in and Seven hammers away until Walter snaps off a German suplex. Seven’s chop to the chest just annoys Walter, who slams Seven right back down. The half crab sends Seven bailing to the rope as Walter is looking disgusted at him for not quitting. A missed big boot in the corner lets Seven chop him in the back of the neck, followed by a heck of a clothesline.

More chops annoy Walter, so he knocks Seven down again. Seven is all but out on his feet but manages a backfist to the face to put Walter on the floor. Walter tries to come back in on the top so Seven chops him even more, setting up a top rope superplex for two. They head outside again with Walter hitting a big boot and this time the apron powerbomb connects.

Seven is done so Walter powerbombs him again for no cover. There’s another powerbomb and cue the rest of Imperium to stare at the stage. Walter hits yet another powerbomb and the referee tells him to finish the match. The fourth and fifth powerbombs connect until the referee FINALLY stops it at 14:14.

Rating: B. This was a rather good storytelling device along with a hard hitting fight. They’re setting up Bate as the last hope to fight Walter and that’s going to be an incredible match, especially when he hits the Tyler Driver. Seven made Walter look like an absolute monster here and it was a rather good piece of business. As usual, Seven is a valuable asset and I’m sure he’ll be back.

Overall Rating: B+. This show hit on all three matches with the midcard feud, the women’s feuds and the big emotional main event stuff all working well. They’re really starting to click around here and Takeover could be an outstanding show given what else is going to be set up for the show. For once I have nearly full confidence in them to not mess this up, and that’s some rare air to be in.

Results

Noam Dar b. Kenny Williams – Nova Roller

Kay Lee Ray/Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert b. Toni Storm/Xia Brookside/Piper Niven – X Factor to Brookside

Walter b. Trent Seven via referee stoppage

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: July 17, 2019
Location: Download Festival, Leicestershire, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

We’re still at the Download Festival and that means the crowd reactions are likely to be a little bit weaker again this time. The build towards Cardiff continues but it seems that we have to get through one more stand alone show before we get there. That’s understandable, but not the most thrilling thing in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

Sid Scala runs down the card.

Opening sequence.

Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner vs. Tyson T-Bone/Saxon Huxley

Aichner shoves T-Bone down to start so T-Bone punches him from the mat. That earns him a powerslam and T-Bone stumbles over for a tag to Huxley. A spinebuster from Aichner and a kick to the face from Barthel has Huxley in trouble for a change. We hit the chinlock for a bit until a clothesline gets Huxley free, only to have the legal Aichner sneak around and pull T-Bone to the floor. With T-Bone down, it’s a powerbomb/middle rope European uppercut combination to finish Huxley at 4:53.

Result: D+. Pretty much a squash here as Imperium continues to look completely dominant. The four of them could be the top monsters for the company for a long time to come and making Barthel and Aichner look better is going to get them closer towards that ending. I still don’t get the appeal of T-Bone and Huxley but they could be worse.

Travis Banks says his journey continues despite losing to Walter. His journey is just beginning.

Xia Brookside vs. Jinny

Jinny says she doesn’t need Jazzy Gabbert to beat Xia but Jazzy doesn’t go anywhere. Brookside grabs a quick headlock before a crossbody gets two. A missed charge sends Jinny into the corner and Xia ties her in the Tree of Woe. That means a missed charge from Xia as well, allowing Jazzy to stare her down so Jinny can take over. Jazzy gets in a few shots of her own and Jinny pounds away for two. Brookside gets in a hurricanrana out of the corner but the referee gets knocked away. That’s enough for Gabbert to grab Brookside’s foot and Jinny pins her with a rollup at 4:35.

Rating: C-. Somewhat better than the opener as Jinny could ride this help from the monster all the way back to the title scene. Or Gabbert could go after Toni Storm as the ultimate monster. Either way, you could be in for something entertaining as the show has a women’s feud that isn’t about the title. That’s more than some places can say.

Imperium talks about taking out British Strong Style and only Trent Seven is left. Walter has accepted Trent’s challenge and promises to break his back.

Kenny Williams didn’t like washing the mud out of his mouth, but he’ll be ready to face Noam Dar next week. He’ll snap the wing that Dar has taken him under.

We look at Gallus defeating Dave Mastiff/The Hunt last week. After the show, Mastiff called out Joe Coffey but Gallus backed away.

Gallus says they tamed the wild animals and Joe is going to make Mastiff sit and heal.

Here’s Toni Storm for a chat. For a long time, she thought Kay Lee Ray was one of her best friends. She took Toni under her wing when she first got to the UK but now she’s not sure what happened to Ray. All Ray has to do is say when she wants her title shot and Toni will be ready….so here’s Ray to interrupt. She knows Toni is sick of her mind games so let’s do this right now. Eh or not actually. Ray is going to make Toni wait for Takeover: Cardiff but until then, she’s going to make Toni’s life a nightmare.

Scala isn’t interested in waiting for Takeover so next week it’s Toni Storm/Xia Brookside/Piper Niven vs. Kay Lee Ray/Jazzy Gabbert/Jinny.

Also next week: Walter vs. Trent Seven.

Kassius Ohno vs. Mark Andrews

Fans to Ohno: “PLEASE DON’T EAT HIM!” Ohno grabs a cravate to take Andrews down for two but Andrews cartwheels his way to freedom. Some dropkicks and an armdrag send Ohno outside but the suicide dive is pulled out of the air. Ohno, while still carrying Andrews, pulls the padding off the hook that attaches the post to the buckle and drops Andrews hard onto it.

Back in and a legdrop gets two and we hit the quickly broken chinlock. Ohno chokes on the rope instead and it’s back to the mat where Ohno declares himself a wrestling genius. Ohno: “He can’t get out because he doesn’t know how!”. Something like an abdominal stretch with a neck crank sets up a backbreaker for two as Ohno is having fun picking him apart here. He even sits on Andrews in the corner before knocking him off the top to the floor in a heap.

A more serious Ohno follows him outside and hammers away while throwing more insults. Ohno takes too long getting back in though and it’s a trio of enziguris as he comes through the ropes. The big running flip dive into a hurricanrana has Ohno down on the floor. Back in and Ohno sneaks in a shot to the throat, followed by a forearm to the back of the head for two.

One heck of an electric chair faceplant gives Ohno two and you can see the frustration setting in. Ohno chops away and Andrews stares at him. A knee to the face doesn’t do much to Andrews, who snaps off a reverse hurricanrana for two of his own. Stundog Millionaire and a tornado DDT gets two but Fall to Piece is caught in a cravate. Ohno hits a cravate suplex of all things (that’s a new one) but Andrews grabs a victory roll for the pin at 13:06.

Rating: B-. This told a very nice story with Andrews fighting from underneath against the bully in Ohno. They’re both easy characters to get but more importantly they’re easy to get behind/boo which is why a story like this worked so well. On top of that it was a good match with Ohno busting out some awesome stuff and grinding Andrews down but not being able to finish him.

Overall Rating: C+. It was nice to see the setup of the first match for Takeover but I’m more interested in seeing next week’s show. The women’s tag match and Trent vs. Walter should be entertaining and that helps get us one step closer to Takeover, as they’re getting better at bridging the gap between the major shows. Nice show here, with the rather low level main event offering a surprise.

Results

Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner b. Tyson T-Bone/Saxon Huxley – Powerbomb/middle rope European uppercut to Huxley

Jinny b. Xia Brookside – Rollup

Mark Andrews b. Kassius Ohno – Victory roll

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 19, 2019
Location: Download Festival, Leicestershire, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

Things are shaking up around here as Imperium has added its fourth member with Alexander Wolfe. That is likely to set up a fourth member of British Strong Style, or at least a friend or two, to help fight off the villains. We could get something very good out of this and I’m rather pleased. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Wolfe joining Imperium last week in a good moment.

Opening sequence.

The arena is in a pretty large hall and the look is a nice change of pace.

Kenny Williams vs. Kassius Ohno

Ohno goes to the arm to start (the right one for a change) and cranks on it again to take Williams down to the mat. Back up and Williams flips over him but Ohno is too big for a sunset flip. For some reason Williams ties himself in the ropes, allowing Ohno to kick him in the face. The chinlock sets up a double arm crank as the fans implore Ohno to not eat Williams.

The backsplash hits Williams’ raised knees, which hurts the knee a bit due to Ohno’s girth. It’s fine enough to flip out of a belly to back suplex and grab a rollup for two. Ohno gets knocked outside for the dropkick through the ropes and a suicide dive. Back in and Ohno breaks up a springboard, setting up the discus elbow to the back of the head for the pin at 7:25.

Rating: C. Perfectly watchable match here with Ohno continuing to look like a formidable villain that a bigger name can take down later. It helps that Ohno knows all of these different styles and can wrestle against just about anyone, which was the case on display here. Williams continues to look good and he’s fine to have around for matches like this.

Post match here’s Imperium, now with their own graphic and matching track suits, so Ohno makes a hasty retreat.

Post break, Marcel Barthel is rather heavily booed before being able to say that the people seem to think Imperium is here to entertain them. That’s not true, because they’re here to restore the honor of their sport. The fans want wrestling as Barthel talks about their numbers increasing. Fans: “WHO ARE YA???” After being told to respect their values, the fans say that they want Pete Dunne.

Wolfe gets cut off by a SANITY chant before saying that he wanted wrestling to be treated with respect. Walter brings up #1 contender Travis Banks, who has an upcoming title shot but Imperium will decide how things will be done. The title match is next week and Banks is a fool for thinking he has a chance against Walter. Cue Banks to say he’s down for a title match next week and Walter needs to bring everything he’s got. The matching suits are a great look for the team and having Wolfe around makes the team feel that much more imposing.

We look back at Gallus attacking the Hunt two weeks ago.

Noam Dar was on the phone when a cameraman interrupted him to ask if Dar took a drive recently. Dar doesn’t like that accusation and mockingly applauds Kenny Williams for his loss. There is room for Williams under Dar’s arm but Williams threatens to treat his arm like his knee.

The Hunt vs. Gallus

It’s Mark Coffey/Wolfgang for Gallus here with Joe Coffey in the corner. The brawl is on in a hurry with the Hunt sending them outside for double suicide dives. We settle down to Boar and Coffey with Mark getting in a full nelson slam. It’s off to Wolfgang for a neck crank, a tag to Coffey for some stomping, and a seated full nelson from Wolfgang.

Coffey slaps on a cobra clutch on the mat as we run the full list of neck related holds. Boar finally flips out of another full nelson and brings Primate in to beat up Wolfgang. Everything breaks down and Boar gets driven into the steps. Back in and the enziguri/powerslam combination finishes Primate at 6:14.

Rating: C. I liked the match well enough and the Hunt can be heated up again without much effort later on. Gallus can be built up again to be fed to Imperium and that’s not a bad place for them. The most important thing though: how much better is the Hunt without their regular names? I’m so glad they figured that out.

Post match Joe joins in for the big beatdown. Dave Mastiff makes the save.

Moustache Mountain is getting a Tag Team Title shot in two weeks. They’re focused on Imperium, but getting the titles is what matters most.

Battle Royal

Xia Brookside, Jinny, Jazzy Gabbert, Kay Lee Ray, Piper Niven, Isla Dawn, Nina Samuels, Killer Kelly, Candy Floss, Rhea Ripley, Rhio, Kanji

The winner gets a future Women’s Title match. Everyone but Jazzy go to the ropes to start before three of them go after Jazzy instead. That means Rhio and Kanji being tossed out, followed by a Dominator to Floss. Jinny gets rid of her and the ring has cleared out in a hurry. Ray is sent outside (not over the top) and comes up holding her knee. Niven picks Jazzy up and puts her on the apron, allowing Brookside to get in a sliding dropkick for the elimination.

That leaves Jinny surrounded so it’s a triple team from Brookside, Dawn and Niven. Jinny is thrown over the top but Jazzy catches her and slides the boss back in. Jazzy is ejected so Xia gets rid of Jinny a few seconds later. Ripley muscles Kelly out and we’re down to five. Brookside and Dawn go after Ripley but Xia gets tied in the Tree of Woe for her efforts.

There goes Dawn and it’s the Ripley vs. Niven showdown. Hang on though as Samuels is tossed and it’s Ripley, Niven, Brookside and Ray on the floor. A Cannonball crushes Ripley but she shoves Ripley over the top to the apron. Niven pulls her out with her and Brookside eliminates them both with a dropkick. The celebration is on but Ray comes back in and dumps Brookside for the win at 8:40.

Rating: C. It’s the right end result and the match was well paced but STOP WITH THAT STUPID ENDING!!! It feels like every other battle royal has that same exact ending and it’s so overdone these days. As soon as Ray was seen on the floor, you knew where this was going because that’s how so many battle royals go these days. Ray winning is fine, but come up with a better way to do it.

Overall Rating: C+. The Imperium segment and the right result for the main event made for a good show, though not quite as solid as some of their recent shows. What matters here is how they set things up for the future, with the UK Title match next week and the Tag Team Titles in two weeks. It makes me want to keep watching and that’s the right idea.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 12, 2019
Location: Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Tonight is a huge show as we have British Strong Style vs. Imperium, which should be the awesome match that everyone is expecting it to be. It’s not exactly a secret that there should be something big happening at the end but the question is what. Hopefully they can live up to the hype, which almost always tends to be the case. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the six man tag, including a quick history of both teams. Tonight it’s their first showdown and it feels big.

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside/Isla Dawn vs. Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert

Jinny and Dawn take turns working on the arm to start with Dawn getting the better of it. Brookside comes in for an aggressive headlock and a dropkick to send Jinny into the corner….for the tag to Gabbert. Xia actually tries a sunset flip but gets powered down, allowing Jinny to come in for the stomps in the corner. A quick crawl across the ring lets Dawn come back in but Gabbert swats away the strikes. The Dominator plants Dawn but Jinny demands the tag so she can get the pin at 4:16.

Rating: D. Nothing match of course but it went exactly as it should have. Gabbert is the first monster the division has seen and having her under Jinny’s control is a fine story. She destroyed Brookside and Dawn here and that’s all she needed to do. Not exactly a good match, but the right presentation, which is what matters more.

Video on Ligero, who only had sight in one eye until he was eight years old due to his eye not opening. It caused other kids to pick on him so he decided to wrestle under a mask so he wouldn’t have to worry about how his face looked during his career. The mask is his identity and that’s what people are going to remember. Short piece here but it’s a nice way to get behind someone like Ligero.

Kenny Williams says Noam Dar can be annoying but he still likes him. What Dar does doesn’t affect him and it won’t affect him next week against Kassius Ohno.

Joseph Conners vs. Ilja Dragunov

As usual, Dragunov has an awesome entrance and looks insane. They lock up rather hard to start with Conners’ forearm to the back annoying Dragunov. The strike to the face sets up a neck crank with Dragunov making some rather strange noises at the same time. Back up and a jumping enziguri drops Conners, but he’s able to duck a running crossbody to send Dragunov into the ropes.

The chinlock goes on but Dragunov powers out and stares Conners down, setting up a knee to the face. A sunset bomb into the corner has Dragunov in some trouble but he counters a slingshot into a Death Valley Driver into the corner. The Torpedo Moscow finishes Conners at 4:49.

Rating: C-. Dragunov is one of those guys where you can’t take your eyes off of him and that’s the kind of thing you can’t create. It’s a special kind of intensity and that’s going to carry him very far. If nothing else, it’s always nice to see Conners getting destroyed and bludgeoned in various ways.

Toni Storm has beaten all comers and if Kay Lee Ray wants some Toni Time, come get it. Either way, the shiny shiny stays at home.

Video on Travis Banks, who talks about having such a strong work ethic. His time in NXT UK has been a mixed bag with great experiences but his injury held him back. Jordan Devlin was a thorn in his side but then he defeated him once and for all. Now he’s the #1 contender and it would be pretty cool to beat Walter for the United Kingdom Title.

The Hunt wants Gallus.

British Strong Style vs. Imperium

Dunne goes right at Aichner for some stomping in the corner to start but Aichner comes right back out with a hard clothesline. Bate comes in and it’s time for a double arm crank on Aichner. Barthel comes in and gets dropkicked but Bate takes too much time messing with the mustache, allowing Barthel to take over. That doesn’t last long though as Bate brings him into the corner for the tag from Seven.

Trent gets taken into the wrong corner though and Walter comes in to a lot of booing. Seven’s chop just annoys Walter so Seven does it again to a bit of success. Walter’s one chop puts Seven down though and it’s back to Aichner to keep Seven down in the corner. A swinging Rock Bottom gives Walter two on Seven and it’s back to Barthel to start in on the arm. Seven slugs away but walks into a spinebuster from Aichner to take him right back down.

A jawbreaker and enziguri get Seven out of trouble and it’s Dunne coming back in for an enziguri of his own. Dunne’s middle rope dropkick to the knee takes Walter down but he has to backflip out of the sleeper hold. The German suplex drops Walter again but he’s right back with a suplex of his own. Bate and Aichner come back in with Tyler taking over off a knee out of the corner.

An exploder suplex sends Barthel onto Aichner and it’s time for the airplane spin to various villains. Bop and Bang staggers Walter but Aichner saves him from an airplane spin of his own. A brainbuster gets two on Bate with Dunne making the save. The Backstabber into the top rope double stomp combination is good for the same but it’s back to Seven for some fresh strong style blood.

The Seven Star Lariat into the Bitter End into Spiral Tap gets two on Barthel with Walter making the save this time. Walter gets sent into the steps though and we’ve got a masked man. With the referee getting knocked to the floor, the masked man unmasks as Alexander Wolfe (formerly of Sanity). He knocks Bate out with a powerbomb and Barthel steals the pin at 14:03.

Rating: B. This felt like a big brawl and having Imperium grow in size at the end is a great touch. Wolfe was rumored to be leaving WWE and technically he did, though this was quite the surprise that helped everyone out quite a bit. Now I wonder who British Strong Style could find to help even the odds.

The now four man Imperium poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The first two matches don’t add all that much to the show but this was ALL about the main event and the big surprise to end the show. There’s nothing wrong with that at all and it made for a good show. NXT UK is now to the point where it’s rare to have a bad show and that’s something I could more than get used to. Like more British Strong Styles vs. Imperium for instance.

Results

Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert b. Xia Brookside/Isla Dawn – Dominator to Dawn

Ilja Dragunov b. Joseph Conners – Torpedo Moscow

Imperium b. British Strong Style – Barthel pinned Bate after a powerbomb from Alexander Wolfe

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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 10, 2019
Location: Coventry Skydome Arena, Coventry, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the final show from the taping cycle and while the United Kingdom Title changed hands about six weeks after this was filmed, I’m sure something will be mentioned in an inserted video. As for tonight though, we have the Women’s Title to worry about as Toni Storm is defending against Jinny. They have quite the rivalry in Progress so this should be good. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Storm vs. Jinny. Storm won the title earlier in the year and Jinny is tired of it always being Toni Time. We get some clips of their Progress matches, with Toni saying that Jinny doesn’t like being made to work for something and tonight she has to fight.

Opening sequence.

Travis Banks vs. Kassius Ohno

Feeling out process to start with Ohno taking over off a wristlock but getting reversed into a headlock. Banks tries a shoulder but Ohno doesn’t go very far. He turns his head to look at Banks and says “Oh I didn’t see you! I didn’t feel you either.” Ohno loads up a shoulder of his own but stomps on Banks’ foot instead. Banks goes with the kicks to the chest instead and one to the back puts Ohno on the floor.

The dive is countered though and Ohno kicks him in the face. Banks is fine enough to hit a running kick to the chest from the apron, only to be sent into the steps for his efforts. Back in and a running legdrop gives Ohno two but he misses a backsplash. The kicks to the chest (they like kicking in this one) keep Ohno in trouble until a knee to Banks’ injured shoulder has him writhing on the mat.

Ohno walks around for a bit until they trade more kicks. The pump kick gives Ohno two so it’s time to pull on the arm a little bit. A reversed whip sends Ohno to the apron and a dropkick puts him on the floor. Now the suicide dive connects, allowing Banks to hit a running knee to the face.

Back in and Banks gets caught in an electric chair, which is countered into a victory roll for two. A quick Kiwi Crusher gets two more but Ohno throws him onto his shoulders again for a Rubik’s Cube (One Winged Angel) for two which should have been three. Ohno is so surprised that he gets rolled up twice in a row, followed by a third attempt for the pin at 14:47.

Rating: B. Questionable use of such a major move that didn’t end the match aside, this was a smart way to use Ohno. He’s so much bigger than Banks (or just about anyone else on the roster) and it’s a good idea to have him wrestle this kind of an aggressive style. Banks looks like he can beat a monster, which is a good way to get him back on the right track.

We look back at Piper Niven debuting last week and scaring off Rhea Ripley.

Long video on Pete Dunne vs. Walter.

Jordan Devlin is sick of hearing about Dunne’s rematch because he’d rather hear about his own title shot.

Piper Niven vs. Killer Kelly

Piper stalks her a bit and we get an early handshake. Kelly goes a little more aggressive than I would have expected and tries a cravate, earning herself a slam and backsplash. A regular splash gets two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Kelly slips off Piper’s shoulder and grabs a sleeper, which is reversed with a crash into the corner. A Cannonball into a Michinoku Driver gives Piper the pin at 3:35.

Rating: D+. Not quite a squash but Kelly never felt like any kind of a threat. That’s the right way to present someone like Piper, who shouldn’t be in any kind of trouble until she’s in there with Ripley. Yeah she’s big, but she moves around very well and came off as very athletic, which is a great combination.

Post match Rhea tries to sneak in but gets stared back up the aisle.

Moustache Mountain is ready to come to New York to face Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews.

The Grizzled Young Veterans aren’t happy with having to go to New York because Gibson doesn’t want to miss Liverpool games. There’s going to be a non-title challenge to any team from the NXT UK roster.

Joseph Conners vs. Jack Starz

Starz spins out of a wristlock to start and puts Conners down into a wristlock. Conners’ British Bulldog lift out of a short armscissors is countered into a sunset flip to give Starz two. With early frustration setting in, Conners hits a top rope shoulder and it’s off to a neck crank. Some elbow drops have Starz in more trouble and Conners wants the referee to check on him. The referee thinks Starz is fine so Conners hits a hard clothesline but Starz slips between his legs. A running corner dropkick sets up a high crossbody, which Conners rolls through into Don’t Look Down for the pin at 4:46.

Rating: C-. Remember all the other times I’ve criticized Conners’ matches in the same way? It’s the exact same thing here. Don’t Look Down is a good name for a finisher and it’s not a bad move….but it’s Joseph Conners doing the thing. I’d like to care about him, but he is just so uninteresting and dull that there’s nothing he can do to fix his problems.

Video on Dave Mastiff, who is back soon.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Jinny

Jinny is challenging. They go right at it to start with Toni getting the better of it and grabbing a half crab. The fans don’t make it any better by calling Jinny a Primark Princess, though Toni switching to an STF might be more painful (emphasis on might). After using the rope for a break, it’s off to a camel clutch to put Toni in trouble for a change. Storm reverses into a surfboard on the mat but Jinny is right back in the ropes for the break.

A Downward Spiral into the middle buckle knocks Toni silly and it’s time to start in on the back. Jinny hits a backbreaker and grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back. Now it’s a regular chinlock as Jinny is looking rather strong so far. Toni fights up with some rolling German suplexes but another shot to the back cuts her off. Jinny’s version of Storm Zero is countered with a headbutt and Jinny is rocked. She’s fine enough to try a hurricanrana, which is reversed into a powerbomb. Storm Zero retains the title at 10:34.

Rating: B-. Jinny was treated as an equal here and a real threat to the title, which is the best thing that can happen to the division at the moment. Storm and Ripley have been on top for so long that they need someone fresh in the ranks. It doesn’t have to be someone to win the title, but there needs to be someone who makes Toni sweat, which is what we had here.

Overall Rating: B+. That’s one of the better shows they’ve had and they’re wisely taking a path that NXT took: what you see right now on this show, no matter what it might be, is the most important thing. They treated the Women’s Title match like a big deal, just as they did Trent Seven vs. Joe Coffey before. It makes everything on the show feel important, which gives you a reason to want to watch. Some things are of course more important than others, but you wouldn’t know that from commentary and that’s the right way to go about things.

Results

Travis Banks b. Kassius Ohno – Rollup

Piper Niven b. Killer Kelly – Michinoku Driver

Joseph Conners b. Jack Starz – Don’t Look Down

Toni Storm b. Jinny – Storm Zero

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 13, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things are getting more interesting around here as Walter continues to be the biggest thing to be added to the show since its inception (all those months ago). For now though, we’re in Phoenix for some shows taped at the Royal Rumble Axxess. We should be in for some fun shows around here and some guest stars aren’t out of the question. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Pedro Morales.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Toni Storm to open things up. She won the Mae Young Classic and then it was Toni Time at Takeover: Blackpool. Toni knew that Rhea Ripley would be coming to get her title back though because Storm is a bully. She’s beaten Ripley before though and she can do it again. This brings out Rhea, who now has what sounds like THIS IS MY BRUTALITY before her theme music. She’s the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion and she’s sick of hearing the comparisons to Storm. The rematch is brought up and Storm says “that’s nice”. The fight is on with Rhea quickly bailing.

Noam Dar vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin’s wristlock is countered into a headlock, followed by some arm cranking on Devlin’s arm for a change. That just earns him a release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault but the fans think he still sucks. We hit the double arm crank on Dar for a bit before he fights up and kicks Devlin off the ropes.

An exchange of kicks puts both guys down and Dar slaps on the ankle lock. That’s escaped as well and the Irish Ace Cutter gives Devlin two. They head outside with Devlin loading up a whip into the steps, only to have Travis Banks come out to yell. Dar’s ankle goes into the steps but Devlin stops to fight Banks, allowing Dar to grab a rollup for the surprise pin at 10:20.

Rating: C. I’m not big on either guy (though I’m much higher up than I used to be) and this was a completely middle of the road match. Neither does much that grabs your attention and while this was little more than a way to advance Devlin vs. Banks, it wasn’t exactly thrilling. Then again nor was it bad, so we’ll go with right in the middle.

Post match Devlin stays on Dar, drawing Banks in for the big fight.

Next week: Ripley vs. Storm for the title.

Two weeks from now: Walter vs. Kassius Ohno.

Jinny vs. Mia Yim

Jinny takes her straight down into a front facelock until Mia reverses into one of her own. An armbar is broken up just as fast and Mia grabs a rollup for two. The running hurricanrana doesn’t work either as Mia cartwheels her way out and takes Jinny down for some slaps to the arms. With none of the holds working, Jinny goes with blunt force trauma in the form of a Downward Spiral into the middle rope. A slap to the face gives Jinny two and she pulls on Mia’s arms for good measure.

That’s broken up and Mia slaps on a Tarantula of her own. Mia adds a neckbreaker for the double knockdown before firing off some shots to the face. A Cannonball connects as you can see the Axxess venue in the background. It’s not a bad thing but it’s just so odd to see. Jinny misses a charge and gets German suplexed into the corner, sending herself outside for a much needed breather. Back in and Jinny scores with a kick to the head, allowing her to throw her feet on the ropes for the pin at 7:55.

Rating: C-. Jinny is someone who seems like she would gain a lot from some talking segments that get to showcase herself outside the ring a bit more. Her work is fine enough, but the only things I know about her is she’s mean and cares about fashion. I need a lot more than that, and it would be nice if they let us have something.

Wolfgang vs. Pete Dunne

Non-title and no seconds here, oddly enough. Wolfgang goes for the arm to start so Dunne spins out and takes Wolfgang down with a total of no effort. Another grab of the wrist sends Wolfgang out to the floor and it’s time for a breather. Back in and a referee distraction (stop telling Dunne the rules) lets Wolfgang get in a forearm, setting up the required chinlock.

Dunne fights out of that as quickly as anyone fights out of a chinlock and nails a middle rope dropkick to the knee. An ankle lock sends Wolfgang bailing to the ropes, followed by sending Dunne face first into the apron. Back in and Dunne stomps on the arm as Nigel talks about Wolfgang having a SUBURBAN COMMANDO tattoo on his forearm. Well I’m a fan for life.

Wolfgang drops him ribs first across the top rope to bang Dunne up but Dunne avoids a charge and is right back with a bunch of slaps in the corner. Dunne flips out of a release German suplex and nails the X Plex for two. It’s time to bend the fingers back, followed by the stomping to Wolfgang’s head. Dunne pulls him into a triangle until a buckle bomb breaks things up.

The spinning release fisherman’s suplex gets two but Dunne nips up before the Howling. There’s a stomp to the fingers but Wolfgang is right back with a hard clothesline. Darren Young’s Gut Check gives Wolfgang a very delayed two as Wolfgang grabs his knee. He gets up limping, prompting Nigel to say he thinks Wolfgang has a bad knee. That kind of line sounds so out of place from him. Anyway the Howling is countered into the finger bending to make Wolfgang tap at 10:43.

Rating: B-. Leave it to Wolfgang to give Dunne one of his worst matches ever and leave it to Dunne to still make it entertaining. That’s not fair to Wolfgang as he was pretty good here, but the problem is having him get in on the same ground floor as Bate, Dunne and Seven. That’s being the other rookies in 2002 and it just doesn’t work. Walter is the end game for Dunne anyway, so keeping him strong like this is the only way to go.

Overall Rating: C+. Perfectly watchable show here which felt like a combination of a regular show and a special. The whole show feels like it’s on hold until Walter vs. Dunne is set up and that’s fine, though it can’t last forever. I can imagine that one taking place in April over Wrestlemania weekend and if it just happens to be in New York, so be it. Anyway, it should be a blast whenever it happens because they’re putting in the effort to build the characters, which is what matters most.

Results

Noam Dar b. Jordan Devlin – Rollup

Jinny b. Mia Yim – Kick to the head

Pete Dunne b. Wolfgang – Dunne bent his finger back

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