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: 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: February 18, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s hoss fight night as Rampage Brown faces Joe Coffey. Actually it isn’t so much of a hoss fight night as much as it is a hoss fight main event, as we also have the Heritage Cup on the line between two decidedly non-hosses. Things have been good around here so far so hopefully they can keep it up this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Heritage Cup: A-Kid vs. Sha Samuels

Kid is defending and they start round one with a feeling out process. They take turns taking each other to the mat with neither being able to get anywhere. Kid is sent face first into the buckle to put Samuels in the first control but he can’t grab a choke in the corner. He can however put on a cobra clutch on the mat with the shoulder pulled back (the Butcher’s Hook) and Kid taps in a hurry at 2:35 of the first round (seemingly playing strategy to avoid extra pain).

Round two begins with Kid charging at him but getting taken down to the mat to work on the shoulder some more. Samuels tries to go for the arm but Kid takes it to the mat, only to get his arm cranked on again. Kid is back up with a choke but Samuels goes straight to the rope. They tumble out to the floor and the round ends.

Round three begins with an exchange of rollups for two each but Kid starts going after the knee. A kick to the chest gets two and a dropkick finishes Samuels at 1:23 of the round to tie it up. Round four begins with Kid rolling him up for a fast two. Samuels runs him over for the same but walks into an enziguri for two more.

Kid goes up for a high crossbody, only to get caught in a Michinoku Driver instead. The Hook goes on again but the bell rings just in time to end the round. Round five begins with Kid pulling him straight into a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up so Kid kicks him in the face, only to charge into a spinebuster for two. Kid escapes the Hook again and grabs the Rings of Saturn to make Samuels tap for the 2-1 win at 2:25 of the fifth round (13:49 total).

Rating: B. These things grew on me quite a bit during the tournament and they are still holding up today. They are rather similar to Ring of Honor’s Pure Rules matches but these are kept sporadic enough that they feel like a treat rather than something that overstays its welcome. A-Kid has something too and I could go with seeing him step up after he’s done with this division.

Video on Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey, including a look at their time against each other in Progress. Various UK names like William Regal, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus talk about how awesome this should be to really make it feel important.

Walter has tied Pete Dunne’s record as longest United Kingdom Champion and breaks the record tomorrow.

Ben Carter vs. Josh Morrell

Carter is taken to the mat to start but uses Johnny Saint’s distraction to escape, which pops the heck out of Nigel. An armdrag into an armbar and sets up a headlock on the mat to keep Morrell down. That’s broken up and Morrell grabs a hurricanrana for two, only to get suplexed for the same. The front facelock has Morrell in more trouble but he reverses into a surfboard but Carter reverses into one of his own. Back up and Morrell gets two off a hiptoss but Carter grabs the suplex neckbreaker. The frog splash finishes for Carter at 6:28.

Rating: C. Carter continues to look polished but above all else, I want to see him win. He’s small enough that he plays a rather good underdog who needs to come from behind to win. Throw in some good technical abilities and a high flying finisher that looks good without being too flashy and it works well. Morrell looks good too, though he isn’t the one who is going to get pushed at the moment.

We get a press conference for the Women’s Title match between Meiko Satomura and champion Kay Lee Ray. Ray loves the challenge, Meiko loves the challenge and has a mission, Ray wants the best in the world, they stare each other down to wrap it up.

Video on Nina Samuels vs. Xia Brookside.

Tyler Bate gets some air outside of the Performance Center and is ready for whatever comes at him.

Aleah James vs. Dani Luna

The rather strong Luna powers her into the corner to start and easily blocks a crucifix attempt. James gets tossed down again and there’s a suplex to send her back into the corner. Luna’s powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana for two so she is right back with a hard clothesline. A forearm puts James on the apron and Luna catches her springboard without much effort. Luna fireman’s carries her into a sitout powerbomb for the pin at 3:33.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here as they seem interested in Luna as a bit of a thing here. That’s not the worst idea in the world as having someone with that kind of power can be a fine choice for a quick push. I’m not sure how far she can go but even a short term deal would work out well enough.

Jinny and Joseph Conners call out Piper Niven. I’m not sure what it is but Jinny just isn’t clicking with me.

Video on next week’s Tag Team Title match with Gallus defending against Pretty Deadly.

Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey

They power each other around to start with Coffey grabbing the required rough headlock. That’s broken up and they run the ropes until Coffey’s leapfrog is countered into a powerslam. Brown hammers him into the corner but it’s too early for the Doctor Bomb. Instead Coffey takes him to the mat and hammers away, setting up a backbreaker to set up his liver shot later. The straitjacket choke goes on, followed by the jumping elbow for two on Brown.

A running basement clothesline gets two and Coffey blasts him with crossface shots to the face. What looked like All The Best For The Bells is cut off by a hard clothesline from Brown before he wins another slugout. A big boot gives Brown two and a hard suplex is good for the same. Coffey fights out of a fireman’s carry though and snaps off a belly to belly.

The running splash in the corner sets up a shotgun dropkick to put Brown on the floor. Coffey follows him out but misses a charge into the steps. The arm is sent into the steps and they’re already back inside. Coffey manages a spinning high crossbody for two but All The Best For The Bells is blocked with a kick to the arm. Brown grabs the Doctor Bomb for the pin at 11:16.

Rating: B. Take two big power brawlers and let them beat on each other for a pretty good while. Brown is the one they are pushing at the moment and that’s a good idea. He does his thing well and beating Coffey feels like an important deal. Good slugout here and I liked it as much as I expected to, meaning it worked well.

We get the big, delayed, respectful handshake to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Two good matches make up for the weaker stuff in the middle and that was a fine way to use a little over an hour. This show continues to be rather solid more often than not and that was the case again this week with a nice mixture of a few styles to make it all work out. We could be seeing some nice stuff from these people going forward and that’s a rare thing to say in WWE these days.

Results

A-Kid b. Sha Samuels 2-1

Ben Carter b. Josh Morrell – Frog splash

Dani Luna b. Aleah James – Fireman’s carry powerbomb

Rampage Brown b. Joe Coffey – Doctor Bomb

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

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NXT UK
Date: February 4, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s another week in London and that means we could be in for some good stuff. NXT UK has started to find its stride again, including a pretty awesome four way tag team match last week that saw Pretty Deadly become the new #1 contenders. Hopefully they can keep the momentum going this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Commentary opens with a bit of a surprising chat about how the pandemic has shaken everyone. You don’t hear WWE talk that way on television very often.

Xia Brookside vs. Nina Samuels

As usual, Samuels has a man carrying her bags and tells Brookside that she should be doing just that. They start fast with Brookside taking her to the mat and then pulling on the arm as they get back up. Samuels kicks her into the corner though and sits on Brookside’s leg, setting up the chinlock. Make that an armbar but Brookside fights up and slugs away. The running knees in the corner set up a running faceplant and they head outside. Brookside kicks the steps by mistake so Samuels throws in a suitcase. That’s enough of a distraction for a loaded purse to knock Brookside silly for the pin at 4:56.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here before the screwy finish but Samuels winning to set up Brookside’s revenge down the line should work fine. I still like Brookside a lot and Samuels is starting to grow on me. She has a perfectly fine heel character and they could go in a few directions with her so things could be looking up.

Post match Samuels poses and said she told us so.

Jordan Devlin wants to know who he is facing tonight but Sid Scala isn’t sure.

Sid Scala talks to Jack Starz behind closed doors and Stars doesn’t look thrilled. It looks like Scala is trying to find Devlin’s opponent.

Josh Morrell vs. Joseph Conners

Conners has Jinny in his corner. The grappling exchange goes nowhere to start so Morrell dropkicks him to the floor, where Conners needs to talk to Jinny. Back in and Conners starts cranking on the arm before clotheslining him down for trying to flip out. The arm is snapped over the ropes and Conners crucifixes him for two. There’s a backbreaker for two and we hit the armbar again. This one doesn’t last as long as Morrell fights up and increases the pace with a dropkick. Morrell has to bail out of something off the top but gets run over again. A neckbreaker finishes for Conners at 5:37.

Rating: C. It’s going to take a long time for me to care about Conners but at least this is better than complaining about the young whippersnappers of NXT UK. Morrell doesn’t have much to make him stand out but the energy he has in the ring should keep him around for a bit. This was all about Conners though and he looked a bit better than usual.

Video on Sha Samuels, who calls himself the Butcher because he comes from a family of butchers.

Xia Brookside wants a rematch with Nina Samuels and orders Scala to get it done.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Tyson T-Bone

T-Bone promises to win during his entrance and they charge at each other to start in a hurry. Some shots to the back have Dragunov in trouble so he rolls over into a keylock. Cue Sam Gradwell to watch from ringside and heckle Dragunov. A hard slam into a knee drop keeps Dragunov down and a t-bone suplex does it again. Gradwell: “YOUR FAMILY IS WATCHING!”

Dragunov manages to knock him into the corner but charges into a belly to back suplex. A half nelson suplex puts Dragunov on the floor where Gradwell talks even more. T-Bone follows for some shots to the back….and Dragunov snaps to unload on T-Bone outside. They go back in where Dragunov takes him down with ease and unloads with elbows for the stoppage at 6:47.

Rating: C+. T-Bone is another one of those guys who hasn’t shown me much, though he hasn’t felt like a big waste of time. This was a better performance though as he kept taking it to Dragunov but eventually got caught by the buzz saw version. Dragunov continues to look awesome and it’s going to be even better when he fully embraces the full monster side.

Post match Gradwell yells at Dragunov some more, saying Dragunov let his family down. Gradwell: “Do you need a cuddle???” Dragunov snaps and runs over the cameraman but referees keep them apart before violence can ensue.

Meiko Satomura is here next week and some people are rather pleased.

Sid Scala still tries to find Devlin’s opponent.

Joe Coffey vs. Danny Jones

Coffey drives the tall Jones up against the ropes but Jones slaps him in the face. This is a rather bad idea as Coffey unloads on him with right hands to put Jones down. Jones manages some shots to the face, including a jumping knee, but a belly to belly suplex cuts that off. A sleeper staggers Coffey but he’s right back with the running headbutt into the corner. All The Best For The Bells finishes Jones at 2:51. There was WAY more in here than you would have expected and Jones gave it a shot.

Post match, Coffey says if Rampage Brown wants to make a name for himself, he needs to hit someone in the face really hard. Cue Brown to say anytime anywhere.

We look back at Pretty Deadly becoming #1 contenders last week.

Gallus is ready for Pretty Deadly.

Video on Eddie Dennis and the Hunt vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews. They meet next week in a street fight.

Here’s Jordan Devlin for the main event and Scala has found him an opponent. It’s just not for the title.

Jordan Devlin vs. Dave Mastiff

Non-title of course. Devlin works on a wristlock to start before switching to an early headlock. the running shoulder hits Devlin though and Mastiff cartwheels away and drops a backsplash. An exchange of shots to the face goes to Mastiff and he runs Devlin over in the corner. Devlin slips out of a suplex though and takes out the knee in a smart move.

A dragon screw legwhip into another chop block keeps Mastiff down but Devlin manages to put him on top. He can’t pull him into the Devlin Side though and Mastiff gets the better of a slugout. There’s a big toss to send Devlin into the corner and another toss sends him flying over the top to the floor in a great bump. Back in and Devlin slaps him in the face so Mastiff gets Devlin on his shoulders. A victory roll sends Mastiff to the floor with Devlin following, only to get caught in the Regal Roll.

Mastiff breaks the count but goes back to the floor, where Into The Void only hits (and breaks) the barricade. Devlin is still down so Mastiff hits a top rope headbutt for two more with commentary losing it on the kickout. A dropkick to the leg takes Mastiff down again though and there’s a slingshot cutter to knock him silly. Devlin adds the 450 for the pin at 12:02.

Rating: B-. If Devlin wasn’t already a face, this might have been the match that shoved him over the line. Not only did he want to fight tonight but he came up against a monster and beat him clean. I still thing this winds up with Devlin taking the United Kingdom Title from Walter and they’re setting Devlin up as a giant killer. Mastiff had Devlin in a lot of trouble but wanted to win clean rather than taking the countout. Good stuff here, but it could be setting up something bigger down the line.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked this one quite a bit as it was rapid fire material focusing on all kinds of people up and down the card. They set up a few different things going forward and you could see a Takeover style card, even if that show isn’t even set at the moment. Either way, good stuff here and I could go for another format like this in the future.

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

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NXT UK
Date: January 14, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s title week here as Walter will be defending the United Kingdom Title against Heritage Cup holder A Kid. This isn’t the kind of match that they can do very often but for a one off special, we could be in for something very good. Other than that, it can probably be anyone’s guess around here. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of A Kid winning the Heritage Cup and wanting the best, so he challenged Walter for the UK Title. Walter finds this to be rather stupid.

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Ed Harvey

Harvey is better known as Sha Samuels. Harvey tells him to bring it and catches Coffey’s running crossbody. With that not working, Coffey hits him in the face and nails a clothesline to the floor. Hold on though as Harvey grabs the mic and says he isn’t here to be Ed Harvey, because everyone knows he is Sha Samuels. Well that’s a different way to go. Back in and Samuels hammers away with forearms before starting on the arm.

Coffey’s rollup gets two but Samuels kicks him into the corner. There’s a kick to Coffey’s back and we hit the chinlock. Coffey fights up and hits a backdrop, followed by an overhead belly to belly. The slugout goes to Coffey but Samuels pulls Coffey’s spinning middle rope crossbody out of the air. Coffey flips out of a sleeper and the high crossbody gives him two. Samuels is sent hard into the corner and All The Best For The Bells finishes for Coffey at 6:40.

Rating: C+. Now that’s how you debut someone, as these two beat the heck out of each other and Samuels looked like a player in a hurry. This was all about two big guys hitting each other hard for a few minutes until one of them couldn’t get up. It’s no classic, but it was a nice debut and the mid-match name change was a pretty cool was to go. Samuels is certainly a name in British wrestling so this was a smart signing for NXT UK.

Pretty Deadly interrupted Sid Scala earlier today and were placed in a four way elimination match for the #1 contendership. In two weeks, they face Ashton Carter/Oliver Smith, the Hunt and Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews. Nice job of giving them a bit of a challenge before what should be an obvious win.

Rampage Brown was lifting earlier when Dave Mastiff showed up to lift the same weight and say that Brown needed a challenge. Brown seems intrigued.

Sam Gradwell vs. Tyler Bate

Gradwell rants about Bate becoming a yogurt living freak during his entrance. Bate shrugs off an armbar attempt and takes him down into a rollup for two. A running crossbody gets the same and there’s an armdrag into an armbar to put Gradwell down for a bit. That’s broken up and Gradwell hammers away, with a big right hand getting two.

The nerve hold goes on for a bit before Gradwell just rips at his face for a change. Bate’s sunset flip is broken up with a grab of the ear but Bate slugs away. A suplex sends Gradwell flying and the running shooting star press gets two. The Tyler Driver 97 is broken up and Gradwell blasts him with a clothesline. Bate shrugs it off and hits the Tyler Driver 97 for the pin at 7:23.

Rating: C. I’m curious about where this stuff with Bate is going and he has altered his in-ring style just enough that you know something has changed. That is a difficult, as well as risky, change to make but Bate is talented enough to make it work. Gradwell has impressed me a bit as well, as he gets your attention and feels a bit out there, unlike some wrestlers where they tell you how out there they are and leave it at that.

Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter are told about the four way #1 contenders match and seem rather pleased.

Ilja Dragunov comes up to Jack Starz and issues a friendly challenge, which Starz happily accepts.

Here are Jinny and Joseph Conners for a chat. Jinny brags about being the new #1 contender and says that Conners deserves a bit of credit. Why are they working together? In short, because Jinny has money. Anyway, Jinny is going to become champion next week so here’s Kay Lee Ray to interrupt. They argue over which of the two is championship material, with Jinny saying she will reign next week.

Eddie Dennis talks about his issues with Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews, who now have to deal with the Hunt. Dennis seems to like the sound of that and the Hunt agrees.

United Kingdom Title: Walter vs. A Kid

Only Walter’s title is on the line so we’re under regular rules. Kid circles around and tries some kicks at the leg but Walter takes him down by the leg instead. Back up and Kid manages to drive him into the corner for a chop and things get a bit more serious. A headlock takeover has Kid down again but he headlocks his way to freedom. More kicks to the leg have Walter limping a bit and Kid pops in a few shots to the chest as well.

Walter’s arm is tied over the rope as some frustration is setting in. Kid actually kicks him down and hits a few kicks to the face, which make Walter growl at him. The huge chop cuts Kid off but the leg gives out and Walter falls as well. Walter slaps on a crossface before switching to a neck crank as the size is giving Kid trouble. Kid tries to fight back so Walter lays him on the top and hits a loud chop. The sleeper on the rope is countered into a dragon screw legwhip over the apron and Walter is down again.

More strikes to the back just make Walter hit him in the face before a shotgun dropkick just crushes Kid. The powerbomb (with Walter only bridging with one leg) connects for two and Walter tells him to bring it. The big chop is countered into a Crossface but Walter takes him outside for an apron powerbomb. Back in and Walter’s sleeper doesn’t work so he just blasts Kid with a pair of clotheslines to retain at 13:51.

Rating: B. This was an interesting change of pace as Walter’s matches have a tendency to be hard hitting, violent tests of endurance but this was much slower paced with Kid trying to cut him down. It worked very well as Walter was getting frustrated at someone who wrestled a more traditional match. Kid looked very good here despite the huge size difference and it’s not like losing to Walter is going to hurt anything.

Walter gives Kid a respectful look to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event is what matters here and it continues to give me hope that Jordan Devlin is the one to take the title off of Walter. That is a direction they could go and it should work well if they go there. The rest of the show was just ok for the most part, but Walter in the ring is enough to make this mean something. They built up a bit for the future as well, meaning the classic NXT formula continues.

Results

Joe Coffey b. Sha Samuels – All The Best For The Bells

Tyler Bate b. Sam Gradwell – Tyler Driver 97

Walter b. A Kid – Lariat

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

NXT UK
Date: December 24, 2020
Host: Andy Shepherd

It’s a pretty special day and that means NXT UK is smart enough to know better than to try and run a regular show. Just like we had for months earlier this year, it’s a Best Of show and that’s the best option that they have. There are still some great matches to pick from and that is our Christmas present around here. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Andy is in a light up Roddy Piper sweater, because he should be. We aren’t wasting time as it’s off to our first match.

From NXT, January 15, 2020.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Broserweights vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews

That would be Pete Dunne/Matt Riddle. Dunne and Andrews start but it’s a very early standoff to send us to a break. Back with Webster flipping out of Dunne’s German suplex but getting caught in a quick X Plex. Webster fights out of the corner, flips over Dunne and crawls underneath Riddle to get over to Andrews. The pace picks up with Andrews doing the double knee slide and backflipping into a double Pele.

Andrews and Webster hit the stereo flip dives, followed by the assisted 450 for two on Dunne back inside. Dunne punches Webster out of the air but Andres is there to break up….well there wouldn’t have been a tag anyway as Riddle was pulling himself back to the apron. A double stomp to the hands allows Riddle to come in and stereo kicks to the head get two on Andrews.

Riddle German suplexes Andrews for two and Dunne grabs an ankle lock to mix things up a bit. Andrews rolls out and hits a double stomp as we take another break. Back with Webster dropkicking Dunne to the floor, setting up the big flip dive onto both of them. Andrews hits a reverse hurricanrana for two on Riddle with Dunne having to shove Webster into the cover for the save. A tornado DDT plants Dunne on the floor but Riddle spears Webster down.

Riddle’s suplex is countered into a small package for two so Riddle throws him into a kick from Dunne for a closer near fall. Andrews grabs a hurricanrana for two on Riddle with Dunne punching Webster into the cover for another save. The Bitter End is blocked and the X Plex is countered into a Stundog Millionaire. Riddle has had it with these two and gives Webster Bro Derek on the floor. Dunne loads up the Bitter End on Andrews, dropping him onto Riddle’s knee to the face for the pin at 18:20.

Rating: B+. This was an interesting one with the regular team being able to hang in there against the two individual stars. Then Riddle took it to a level where they just couldn’t hang and Riddle looked like the star that he is. Dunne looked rather good as well, but Riddle was the monster at the end and it was cool to see.

Tyler Bate, Xia Brookside, Jordan Devlin, Amale, Levi Muir, Aoife Valkyrie, Tyson T-Bone (with a sweet old school wrestling figures collection) and Flash Morgan Webster wish us a Merry Christmas.

A-Kid, Isla Dawn, Joseph Conners, Pretty Deadly, Piper Niven (her Christmas tree is nice), Sam Gradwell and Eddie Dennis wish us a Merry Christmas.

Jinny talks about what a year this was and thinks we should look back out our accomplishments. NXT UK showed the world how tough it was, but she showed everyone how great she was. 2021 is a new, clean slate and it will be her year. Merry Christmas.

Dave Mastiff reads various wrestlers’ Christmas wishes, including HHH wanting a motorbike or flaming water.

Mark Andrews, Ashton Smith, Aleah James, Amir Jordan, Dani Luna, Kenny Williams and Oliver Carter wish us a Merry Christmas.

Nina Samuels, Gallus, Noam Dar, Rampage Brown, Jack Starz, Wild Boar, Sid Scala, Saxon Huxley and Ilja Dragunov wish us a Merry Christmas.

Video on Walter vs. Joe Coffey at Takeover: Blackpool II.

United Kingdom Title: Joe Coffey vs. Walter

Walter is defending and tries a big boot at the bell in a flashback to last year’s Blackpool. The early sleeper is countered into a spinning belly to back suplex so Walter gets a breather on the floor. Coffey follows and hits a big diving shoulder over the barricade as Walter can’t get going so far. Back in and Coffey stomps away, setting up a belly to belly for two. There’s a tornado DDT for two more and it’s time for the slugout, with Coffey seemingly rather pleased. A stalling suplex gives Coffey two more but they chop it out, and that’s just a bad idea against Walter.

The sleeper is broken up with a drop backwards and they’re both down. That doesn’t last long as Coffey spears Walter in the back to set up a German suplex for two. Walter is right back up with a powerbomb for his own near fall but the ref gets knocked VERY silly (and sells it like he fell out of a building).

All The Best For The Bells connects for no count so here’s Alexander Wolfe to go after Coffey. Ilja Dragunov makes the save but knocks Wolfe into Coffey’s leg. Walter clotheslines Dragunov to the floor and kicks him down before sending Coffey into the steps. We have another referee as Dragunov and Wolfe fight to the back. Coffey catches him on top and manages a belly to belly superplex to put them both down again.

Walter is up first for his awesome top rope splash and another near fall. The powerbomb is escaped and All The Best For The Bells connects (after the first one grazed the top of Walter’s head) for two so Walter slaps on a sleeper. The sleeper suplex drops Coffey on his head and there’s the powerbomb. Walter hits another powerbomb and puts on the Crossface to make Coffey tap at 27:40.

Rating: A. It’s the second best NXT UK Takeover main event ever and that’s not bad at all. This was exactly what it should have been with both guys beating the heck out of each other as only a pair of monsters can do. I had fun watching them hit each other really hard and that’s how it should have gone. Heck of a fight here and Coffey continues to have a great role around here. It’s going to take something special to beat Walter and you can probably pencil in Dragunov for the next shot, which could be fascinating.

Overall Rating: A. What else can you ask for here? It’s a show on a holiday so who is going to care about anything they present? Don’t bother doing anything other having a good show like this because it’s all you should be doing here. The matches were good too so it’s as solid of a show as you are going to have.

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: December 3, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

The Heritage Cup has finally been awarded in a pretty good match last week, meaning that it is time to move on to something new. The question is what that is going to be though, as NXT UK has had some issues with figuring out a next step from time to time. I’m not sure what to expect from this one, but maybe they have a few surprises ready. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We recap Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews being attacked by mystery assailants earlier this year. Eddie Dennis took responsibility and teamed up with Pretty Deadly, so Andrews and Webster got their friends, the Hunt, to join them. The Hunt then revealed that they were with Dennis and wiped them out again. More on this later.

Rampage Brown vs. Saxon Huxley

Huxley goes with an aggressive headlock to start but Brown reverses into one of his own. That’s broken up so Brown hits a dropkick into a running clothesline for an early two. A suplex gives Brown two more and he clotheslines Huxley outside. Back in and Huxley hits a running clothesline of his own for two but the frustration is setting in off the near falls. Brock catches him on top but gets shoved down, only to have Huxley dive into a powerslam. The Doctor Bomb finishes Huxley at 5:03.

Rating: C. They’re turning Brown into a thing and that’s a pretty good idea. Someone is going to have to be the next challenger for Walter and while Brown is still new, it isn’t like there is anyone better at the moment. Build someone up and put them in a spot because you need someone. It has worked forever in wrestling and it can work here too.

Jinny and Piper Niven got into a pull apart brawl at the Performance Center earlier this week.

Eddie Dennis talks about being a shepherd to his sheep and brings in the Hunt. Dennis claims that Webster and Andrews used the two of them. Now Dennis is taking care of them instead.

Saxon Huxley does not like being told “better luck next time” and storms off.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Aleah James

Valkyrie avoids a dropkick to start but misses a spinwheel kick to the face for the early standoff. A headlock works a bit better for Valkyrie but she has to stick the landing when James snaps off a hurricanrana. They trade rollups for two each and this time it’s James grabbing her own headlock. James takes her to the mat until Valkyrie fights up, only to have her clothesline countered with a Matrix.

Valkyrie sweeps the base out though and gets two off a dropkick to the back of the head. We hit the full nelson with the legs (good looking one too) before a crucifix gets two on James. A northern lights fisherman’s suplex gets two on Valkyrie as she can’t put James away. Another kick to the face sets up a running Blockbuster on James though and it’s the top rope ax kick to give Valkyrie the pin at 4:10.

Rating: C. Valkyrie seems like she could be the next best this and that’s not a bad idea. She has a unique enough look and is stating to get into a groove around here. This was about James though, who got in a lot of offense here and was treated like a threat to pull off the upset, even if it was just a small one. If nothing else, it was nice to see someone fresh getting a chance and that was at least half of the point here.

Pretty Deadly show us how in sync they are by saying the same speech at the same time. They want the Tag Team Titles. I could go for that.

We look at Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews fighting back against Eddie Dennis and the Hunt.

Joe Coffey vs. Alexander Wolfe

There are no seconds here. The grappling starts fast with Coffey taking over on the mat, only to go with the left hands to the face instead. A backbreaker staggers Wolfe again and Coffey unloads in the corner. Wolfe uses the referee breaking them up to get in a shot to the face to take over. Now it’s time to go after Coffey’s arm, which is a smart move given Coffey’s power and striking so far. The armbar goes on but Coffey reverses a suplex into one of his own.

Coffey pulls him off the middle rope and hits some flying shoulders, only to bang up the bad arm some more. A spinning high crossbody gets two on Wolfe and a backbreaker is good for the same. Wolfe blocks the Boston crab attempt so Coffey just drops down and hammers away at the face. Some kicks to the jaw get Wolfe out of trouble and he cuts off a comeback attempt with a boot to the face.

The lifting spinning suplex gives Wolfe two and the Death Valley Driver gets the same. They both need a breather (well yeah) and it’s time to trade kicks and strikes. Wolfe pulls him into a German suplex for two but Coffey gets in All The Best For The Bells to the back of the head. That’s only good for two as Coffey knocked him outside for a delay, meaning more frustration sets in. They slug it out on the apron with Wolfe getting the better of things. Coffey manages a slingshot shoulder though and now All The Best For The Bells can finish Wolfe at 12:33.

Rating: B. Let two physical guys beat the heck out of each other over some time and see what they can do. That’s what we got here as the battle between Imperium and Gallus has potential, even if Imperium is a bit fractured at the moment. Wolfe continues to look like a breakout star in the making and Coffey already is a star so hopefully they both get something out of this rather hard hitting fight.

Jordan Devlin issues an open challenge for a title match next week. Anyone under 205 Live, come test yourself against the Irish Ace. That could be interesting.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

The Hunt vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews

Well what else could main event the show? Eddie Dennis is here with the Hunt. It’s a brawl to start before the bell with the Hunt being sent outside and taken down with stereo suicide dives. Back in and Webster takes Boar into the corner for a tag from Andrews. A running dropkick puts Boar on the floor but he comes back in to plow through Andrews. That means Primate can come in to unload, setting up the rotating double teaming.

Boar hits some Junkyard Dog style headbutts until Webster comes back with an enziguri. That’s enough for the hot tag to Webster and house is cleaned early on. Everything breaks down and Webster snaps off a running hurricanrana off the apron to take Boar down again. Back in and a standing Sliced Bread #2 sets up a running shooting star press for two on Boar. Webster’s leg is grabbed though and Primate uses the distraction to plant him with a German suplex for two.

A headbutt sends Boar into the corner and a double tag allows Andrews and Primate to come in. Andres gets to clean house, including a double tornado DDT. A monkey flip into a jumping knee to the face gets two on Primate with Boar (thrown in by Dennis) making the save. Webster is sent outside and Primate blasts Andrews with a clothesline. Boar is taken out by Webster though and there’s the Stundog Millionaire to Primate. Andrews goes up but Dennis crotches him back down, allowing Boar to hit a spear. An AA into a sitout powerbomb finishes Andrews at 10:01.

Rating: C+. Power vs. speed has always worked in wrestling and it always will because any fan can get the idea in a hurry. There was a higher energy to this one and that’s how it should be given their history with each other. Both teams are going to be fine going forward, though the Hunt vs. Gallus has more interest at the moment.

Overall Rating: B-. This was more like it with a bunch of matches that all either moved something forward or made someone look good. The limited roster would seem to be an asset here as more people get a chance to showcase themselves. It worked here as I had a good time with the show, which flew by pretty easily. Nice show this week.

Results

Rampage Brown b. Saxon Huxley – Doctor Bomb

Aoife Valkyrie b. Aleah James – Top rope ax kick

Joe Coffey b. Alexander Wolfe – All The Best For The Bells

The Hunt b. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews – AA into a sitout powerbomb to Andrews

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 19, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s title night as Kay Lee Ray is defending the Women’s Title against Piper Niven but this time it’s a Falls Count Anywhere match. Other than that we have some interesting things going on around here and hopefully some of that leads into some better stories as we move forward. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with both Ray and Niven promising to leave as champion. Short and to the point.

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Sam Gradwell

They fight over the lockup to start but the grappling doesn’t get either of them anywhere. Gradwell knees him in the ribs and tries to tie up the arm. Coffey is right back with a running dropkick to Gradwell’s braced knee, which is then wrapped around the rope. Gradwell tries to take him to the mat but gets hit in the knee again. A piledriver attempt is blocked so Coffey knocks him to the mat instead.

Coffey stands on Gradwell’s knees and slaps him in the face but Gradwell is right back to slug away. A Downward Spiral gives Gradwell two but Coffey (whose eye got busted open somewhere in there) slugs away to slow him down again. The running knee in the corner rocks Gradwell and All The Best For The Bells finishes him at 7:03.

Rating: C. These two beat each other up rather well and that’s where Coffey tends to shine. He can brawl with some of the best of them around here and it’s a smart move to keep him looking strong around here for a bigger match down the line. Then you have Gradwell, who needs to be completely rebuilt after not having much of a start in the first place. This was a good first step as he put up a solid fight.

Sid Scala is trying to announce a Cruiserweight Title match for next week but Jordan Devlin cuts him off, saying that Scala and Johnny Saint should be on their knees, thanking him for appearing. Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan come up to say they both want a shot. Devlin says figure out a challenger and come find him.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how he was going to have to be dragged out of the ring against Walter and it was going to be a war. That’s rather accurate and the highlights of the match show just how brutal it got.

Alexander Wolfe gets annoyed at Gallus celebrating Joe Coffey’s win so Coffey says he’s ready to fight in the ring or in the parking lot. Wolfe seems interested.

Pretty Deadly vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith

Carter and Smith have new gear and music. Smith works on Stoker’s arm to start but it’s off to Howley anyway. That’s fine with Smith as he works on Howley’s arm instead so it’s already back to Stoker, who gets in some arm cranking of his own. Smith powers him up and onto the corner, followed by a suplex for two. Carter comes in for something like Private Party’s Silly String into a splash for two more on Stoker.

Howley tries to sneak back in and is armdragged right down, followed by a crossbody to give Carter two more. The referee has to get Smith out of the ring though, allowing Stoker to trip Carter into the buckle for a nice double team. The chinlock goes on as commentary tries to figure out which movie stars Pretty Deadly most resemble. Stoker is back in for a running elbow to the face in the corner and the armbar goes on again.

Howley comes in to elbow Smith but Carter crawls over to him for the hot tag anyway. House is cleaned in a hurry and a Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Howley. Everything breaks down and a superkick drops Howley. Stoker puts the foot on the rope though and hits Smith with an uppercut, allowing Howley to grab a rollup with trunks for the pin at 8:29.

Rating: C+. Pretty Deadly is rapidly becoming a nice little heel team and that’s a good place for them to be. They’re not ready for the top of the card yet but I could very easily see them taking the Tag Team Titles one day. I still can’t remember which one is which, but even NXT UK made a joke out of that last week. The pretty boy heel gimmick might not be the most original gimmick, but it is one you see so often because it’s always going to work.

A ticked off Mark Andrews yells about Eddie Dennis costing him eight months of his career. Flash Morgan Webster says Eddie broke fifteen years of their friendship so now they’re breaking him.

Various wrestlers talk about Rampage Brown. They’re making him feel like a big deal in a hurry.

Levi Muir vs. Saxon Huxley

Huxley is rather aggressive to start and slaps on a quickly broken headlock. Muir gets knocked into the corner and there’s a face wash to make it worse. We hit the neck crank but here’s Jack Starz to cheer for Muir. That starts a comeback but Huxley punches him out of the air in a hurry. A hard running clothesline finishes Muir at 3:33.

Rating: C-. I’m still not much on Huxley but this was the best performance he’s had so far. Huxley has some angry charisma and looked like a monster here, though I’m going to need to see more of him to be convinced. Muir is in the same place, though his pretty good physique should be enough to keep him around for the time.

We look at A-Kid and Trent Seven making it to the Heritage Cup finals. They’re both ready to win to prove themselves.

Amir Jordan gets a Cruiserweight Title shot against Jordan Devlin next week.

Women’s Title: Piper Niven vs. Kay Lee Ray

Ray is defending and Falls Count Anywhere. They slug it out in the aisle before the bell with Niven getting the better of things. Niven takes her inside for the opening bell so Ray bails straight to the floor again. That doesn’t work well here as Niven runs her over and gets an early two. It’s time to bring out the weapons early on but Niven settles for whipping her into the barricade instead. A sunset flip over the barricade gets two on Niven but she gets in a chair shot to cut the champ off.

Ray is back with the bell which she pelts at Niven’s head. Since that might cause a bad case of death, Niven slips away and it’s a spare turnbuckle to the knee to take Ray down again. Ray kicks her way out of a leglock attempt and they head back inside, where the knee is fine enough for a superkick. The Gory Bomb doesn’t work though and Niven hits a headbutt to put them both down. Ray gets in some kendo stick shots before wrapping a chain around Niven’s face.

That earns her a spinebuster onto a trashcan for two and they head outside again. This time Ray sends her face first into the floor for two more but Niven is right back with a suplex to drop Ray again. Cue Jinny to jump Niven but she’s gone just as fast, leaving Niven to grab a backslide for two. They head backstage for a change with Niven blasting her over the head with a framed poster. Since it’s just a framed poster, Ray is back with a guitar shot for two more.

The Gory Bomb onto a chair is countered into a Piper Driver onto the chair for another two. You would think a finisher onto a chair and then onto concrete would be good for a pin here but they don’t work that way anymore. Niven whips out a pipe and blasts Ray’s knee again but Ray whips her into an anvil case. A backdrop sends Ray onto the cases though and Niven is ready to drive her through a table. Cue Jinny again to chair Niven through said table, with Ray landing on top to retain at 14:58.

Rating: C+. They had a good fight though Niven looks like the worst choker in all of WWE at the moment. Jinny interfering does help, but they lost me on that Piper Driver through the chair only getting two. If that’s not enough to finish Ray, what else was going to? Ray’s title reign is impressing me, and a showdown with Xia Brookside in a big underdog win could be a great thing to see. What we got here worked, but it did go on a little longer than needed.

Overall Rating: B-. NXT UK does something special by taking a bunch of people who aren’t that well known and turning them into a pretty nice roster all things considered. We got a good main event, some stuff set up for later and some teases for things that are going to be coming at some point. Solid show here as NXT UK is back to where it was before everything stopped.

Results

Joe Coffey b. Sam Gradwell – All The Best For The Bells

Pretty Deadly b. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith – Rollup with trunks to Smith

Saxon Huxley b. Levi Muir – Clothesline

Kay Lee Ray b. Piper Niven – Pin after Jinny knocked Niven through a table

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