IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Moustache Mountain vs. The Hunt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ilja Dragonov is coming.

Nina Samuels vs. Kasey Owens

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

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

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

Preview of the remaining qualifying matches.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isla Dawn vs. Kay Lee Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joe Coffey vs. Trent Seven

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

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

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

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

One more Walter vs. Dunne video wraps us up.

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

Results

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

Kay Lee Ray b. Isla Dawn – Gory Bomb

Joe Coffey b. Trent Seven – Boston crab

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 13, 2019
Location: Coventry Skydome Arena, Coventry, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

With less than a month to go before Wrestlemania, it’s time to get things ready for what should be the most obvious title match in years. Tonight Pete Dunne and Walter team up to face the Coffey Brothers in what should be an interesting match. Other than that it’s time to keep setting things up for what is probably coming up after New York. Let’s get to it.

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

Sid Scala and Johnny Saint arrive and promise a big night.

Opening sequence.

Flash Morgan Webster vs. Wolfgang

The Coffey Brothers go to the back as Wolfgang goes after Webster, who comes out with a jumping knee to the face and some right hands. The springboard attempt earns him a face first drop onto the top turnbuckle and a clothesline turns Webster inside out. The front facelock keeps Webster in trouble until he fights up for a dropkick to the floor.

A suicide clothesline to the back of the head and a regular suicide dive has Wolfgang rocked, followed by the big running flip dive to finally knock him down. An enziguri sends Wolfgang from the ropes to the floor but something like a 619 around the post is countered with a ram into said post. A powerbomb into the post sets up the Caber Toss to finish Webster at 5:19.

Rating: C. That’s one of the better matches Wolfgang has ever had and that’s not saying much. As long as he isn’t allowed to talk and tell us about how great he is, everything will be acceptable. Webster has grown on me just enough to make him tolerable and I think I like him a little more as a singles guy than in the team.

Post match Wolfgang beats him down a bit more.

Kassius Ohno finds it amazing that an American is bringing the European style to NXT UK. He follows the British tradition and these new guys have no idea what kind of opportunity they have.

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Tyson T-Bone/Saxon Huxley

These four seem like an anachronism these days. Williams rolls Huxley up for two to start and a legdrop onto the arm keeps him in trouble. Jordan comes in and can’t sunset flip T-Bone, who drives him into the corner. Forearms to the back set up a suplex for two and it’s off to a chinlock. An enziguri finally gets Jordan out of trouble for the hot tag to Williams so the pace can pick up. Williams cleans house, including a backdrop to send Huxley outside. Good looking stereo suicide dives send the villains outside, followed by the Swanton Bombay to finish Huxley at 5:54.

Post match Jordan and Williams dance to not much of a reaction.

Jinny doesn’t want to hear about Toni Storm anymore because she just wants the title.

Eddie Dennis is back next week to face Ligero, a mainstay in British wrestling for nearly twenty years. He’ll take NXT UK apart one by one and Ligero is the first victim.

Here’s Noam Dar for a chat. He’s been around before but this time he’s here to stay. Dar is here to bring his talents to NXT UK and next month, he’ll be around for the Glasgow, Scotland tapings. Dar was here last June when things got started and the people here have been doing a good enough job. 4/10 maybe. Some people showed up here and left just as fast or someone like Mark Andrews got dropped on his head and left on his skateboard. This brings out Andrews for an enziguri to send Dar running. Dar is a nice addition to the roster and a better fit here than anywhere else.

Xia Brookside says her last name is a blessing and a curse. She needs to stand up for herself and that means fighting bullies like Rhea Ripley.

Video on Wild Boar and Primate.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Candy Floss

This is Ray’s debut and she grabs an early armbar. Floss goes arm first into the buckle but manages a rollup for two anyway. That’s it for Floss as it’s a superkick into a Gory Bomb to give Ray the pin at 2:18. Standard debut squash and Ray looked dominant.

Moustache Mountain is thriving in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic but they’re not done with the NXT UK Tag Team Titles. Tyler Bate wants to face James Drake soon.

Scala and Saint make Drake vs. Bate for next week. Saint seems more and more useless in this role by the week.

Coffey Brothers vs. Pete Dunne/Walter

Pete and Mark get us going with Dunne not taking kindly to being backed up against the ropes. A takedown by the arm works a bit better for Dunne and the wrist cranking has Mark in more trouble. Mark grabs the arm as well but Dunne nips and spins right back into another armbar, this time with the arm stomp. Referee: “Easy, easy!” Seems rather appropriate in England.

Walter comes in to work on the arm even more, including copying Dunne’s arm stomp. Mark gets up and tries a chop, causing Walter to walk straight at him in an awesome visual. It’s off to Joe whose headlock and shoulder have no effect. Walter shows him how to throw a shoulder, followed by demonstrating chops for Dunne. Everything breaks down and all four head outside with Dunne and Walter dropping them on the apron before staring each other down in the ring.

Back in and Dunne hits a middle rope dropkick to Joe’s knee, followed by a surfboard double knee stomp. The blind tag lets Mark come in though and he intercepts a leapfrog into a German suplex to take over. The double teaming doesn’t last long as Dunne snaps off a German suplex of his own to drop Mark but Joe dives over to break up the tag. Say it with me: but it goes through a few seconds later, this time with Walter coming in to beat up the brothers.

A big boot in the corner sets up a running seated senton for two on Joe, followed by a swinging Rock Bottom for the same. It’s back to Dunne and Mark with Pete kicking and punching as only he can. Walter tags himself back in and dropkicks Mark into the corner with a butterfly suplex getting two. Joe breaks up a Boston crab by chopping Walter. It doesn’t break the hold by traditional means, but it annoys him so much that he lets go to chop Joe instead. Walter gets pulled off the ropes and slapped a few times, mainly because Mark isn’t that bright.

The sleeper goes on with Joe trying to make a save, meaning it’s a German suplex to both brothers at the same time. You know, because that can be done. Dunne kicks them both in the head and goes after Joe’s arm as Walter sleepers Mark. Joe finally slips out and slams Pete onto the other two for the save in an NXT trope. With nothing else working, Joe grabs the title and hands it to Mark, leaving Dunne and Walter to have an intense staredown. That’s broken up as well, though this time with Walter kicking Mark in the face and powerbombing him for the pin at 16:15.

Rating: B+. This was a great mixture of action and storytelling as Dunne has to prove that he can hang with Walter, who looked like he was doing a lot of this stuff with ease. Walter taking it up another level to win in the end with Dunne watching was a great ending and should set up their title match. Other than that you had the Coffeys looking awesome in their best performance outside of Takeover. Rather awesome main event.

Replays show that the big boot to Mark cut him off before he could hit Pete with the title to add another shade of gray.

Dunne goes to get the title but Walter steps on it and hands the belt to Dunne to end the show. Yep it’s going to be great.

Overall Rating: B. The great main event is all the show needed to be a solid one and that’s what we got here. They’re building towards the one big match right now, which is all they need to do. At best Dunne vs. Walter is going to get a spot on Takeover: New York and there’s no need to focus on much of anything else right now. The good thing is that’s more than enough to carry the show, which it more than did here.

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 6, 2019
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Last week saw the rise of Walter, who is clearly going to be a major star around here in short order. The man is a monster who is going to run over everyone in his path, possibly including UK Champion Pete Dunne. Tonight he’s in action again against Mark Coffey, which makes it clear that they know they have something here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Andrews vs. Ligero

They shake hands to start because British people are just more polite. Feeling out process to start with Andrews getting a very limited advantage off a hammerlock. A run of the ropes suits them a bit better until Ligero gets two off a rollup. The pinfall reversal sequence gives us a bunch of one counts, capped off by a nice round of applause (more British politeness). Ligero sends him outside but misses a dive, instead settling for a headscissors. Andrews cartwheels out of it though as we’re still waiting on the first major offense.

A flip dive off the barricade finally puts Andrews down and a Stunner gives Ligero two back inside. Some forearms keep Andrews in trouble but he rolls Ligero down and hits a jumping double stomp to the ribs. The standing corkscrew moonsault gets two and it’s off to an exchange of strikes. Ligero’s suplex is countered into the Stundog Millionaire but can’t follow up. Instead it’s Ligero hitting a pumphandle faceplant for two of his own but the C4L is broken up. Andrews is right back with a reverse hurricanrana for two, only to have Fall to Pieces hit knees. Now C4L connects to give Ligero the pin at 9:05.

Rating: B-. This was a lot of fun and the ending was a bit of a surprise. They’re actually pushing Ligero as something around here and while I don’t know how high he can actually go, it’s cool to see someone getting a push like this. Andrews is still good in the ring, though I would have thought he had a bit more potential than Ligero, at least coming in.

Post match we get another handshake.

We look back at Sid Scala announcing Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan as the first challengers to the Grizzled Young Veterans.

Lorcan and Burch are happy and have little more to say.

Pete Dunne is impressed by Walter but doesn’t fear anyone.

Xia Brookside vs. Candy Floss

Brookside is being treated as a big deal here, which is a good sign for her future. We get another handshake to continue proper British tradition. Brookside jumps out of a headscissors and we hit the pinfall reversal sequence into a standoff. Back up and Candy goes technical with a full nelson until Xia rolls into an armbar. Xia’s offense isn’t exactly inspired so far. Floss reverses into a hammerlock before slamming the arm into the mat. With that not going anywhere, Xia is back up with a running bulldog and the Brooksie Bomb (Iconoclasm into a bridging pin) finishes Floss at 4:32. That’s Brookside’s first win on the show.

Rating: D+. Brookside has a great smile and a unique look, but she’s going to need some more ring time. To be fair though, she’s twenty years old and needs a lot more ring time. She’s going to need some more experience to get the finer points down, but she has a good base to build from so far.

Post match Brookside checks on Floss but here’s Rhea Ripley to beat them both down, including a standing swinging Texas Cloverleaf (awesome) to Brookside. Toni Storm runs in for the save but headbutts Brookside by mistake, allowing Ripley to hit the Riptide on Storm.

Jordan Devlin doesn’t like Noam Dar and wants to beat him up in Phoenix.

Mike Hitchman vs. Joseph Conners

Conners is billing himself as an NXT UK original. The show isn’t even four months old and we have originals? Conners hammers away to start but a headbutt to the elbow (yes to the elbow) takes him down. Hitchman nails the backsplash to the back but Conners snaps Mike’s throat across the top. A belly to back faceplant gets two on Hitchman and we hit the neck crank. Conners shots that Mike isn’t taking it away. What the heck did Conners have in the first place? Hitchman doesn’t like being called a thief so he fights up and sends Conners outside, setting up a frog splash off the apron.

Back in and Conners gets two off the slingshot DDT (stolen from Johnny Gargano, as Conners is a hypocrite). Conners: “YOU ARE A PUSSYCAT! YOU ARE NOTHING!” So cats are nothing? I guess Conners is a dog guy. Hitchman grabs a pop up powerbomb but Conners one ups him off a sunset bomb. Don’t Look Down finishes Hitchman at 5:29.

Rating: D+. The wrestling was ok but Conners is officially that guy on the roster who just shows up, rants about how unfair everything is, and makes no impact whatsoever. It’s a character that shows up every now and then in almost every promotion but it very rarely gets interesting. Conners is someone who doesn’t stand out and with a gimmick that has been done so many times, it’s not exactly going anywhere for him.

Gallus is ready to keep their kingdom.

Video on Jinny.

Jinny tells Ragsy that he’s ugly and says of course she won because she’s amazing. She’s coming for Toni Storm. Makes sense.

Joe Coffey vs. Ashton Smith

Smith grabs a headlock to start in what might be his biggest offense of the match. Coffey isn’t having that and Pounces him down without much trouble. It’s off to the chinlock into a cobra clutch, followed by some hard forearms to the back. We hit the bearhug as you can’t fault Coffey’s psychology here. Coffey suplexes him down and nails a pop up uppercut (ala Cesaro’s Swiss Death) but Smith scores with right hands. A dropkick sets up a nice superkick but Smith jumps into a German suplex. All The Best For The Bells finishes Smith at 6:17.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here though Smith’s very limited offense looked good. There’s nothing wrong with bringing someone like Coffey back up from the loss and he’s still someone who can be a threat going forward. I’m still not sure why the Coffey Brothers haven’t been in the tag division, as you would think that would be as easy of a layup as you could have around here. Joe is good as a singles guy though so what they’re doing is far from bad.

Post match Gallus comes out to celebrate with Joe.

Mark Coffey vs. Walter

Coffey makes the mistake of throwing a chop as Walter shows him how it’s really done. They head outside with Walter being driven into the barricade as the fans stay behind him. Back in and it’s a double arm crank to stretch out Walter’s chest but he reverses into one of his own. Walter shrugs off a clothesline and tells Coffey to bring it before snapping off a big German suplex. The beating continues with Walter taking him outside for more shots to the chest. Coffey gets in a dropkick for a quick near fall but Walter isn’t having that. The powerbomb finishes Coffey at 6:30.

Rating: C+. That’s the Walter I’ve been hearing about as he looked like a monster who could move out there, with the powerbomb looking great to go with the signature chops. They’ve already got me wanting to see Walter vs. Dunne, which should have taken some time to set up. Let it take place at a major show, say over Wrestlemania weekend, and you have a Match of the Year candidate on hype alone.

Overall Rating: C+. This was the no nonsense version of the show and I really liked what we got. The wrestling wasn’t great up and down and nothing was exactly a show stealing classic, but what we had was a well put together show that did everything it needed to. Stories were advanced and Walter looks like the final boss for Dunne’s title reign. I’m in for this stuff now, mainly because I’m not sick of it after two hours a week. Very well put together show, which is what matters here.

Results

Ligero b. Mark Andrews – C4L

Xia Brookside b. Candy Floss – Brooksie Bomb

Joseph Conners b. Mike Hitchman – Don’t Look Down

Joe Coffey b. Ashton Smith – All The Best For The Bells

Walter b. Mark Coffey – Powerbomb

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Takeover: Blackpool
Date: January 12, 2019
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

I’m not sure what to think about this. First of all, it’s cool that NXT UK is starting to do something like this. You can only go so far with a TV show and nothing else so having a special like this helps. At the same time though, NXT was down in Full Sail for nearly two years before its first Network special. It hasn’t even been three months since NXT UK TV debuted. I hope they’re ready so let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the path to this event, with the first event taking place in this very building. Each match gets a quick preview.

The announcers, actually in the arena for a change, run down the card.

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Zack Gibson/James Drake

For the inaugural titles. Moustache Mountain have some British Bulldogs inspired tights for the very nice touch. We see the rather pretty belts for the first time, which is always a nice feeling. Gibson and Bate start things off and the fans are already singing for Bate. An early armbar takes Bate down and it’s time to take the shoes off in hatred of Gibson. Bate gets taken down in a test of strength and bridges up until he backflips out of it in a very unique escape.

Drake and Seven come in so it’s time to drum up a new song. A quick fireman’s carry slam sets up Bate’s middle rope cannonball so it’s back to Gibson, who bails to the floor. Back in and a hurricanrana keeps Gibson in trouble, followed by Seven hitting a crossbody for two. Drake comes in sans tag for a distraction and heads outside, where a suicide dive hurts Seven’s arm. The slowed down Seven gets taken down by a Gibson clothesline and the villains take over.

Drake grabs an arm trap chinlock (Seven: “OW MY ARM!”) and then hits a discus elbow, which actually busts the back of Seven’s head open. Gibson, who the fans still hate, grabs a chinlock of his own as Seven still can’t get out of trouble. Seven and Drake head outside where Seven’s chops don’t have much effect but once back inside, he’s able to drive into the corner for the tag to Bate in a hurry. That was a different kind of hot tag and that’s greatly appreciated.

Bate picks up the pace with a middle rope back elbow to Gibson, followed by an airplane spin to both of them AT THE SAME TIME. I know I say this every time but EGADS that’s impressive. Gibson and Drake head outside so Bate hits a shooting star off the apron for the double knockdown. Bop and Bang hit Gibson and it’s back to Seven for a suplex into the Swan Dive for two. Gibson kicks Seven in the knee and brings Drake back in for a pinfall reversal sequence.

Everything breaks down again and the dragon suplex/clothesline combination is broken up with Gibson’s Ticket To Ride. Helter Skelter into a 450 gets a very close two on Seven and the fans are back into it. Gibson gets the Shankley Gates on Seven and Drake puts another one on Bate at the same time. Just because he can, Bate powers up into a Death Valley Driver to sent Drake into Gibson and Seven for the save.

Bate comes back in and starts throwing the good looking boxing punches. The half dragon suplex/clothesline combination gets two on Drake and the fans aren’t sure what to do now. Bate gets knocked off the apron and onto Gibson’s shoulders, setting up a suicide dive Doomsday Device on the floor to knock Bate cold. Back in and Ticket to Mayhem gives Drake the pin and the titles at 23:52.

Rating: B+. Very good opener and exactly how the finish should have gone. Moustache Mountain are the most over people on the roster not named Pete Dunne and they don’t need to win here to keep that spot. Gibson and Drake are awesome together and it makes a lot more sense to give them the titles to bring them up to the next level. Therefore, when Moustache Mountain, or whoever it is, takes the titles from them, it means that much more. Really intense match here and an awesome opening match.

Johnny Saint and Sid Scala come out to congratulate the new champs.

Earlier today, Jordan Devlin attacked Travis Banks and injured his knee. Banks is still medically cleared.

Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin

Banks has a bad knee but he’s fine enough to dive onto Devlin before the bell. Devlin gets in a whip into the steps though and the knee is crushed into the steel over and over. Referees and Scala come out to break it up and it doesn’t look like there’s a match here. Devlin grabs the mic and says he’s the greatest Irish wrestler alive. Hang on though as Scala says there’s a backup plan as they thought Devlin might try something like this.

Finn Balor vs. Jordan Devlin

This is a special one as Balor trained Devlin. They stare each other down and the scared looking Devlin slaps him in the face, earning himself a Sling Blade. It’s way too early for the Coup de Grace as Devlin bails out to the floor. Devlin gets in a shot outside and hits his own jumping double stomp back inside.

Balor is right back with a basement dropkick but a regular version breaks up another Coup de Grace attempt. Back in and Devlin pounds away so Balor chops the skin off his chest. 1916 is blocked with an enziguri so Balor hits him with the Pele for a double knockdown. Another attempt works just fine but Devlin gets up again.

The arm pull into the hard belly to back gives Devlin two of his own. Some shots to the ribs keep Balor in trouble until he knocks Devlin outside. That means the running kick to the chest but Devlin posts him for two with feet on the ropes. A moonsault hits raised knees though and it’s an inverted DDT to knock Devlin silly, followed by the running corner dropkick. Now the Coup de Grace connects to give Balor the pin at 11:46.

Rating: B. That’s exactly what it needed to be as you don’t have Devlin beat a former World Champion. At the same time, there’s no shame in losing to someone that far above you and Devlin got in a lot of offense. Balor was a great choice for the replacement and that’s one of the places where WWE shines. One of the wrestlers on your regional minor league show is hurt? Here’s a former World Champion, who happens to be the opponent’s trainer, as a replacement.

Luke Menzies is here.

We recap Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis. They’re the two monsters of NXT and Mastiff beat Dennis in their first match. Dennis then attacked him to set up a rematch, which went to a double DQ. That’s kind of a weird way to set up a third match but it could be fun.

Eddie Dennis vs. Dave Mastiff

No DQ. They go straight for the slugout to start with Mastiff hitting a crossbody for the first knockdown. Since it’s anything goes they head outside with Mastiff running him over again and loading up the steps and sending them inside for some fun. Dennis finds a kendo stick though and cracks Mastiff over the back to take over. A Russian legsweep with the stick gets two and it’s time to choke with said stick.

Another big swing is blocked though and Mastiff hits a headbutt (CRACK) to rock Dennis. Mastiff powerbombs him down and loads up the steps but another crossbody is countered into a spinning Rock Bottom (with Dennis’ legs shaking) onto the steel for another two. Dennis brings in a chair but walks into a Regal Roll.

For some reason Dave goes up top though and that means the release Severn Bridge for a rather close near fall. A table is set up in the corner but Mastiff knocks him down and sits on Dennis’ chest. Another Regal Roll on the floor sets up a backsplash as Dennis is mostly dead. Back in and Dennis gets two off the reverse inverted DDT as reality is setting in. Severn Bridge through the table is broken up and Mastiff Cannonballs him through it instead for the pin at 11:53.

Rating: B-. Perfectly watchable power brawl with weapons, though it’s nothing that hasn’t been done before. Mastiff remaining undefeated is the right call and you could put him forward for a one off title shot at some point. I still like Dennis a lot and that kind of look and imposing presence is going to keep him around for a good while.

Kay Lee Ray and Jazzy Gabert are here.

We recap Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm. Ripley won the inaugural Women’s Title by beating an injured Storm and there really isn’t any other real competition for her. Storm is healthy and focused now after winning the Mae Young Classic. They’re both prodigies and this could be a heck of a match, or at least a major preview of the future.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley

Ripley is defending. Storm goes after her to start and starts firing off the forearms until a faceplant cuts her off. That’s fine with Storm who hammers away even more, setting up a suicide dive onto a bailing Ripley. They don’t head inside just yet though and Ripley kicks her back first into the barricade. Back in and Ripley stomps away as the loud fans continue to be split.

The bodyscissors stays on the weakened ribs and a delayed vertical suplex gets two. A pair of legdrops gives the champ two but the trash talking lets Storm headbutt her for a double knockdown. The slugout goes to Storm and she rolls some German suplexes but Storm Zero is countered. So is Riptide and they go into a pinfall reversal sequence for two each.

Ripley gets the standing Texas Cloverleaf but gets reversed into the hip attack in the corner. Storm gets frustrated at the kickout and gets caught with Riptide for two, giving us Ripley’s great stunned face. A headbutt lets Storm Zero connect for two and they’re both down again. Storm slugs away with forearms and another Storm Zero gives her the pin and the title at 14:49.

Rating: B-. Kind of a flat and out of nowhere finish as they didn’t really build off the near fall from the first Storm Zero. Storm winning the title so soon after Ripley won it for the first time is a bit of a surprise but you can’t go wrong with either of them as the champion. Tyler Bate winning the inaugural title and dropping it to Dunne has gone just fine and Storm is going to be perfectly fine with the title, as is Ripley without it.

We recap Pete Dunne vs. Joe Coffey. Dunne has been champion for over 600 days, having won the title back in May 2017. He’s beaten everyone who has come close to him though Coffey is a big strong guy who could knock Dunne’s head off. Coffey isn’t the biggest star but he’s been built up well over the last few weeks.

United Kingdom Title: Joe Coffey vs. Pete Dunne

Dunne is defending and Mark Coffey and Wolfgang head to the back in a bit of a surprise. During the entrances, Vic says Dunne’s 603 day reign is the longest since the beginning of Hulkamania. Not even close but we’ll go with that for a better story than the Glamour Girls holding the WWF Women’s Team Titles for 906 days. Aggressive feeling out process to start with Coffey shrugging off a forearm to the face. Some finger bending has Coffey in trouble but he knocks Dunne away without much effort.

The discus lariat misses so Dunne runs him over and tries a not great looking Regal Stretch. Dunne switches to an armbar and, after hitting five straight knees to get out of a vertical suplex, switches to another armbar on the other arm. That’s broken up as well so Coffey throws him outside with Dunne hitting his face on the apron. Dunne enziguris him but gets slammed onto the ramp for the double knockdown. Back in and Coffey gets two off a sidewalk slam We hit the bearhug on Dunne with an overhead belly to belly keeping him down.

Dunne is fine enough for another enziguri and he flips out of a German suplex for a little showing off. Coffey gets sent outside for a middle rope moonsault and they’re both down again. Back in and the X Plex gives Dunne two but a running headbutt to the back sends him into the cover. A powerbomb gets two on the champ and the fans didn’t exactly react to the kickout. Coffey goes with the Boston crab and Dunne, after nearly looking out, dives for the rope for a break.

Back up and they trade headbutts for yet another double knockdown. Coffey shrugs off a German suplex so Dunne takes him down into a Koji Clutch. That’s broken up with raw power so Dunne knees him in the head and punches him out of the air on another spinning crossbody attempt. The Bitter End gets two so Coffey takes him to the apron for a Batista Bomb and they’re both dead on the floor. Dunne gets back in but looks a bit scared so they go with an exchange of kicks to the head.

The stomps to the fingers have Coffey in trouble but the discus lariat takes Dunne down for two more. Coffey tries it again but gets pulled down into the finger spreading. That’s lifted into a buckle bomb which doesn’t break the hold, so it’s a swinging superbomb to really break things up. Coffey can’t cover though and they both pull themselves up in the corners. The slugout is on again with Dunne getting the better of it and Coffey being out on his feet against the ropes.

Coffey snaps off a German suplex out of the corner for two more and just unloads with right hands to the back of the head. For some reason Coffey tries his own Bitter End but gets countered into another DDT. Dunne hits another one of his own but Coffey rolls away before the delayed cover. Coffey takes him to the top and brings Dunne up with him, only to fall back to the floor in what I think was a botch. Whether it was or not, I don’t remember the last time I saw a spot that made me gasp like that.

He’s fine though and snaps off a reverse slam for two more back inside. They head up top again and this time dive off and into the barricade for what I’m assuming they were trying to do the first time. Back in and another Bitter End gives Dunne two so he grabs a triangle and cranks on the fingers for the tap at 34:48.

Rating: A-. They got a little ridiculous with the kickouts at the end but this felt epic for the most part. At one point the fans were chanting ARE YOU WATCHING VINCE MCMAHON, which sums up how the match should be treated. It was a big time match and while I wasn’t quite sold on Coffey as a serious challenger, there were a few times where they had me believing that they would pull the trigger on an upset. That takes some special work and it was an awesome match. A bit too long with a few too many kickouts, but still an excellent main event for the first Takeover. But who in the heck is supposed to beat Dunne?

Dunne poses…..and here’s Walter (a massive Austrian with some crazy hard chops). So that’s who beats Dunne. Coffey tries to get back in and is kicked square in the face for his efforts. The big staredown ends the show. They had to bring in someone new as there’s no one on the show who is beating Dunne and Walter is as perfect of a choice as they could have made. Yeah Dunne has beaten everyone, but imagine the monster that he can’t beat. That’s where Walter comes in and he’s rather awesome for something like this.

Overall Rating: A. As usual the show is good and in this case they have the classic main event to put it over the top. Nothing on here was anywhere close to bad and they had some historic moments, with Walter’s debut being the highlight. He just comes off like a great monster and that’s the kind of person who needs to take Dunne down. It’s a great show and worth seeing, with the one hour a week of the show being a much better choice than what they’ve been doing. Check this one out as it’s an awesome time.

There’s currently no new show listed on the Network for Wednesday so they might be taking the week off.

Results

Zack Gibson/James Drake b. Moustache Mountain – Ticket To Mayhem to Seven

Finn Balor b. Jordan Devlin – Coup de Grace

Dave Mastiff b. Eddie Dennis – Cannonball through a table

Toni Storm b. Rhea Ripley – Storm Zero

Pete Dunne b. Joe Coffey – Triangle choke with finger spreading

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Here we are and in record time. Back in the summer of 2012, NXT moved down to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. This was the start of the new way around developmental, which would be the permanent case going forward. For about a year and a half, the only thing NXT had was regular television, which is still the case today. They finally got a live special called Arrival in February 2014, nearly two years after their first regular show. NXT UK is getting its first live special two and a half months after the TV show debuted. That’s quite the different path but hopefully with the same results. Let’s get to it.

Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin

This was added to the card last but could be quite fun. It’s the battle of the midcarders in search of something better to do and in this case you have two guys who could move up the ladder with a win here. Banks hasn’t been back from his injury for that long while Devlin has been built up pretty well over the last few weeks. In other words, it’s Ireland vs. Australia for what is probably a future shot at the (currently) British champion.

I’m going with Devlin here as he’s been built up better so far, even though Banks seems like someone who could be a star with the right push. The only problem is Devlin has already lost to Pete Dunne so there isn’t as much of a reason to see them fight again. Devlin is someone who has a lot of the necessary skills and would seem to be a better option at the moment, even if Banks comes off as the more complete package.

Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis

Now this is more my speed. These are the resident monsters of the promotion and have been billed as exactly that. They’ve already met on TV twice with a win for Mastiff and a double DQ in the rematch, making me wonder why they didn’t do a pair of draws to set up this big match. I’ve been a big fan of Dennis since he debuted on this show and hopefully he can live up to that on the big stage.

That being said, I’m taking Mastiff here as he seems to be the bigger prospect at the moment. Dennis is the kind of guy who can bounce back from a loss better as he’s a better talker and has a stronger backstory. Mastiff on the other hand is someone who is going to lose a lot the first time he’s beaten, and that doesn’t need to be the case just yet. Mastiff wins in a short and entertaining fight.

Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Toni Storm

This is another one where I’m not sure where to go. Ripley defeated an injured Storm to become the first champion. Storm is healthy now and, in theory at least, is the person that WWE would want to push to the moon and back. She’s young, energetic, looks great and can go in the ring. Where more can you ask for? Well perhaps a younger, taller, arguably more unique looking near prodigy from the same part of the world.

I’ll take…dang I guess Ripley to retain here, as I can’t imagine them putting the title on Ripley, only to take it off of her so fast, even if it’s to Storm. The problem here is they’ve done exactly what they should do here: make a match where I can’t imagine either of them actually losing. That takes talent and they’ve pulled it off here, which makes for a heck of a match. In theory they don’t change the title here, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they did either.

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. James Drake/Zack Gibson

This is the tournament final to crown the first champions and they’ve got a heck of a match. There isn’t much of a division around here but these two teams are the best around the whole promotion. Both are regular teams around the UK and now they’re getting a chance on the big stage. The fans can’t stand Gibson, love Moustache Mountain and….well they notice that Drake is rather good as well. That makes for a hot crowd and hopefully the match lives up to it.

They’ve both been built up very well, but Gibson and Drake makes more sense here. Moustache Mountain are the biggest stars in the promotion and don’t need the win. Having already won the real NXT Tag Team Titles, there’s no need to have them win here and get built up even further. Let the other team win and become stars, so that the big moment of Moustache Mountain finally winning the titles means more than just beating a team that hasn’t been around very long.

NXT Title: Pete Dunne(c) vs. Joe Coffey

Dunne has been champion over 600 days now and, to quote an old WWF poster, somebody has to stop him. The thing is, I’m not sure if Coffey is the guy to do the stopping. He’s a big guy with a good finisher, but Dunne is just on another planet. The win over Dunne is going to be the biggest thing to ever happen to the promotion and I don’t know if they want to waste that on someone like Coffey. He’s good, but I don’t think he’s that good.

I’ll go with Dunne retaining the title, followed by some kind of a big attack to set up the next challenger. There are a lot of options to come after the title and Dunne is going to lose the title….eventually. Coffey is the kind of guy who can be right back in short order and while he’ll have a very good, and likely long, match against Dunne, it’s not going to be enough to end the historic reign.

Overall Thoughts

I know I’m harsh on the TV show (the scheduling, not the wrestlers) but they’ve done a very good job of setting up a show where I don’t know who is going to win a lot of these matches. That’s good booking and with the right kind of execution, this could be awesome. The live shows are usually pretty good and while I haven’t been a fan of the build, the show itself looks strong. Now if only they can live up to the hype.

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: January 2, 2019
Location: Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s time for a big fight this week as Dave Mastiff is facing Eddie Dennis again in a rematch of the monsters. These two are some of the best big men in the promotion and I’m impressed by how well Mastiff has turned out. I like Dennis more for his overall presentation, but there’s something so classic about Mastiff that he’s working for me too. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Gene Okerlund.

Opening sequence.

The announcers preview the show.

We look at Toni Storm saving Deonna Purrazzo from Rhea Ripley a few weeks back.

Last week, Storm and Purrazzo agreed to a match this week.

Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Feeling out process to start with a battle over a wristlock. Toni takes her down into a front facelock and a bodyscissors before countering the counter into a headlock. Purrazzo’s headscissors doesn’t work either and it’s a standoff. Back up and Purrazzo kicks the offer of a handshake away and it’s time to strike it out. A kick to the face gives Toni two and it’s off to the STF.

Purrazzo reaches over for the rope in a hurry and avoids a running hip attack in the corner. That means a Pentagon arm snap for one on Storm and it’s time to start wrapping the arm around the ropes. With that not going anywhere. Purrazzo Downward Spirals her into the Koji Clutch. Toni rolls her up for two to escape but comes up holding her elbow. She’s fine enough to hit a Backstabber and now the hip attack connects.

The bad arm breaks up Storm Zero so Storm headbutts her down for two more. Purrazzo pulls her into something like the Rings of Saturn with Storm having to stretch to get her foot on the rope. Some trash talk fires Storm back up and she spins out of another armbar attempt. A snap German suplex sets up Storm Zero to finish Purrazzo at 9:48.

Rating: B-. The arm stuff was a good way to go here and it was a smart move to have Storm get a big win to give her some momentum heading into Blackpool. Purrazzo is going to stay over through pure talent and one day she can get a title shot to pay some of that off. Storm is the star right now though and it makes sense to give her the shot at Ripley.

Speaking of Ripley, she comes out for the post match staredown.

Sid Scala announces Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. James Drake/Zack Gibson for the other Tag Team Title tournament semifinal. Drake and Gibson have more than earned that spot already.

Josh Morrell vs. Mike Hitchman

Hitchman throws him around to start and it’s an early armbar to keep Morrell down. A wheelbarrow throw keeps Morrell in trouble and there’s a backsplash for good measure. It also gets two but I didn’t want to leave the good measure part out. The nerve hold goes on for a bit until Morrell comes up with a Pele and a standing Swanton for two. A sunset flip is good for the same but Hitchman fireman’s carry slams him into the corner. Hitchman drops a top rope splash for the pin at 2:59. Morrell looked fine in a small dose but Hitchman needed a win to give him some more credibility.

Joseph Conners talks about being sold a lie two years ago when he joined NXT UK. A lot of other people were too but there’s no WE in NXT UK. It’s all about yourself and if he has to break every new toy around here, so be it. Anytime Conners would like to become interesting, so be it as well.

Travis Banks doesn’t like Jordan Devlin calling him out for not loving his country. If that’s a challenge, Banks is in.

Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel want in the Tag Team Title tournament but that’s a big negative because they haven’t had a good attitude since arriving.

Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis

Dennis charges straight at him for some kicks to the ribs and Mastiff is in early trouble. An elbow to the face cuts off a charge though and a running crossbody crushes Dennis. Mastiff hits a running dropkick and ties Dennis up in the ropes for some elbows to the head. Dennis needs a breather on the floor but manages to pull him down into a Razor’s Edge.

That’s escaped to prevent a bad case of severe pain and it’s the Regal Roll to crush Dennis again. A missed charge sends Mastiff into the steps though and they both have to dive back inside at nine. Back in and they slug it out with the referee getting shoved, drawing the double DQ at 4:13.

Rating: C-. It’s a nice story with the two monsters fighting to a draw, but it doesn’t work as well when Mastiff had already beaten him coming into this one. There should be a third match at Takeover and that’s something they both deserve, though it would have been better to have both previous matches go to a draw. Either way, nice brawl here and they were smart to keep it short.

Post match the fight continues until Johnny Saint comes out to announce a No DQ match at “NXT UK Blackpool Takeover.”

We look back at the end of last week’s show with the brawl between British Strong Style and Gallus. Next week it’s a six man tag.

Saint and Scala are in the ring for the contract signing between Joe Coffey and Pete Dunne. Coffey talks about how Takeover is going to be the clash of two giants. Everything around them is all his and soon the UK Title will be as well. Dunne has been the champion too long now and he has to be wondering why that’s the case.

The only reason is that Joe hasn’t been here, but now it’s time for the Iron King to claim his throne. Coffey signs so Dunne breaks his fingers, pulls out his own pen (like a proper Englishman) and signs as well. Dunne: “You talk too much.” Mark Coffey and Wolfgang come out for a distraction and Joe powerbombs him through a table to end the show.

Odd note: this show ran about 47:00 but the video on the Network currently lasts over an hour, with the last thirteen minutes being a mini Seth Rollins documentary. They can’t schedule the show to start airing on time and now they can’t even edit it down properly.

Overall Rating: C. The Takeover card is mostly together at this point and it’s certainly looking fine. There isn’t one big match that I really want to see but Coffey vs. Dunne has been built up much better than I was expecting. The contract signing worked well and Dennis vs. Mastiff could be fun under the right circumstances. They’re very slowly building up some better characters though and that’s fixing the biggest problem. It’s not there yet, but at least it’s a small step.

Results

Toni Storm b. Deonna Purrazzo – Storm Zero

Mike Hitchman b. Josh Morrell – Top rope splash

Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis went to a double DQ when both shoved the referee

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 26, 2018
Location: Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Christmas is over and that means it’s time for the good things to come to an end. Therefore, it’s back to a double shot of NXT UK, though that should be coming to an end early next month. We’re also in a new taping cycle and that means Zack Gibson might be….egads….cheered around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Sid Scala is in the ring and introduces Johnny Saint for an announcement. The big announcement is that on January 12, it’s NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool. This brings out Toni Storm (with a rather different hair style) who says that she’s lived here in Liverpool for four years now. Also, as the winner of the Mae Young Classic, she can have a title shot anytime she wants. Therefore, she’ll be taking that at Takeover. Saint approves to wrap the segment. Nothing wrong with this and they were done in short order.

Kenny Williams vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin is on this show more than anyone else. Williams sends him outside in a hurry and a springboard back elbow to the jaw knocks him outside. A dropkick through the ropes is countered with a drop onto the apron and it’s a reverse chinlock back inside. Williams’ comeback is cut off by a release Rock Bottom but his standing moonsault hits knees. Back up and Devlin gets dropkicked in the back, followed by a kick to the chest for two. A wheelbarrow rollup is countered into a half nelson suplex for two on Williams and Ireland’s Call gives Devlin the pin at 5:17.

Rating: C-. As usual, Devlin is the kind of guy that they should want to push but at the same time, he’s already lost to Pete Dunne, which makes this a little less interesting. Devlin has gotten a lot better and I buy him as a big villain, but I can’t imagine seeing him face off with Dunne again, at least not so soon. That doesn’t leave him much left to do and that’s a problem.

Post match Devlin says don’t bet against him.

Marcel Barthel debuts next week.

Scala and Saint are in the back for a chat about what’s coming up at Takeover. Rhea Ripley comes in to say she wants to defend the title next week. They go into their office and come back out a few seconds later, saying she can defend against Deonna Purrazzo next week.

Dan Moloney vs. Eddie Dennis

Moloney goes right after him to start but gets thrown down for his efforts. That earns him a toss to the floor and Moloney follows him out with a hard elbow to the face. The spinning backbreaker onto the apron makes things worse but here’s Dave Mastiff to jump Dennis for the DQ at 1:13.

Post match Dennis bails before the Cannonball can hit him. Moloney isn’t happy with Mastiff costing him a match so Mastiff knocks him into the corner for the Cannonball. I’m still trying to get my head around someone like Mastiff as a face.

Ligero thanks Scala for an opportunity tonight against Joe Coffey. Gallus comes in and Joe says tonight is about a step towards his NXT Championship. Scala also gives Wolfgang and Mark Coffey a spot in the Tag Team Title tournament against Moustache Mountain.

Zack Gibson takes James Drake on a tour of Liverpool to explain how important the city is to England. He’s Liverpool’s #1 but as soon as he became a success, the city turned on him. They’ll be Tag Team Champions.

Saxon Huxley/Tyson T-Bone vs. Jack Starz/Tucker

T-Bone shoves Starz down to start so it’s quickly off to Tucker for a double dropkick. Tucker gets thrown down onto his face and Huxley comes in for a running knee to the stomach. It’s already back to Starz to fight off both monsters with a double knee to the ribs, followed by T-Bone’s right hand for the pin at 2:43. Total squash and I still don’t care for Huxley and T-Bone at all.

Isla Dawn agrees that her last match wasn’t the best performance against Rhea Ripley. She’s ready to rise back up again though and become champion. Jinny comes in to say no one cares about her.

Ligero vs. Joe Coffey

The much bigger Coffey drives him into the corner and we actually get a clean break. Coffey takes him down and pulls at the horns but Ligero ties himself up in a ball. That goes nowhere so Ligero tries a sunset flip to no avail. A faceplant sends Coffey to the outside but he blocks a Sliced Bread off the steps. Instead Coffey tosses him into the barricade for a running headbutt to the ribs for a unique shot.

Back in and the full nelson goes on, followed by a double underhook neck crank to keep Ligero in trouble. Ligero knees his way out of some vertical suplexes and sends Coffey outside for a suicide dive. Back in and Ligero hits a top rope cannonball, followed by a springboard Sliced Bread for two. That would be the big spot that served as Ligero’s last chance to win here.

Coffey hits another running headbutt to the back and a pop up powerslam gets two. Ligero’s top rope hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb into a Boston crab but Ligero makes the ropes. A rollup gives Ligero two but he springboards into the discus lariat to give Coffey the pin at 10:08.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t expecting this to turn into a competitive match again after Ligero’s big offense but it worked out rather well here. Ligero is a good choice for a luchador like this as he can do all the flying but being from England is more than enough to make the fans care about him. Coffey is a good choice for a monster villain, though every time he’s out there he shows low unimportant Mark and Wolfgang really are.

Overall Rating: C+. The two matches in the middle weren’t exactly required viewing but the first match gave us another step forward for Devlin and the main event was good. Having a goal like the Takeover card is going to help but this show still isn’t one of the better things that WWE does. Getting it back down to an hour a week will help them a lot though and it’s not like this show is terrible by any stretch. I’m just not connected to it and that hasn’t changed in the slightest.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Kenny Williams – Ireland’s Call

Eddie Dennis b. Dan Moloney via DQ when Dave Mastiff interfered

Saxon Huxley/Tyson T-Bone b. Jack Starz/Tucker – Right hand to Starz

Joe Coffey b. Ligero – Discus lariat

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 19, 2018
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the last show of the third taping cycle and that means we’re getting close to being caught up from these tapings. It’s time to focus on the main event guys again with Joe Coffey back in the main event. I’m not wild on Gallus, but it’s a good idea to have something like them as the top villains, just as a placeholder if nothing else. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Toni Storm vs. Charlie Morgan

We get the handshake and now they’re ready to go. An early slap to the face wakes Toni up and she’s right back with some slaps of her own. A dropkick gives Toni one and it’s off to an STF with Storm laying back to back instead of the usual method. After the rope grab, Morgan scores with an enziguri to take Storm down for the first time. The camel clutch goes on with the fans wanting Toni to fight back. Toni does just that with a release German suplex and there’s the running hip attack in the corner. Storm Zero finishes Morgan at 3:56.

Rating: D+. Pretty basic match here as Storm gets a win to get her back on the right track after the loss to Rhea Ripley. She’s the kind of person who is going to be a star for a long time around here with the natural charisma and skills alone so this isn’t surprising. Morgan seems fine but I haven’t really seen enough of her yet.

Video on Gallus.

Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Zack Gibson/James Drake

As the fans who hate Gibson stand up because they hate Gibson, Gibson gets taken down with a double hiptoss into a shooting star/moonsault combination. It’s off to Webster for the Rude Boy Block on Drake as Gibson is taking his wrist tape off. Said tape is thrown at Webster, letting Drake send him outside for a backbreaker onto the apron. The crowd takes their shoes off as Gibson gets two off a clothesline. Drake forearms the heck out of Webster for two and we hit a chinlock. A slide between the ropes and a kick off are enough for the hot tag to Andrews and it’s time to clean house.

Everything breaks down and Andrews gets two on Drake off a spinning DDT. Ticket To Ride gets the same on Andrews so it’s back to Webster for a reverse hurricanrana on Drake. Webster gets enziguried and thrown outside so Andrews has to hit a double Stundog Millionaire. Fall To Pieces is loaded up but Fabian Aichner comes in for a distraction. The second Fall To Pieces hits the illegal Drake, allowing Gibson to lock in Shankley Gates for the tap at 8:50.

Rating: C+. This worked better than I was expecting as Gibson and Drake continue to be one of the best acts on the show. They work well together and Gibson is by far the most over heel around here. Just put them in the title match against Moustache Mountain already and everything should be fine.

Post match Aichner goes after Andrews until Webster helps him clear the ring.

Killer Kelly vs. Nina Samuels

Nina flips away from Kelly to start but gets shouldered down for her efforts. Back up and Nina grabs a full nelson to take Kelly to the mat again. Since a full nelson isn’t ending a match, Nina ties her in the ropes for a dropkick to the back. Kelly makes her comeback with some forearms and a suplex into the corner, which doesn’t really change anything as Nina didn’t hit anything out of the ordinary. A basement dropkick gives Kelly two but Nina grabs her by the hair (wrapping it around her fist) and sends her hard into the corner. That and a fireman’s carry backbreaker are enough to finish Kelly at 4:29.

Rating: D+. I’m kind of surprised by Kelly losing so much as she seems like the kind of person that WWE would be more interested in pushing, if nothing else towards a midcard role. Samuels doesn’t exactly stand out, but that’s been the case with most of the roster so it’s not really fair to single her out.

Aichner says he’s not allowing Webster and Andrews to become Tag Team Champions. He’ll even find his own partner to make sure it doesn’t happen.

Joe Coffey vs. Travis Banks

Neither has backup here, at least to start. Banks is fired up to start and slugs away with forearms as the fans are behind Banks to start. Coffey gets sent outside for an apron kick to the chest. The suicide dive through the ropes….I guess was punched out of the air though the camera didn’t catch it.

Back in and Coffey stomps away before starting in on the injured shoulder. A full nelson (doesn’t seem to be locked in) takes Banks down and Coffey drops an elbow on the bad arm. Coffey shrugs off a missed elbow and pulls on the arm again. Banks finally gets in a jumping knee which knocks Coffey’s mouthpiece out for a good visual.

The running dropkick to the back of the head gives Banks two but he runs into a powerslam out of the corner for two more. A swing into a belly to belly gives Coffey two more so Banks shoves him off the top and hits a middle rope dropkick. The fisherman’s buster has Coffey rolling outside and this time the suicide dive connects as designed. Back in and Coffey sends him hard into the corner, setting up the discus lariat. The first is blocked but hurts Banks’ arm, meaning the second attempt is good for the pin at 12:13.

Rating: C. Bringing Banks back is a good sign and pushing him as a face is almost a necessity because so many people are so similar. Banks can wrestle a good, aggressive style and then cut a nice promo to go with it, but at the moment you have to build up Coffey to go after Dunne so a win over an injured Banks is the right way to go.

Overall Rating: C. Another perfectly fine show here and you got to see some of the more talented people around. Gibson is becoming a gem and Coffey is the next challenger for Dunne. They’ve become a lot more entertaining to watch over the last few weeks and the longer that’s true, the better things are going to be around here. Good enough show here, but the back to back shows aren’t doing them any favors.

Results

Toni Storm b. Charlie Morgan – Storm Zero

Zack Gibson/James Drake b. Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster – Shankley Gates to Andrews

Nina Samuels b. Killer Kelly – Fireman’s carry backbreaker

Joe Coffey b. Travis Banks – Discus lariat

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 12, 2018
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Last week’s show saw the in-ring return of Travis Banks, who offers some fresh talent around the top of the card. Banks might not be the biggest star around, but he’s someone who can add a lot to the show. Other than that, Rhea Ripley is still looking for competition and she might find some of that tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the announcement of the Tag Team Titles. Wait when was that announced in the first place? I know we were promised an update this week but this is being treated like previous information.

Opening sequence.

Flash Morgan Webster vs. Fabian Aichner

Earlier today, Mark Andrews warned Webster to be careful with Aichner. There’s no handshake to start so Webster tries forearming away to little effect. An armdrag works somewhat better but Aichner sends him outside for a whip into the steps. Cue Andrews to check on Webster and he gets back in just in time. Aichner forearms away at the chest and hits an uppercut to the back of the head to keep Webster in trouble. Back up and Aichner gets in a hard slam for two and it’s off to a nerve hold.

Webster fights up and avoids a running knee in the corner to send Aichner outside in a crash. The Modern Knee gets two but Aichner is right back with a hard running clothesline for two of his own. Webster drops him again but this time Aichner rolls away before Webster can come off the top. Aichner pulls him outside for the knee against the steps, only to have Andrews stop him just in time. Back in and Aichner’s powerbomb is countered into a jackknife rollup for the pin at 9:36.

Rating: C-. Well it was nice while it lasted for Aichner. This promotion needs stars and that doesn’t mean a small guy like Webster who has a funny costume. Aichner has a great look and some power, along with the Evolve Championship, so of course he’s losing here to a guy like Webster. Rather annoying but it could be a lot worse.

Amir Jordan tries to get the interviewer to dance but Kenny Williams comes in and says it’s time to go after the Tag Team Titles.

Gallus is ready to take care of Moustache Mountain and Travis Banks. Apparently Mark Coffey and Wolfgang are going after the Tag Team Titles instead of, you know, the Coffey Brothers.

Isla Dawn vs. Killer Kelly

Some kicks to the legs don’t get either of them anywhere so Dawn takes her down by the leg. The leg is slammed into the mat but Kelly suplexes her into the corner. Vic calls that the hardest part of the ring, after YEARS of telling us that it’s the apron. Stop lying to me Joseph!!! Kelly’s cravate doesn’t go very far as Dawn is right back with a backdrop driver. A running knee rocks Kelly and the snap suplex Jackhammer gives Dawn the pin at 3:15.

Rating: C. This was the best match I’ve seen from either of them, though I’m having some issues with someone called the White Witch as a face. Kelly is someone who has gotten some good reviews and this was the first time I saw the potential in her. Nice match, especially with the little amount of time they had.

Post match Dawn says she wants the Women’s Title and Rhea Ripley. This brings out Ripley to say bring it. Dawn promises that it will be brought.

Dave Mastiff is ready for a title shot when Eddie Dennis comes in to offer a challenge of his own. Mastiff isn’t the only undefeated monster around here.

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. James Drake/Zack Gibson

Drake and Jordan get things going with Jordan hitting a quick running crossbody. The fans are already all over Gibson as Williams comes in to work on the arm. That means the armbar before it’s back to Jordan for a hiptoss. Stereo suicide dives put the villains down and Jordan hits a high crossbody for two on Drake. Gibson comes in and you can hear the energy go out of the crowd. He drops Jordan back first onto the barricade and it’s off to the chinlock as the fans have taken their shoes off in hatred of Gibson.

Jordan jawbreaks his way to freedom and scores with a neckbreaker but Drake blocks the hot tag….which goes through a few seconds later. I’m really getting tired of that trope. Williams comes in with a springboard back elbow to the jaw and it’s already back to Jordan for a Downward Spiral. Everything breaks down and Jordan gets sent to the floor, leaving Williams to take the reverse powerbomb into the Codebreaker (Ticket to Mayhem) for the pin at 6:55.

Rating: C+. This was the best performance from Jordan so far but that’s not exactly setting a high mark. Gibson and Drake are an awesome team and anytime you can have the fans going nuts on Gibson like they do, it’s always a great moment. He’s one of the only over heels on the roster and the more he’s out there, the better.

Moustache Mountain wants the Tag Team Titles.

Next week: Mastiff vs. Dennis.

Joe Coffey vs. Trent Seven

Tyler Bate and the rest of Gallus are here. They lock up to start with Coffey taking over on the arm as the fans chant for Trent. Some chops don’t get Trent very far so he slips out of a suplex, only to bang up his knee. Coffey ducks his head and gets caught in a DDT with the knee not letting Trent follow up. They head outside for the showdown between everyone at ringside and Joe uses the distraction to get in a jumping stomp from the apron. Back in and Trent sends him right back outside, meaning it’s time for another big staredown.

Bate and Seven dropkick the three of them off the apron and Bate hits a suicide dive on Wolfgang. The three not involved fight to the back, leaving Trent to hit his own dive onto Joe. Back in and Joe goes after the knee with some kicks in the corner. A running shoulder to the knee makes things even worse but a second running shoulder hits post. Trent’s knee is fine enough for a top rope superplex and they’re both slow to get up. Trent snaps off a German suplex for two and slaps on a quickly broken Figure Four.

They head to the apron with Coffey hitting a belly to belly suplex to the floor. That’s only good for a very close nine (with the referee slowing down so Trent could make it) so Coffey stomps and trash talks some more. A double powerbomb gives Coffey two and it’s off to a half crab. Trent finally grabs the rope and it’s time for a slugout with Seven snapping off a dragon suplex. The knee gives out again though and Coffey hits his own German suplex. One heck of a discus lariat finishes Seven at 15:02.

Rating: B. Coffey is starting to turn into a pretty good villain but I’m still not sure what the point is in having him wrestle as a singles guy while his brother is in a tag team. Then again, it’s certainly better than having Wolfgang as a singles guy. They’re building up a new star though and that’s what they need to do so well done on that front. Good match too, but that’s to be expected with Trent.

Overall Rating: B-. Well, it’s a step in the right direction. They’re starting to get some stories going around here but the positives of this show might be more about the lack of the weaker talent. This show had more of the big names and that’s going to do the show a lot of good. Unfortunately they can’t do that every week, which is where things start to slip. It’s similar to Ring of Honor in that way: good when it’s at its best, but the weaker shows are a rough sit.

Results

Flash Morgan Webster b. Fabian Aichner – Jackknife rollup

Isla Dawn b. Killer Kelly – Snap suplex Jackhammer

Zack Gibson/James Drake b. Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams – Ticket to Mayhem to Williams

Joe Coffey b. Trent Seven – Discus lariat

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