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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 28, 2018
Location: NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

You can always get something out of a guaranteed new champion and that’s what we have tonight. We’ve got the finals of the NXT UK Women’s Title tournament with Rhea Ripley facing off with Toni Storm for the title. After Storm won the Mae Young Classic, it would make sense to have Ripley get the title here but you never can guess what you might see. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the tournament, which might have had more impact if it hadn’t taken place over the course of two weeks.

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Sid Scala

Joe has his brother Mark and Wolfgang head to the back as he has this. Actually hang on as Scala is in a suit because still injured. He has a replacement though.

Joe Coffey vs. Tyler Bate

This works. Tyler slugs away to start and hits a knee to the face out of the corner. A dropkick sends Coffey to the floor for a suicide dive and Tyler hits a diving uppercut for good measure. Cue Mark and Wolfgang for a distraction though and Joe drives him into the apron to take over. Back in and Tyler can’t get the fireman’s carry as Joe slips off and headbutts him down. Joe even mocks the Moustache Mountain pose so you know it’s serious.

The swinging butterfly suplex has Bate in more trouble and it’s off to the nerve hold. That’s switched over to a crossarm choke but Bate eventually reverses into one of his own. Bate’s doesn’t last as long though as he gets caught in an overhead belly to belly for two more. Bate is too banged up to grab an exploder suplex so he settles for the standing shooting star instead.

With Joe in trouble, Mark gets up on the apron for a distraction so Joe can grab a powerslam for two. Cue a limping Trent Seven (What took him so long?) to help even things up a bit as Bate still can’t get a fireman’s carry. Joe misses a spinning high crossbody and Bate scores with a lariat. Now Bate can get the fireman’s carry into the airplane spin and even gets in the reverse version. The rolling Liger kick looks to set up the Tyler Driver 97, drawing in Mark and Wolfgang for the DQ at 9:47.

Rating: B. That was this close to being a great match but the finish kept them just a bit short. You can see the six man from here and that’s a fine way to go. Bate might not be as good as Dunne (But who is?) but he’s more than capable of having a very good match with just about anyone. Joe wasn’t bad either and this was a rather entertaining start to a big show.

Post match the brawl is on until Pete Dunne makes the save. Did we ever get an explanation for why Dunne is friends with Seven and Bate around here?

Dan Moloney vs. Ligero

The bigger Moloney puts Ligero on the apron to start but gets kicked in the face for one. Ligero gets out of a sitout powerbomb and another dropkick gets two more. Moloney’s spinebuster is good for one and it’s off to a seated abdominal stretch. Back up and some chops keep Ligero in trouble as the fans are singing something about Sin Cara. Ligero fights out of the corner and hits a top rope seated senton, followed by a springboard Sliced Bread for two. Moloney gets sent outside for the running flip dive, followed by a springboard tornado DDT to put Moloney away at 5:13.

Rating: C. Ligero isn’t anything that hasn’t been done better before but he’s fine for a role like this. You always have room for a good luchador and that’s what Ligero can do just fine. Moloney was just a guy here putting Ligero over and didn’t exactly show off all that much. That’s not a bad place to be either though as every promotion needs some long term jobbers.

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

The fans are already taking their shoes off in protest of Gibson. Speaking of Gibson, he takes Williams down to start and then into the corner for the tag off to Drake. Williams has some more luck with him in the form of a springboard back elbow to the jaw. It’s off to Jordan, who throws Drake down and stops to dance, because that’s about all his character has going for him. Nigel and Vic get in an argument over Vic’s dancing abilities as Gibson comes back in for a double chop to the throat.

The chinlock goes on and now the fans are standing up because they hate Gibson so much. Seriously that’s an awesome status to have. Drake’s chinlock doesn’t last long and it’s back to Gibson to dodge some lame right hands. The chinlock goes on all over again as the fans sing about Gibson again.

Jordan can’t get anywhere on his comeback as Gibson takes him down with a leglock so Drake can come back in. Drake misses a charge in the corner though and that’s enough for a hot tag to Williams. A very quick faceplant gets two on Gibson and the good guys hit some dives. That’s about it for the offense though as Drake and Gibson shrug it off, setting up the Ticket to Ride to finish Williams at 8:26.

Rating: D+. Sweet goodness Jordan is worthless. He’s like the nothing jobber partner on an episode of Superstars when you have a jobber to the stars doing everything he can against a good team. Gibson has brought Drake up by sheer force of being a crazy over heel, and that can make for a nice team in a promotion that doesn’t have very many of them in the first place.

Johnny Saint brings out the new Women’s Title.

NXT UK Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm

For the inaugural title. Storm wastes no time in slugging Ripley down into the corner for the running hip attack. Ripley falls to the floor and eats a suicide dive but another hip attack hits the barricade. They head to the apron and Storm Zero is countered with a backdrop, leaving Toni nearly in tears from the pain.

Back in and a hard whip keeps Toni in trouble, followed by the shoulders to the ribs. The fans are behind Storm, even as she gets caught in a bodyscissors to stay on the ribs and back. Ripley switches over to the standing Cloverleaf, sending Storm over to the ropes for the break. The back is fine enough to roll some German suplexes, followed by a headbutt into a bridging German suplex for two.

A running knee attack in the corner gets two and the fans chant Evolution, not realizing that this wouldn’t air for a month after that show because…I have no idea actually. Storm Zero is countered with another backdrop over the top with Storm’s back hitting the apron again. Riptide is escaped but Toni’s back gives out on Storm Zero, setting up Riptide to give Ripley the title at 9:27.

Rating: B. This was good stuff with Ripley getting to win clean in the end with her finisher instead of having the cheating finish to set up a rematch. They went with the right call here of having a definitive winner and that’s the way they should have gone here. Storm already has the bigger honor anyway and can come back to win a regular title later on.

Post match Saint and HHH present Ripley with her title.

Overall Rating: B+. The two big matches here were more than enough to make the card work well and the other two matches weren’t bad enough to bring the show down. This was a show they needed to do and the Women’s Title being won is a good stepping stone. They built it up as a big deal and it came off as a big deal. Now just build up some more names and see where they can go from here.

Results

Tyler Bate b. Joe Coffey via DQ when Mark Coffey and Wolfgang interfered

Ligero b. Dan Moloney – Springboard tornado DDT

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

Rhea Ripley b. Toni Storm – Riptide

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: October 17, 2018
Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

So over the last few years, WWE has been going over to the UK for some one off shows and they’ve been pretty good. Since it’s WWE though, that means it’s time to start a whole new weekly show (currently their fourth show on Wednesdays) under the NXT banner. I’m not sure what to expect here so let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the history of WWE in the UK and HHH talks about how ever empire has a beginning.

Opening sequence.

The announcers preview the show. Dang Joseph is way taller than I thought.

Mark Andrews vs. Joe Coffey

Coffey is a big guy who has his brother Mark in his corner. The brothers were rather violent back at the UK Title Tournament shows back in June so they’re certainly villains. Coffey powers him to the mat to start and gets two off a test of strength grip. The much smaller Andrews gets in a shot to the face and a springboard hurricanrana has the fans right back into things.

Coffey is right back up with some hard shots to the face and just plows through Andrews with a shoulder. A swinging butterfly suplex gets two and we hit a cross arm choke to keep Andrews in trouble. Mark Coffey is about to get in a cheap shot but gets caught, leaving Joe to run Andrews over instead. Back in and Andrews slugs away for all he’s got, capped off by an enziguri to put Coffey down.

A double stomp to the ribs sets up a standing corkscrew moonsault for two and Andrews is running out of steam. Coffey has had it with Andrews and hits a pop up powerslam for two of his own but the Stundog Millionaire gets Andrews out of trouble for the moment. Mark Coffey saves Joe from the shooting star so Andrews dives onto both of them for the big crash. Back in and Mark Coffey offers another distraction, allowing Joe to hit a hard belly to belly into a discus lariat for the pin at 7:37.

Rating: C+. Good choice for an opener here as you need something entertaining to get the fans into the feel of the show. The Coffey Brothers are going to be solid heels as they’re bigger than most of the people on the show and work well together. On the other hand you have a high flier like Andrews, who is always going to be worth a look. Nice match here and it even sets up some stuff going forward. Not bad at all and a smart move to put Joe over someone who has been on the main roster.

Post match the double beatdown is on but Flash Morgan Webster makes the save with his helmet as payback for the brothers beating him down back in June.

Eddie Dennis is the Pride of Wales and has been friends with Andrews and Pete Dunne for years. He’s got some stories.

Here’s the very popular Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) to talk about this being the most important day in the history of British wrestling. This is the birth of NXT UK so let’s pause for the UK chant. Just a few months ago, they stood in this very ring and became the NXT Tag Team Champions. Since then, HHH has mentioned something about some NXT UK Tag Team Titles. There’s just one problem: there aren’t any other tag teams in NXT UK. There is however a boat load of talent in the back so let’s have some of them become teams to give Moustache Mountain some competition. Posing and cheering ensue.

Dave Mastiff, a big man with a huge beard, is coming to show what he’s made of. Mastiff has to weigh at least 350lbs if not more. That’s certainly a bit different.

Clip of Noam Dar returning in June and becoming #1 contender.

Sid Scala vs. Dave Mastiff

Mastiff’s entrance gets a gasp. Scala on the other hand doesn’t get much of a reaction because he’s just a guy in trunks. Mastiff drives him into the corner as the announcers aren’t even pretending that this is going to be competitive. A big toss sends Scala flying and Mastiff hits a rather impressive dropkick to cut him down. There’s a release German suplex into the Cannonball in the corner for the pin at 1:58. Exactly what it should have been.

Nina Samuels is ready to show what she can do.

Nina Samuels vs. Toni Storm

You can feel the star power from Storm. Toni takes her down by the head to start, drawing a rather positive chant from the crowd. Back up and Samuels slaps her in the face, earning a series of strikes into the corner. Storm misses a charge though and a running knee gives Samuels two.

Some stomps keep Storm in trouble so she fights up with forearms to the face. A kind of sloppy tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gives Samuels two and it’s time to start mocking Storm. Naturally that fires Storm up (Samuels kind of had it coming) and it’s a release German suplex into Storm Zero (White Noise onto the knee) to give Storm the pin at 4:09.

Rating: C. Oh yeah Storm is going to be a star and there’s no stopping that. She has a great look, the charisma, the presence and can work in the ring. Not bad for someone in her early 20s. Samuels got to show off a bit here and wasn’t very impressive. Her offense was very basic and nothing she did really stood out.

Next week: Tyler Bate vs. Wolfgang.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Noam Dar

Dar is challenging and General Manager Johnny Saint is in the ring for the introductions. Dunne gets a hero’s welcome, as you had to expect. Feeling out process to start but hang on because the fans need to sing Happy Birthday to Dar. That’s not cool with Dunne so he blasts Dar with a clothesline, which is fine with the fans as well. Dar sends him outside for a hard soccer kick to the arm and Dunne in in some sudden trouble.

Back in and Dunne hits a quick X Plex for a breather and unloads in the corner. Dar kicks him with the face so Dunne flips out of a German suplex and gets two off a powerbomb. A northern lights suplex gives Dar the same so Dunne goes for the fingers like a true villain who the fans cheer anyway. Dar is right back with a release fisherman’s suplex onto the apron and they’re both down. Stereo dives beat the count at nine as the fans declare this awesome.

Dunne goes to the fingers again so Dar spins around into an elbow to the face. A leglock is reversed into a cross armbreaker but Dar reverses that into an ankle lock. Dunne staggers him with an enziguri so Dar forearms him in the back of the head for the double knockdown. Dar kicks the leg out but the Nova Roller is forearmed out of the air. The Bitter End is reversed into a kneebar with Dunne having to dive for the rope. That’s enough for Dunne, who bends the fingers back again and stomps on the arm, setting up the Bitter End to retain at 11:35.

Rating: B. This didn’t have the drama or the emotion (or the time) that a lot of Dunne’s matches have but Dar more than showcased himself here. They’re doing a very good job of having Dunne get closer and closer to losing the title but surviving in the end. Whoever eventually figures out the puzzle is going to look like a star and that’s the point of such a long title reign. Good first main event here.

Post match Dunne offers a handshake but the injured Dar sticks his pinkie up, which Dunne seems fine with as he returns the gesture and smiles.

Overall Rating: B+. This is a situation where the wrestling and the content weren’t exactly the point. The purpose of this show was to start off strong and they did just that. You got an introduction to several characters and that’s going to be the case for the first few weeks. The main event was a solid match and we know Dunne is the man around here, while the rest of the show was about setting up a foundation. This was a success, and while there’s a long way to go, they’ve started well.

Results

Joe Coffey b. Mark Andrews – Discus lariat

Dave Mastiff b. Sid Scala – Cannonball

Toni Storm b. Nina Samuels – Storm Zero

Pete Dunne b. Noam Dar – Bitter End

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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