NXT UK
Date: December 10, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepard, Nigel McGuinness

A lot of wrestling shows have been going all over the place as of late so it would be nice to have one that is more a case of giving you what you probably expect. That is where NXT UK shines and I could go for seeing something like that after all of the ups and downs of this week. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Jordan Devlin is in the ring and issues an open challenge for the Cruiserweight Title. We cut to the back where Ashton Smith tells Oliver Carter to go get the title. And here we go.

Cruiserweight Title: Oliver Carter vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin is defending and wastes no time in pounding Carter down. Carter snaps off an armdrag into a sunset flip but Carter flips him by the leg. That sends Carter legs first into the ropes and he lands on his head, meaning the referee needs to check on Carter. The clearance is given so Devlin elbows him in the head and chokes with the boot because Devlin is kind of ruthless.

The logical neck crank goes on but Carter comes back with a leg trip and a dropkick. An elbow to the face sends Devlin outside for a heck of a suicide dive and a forearm to the back of the head gives Carter two. Carter plants him with a Rock Bottom but the neck is too banged up to cover. Devlin is right back with a poison rana and the Devlin Side retains the title at 6:30.

Rating: C. If this is a way to get Devlin in the ring more often, I’m all for everything about the whole idea. Devlin has cranked it way up this year and it’s a shame that he didn’t get to spend this summer showcasing everything that he can do. I could go for a lot more of everything Devlin is doing and sending out one opponent after another is a great idea.

Earlier this week, Jinny promised to get Piper Niven when she doesn’t see it coming.

Video on the NXT roster going around England.

And now, in case we weren’t infested with them enough yet, it’s time for the new talk show with Supernova Sessions, hosted by Noam Dar. After the usual introductions, Dar brings out Heritage Cup Champion A-Kid as his first guest. Dar talks about how he mentored A-Kid during his early career and now it is time to return the favor. He will even dub him A-Man! A-Kid says not so fast because the one person who mentored him is Tyler Bate. Cue Bate for the first time to suggest he would have won the title had he been in the tournament. Dar says the match should be on for tonight and he’ll even talk to management. Match on.

The Hunt and Eddie Dennis barge into Sid Scala’s office and might threaten their way into a Tag Team Title shot.

Xia Brookside vs. Isla Dawn

Brookside flips out of a wristlock to start and takes Dawn to the mat for a hammerlock. That’s reversed into the same thing on Brookside, followed by a knee to the face to take her down again. We hit the quickly broken chinlock so Dawn knees her in the ribs again. A northern lights suplex gets two but Brookside fights her way out of another armbar. The Broken Wings connect in the corner to send Dawn outside, with the suicide dive connecting. Hold on though as we have some suitcases. Jinny pops up on screen to say Brookside can only carry her bags, allowing Dawn to hit a Saito suplex for the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C-. The match didn’t have time to go anywhere but the point here was to have Jinny cost Brookside the win. If they put the title on Jinny, it could make a heck of a story with Brookside chasing her until the big win. Brookside is going to get the big moment sooner or later, so set her up well over time for a change.

Saxon Huxley has attacked Jack Starz and Levi Muir.

Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate vs. A-Kid

Kid is defending and it’s under the Heritage Cup rules. After the Big Match Intros, the feeling out process is on with Kid taking him down with a headlock. That’s reversed into an armbar which is reversed with a headscissors for a standoff. They fight over some wristlocks until the first round ends. The second round begins with Bate getting spun into a straitjacket choke, only to reverse into one of his own. Kid reverses the reversal into one of his own before it’s time to grapple on the mat a bit. Neither can get anywhere of note and Bate’s ankle crank doesn’t go anywhere as the round ends.

Round three begins with Bate working on the arm again as they’re still in second gear at most. Back up and they run the ropes with Kid slipping out of the airplane spin. Bate blocks a German suplex and sits down on a rollup for the pin at 1:47 of the round (8:47 total).

Round four begins with another slow start with neither being able to go anywhere until Kid kicks him in the head to make things personal. Bate goes all serious and hammers away, with Kid pulling him into a choke as a result. The sleeper goes on but Bate drives him into the corner for the break. Kid slaps it right back on and then switches into a triangle choke. Bate has to powerbomb his way to freedom for the break.

The fifth round begins with a test of strength taking Bate to the mat, where Kid can’t break his bridge. Back up and Kid hits a springboard moonsault DDT to plant Bate for the pin to tie it up at 1:00 of the fifth round (14:07 total). Round six starts with Bate circling around a bit before winning a slugout. The Liger Kick sends Kid outside but he’s right back in with a jumping enziguri. Kid can’t get the Rings of Saturn but he can get a sunset flip to retain the title at 2:04 (16:55).

Rating: B-. This took a little time to get going but the technical stuff worked out well. I’m not sure how well versed Bate is in this style but he did well enough. If nothing else, I’m glad to see Bate back in the ring after such a long absence. He really is one of the best young talents anywhere and it’s good to have him back. Then you have Kid, who already won the tournament and now has a big win to make him look like an even bigger star.

They shake hands to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They had a nice and balanced show here with three matches looking at three different parts of the roster. Throw in that they built up some things for later on and it was a good show overall. Again: not a great show, but you know what you’re getting and it worked out rather well. Nice effort here and the main event worked well.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Oliver Carter – Devlin Side

Isla Dawn b. Xia Brookside – Saito suplex

A-Kid b. Tyler Bate 2-1

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 26, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s Thanksgiving in the United Stats but that isn’t quite so important in the UK. Instead, let’s have a title match as the first ever Heritage Cup is on the line with A-Kid meeting Trent Seven in the tournament finals. Other than that, Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin is defending his title as well. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the importance of the Heritage Cup and features A-Kid and Trent Seven talking about how important the title would mean to them.

Cruiserweight Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Amir Jordan

Devlin is defending and for the sake of simplicity, I’ll only refer to Amir Jordan as Jordan. A shoulder into a headlock takeover has Jordan down to start but he’s back up with a wristlock to flip Devlin over. That just means a big running elbow from Devlin and they trade chops until Devlin blasts him with a dropkick. Devlin cranks on his neck for a bit, followed by the release Rock Bottom into the standing moonsault for two. They head outside with Jordan being stomped against the barricade and it’s a belly to back backbreaker back inside.

We hit the abdominal stretch but Jordan hiptosses his way to freedom. The comeback is on with a clothesline to the floor and there’s a suicide dive to take Devlin down. Back in and Jordan gets caught on top but Devlin has to block the sunset bomb. Instead it’s an electric chair flipped forward into a slam for two on Devlin. Jordan goes up top but the top rope backsplash hits raised knees. The Cloverleaf makes Jordan tap to retain the title at 9:44.

Rating: C. Devlin continues to look sharp out there and Jordan was putting up a good fight throughout. This was much more about having Devlin get in there and show that he can still bring it in a title defense and they pulled that off well. I’m curious about how they’re going to handle the two Cruiserweight Titles, but that isn’t the kind of thing that WWE is going to let last very long.

Post match Devlin says there is one Cruiserweight Champion.

Rampage Brown is training at the Performance Center when Saxon Huxley comes up to say his name. Please just be a squash.

Noam Dar is getting his own talk show. Does he have to?

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews jumped Eddie Dennis and the Hunt on their way in today. That could be a heck of a six man with the right partner.

Isla Dawn vs. Jinny

They trade headlocks to start until Dawn knocks her down and gets two off a double knee drop. Jinny responds by kicking her in the head and then grabbing the Iron Octopus. Dawn makes a rope so Jinny rolls her into a reverse chinlock. With that broken up, Jinny kicks her in the head over and over. Back up and Dawn hits her own kicks to the chest and a Saito suplex gets two. Jinny sends her hard into a knee to the face though and the Tarantula has Dawn screaming. Something like a crossface chickenwing with a leg grapevine makes Dawn tap at 5:04.

Rating: C+. The finish looked good and Jinny was more dominant than she has been in a long time. She has seemed to be ready to move up to the next level for a long time now and maybe this is the time where she finally gets to move up. Nice and quick match here, with Jinny coming off like a killer who can take a hit.

Post match, Jinny calls out Piper Niven.

Alexander Wolfe comes in to see Sid Scala about a match with Joe Coffey. Scala says it’s on, with Gallus and Imperium banned. Wolfe throws him an apple.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Heritage Cup: Trent Seven vs. A-Kid

For the inaugural title. Feeling out process to start with Kid taking him to the mat for a quickly broken headlock. Seven cartwheels his way to freedom and grabs a headscissors on the mat to slow things down a bit. That’s reversed into a double arm crank on Seven and they roll around with some grappling as the first round ends.

Round two begins with a test of strength going to Seven, who can’t break Kid’s bridge. Kid tapes him down and starts pulling on the arms but switches over to a kneebar. Seven is in trouble but manages to survive until the end, where he pops Kid in the jaw with a right hand.

We start round three with Kid kicking the water bottle out of Seven’s hand, only to have the parched Seven unload with chops. Kid kicks him down in a heap though and some running kicks, including one to the face, finish Seven at 1:34 of round three (8:50 total). The fourth round begins with Kid hitting a running kick to the face in the corner again and slapping on a Crossface. The triangle doesn’t work for Kid so he tries a cross armbreaker, which is countered with a heck of a powerbomb. They’re both down as time expires.

Round five begins with Seven grabbing a front facelock and Kid having to flip his way out of it. Back up and Seven plants him with a DDT for two and they both need a breather. Kid pulls himself up in the corner and fights out of the Birminghammer attempt. Seven tries a belly to back superplex attempt instead but Kid turns it into a high crossbody for a very near fall as time expires.

The final round begins with Seven hitting a quick Emerald Flosion for his own near fall. A big lariat gets the same and there’s the Birminghammer for a delayed two as Kid’s foot is underneath the rope. The Seven Star Lariat only gets two so Kid goes for the arm, only to have Seven stack him up for the pin at 2:31 (19:41).

So that’s a tie at the end of round six so let’s go to overtime with no time limit. Round seven starts Kid wins a slugout but the Seven Star Lariat cuts him off. Seven can’t follow up so Kid goes to the apron, with Seven joining him. The slugout goes to Seven, who hits his suplex slam to the floor, leaving Kid mostly done.

Kid still dives in and beats the count so Seven hits another Seven Star Lariat. That’s not enough for a cover as Seven loads up the Birminghammer, only to have Kid slip out and hit a superkick. Seven pulls him into a rollup like the one he won with before but this time pulls him into a Rings of Saturn, with Kid using his leg to pull Seven’s arm back for the tap and the cup at 5:17 of overtime (26:04 total).

Rating: B. That certainly worked and you forget that the rounds are there after a bit, making it a rather good match with both guys trying to survive and hold onto/chase the lead. Seven not being able to hang in there with the young Kid worked, especially with Kid just striking him down over and over. Good stuff here and Kid is a nice choice to see what he can do with the Cup, especially once Imperium realizes it’s perfect for them.

Post match Seven presents Kid with the trophy and streamers fly to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event was more than enough to carry the show and the first two matches were certainly serviceable enough. They wrapped up the tournament on a high note and that’s a positive sign for the future. As usual, they know how to set things up for the future so while they have their work cut out for them following this one, they had a good show here and could pull it off again in the future.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Amir Jordan – Cloverleaf

Jinny b. Isla Dawn – Crossface chickenwing with a leg grapevine

A-Kid b. Trent Seven 2-1

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 29, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for one of the bigger matches that has ever taken place around here as Walter defends the United Kingdom Title against Ilja Dragunov. This was originally planned for sometime earlier this year but the Coronavirus changed the plans. The match has been built up incredibly well and if the payoff is anywhere in the ballpark, this is going to be a smash. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on Walter vs. Dragunov. They’ve made it feel special.

Opening sequence.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Dani Luna

Luna armdrags her down to start but Valkyrie is right back with a headscissors to escape. Back up and a knee to the ribs slows Valkyrie down but Valkyrie scores with a running dropkick to send her to the floor. Valkyrie gets dropped onto the apron though and we hit the armbar back inside. That’s broken up as well and Luna armdrags her down for a breather. Valkyrie gets in a Pele for two but Luna snaps off a German suplex. A regular version gets two but Valkyrie is back up with slaps to the face. Another German suplex is escaped and Valkyrie kicks her down again. The top rope ax kick finishes Luna at 6:05.

Rating: C-. Valkyrie being one of the next title challengers would not surprise me and that is a good spot for her. She comes off as a serious threat whenever she is in there and has a cool entrance to go with it. That might be a ways off in the future, but it might be something to look forward to.

Long video on the first round of the Heritage Cup and what it has meant to have the title around.

Rampage Brown is coming. Cool.

We look at Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews both being attacked by an unknown assailant.

Here are Webster and Andrews to search for some answers but here’s Eddie Dennis to cut them off in a hurry. Andrews doesn’t trust him but Dennis says Andrews is the most narcissistic person he has ever met. Webster doesn’t want to hear it, though Dennis keeps talking about Webster being taken out before his big singles match. Cue Pretty Deadly to surround Dennis but the Hunt comes in to even things up. Dennis laughs it off by saying keep your friends close and your enemies closer….and the Hunt jumps Andrews and Webster. Dennis approves of and directs the attack as we have a new partnership. Cool.

Piper Niven still wants Kay Lee Ray and threatens an injury, which lasts longer than a title reign.

Pretty Deadly comes up to Sid Scala and want a Tag Team Title match. Sam Gradwell pops in to say he’s back and then leaves, with Pretty Deadly going in their own direction. Gallus comes in to say Scala should do something about this and promises to be back to normal next week.

Another video on Walter vs. Dragunov, including Dragunov pinning Walter in a tag match after the return.

Jordan Devlin vs. Levi Muir

This is Devlin’s return and his Cruiserweight Title isn’t on the line. Devlin takes the well built Muir down by the arm to start and stomps away as the aggression flows early. An elbow to the face cuts off Muir’s early comeback attempt and the trash talk is on. A release Rock Bottom into the standing moonsault hits Muir but he grabs a rollup for two. Devlin swats away at a second attempt and hits an Alabama Slam. Muir tries a Samoan drop but gets crucifixed for two, followed by a kick to the head. The Devlinside into a Texas Cloverleaf makes Muir tap at 4:49.

Rating: C. This was all about making Devlin look like a star in his return and that worked fine. Devlin was on total fire before he was put on the sideline and I’m hoping he gets to come back and do the same thing over and over again. Good start to the comeback here though, and Muir was a nice looking opponent as well.

Next week: Pretty Deadly/Sam Gradwell vs. Gallus and more Heritage Cup Tournament.

We look at the Walter/Dragunov contract signing, which turned into another hot brawl.

United Kingdom Title: Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov

Walter is defending and Dragunov hits a running knee into the corner at the bell. They strike it out with Dragunov slipping out of a powerbomb and kneeing away. Dragunov knocks him off the top and hits the top rope backsplash, only to have to flip out of the sleeper. Walter gets in a slam and a kick to the back before sending him throat first into the bottom rope, causing Dragunov to come up holding his neck. Back in and Walter starts on the neck with a hard clothesline and the chinlock, followed by a knee drop to the head.

Some choking on the apron stays on the neck and Walter starts cranking away. There’s a stomp to the chest and a shot to the head gives Walter two. Dragunov’s comeback is cut off so Walter steps on his head. Walter knocks him back down again and then lays Dragunov across the top. Dragunov falls outside after Walter steps on his face to put Dragunov out on the floor.

Back up and Walter chokes on the rope but Dragunov reverses into something like Sheamus’ ten forearms to the chest. Some German suplexes drop Walter and there’s a third to really get the fire going. Back to back enziguris set up a dead lift German suplex for two on Walter. A bunch of stomps to the head have Walter in trouble but he forearms Dragunov in the back of the head. The sleeper is blocked but Walter pulls him down on the second attempt.

Dragunov backflips over for the escape and hits him in the back of the neck, setting up the 61Line for two on Walter. They’re both down, with Dragunov’s chest looking absolutely terrible. It’s Walter up first with more stomps to the head and chops to the chest, so Dragunov says do it harder. The huge clothesline into the powerbomb gives Walter two (that would have blown the roof off with a crowd) and the sleeper, with a bodyscissors, goes on. Walter switches to a dragon sleeper before kicking him in the back to set up the regular sleeper again.

Dragunov headbutts his way out, even if he damages his neck again in the process. Some knees to the face and a double chop have Walter out on his knees and it’s a missile dropkick for a great two. They’re both down again so Walter shouts at him and they chop it out even more. Dragunov manages a suplex for another two but the neck gives out on the Torpedo Moscow attempt.

Instead it’s…I think a running knee to the head (maybe a Blockbuster) for two more on Walter. Dragunov elbows him in the head so Walter rolls outside where it’s a sleeper suplex to drop Dragunov on his head. Walter hits the apron powerbomb and then a regular one back inside. The top rope splash…only gets two, and Walter isn’t pleased. He unloads with shots to the face and grabs the sleeper with a bodyscissors. Dragunov is bleeding from the mouth and out cold so the referee finally stops it at 25:10.

Rating: A. They built this up for months and then delivered in spades. This was outstanding and that’s all you can expect from a big time Walter match. No one brings the big fight collision like he does as every time it feels like his challengers are throwing the world at him, only to have Walter take everything they have and hit right back even harder.

Dragunov looked like a star here and he never gave up, which is one of the best ways imaginable to earn respect. That and beating the heck out of Walter of course. This was great and is well worth your time if you want the brutal fight style. Star making performance for Dragunov, and another star confirming performance for Walter.

Dragunov is out and even Walter looks concerned as referees get him to his feet to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. This show was built around one match and that was as good as you could have imagined. The rest of the show was just there and that’s all well and good because it was a one match show throughout. The bottom of the card needs some work but the top of NXT UK’s roster is outstanding and I’m really curious to see who is next for Walter. And Devlin for that matter, as we now have a second star in the making. Great show, with a phenomenal main event.

Results

Aoife Valkyrie b. Dani Luna – Top rope ax kick

Jordan Devlin b. Levi Muir – Texas Cloverleaf

Walter b. Ilja Dragunov via referee stoppage

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: May 14, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

It’s time for another special edition of the show and that should be something interesting. This time around it’s another Superstar Picks show and I’m curious to see what they pull out of the vault this time. The first edition was a lot of fun and hopefully that is the case again here. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Andy Shepard welcomes us to the show and explains the concept in a hurry.

Eddie Dennis starts us off with a trip way back to Raw, March 3, 1997.

European Title: Owen Hart vs. British Bulldog

Owen grabs the wrist and climbs the ropes but gets caught in a powerbomb. Bulldog catapults him to the floor and invites him back in. Rollup gets two for Owen but an armdrag puts him on the mat where Bulldog takes over with a headlock again. Owen tries the same wristlock counter as before but the British one drops him right on his back and arm to counter.

Candy Floss sends us to Raw, April 7, 2014.

Divas Title: AJ Lee vs. Paige

The champ jumps her to start and drops Paige with a running elbow. The Black Widow goes on but Paige powers out, hits a horrible looking Paige Turner and wins the title in a shock at 1:19. Well as much of a shock as it can be given how obvious it was as soon as Paige’s music hit.

Primate’s favorite match from NXT UK is from November 1, 2019 (though it seems to really be October 31, 2019).

Dave Mastiff vs. Jordan Devlin

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

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

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

Finally, Trent Seven picks this one from the United Kingdom Championship Tournament II Night Two.

NXT Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era

The Era is defending. Bate dropkicks Strong to start and it’s quickly off to Seven for some arm cranking. As usual this goes badly for Seven but everything breaks down with the champs sending them outside. Back in and the fans are split as Strong chops away at Seven in the corner.

We’re already into the chinlock but Seven kicks O’Reilly to the floor. Like a smart champion, O’Reilly runs around the ring and pulls Bate off the apron to take over. As tends to be the case, the hot tag goes through a few seconds later, allowing Bate to come in and clean house. O’Reilly saves Strong from the airplane spin and jumps on Bate’s back, so Bate German suplexes Strong at the same time, just because he can.

Seven comes back in and gets kicked in the face for two, sending O’Reilly into fits of frustration. A discus forearm knocks Seven into Bate for the tag and the dragon suplex/clothesline combination (how they beat O’Reilly yesterday) gets a close two. Back up and O’Reilly’s brainbuster gets two on Bate but Seven sends Fish to the floor. A hard shot rocks O’Reilly and a torture rack neckbreaker/top rope knee drop combination finishes O’Reilly for the titles at 10:40.

Rating: B. That’s the way to fire up a crowd and it doesn’t matter if the title reign is just for the live crowd and they drop the belts right back in short order. Moustache Mountain is a fun team and the fans in both America and England love them. This was a perfect opener and that’s all you could have asked to see.

Overall Rating: A-. It’s a greatest hits show and I’m not sure what else you can ask for out of it. They had a nice mixture of stuff here and it was a bunch of either very good to classic matches. This is the kind of thing that they can do time after time and it is going to work almost every time. I wouldn’t mind having NXT UK back, but it’s not exactly something all that high up on my priority list. Keep this going as long as you can because it’s a lot more fun.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 10, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Jon Quasto, Byron Saxton

The timing could be interesting around here as William Regal has announced a tournament to crown an interim Cruiserweight Champion due to Jordan Devlin being unable to leave the UK. The tournament won’t start until next week, but at least it gives them something to focus on around here. Or maybe it won’t be mentioned yet because of the taping schedule. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence

Tony Nese vs. Danny Burch

Commentary does know about the tournament so that’s a nice change of pace. Burch armbars him down to start so Nese reverses into a headlock on the mat. That’s broken up into a standoff so Burch goes for the leg, sending Nese to the ropes again. They do the same things with the roles reversed as they’re staying mostly even here. Burch slips out of a headscissors and grabs a headlock but Nese sends him to the apron.

An elbow to the face puts Burch on the floor and it’s a splash for two back inside. The bodyscissors stays on Burch’s ribs and Nese switches over to a waistlock, which is countered with a Stunner of all things. Burch fights back with some clotheslines and a middle rope missile dropkick gets two. Nese flips out of a German suplex and stomps on the ribs for two. The Lionsault gets the same but Burch pulls him down into the Crossface. That’s broken up as well and it’s the German suplex into the corner. The Running Nese finishes Burch at 10:16.

Rating: C+. I liked this one a good bit as the two of them worked well with each other and there was a story throughout the match with Nese working on the ribs throughout. Nese winning makes sense as Burch is usually the one who loses around here most of the time so this was the smart way to go.

Post match Nese brags to commentary and promises to be the next champion.

Jordan Devlin isn’t happy about the tournament but he’ll be here to take the title from whoever wins it.

Oney Lorcan vs. Jack Gallagher

Nese is still at ringside and talking more trash but Gallagher comes out and gets in his face to get rid of him. They go with the grappling to start with Burch taking it to the mat for a headscissors. That’s reversed and Gallagher pounds away, only to bail from the threat of an ankle lock.

Gallagher heads to the ropes, followed by more grappling to send Gallagher to the ropes again. Burch takes him down by the leg so Gallagher gets in some elbows to the head for the break. A few more shots send Burch outside but he’s back in with chops. Those just make Gallagher smile and he strikes away in the corner. They slug it out from their knees with Burch getting the better of things, only to get headbutted down.

Burch BLASTS him with a clothesline for two and loads up a belly to back superplex but gets elbowed back down. Gallagher hits a spinning high crossbody to put both of them down but Nese is here for a distraction. A rollup gives Burch two so Gallagher headbutts the heck out of him. That’s enough for Nese as he comes in and jumps Gallagher for the DQ at 8:01.

Rating: C+. Another good match here and a different style than the first one as this was more of a brawl. The ending even felt like an angle, which hasn’t been the case around here for a few weeks. Lorcan (and Burch) are still great for matches like this as they can work with anyone and have a good match as a result, even Gallagher doing his Conor McGregor deal.

Post match Nese stays on Gallagher but Burch makes a save. Nese gets up and grabs the chair but Lorcan runs out for the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is the first time that they had any kind of an angle on the show for about a month and it made things a little bit better. What matters though is they have good enough matches and the show doesn’t include the horribly annoying people who were dragging things down for so long. That and the shorter run time makes the show that much better. Good stuff here, even if the show is still on the lowest level on the totem pole around this company.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 9, 2020
Commentator: Andy Shepherd

Wrestling has entered a new stage of the Coronavirus pandemic as a WWE show has officially run out of new material. For the foreseeable future, NXT UK is going to be nothing but Best Of shows. This could be interesting, but I’m not sure how long this is going to work given the promotion’s limited history. They’ve surprised me before though so let’s get to it.

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

We open with the introduction of NXT UK with HHH and William Regal being very happy.

Shepherd gives us a quick welcome and we’re ready to go.

From the NXT UK Championship Tournament Day One (January 15, 2017).

Quarterfinals: Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate

We look at Bate winning the tournament.

From the UK Title Tournament (June 25, 2018).

United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Jack Gallagher vs. Zack Gibson

Gibson, a bald guy with a beard, is loathed by the crowd. They go straight for the wrist battle and Gallagher bounces out of a headscissors. The fans sing a song that I can’t understand and Gallagher turns into a conductor before being taken down by the arm. That goes nowhere so Gallagher spins him down into a rollup for two, much to the fans’ amusement. Gibson gets serious with a hard clothesline as the chants continue.

We hit a cobra clutch for a bit before Gibson goes with right hands to the face instead. A crossface chickenwing keeps Gibson in control until Gallagher fights up and actually wins a slugout against the much bigger Gibson. Gallagher’s suplex and knee shot get two but he gets caught on the ropes, setting up a middle rope Codebreaker for two. Gibson counters the running corner dropkick into a powerbomb but gets pulled into a triangle choke.

That’s broken up with a toss to the floor so Gallagher slingshots back in, landing with a sleeper on Gibson in a sweet sequence. Gibson makes a rope so Gallagher goes with the running corner dropkick for two more. That’s not cool with Gibson, who sends him shoulder first into the post to cut him down again. Gallagher hits another dropkick but a Swan Dive hits the shoulder, setting up a seated armbar (Shankly Gates) to make Gallagher tap at 13:28.

Rating: B. They were starting to roll with Gallagher as the scrappy face (a role he could use again back in 205 Live) against the rather nasty Gibson with all of the submissions. Gibson won clean here too, which is a smart way to put him over as a big threat around here. That’s the point of putting main roster people in there and it worked quite well.

Gibson would go on to win the tournament.

Then NXT UK expanded with different divisions.

From the NXT UK TV debut (October 17, 2018).

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.

From the UK Championship Special (May 19, 2017).

Trent Seven vs. Pete Dunne

The arm is good enough for a dragon suplex onto the apron and both guys are left in a heap on the floor. They both dive in at nine and Dunne manages to flip out of a dragon superplex, only to eat a huge lariat for a very delayed two. The Seven Star Lariat is broken up though and we hit another double wristlock. Trent slips out again but walks into the Bitter End to send Pete to Chicago at 14:47.

Video on Pete Dunne’s UK Title reign, capped off by Walter’s debut and the WHOA moment.

Overall Rating: A-. I never know what to say for something like this as they can pick and choose their better stuff here. What we got was certainly good and it was an entertaining selection of choices, but it wasn’t like there was any real flow to it, with matches kind of jumping all over the place instead of being in chronological order. Either way though, it was a fun hour and twelve minutes so what more can you want?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 2, 2020
Location: Coventry Skydome, Coventry, England
Commentators: Andy Williams, Nigel McGuinness

Unless there are some matches that aren’t listed, this is it as far as original episodes go for the time being. It’s a shame too as you could have imagined a match taking place over Wrestlemania weekend or something and then the huge Takeover: Dublin show. As for tonight though, it’s a big battle royal to crown a new #1 contender. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video is ALL about the battle royal as everyone wants to win the match and become #1 contender. As they should.

Opening sequence.

Kay Lee Ray/Jinny vs. Dani Luna/Piper Niven

Despite Dani’s protests, Piper and Jinny start things off….but Piper tags Dani in anyway. Jinny’s running crossbody doesn’t work but Ray comes in for a cheap shot to put Dani down. Ray pulls Piper off the apron and has to run away, allowing Jinny to knock Dani down for two. Some double teaming in the corner keeps Dani in trouble and Ray’s gordbuster gets two.

Ray forearms her in the chest as we hear a voiceover from Nigel about Wrestlemania being a two night show. Jinny grabs an Octopus Hold but has to let go as Dani powers towards the corner. A few forearms allow the hot tag to Piper and it’s time to run Jinny over. A buckle bomb sets up the Cannonball but Ray breaks up the Vader Bomb. Everything breaks down and Piper gets sent into the steps, leaving Luna to get Gory Bombed for the pin at 7:10.

Rating: C. Nice energetic match here and that’s the best thing that they could have done. Piper vs. Ray seems to be coming sooner or later and that’s the most logical match they have. Luna has gotten a nice little push as of late and while the loss didn’t help her here, she has some potential and could go somewhere in the future.

Next week: the Rise of NXT UK. Looks like a history special.

Video on Gallus.

Xia Brookside vs. Amele

Amele works on a wristlock to start but Xia takes her down into a crossbody for two. The armbar keeps Amele down but she’s right back up to work on the arm again. Another armbar works on Xia’s arm this time until a flying mare and jawbreaker get Xia out of trouble. Some running knees in the corner set up the Broken Wings for the pin on Amele at 2:59.

Battle Royal

Ashton Smith, Ridge Holland, Kassius Ohno, Alexander Wolfe, Dave Mastiff, Oliver Carter, Travis Banks, Ligero, Saxton Huxley, Joe Coffey, Jordan Devlin, Ilja Dragunov, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Noam Dar, Kenny Williams, Tyson T-Bone, A-Kid, Amir Jordan, Flash Morgan Webster

The winner gets a UK Title shot at some point in the future. Ohno backs away from Holland and Mastiff to start and is promptly ganged for the early elimination. Huxley throws out Williams and it’s Webster and Kid throwing each other to the apron for no avail. Coffey gets rid of Webster and Jordan headscissors Huxley out. Kid is thrown onto Huxley’s back but chokes him out and climbs back in for a clever save.

T-Bone is out next and Coffey seems to be favoring his leg. A chokebomb plants Banks and Mastiff gets rid of him, meaning it’s time for everyone to fight near the ropes. Mastiff gets rid of Jordan (Nigel: “Jordan with a mere ten minutes in the match!”), followed by Holland powering out Carter (with a huge overhead belly to belly) and Smith back to back. Ligero is thrown onto the two of them, leaving Mastiff vs. Holland. As usual, Dar messes things up by interrupting the showdown but here’s Joseph Conners to distract Holland so Coffey and Dragunov can get rid of him as well.

Coffey and Dragunov have the big slugout for a double knockdown, leaving Moustache Mountain to hit stereo airplane spins on Dar and Kid. Seven drops Bate (with love of course) but Coffey tosses Seven from behind. Bate manages to get Mastiff on his shoulders but can’t keep him up so it’s time for everyone to pair off. Kid hits a springboard clothesline on Coffey but gets headbutted out by Devlin. A Rock Bottom puts Dragunov onto Coffey and Devlin moonsaults onto both of them, only to have Dar throw Devlin out.

Mastiff is waiting on Dar though and it’s a big backsplash to crush him hard. Everyone gets together to get rid of Mastiff though and we’re down to Coffey, Dar, Bate, Dragunov and Wolfe. Bate gets rid of Dar (the fans sound VERY pleased) and everyone takes a corner. Coffey swings Dragunov for a long time before crushing Bate in the corner. A running tackle crushes Bate and Dragunov at the same time but Wolfe sends him to the apron. Wolfe kicks Coffey out and we’re down to three.

Bate and Dragunov double team Wolfe but some heel miscommunication lets him take them both down, including a heck of a German suplex to drop Bate on his head. Bate staggers Wolfe though and Dragunov clotheslines him out, leaving Bate vs. Dragunov. They tease some eliminations until Bop and Bang drops Dragunov in a heap. A suplex plants Dragunov again but Bate walks into a hard clothesline.

The 6 1 Line plants Bate again and they’re both down for a bit. Bate unloads with rights and lefts until an enziguri takes him down again. They both go over the top and out to the apron so Bate loads up a rather illogical superplex. Dragunov throws him back in and hits a top rope backsplash but can’t hit Torpedo Moscow. Bate gets sent over the top but holds on with one hand, allowing Dragunov to hit Torpedo Moscow for the win at 28:40.

Rating: C+. The length was a bit of a problem but they kept things energized for a good chunk of the time. The ending was the best part and Dragunov is the best choice for the title shot. Odds are that was set for Dublin and they can go back to it whenever things are back to normal. A lot of people looked good in this though and that’s what matters in a match like this.

Overall Rating: C. The show itself was built entirely around the battle royal and the other two matches were just kind of there. It was nice to have the two other matches be all about the women because they weren’t going to get a place in the rest of the show. This was a good way to go out, but it feels like a season finale on a lower level indy company than what we have here. Then again, it’s not like anything going on today makes sense so that’s about as good as they could have gotten.

Results

Kay Lee Ray/Jinny b. Dani Luna/Piper Niven – Gory Bomb to Luna

Xia Brookside b. Amele – Broken Wings

Ilja Dragunov won a battle royal last eliminating Tyler Bate

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 26, 2020
Location: Coventry Skydome, Coventry, England
Commentators: Andy Williams, Nigel McGuinness

Things are starting to pick up a bit around here as they seem to be building towards Takeover: Dublin, but now that show is not going to be taking place which leaves them in a weird place. They have a few weeks left taped and that could help them out a lot in the near future. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video hypes up tonight’s Cruiserweight Title match between champion Jordan Devlin and challenger Travis Banks.

Opening sequence.

Imperium vs. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter

That would be Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel. Barthel grabs Carter by the neck to get out of an armbar and takes him down to crank on the leg. Aichner comes in to snap off an armdrag into an armbar on Smith but a flying mare gets him out of trouble. Carter comes in to clean house, including something like Private Party’s Silly String into a splash. A kick to Aichner’s face gets two with Barthel making the save.

The stereo kicks in the corner rock Carter and we get the Imperium pose. The chinlock keeps keeps Carter in trouble until he flips over Aichner and brings Smith in to clean house. A quick sitout AA gets two and the European Bomb is countered into a hurricanrana for two. Aichner plants Smith with a spinebuster though and now the European Bomb can finish Carter at 8:32.

Rating: C+. Some of those near falls were better than I would have bet on as Carter and Smith had some good energy to carry the match that much further. Imperium should be on their way towards the Tag Team Titles again soon as there isn’t much for them to do with matches like this for the time being. Nice enough match though.

Gallus plays cards and talk about winning the battle royal to crown a new #1 contender next week.

Moustache Mountain and Alexander Wolfe want to win the battle royal too.

Pretty Deadly annoy Carter and Smith after their loss. Carter and Smith say they’ll win the battle royal too.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Nina Samuels

Valkyrie grabs a headlock to start so Samuels reverses with a headscissors. Samuels survives a backslide attempt by grabbing the rope, followed by sending Valkyrie into the ropes as well. A surfboard has Valkyrie in trouble but she runs Samuels over with ease. Valkyrie hits a running dropkick to put Samuels on the floor but Samuels comes back in with a fireman’s carry. That’s broken up as well with Valkyrie flipping over her and hitting a spin kick to the head. The top rope ax kick to the back of the head gives Valkyrie the pin at 4:46.

Rating: C-. That might have been the best Valkyrie match I’ve seen so far as she seemed a bit more crisp than usual. What mattered was having her look like someone above most of the rest of the division as she could be a player, but she needs to get a little more interesting first. Samuels is fine for a jobber to the stars.

We recap Piper Niven running off Kay Lee Ray last week.

Piper knows Dani Luna didn’t need help last week, so it can be a tag match next week.

We look at Mark Andrews being attacked last week.

Flash Morgan Webster will find out who did this.

A-Kid vs. Noam Dar

They fight over arm control to start until Kid nips up into a headscissors for a nifty counter. Back up and Dar hits a dropkick to stagger Kid so they can hit the mat again. Dar avoids the Octopus and they take turns sweeping the leg. A rapid fire pinfall reversal sequence gets a bunch of ones so Dar gets cocky and kicks him in the chest. The armbar goes on again, with Dar switching into a cross armbreaker. That’s countered into a triangle choke, which is released as well so Kid can kick him in the head. What looked to be a low blow rocks Kid though and the Nova Roller finishes Kid at 6:39.

Rating: C. Not bad again here with Dar being a lot better as the cocky heel. He can go well enough in the ring and has proven that several times, but I still can’t bring myself to be convinced of his star power. A-Kid seems like a solid prospect and could be a nice addition to the roster in time.

Post match Dar brags even more.

Video on Walter.

More people are ready to win the battle royal.

Cruiserweight Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks

Devlin is defending and we get Big Match Intros. As tends to be the case around here fairly often, they fight over arm control to start, with the fans not being sure who they like best. Banks wristlocks him into the corner and gets two off a quick cradle, which is enough to send Devlin bailing to the floor. Back in and Devlin’s Rock Bottom is countered but a suicide dive misses, sending Banks shoulder first into the barricade.

That’s almost good for a countout but Banks makes it back in. That earns him a chinlock, followed by the Spanish Fly for two. There’s a jawbreaker to cut off Banks’ next comeback attempt but Banks Hulks Up off some kicks to the face. A kick to the leg sends Devlin into the corner and a Cannonball makes it even worse. Some YES Kicks keep Banks in trouble and there’s a Shining Wizard to put Devlin outside.

Now the suicide dive can connect but the Slice of Heaven misses so Devlin can kick away. A pinfall reversal sequence gets a few near falls but an exchange of headbutts put both of them down again. Banks heads up but has to knock Devlin down, setting up the Alberto double stomp. Devlin is right back up with the slingshot cutter for his own near fall as frustration is setting in. The Slice of Heaven connects for two but Devlin grabs a rollup and the rope to retain at 14:57.

Rating: B. That was a hotter main event as these two work well together. Devlin is starting to come into his own as a star and he was doing that again here. It was a good match with Devlin looking like he was in trouble before retaining. There isn’t much of a division over here but Devlin bouncing around to face challengers could work out well for him in the end.

Overall Rating: C+. This worked well enough, even though the fans weren’t exactly thrilled. That’s been the case with almost every show on this taping cycle and there is no reason to believe that won’t be the case for however many episodes they have left. Hopefully things pick up a bit, with the battle royal sounding like it could be a big deal if they give it time. Pretty good show this week with the main event being a highlight.

Results

Imperium b. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter – European Bomb to Carter

Aoife Valkyrie b. Nina Samuels – Top rope ax kick

Noam Dar b. A-Kid – Nova Roller

Jordan Devlin b. Travis Banks – Rollup while grabbing the rope

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: February 19, 2020
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix, Nigel McGuinness

We’re done with Takeover: Portland and that means it’s time to get ready for Takeover: Tampa, which is coming up in a hurry. The big story is Johnny Gargano costing Tommaso Ciampa the NXT Title against Adam Cole, likely setting up the final showdown in Tampa. Other than that, we probably need to get some stuff set up for the big show. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Takeover if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Takeover, which switches over to a preview of tonight’s show.

Here’s the Undisputed Era to get things going. Adam Cole talks about destiny and Tommaso Ciampa getting his answer about being a champion. That answer was undisputed as the Era continues to show that they are dominant around here. Tonight, Roderick Strong can continue showing that against Velveteen Dream. Cue Dream’s voice, saying that Strong can prove himself by leaving his boys in the back. Dream: “Do it for Marina.” Strong says he’ll make Dream wish he never came back. They kept this short and to the point as they were out about six minutes into the show, including the recap.

We look at Gargano costing Ciampa the title.

Cruiserweight Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Lio Rush

Devlin is defending and drives him into the corner to start, only to get sent outside. Back from an early break with Devlin hitting a jumping knee to the face and then kicking Rush in the head. The release Rock Bottom sets up the standing moonsault but Rush gets his knees up. A release half and half suplex gives Devlin two and he knees Rush in the ribs for the same.

The camel clutch works on the ribs a bit more, followed by some kicks to the face as Nigel is rather pleased. Rush tries to fight back with the springboard Stunner but Devlin plants him with a backbreaker. A jawbreaker drops Rush again and we take another break. Back again with Rush hitting a high crossbody for two but Devlin hits a cutter to send Rush outside.

Devlin plants him with a standing Spanish Fly back inside but Rush is back up with a super reverse hurricanrana. The springboard Stunner for two sets up the Final Hour, which only hits mat for the big crash. Devlin headbutts him into the Devlin Side to put Rush away and retain the title at 18:34.

Rating: B. Devlin continues to impress but I’m more surprised by how much I’ve gotten into Rush as an underdog face. He was one of the most annoying (in a good way) managers I’ve seen in a long time and now he’s this good at the other side. Rush is rather talented and if he can keep his head on straight, he has a heck of a future.

Reina Gonzalez says she saw something in Dakota Kai because she knows what it means to be left on the sidelines. Together, they are unstoppable. William Regal comes in to tell Kai that she faces Tegan Nox in a cage match in two weeks.

Rhea Ripley says the queen is having a nightmare at Wrestlemania.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Raul Mendoza/Joaquin Wilde

Wilde dropkicks Gibson but Drake is right there with a cheap shot from the apron to turn that around. Drake comes in so Wilde turns up the pace and gets two off a crucifix. It’s already back to Gibson who takes Wilde down, setting up a toss to the floor. The slingshot forearm/backbreaker hits Wilde and the chinlock goes on back inside.

Wilde fires up and hits a moonsault out of the corner, allowing the tag off to Mendoza. Everything breaks down and it’s Gibson getting in a shot to Mendoza’s throat. A suplex drops Mendoza again and Drake dropkicks Wilde to the floor. Mendoza tries a headscissors but gets spun into the Ticket to Mayhem for the pin at 4:34.

Rating: C-. This was just a step above an extended squash for the Veterans and that’s fine. They’re in a weird place as there’s little left for them to do in NXT UK other than having random feuds against tag teams they should beat. Therefore, putting them over here gives them a fresh hill to climb, but I’m not entirely sure they’re sticking around full time. I hope they are though, as it could make things interesting. The other interesting point here is no mention being made of Wilde vs. Mendoza being announced for next week’s 205 Live. Odds on no one at NXT being told or caring that 205 Live has a match announced (or even exists)?

Post match Gibson insults the fans and says they’re here to take over and be recognized as the best in the world.

Here are the Broserweights for their big celebration, including a trip through the crowd and a lot of fist bumps. Matt Riddle isn’t sure where the golf cart is but Pete Dunne says Riddle got it impounded. That doesn’t matter though because they’re the Tag Team Champions. Riddle says Dunne is a machine, but the Dusty Cup partied too hard and got Wellnessed for thirty days. Riddle: “It’s a thing here. It’s a thing here.”

Broserweights vs. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch

Non-title. Dunne and Burch start things off with Dunne taking him down into something like a bow and arrow. That’s broken up in a hurry but Burch can’t stomp on Dunne’s hands. He can however spin out of an armbar attempt and try a failed Crossface, giving us a standoff. Riddle and Lorcan come in with Riddle riding him on the mat. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the champs hit some quick suplexes to take us to a break.

Back with Lorcan holding Riddle in a half crab, which he switches into an STF. That’s broken up in a hurry and it’s Dunne coming back in for some stomps onto the fingers. Burch blocks an armbar though and rolls Dunne up for two, only to have both partners come in for the break. Riddle no sells a German suplex so Burch clotheslines him into the Crossface.

Dunne flips out of another suplex and breaks up the hold to put everyone down at the same time. The tag brings Dunne in Legally for an enziguri to send Burch into the corner. That means Lorcan can come in for a running Blockbuster to put Dunne down. Dunne is back up and snaps the fingers though and it’s the Bitter End/jumping knee combination to finish Lorcan at 11:03.

Rating: C+. The ending was pretty abrupt but it came at the end of a nice slugout with two teams who can work that hard hitting brawling style. Riddle and Dunne are rapidly gaining chemistry though and their promos have grown on me in a hurry. Good stuff here, as Burch and Lorcan continue to be the kind of team you can put in there with anyone and get a solid match.

Roderick Strong tells the Undisputed Era that he needs to do this himself.

The Forgotten Sons don’t like the Grizzled Young Veterans coming to their country and talking trash. They’ll fight for AMERICA.

Keith Lee vs. Kona Reeves

Non-title. Lee runs him over before the bell, says ring the bell, and finishes with the Big Bang Catastrophe at 12 seconds. That’s more time than Reeves deserves.

Post destruction, Dominick Dijakovic comes in to say he had Lee beaten at Takeover. All Lee hears is a bunch of excuses, but the fans want to see them fight forever. Based on that, maybe Dijakovic can talk him into another match.

Kayden Carter vs. Chelsea Green

Robert Stone introduces Green as the face of the women’s division. Carter grabs a quick rollup for two but doesn’t have quite the same magic as she did last time. Green gets knocked into the ropes and a low superkick gives Carter two more. Back up and Green runs her over for two, setting up a camel clutch.

Carter’s throat is sent into the middle rope for two and Green stands on her hair. With that going on, here’s Bianca Belair with a mic to call out Charlotte for jumping her at Takeover. It doesn’t even matter if Charlotte doesn’t go here. Green gets some near falls off a few rollups but Carter hits a superkick to send her outside. Stone trips Carter up though and it’s a reverse Unprettier to give Green the pin at 4:46.

Rating: D-. What in the world was that? I like Carter a good bit and Green has charisma, but this was a rather bad match with Belair’s run in promo being the only thing worth seeing. The wrestling was horrible and there was no fire or anything worth seeing. This is one of the worst things I’ve seen from NXT in a long time and I really hope it’s a one off misfire instead of what they’re capable of doing.

Next week it’s Ciampa vs. Theory and Finn Balor is here.

Roderick Strong vs. Velveteen Dream

Dream is in a blue full body suit and I have a feeling that it’s not lasting the whole match. Strong takes him up against the ropes to start but Dream comes back, sending Strong outside for a breather. They switch places as Dream keeps playing the mind games but Strong gets in a poke to the eye (which makes Beth gasp). The strikes begin to put Dream in trouble, followed by the first backbreaker.

They head outside with Dream getting sent back first into the barricade and then the steps for a bonus. We take a break and come back with Dream fighting out of a sleeper. They ram heads in the corner for a breather and it’s Dream hitting his own backbreakers. A middle rope ax handle lets Dream knock him into the ropes but it’s too early for the Dream Valley Driver. Strong is back with a backbreaker onto the turnbuckle for a close two but Dream knees his way out of a suplex attempt.

Instead, Strong takes him down into the Strong Hold and cranks back for a bit. That’s broken up as well with a kick out to the floor and it’s Dream hitting a superkick. The Dream Valley Driver connects and indeed the suit comes off, revealing the Marina Shafir tights (thankfully without their son). Dream goes up but has to dive onto the invading Era, allowing Strong to knee him out of the air. That doesn’t matter much though as a second Dream Valley Driver finishes Strong at 15:38.

Rating: B-. It was a pretty good back and forth match but the Dream tights deal is still weird. It’s WAY better without the son though so they’re going in the right direction. This would seem to point towards Dream heading to Takeover to challenge Cole for the title and that should make for a big deal is that’s where the title change takes place. Strong going after the back made sense, but I didn’t really feel the fire that Strong should have had after what Dream has been doing.

Post match the Era is on Dream immediately and the beatdown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The best thing here is that the show didn’t feel like a chore again this week. It’s not a great show but it felt a lot more like a normal NXT than last week’s slog. Granted this one had one of the worst things I can remember from NXT but it also had a good opener and closer, plus what felt like the setup for a pair of Takeover matches. You might even be able to pencil in Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Broserweights and that sounds like the makings of an awesome card. Not a blowaway show this week, but it had more energy and didn’t feel like they were stretching it out for the sake of stretching it out.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Lio Rush – Devlin Side

Grizzled Young Veterans b. Raul Mendoza/Joaquin Wilde – Ticket to Mayhem to Mendoza

Broserweights b. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan – Final Flash/Bitter End combination to Lorcan

Keith Lee b. Kona Reeves – Big Bang Catastrophe

Chelsea Green b. Kayden Carter – Reverse Unprettier

Velveteen Dream b. Roderick Strong – Dream Valley Driver

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: February 7, 2020
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Joe Quasto, Aiden English

This show continues to vex me every single week. I’m not sure what to expect here but that never changes on any given week. The big deal this week is Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin is here for the first time. If nothing else, maybe he can bring some energy into the show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari/Brian Kendrick

This has been built up over a few weeks. Lorcan punches Kendrick to the floor at the bell but it’s Daivari being thrown inside instead of Kendrick. Burch gets the tag as the fast paced start continues. Some kicks to the head have the villains in trouble but Daivari trips Burch down. Leave it to him to stop something entertaining.

Kendrick gets in some choking on the ropes and it’s Daivari coming back in to work on the knee. We’re already back to Kendrick with a leglock but Burch breaks it up in a hurry. The hot tag brings in Lorcan as everything breaks down. Daivari brings in a chair but it gets dropkicked into his face because Daivari is rather inept. Lorcan grabs the chair as well and hits Daivari with it for the DQ at 6:34.

Rating: D+. Just a tag match here until the ending, which likely sets up a rematch that the world is waiting for. The problem is Burch and Lorcan are a fine midcard (if not a bit higher) tag team but Kendrick and Daivari….well they’re Kendrick and Daivari. They’re such low level villains that there’s no reason to worry about what they’re doing to Burch and Lorcan. But now we’ll get to see it happen again because we’re that lucky.

Post match Burch tells Lorcan to get the tables but Kendrick and Daivari bail in time.

Singh Brothers vs. Joe Furrer/Devon Dixie

Sunil starts with Dixie but hold on because the Brothers need to dance. A middle rope clothesline means, of course, more dancing. Samir comes in for a double basement dropkick and the Paisan elbow gets two. We hit the neck crank and Sunil comes in to clap his movie slate. Dixie tries his comeback and gets powerbombed down. A double superkick gets rid of Furrer and the Bollywood Blast finishes Dixie at 3:24.

Rating: D-. What is there to say at this point? These guys have done the same match with the same shtick for the better part of a year now and they still aren’t going anywhere. It’s another match that doesn’t advance anyone and more TV time wasted on people who might be able to develop into something. Another nothing match and that’s all you ever get with these guys.

Tony Nese vs. Lio Rush vs. Jordan Devlin

Non-title. Rush dropkicks Nese down to start and gets headlocked for his efforts. Devlin gets kicked in the face but it’s Nese coming back in to snap Rush’s throat across the top rope. Nese strikes away at Devlin, who snaps off a DDT for two. Devlin slips out of a pumphandle slam from Nese and Rock Bottoms Rush onto Nese, setting up the standing moonsault.

It’s Rush being sent outside so Devlin elbows Nese in the head, only to be legswept out to the floor. Back in and Devlin’s standing Spanish Fly gets two on Rush as Nese is down on the floor. Devlin works on Rush’s ribs before switching to a neck crank. Nese is back in to break it up so he and Devlin crotch Rush on top. Rush knocks them both down though and hits a double high crossbody. The springboard Stunner hits Devlin and there’s one for Nese as well with the latter kicking out.

The Final Hour is loaded up but Nese rolls to the floor, with Devlin moonsaulting onto Rush. Nese hits his Fosbury Flop onto Devlin before sending Rush over the announcers’ table. Devlin’s slingshot cutter gets two on Nese with Rush making the save. A headbutt sends Rush into the corner but Nese grabs the Sunset Driver for two on Devlin. Nese’s 450 misses Devlin but he gets his knees up to stop a quick Final Hour from Rush. Nese hits a second 450 on Rush but gets pulled into the Devlin Side for the pin at 12:40.

Rating: B. This was your standard yet exciting triple threat match, even with the cousin of the annoying ending (at least Devlin didn’t pin Rush after throwing Nese outside). Devlin had to win here and while it would have made more sense for Nese to face him one on one after Nese beat Rush two weeks ago, at least we had some good action to make this one work. Good main event.

Post match Devlin says he’s keeping the title for a long time because you never bet against an ace.

Overall Rating: D+. That main event came close to saving the show but my goodness. How in the world do they think that this is the best that they can do for the first half? Throw ANYONE out there from NXT or even the NXT house show circuit and it would be an improvement. I know none of the WWE higher ups care about this show so maybe swap some people in for Daivari and the Singhs to see who else is out there? This has become Friday night Main Event (or at least parts of it have) and that’s a very bad thing to see.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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