NXT UK
Date: July 21, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re coming off of a title change last week as Mark Coffey FINALLY took the Heritage Cup from Noam Dar, ending his record reign. After the match, Joe Coffey made his return to celebrate with his brother as things seem to be going well for Gallus for a change. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Mark Coffey’s win last week.

Opening sequence.

Isla Dawn vs. Fallon Henley

Henley forearms away to start and hits an elbow to the face before armdragging her into the ropes. That means a forearm to the face but Dawn sends her into the corner to take over. A running kick to the chest gives Dawn two and we hit the cross arm choke. Henley fights up and drives her into the corner for the break, only to get kicked in the head. Dawn hits a half nelson slam for the pin at 5:13.

Rating: C-. I continue to have no idea what is going on with the bottom half of the women’s division as Dawn gets a win after seemingly not winning anything for the better part of ever. At the same time, you would think that Henley would be one of the more protected stars from NXT, though it does at least give Dawn a win with some value. That isn’t likely to go anywhere, but at least she got something.

Sarray is happy to be here but stops to ask Meiko Satomura for a match. Satomura is down for a change, but tells Sarray to be prepared.

We look back at Amale beating Stevie Turner but not impressing Blair Davenport.

Amale goes to find Blair Davenport and says she’s keeping her anger for whenever they get in the ring.

Josh Morrell vs. Dave Mastiff

Morrell has both shoulders taped up. Mastiff grabs a headlock to start and takes it to the mat, where Morrell hand walks his way to freedom. A wristlock has about the same luck as Morrell spins out, leaving Mastiff frustrated. Instead of the holds Mastiff tries the power, with a hard shoulder and belly to back suplex to drop Morrell for the first time. The slow pounding begins, with Mastiff forearming him down and putting on the nerve hold.

Back up and an overhead belly to belly sends Morrell flying for two in a good looking crash. Morrell can’t get a sunset flip but he can hit a dropkick, setting up a corkscrew moonsault for two. Another dropkick puts Mastiff on the floor, setting up a big running flip dive. Back in and Mastiff snaps off a powerbomb into a Regal Roll for two. Another Regal Roll sets up a backsplash to finish Morrell at 7:01.

Rating: C. So you have Morrell get a win a few weeks ago and then he gets beaten down here in a near squash. I’m not sure what the logic is there, as Morrell seems to have something that might be worth giving a small shot. Mastiff winning is fine enough, but why have Morrell lose after building him up recently?

Respect is shown post match.

Sha Samuels and Noam Dar are having some trouble paying off the gambling debts from last week’s Heritage Cup loss. They can’t even afford a paper or booze so Dar leaves. Two hours later, Johnny Saint showed up to get his money, sending Dar running off.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen are fired up to be champions and they’re down for a title defense against Wild Boar/Mark Andrews.

Nina Samuels vs. Emilia McKenzie

They fight over a lockup to start until McKenzie gets up the ropes for a quick hurricanrana. Samuels gets taken into the corner for some kicks to the leg but sends McKenzie face first into the ropes. A dropkick to the back puts McKenzie in trouble and she gets tossed around the ring without much trouble.

The comeback is cut off with a forearm to the face for a delayed two before Samuels puts her on top. That’s fine with McKenzie, who pounds her down for a crash outside. Back in and a faceplant drops Samuels for two but McKenzie misses a charge into the corner to give Samuels two of her own. That doesn’t seem to matter as McKenzie hits a spear for the pin at 4:57.

Rating: C. They’re building to something with McKenzie, as she isn’t happy with Meiko Satomura paying more attention to Sarray. A win here gives her a bit of momentum and it wouldn’t shock me to see her get involved in the upcoming Sarray vs. Satomura match. That’s a way to go, as McKenzie is certainly talented enough to go somewhere if given a chance.

We get a face to face showdown between Ilja Dragunov and Wolfgang before Dragunov’s United Kingdom Title defense next week. Wolfgang has wanted to be champion since 2017 and wants to take it from Dragunov. That’s cool with Dragunov, who says Wolfgang is the kind of person who helped him get to the title in the first place.

Wolfgang wants to win the title, but Dragunov talks about Wolfgang being stuck in the shadow of Gallus. Next week, Dragunov wants to fight Wolfgang one on one, not a member of Gallus. Wolfgang is ready to do Dragunov a favor by taking the champion’s burden away, but Dragunov doesn’t think so. Simple and to the point here, but it’s a little hard to buy Wolfgang as a major threat to Dragunov.

Trent Seven vs. Sam Gradwell

Seven is sent outside with Gradwell hitting a suicide dive eleven seconds in. Gradwell knocks him around ringside before pulling Seven off the apron to keep him in trouble. They get up to the apron, with Seven nailing a hard lariat to drop Gradwell for a needed breather. Back in and a suplex drops Gradwell, allowing Seven to kick away at the chest. That just wakes Gradwell up so he fires off forearms to the face and a belly to belly suplex for a bonus.

A running clothesline puts Seven on the floor again but he’s right back in for a hard suicide dive to knock Gradwell into the barricade. Back in and Gradwell catches him on top for a top rope butterfly suplex (and a heck of a crash). That’s enough for Seven to run, which is enough of a ruse to let Seven send Gradwell knee first into the steps. They get back in and it’s time to stay on Gradwell’s knee, with the brace being ripped off.

Something close to a Figure Four has the knee in trouble, though Gradwell turns it over, with Seven getting straight to the rope. Gradwell hits a hard clothesline for two but Seven goes right back to the knee. The Seven Star Lariat gets two so Seven grabs the knee brace. A big swing misses, so Gradwell drops him with a discus forearm. Gradwell picks up the brace but gets it taken away, allowing Seven to kick him low (because he’s a modern heel). Another Seven Star Lariat finishes Gradwell at 11:02.

Rating: C+. This was the same problem that Seven has had since his heel turn: he’s only so good/interesting in the ring and his way out of trouble is a low blow. Other than the eventual match with Tyler Bate, I’m not sure how interesting he is going to be. As long as he isn’t pushed as the next top heel or even a huge deal, it should work out, but I don’t know what kind of legs he has in this role after the Bate showdown.

Post match Seven loads up another low blow but Tyler Bate returns and chases him off to end the show (with Seven giving a great “I’ve just seen a ghost” face).

Overall Rating: C-. Not their best effort of a show, as you can feel the energy draining out. Maybe things can get a bit better with a fresh taping cycle, but Dragunov vs. Wolfgang isn’t exactly a top feud. I don’t know if Seven vs. Bate is the big solution, but things have not been the most thrilling around here as of late. At least the NXT invasion seems to have gone away, though it isn’t like things are great again. This wasn’t a very interesting show and that needs to change in the coming weeks.

Results
Isla Dawn b. Fallon Henley – Half nelson slam
Dave Mastiff b. Josh Morrell – Backsplash
Emilia McKenzie b. Nina Samuels – Spear
Trent Seven b. Sam Gradwell – Seven Star Lariat

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NXT UK
Date: July 14, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We are in for a big time title match this week as the Heritage Cup is on the line. Noam Dar has dominated the division for such a long time that he is starting to repeat challenges, which will be the case this week as Mark Coffey gets another shot. Other than that, we have the continuing adventures of just about everyone else around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oliver Carter vs. Teoman

The rest of Die Familie is here with Teoman. They go technical to start until Teoman elbows him in the face. It’s too early for a wristlock though (if that’s possible) and Carter takes over on the arm instead. That’s broken up as well and Teoman hits a neckbreaker onto the knee for two.

We hit the chinlock for a bit, followed by some slow stomping to keep Carter down. Carter fights up and hits a quick springboard moonsault to start the comeback, including an elbow to the face. Another neckbreaker cuts Carter down for two, only to have him kick Teoman in the face for a breather of his own. That means it’s time for Carter to cut off Die Familie’s interference, setting up the springboard missile dropkick. A running spinwheel kick in the corner gives Carter the pin at 7:27.

Rating: C. Carter is someone who could do something interesting on his own but odds are that is not going to be done for whenever Ashton Smith comes back. The good thing is that NXT UK has turned Carter and Smith from little more than a jobber team to stars and a team that means something. That is something WWE and NXT have struggled to do for a long time but they pulled it off here, so well done.

Post match Die Familie comes in and beats Carter down.

Trent Seven jumped Sam Gradwell at the Performance Center.

Fallon Henley is at the Performance Center when Isla Dawn comes up to freak her out. Well at least she tries to, as Henley doesn’t seem impressed.

Dave Mastiff congratulates Josh Morrell on his win last week but says next week won’t go so well when they meet. Morrell says he’ll give it everything he has.

Wolfgang is kicking a soccer ball around and has heard that Ilja Dragunov respects him. That means something, but there is no animal more dangerous than Wolfgang. Why can’t he take the United Kingdom Title?

Stevie Turner vs. Amale

Blair Davenport is on commentary. Turner grabs a headlock to start and runs Amale over, setting up the pose as Davenport brags about her own awesomeness. Amale is back with a running neckbreaker into a running basement dropkick. That’s too early for a comeback (assuming she was in enough trouble to count it as a comeback) though and Turner kicks her down again. A running boot to the face and a running knee lift get two on Amale as Davenport doesn’t approve. Amale starts screaming a lot and hits a running bulldog for two, followed by the Hope Breaker for the pin at 4:16.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here, but the interesting thing is the fact that there are a few things going on in the women’s division. This is impressive not just because things are going well, but also because there are enough people and stories to make an actual division for a change. It might not have been a great match but I’d kind of like to see where things go, and that is an improvement.

Sha Samuels can’t accompany Noam Dar to the ring tonight.

Meiko Satomura and Sarray are happy with their win, but Satomura wants a match with her next week. Satomura doesn’t say anything but leaves with Sarray. Emilia McKenzie isn’t happy but is less thrilled with Nina Samuels coming up to ask how that makes her feel. McKenzie leaves as well, with Samuels finding this intriguing.

Mark Andrews and Wild Boar would like a Tag Team Title shot.

Sid Scala announces Ilja Dragunov vs. Wolfgang for the United Kingdom Title in two weeks.

Heritage Cup: Mark Coffey vs. Noam Dar

Dar is defending and has no Sha Samuels, who has put Coffey as a 100-1 underdog. Round One begins with a bit of a slow pace as they go for some grappling. The threat of an armbar sends Dar into the ropes, where he compliments Coffey on his intelligence. Coffey takes him to the mat before letting him back up for a running shoulder. The armbar has Dar in more trouble as the round ends, with Dar seeming to sucker Coffey into an illegal cheap shot (the referee isn’t pleased).

Round Two begins with the Nova Roller missing and Coffey grabbing the Gator Lock (kind of a Tazmission but with Coffey on the mat like he would be for a crossface) for a tap and a 1-0 lead at 16 seconds of the round and 3:56 overall. Round Three begins with Coffey going for an early rollup, followed by a quick middle rope bulldog. Dar is sent to the apron and manages to get up a kick to the face.

Another shot the face gives Dar two and it’s time to start stomping on the arm. Coffey tries to fire up but gets kicked down for two more. A suplex is blocked but Dar can’t hit the Nova Roller before the time runs out (leaving Samuels panicking even more in the back). Round Four begins with Coffey grabbing another rollup but getting kicked in the face for his efforts. The kneebar makes Coffey tap to tie it up at 40 seconds of the round and 9:01 overall.

Round Five begins with Dar hitting a running corner dropkick for two. Another kneebar is countered so Coffey can boot him in the face. Dar is back up with a guillotine choke, which is countered into a suplex for a double knockdown. They fight up against the ropes until Dar kicks the knee out. Dar goes up top but gets caught, setting up a superplex as time expires.

Round Six begins with another kneebar being blocked so Dar kicks him in the face. The Gator Lock goes on again, with Dark making it over to the rope in a hurry. They head outside with Dar taking him out but Coffey just beats the count. An elbow to the face gives Dar two but Coffey is back with a running clothesline. The sliding forearm gives Coffey the pin and the title at 2:58 of the round and 18:35.

Rating: B. These two beat each other up rather well and I was wanting to see just how much one of them could take before they gave out. Coffey got the big win that he has been waiting on for a long time now and that opens up a bunch of doors going forward. If nothing else, Joe Coffey coming back could set up a heck of a showdown if that’s where they go. Good main event here, and Dar should be in line for a shot at the United Kingdom Title after a run like this one.

Post match Samuels comes out, tears up his betting slips, and cries a lot as Dar comes over to him. A lot of the locker room comes out to celebrate with Coffey….and to get their money. With everyone else gone, Joe Coffey comes to the ring and celebrates with Mark to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event carried the show and they did a nice job of not having the NXT stars take over the show again. This felt like the old school NXT UK show and it was nice to have something like that around again. At its best, NXT UK can be a lot of fun and that is what they made work here. I don’t quite believe the show will be back to where it was before, but I’ll take it for a start.

Results
Oliver Carter b. Teoman – Running spinwheel kick in the corner
Amale b. Stevie Turner – Hope Breaker
Mark Coffey b. Noam Dar 2-1

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NXT UK
Date: July 7, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things need to pick up a bit around here and unfortunately that has been the case for a little while now. Between the influx of NXT stars and nothing major happening for a few weeks now, it hasn’t been the most exciting place. Maybe that can be changed this week as Kenny Williams faces Tiger Turan. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Kenny Williams vs. Tiger Turan

Williams charges at him before the bell but settles for a lockup once we get going. That earns him an armbar from Turan without much effort, followed by a running shoulder for the knockdown. Turan goes back to the arm before dropkicking a frustrated Williams out to the floor. Back in and Turan does a headstand in the corner to avoid another charge before kicking Williams down again.

Williams finally gets smart by taking out the leg and a boot scrape across the eyes makes it worse. The neck crank doesn’t do much for Williams as Turan is back with a sunset flip for two. A tilt-a-whirl faceplant plants Williams but the Swanton hits raised knees. That lets Williams talk a bunch of trash (Williams: “I KNOW IT’S YOU!”) but the distraction lets Turan grab a small package for the pin at 6:35.

Rating: C. This was a grudge match and the story is likely to continue. I’m not sure where it is going, though Amir Jordan being acknowledged last week has me curious. Why would you have name drop the person’s name if he is supposed to be a surprise? Anyway, this story is interesting me more than I would have bet on so well done with the success.

Post match Williams goes after Turan and takes the mask off, revealing….a second mask. Referees have to drag Williams away from the ring. Nigel mentioned Amir Jordan as Turan’s likely identity during the melee.

Video on Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen winning the Tag Team Titles and being targeted by Pretty Deadly.

Trent Seven was held back by security when Sam Gradwell came in. Even Gradwell thinks what Seven did was low, but Seven storms off anyway.

Die Familie again wants Oliver Carter to join the team but he doesn’t like Ashton Smith’s name being invoked. The result is Carter vs. Teoman at some point in the future.

Josh Morrell vs. Primate

Primate drives him into the corner for some yelling to start but Morrell gets in a shove of his own to start the frustration. The test of strength actually puts Primate down but Morrell can’t break his bridge. With that not working, Morrell goes up to the corner and gets German suplexed right back down for the big crash. A backdrop gives Primate two but Morrell low bridges him to the floor. Back in and Primate runs him over again, setting up a clothesline to the apron. That’s fine with Morrell, who grabs a sunset flip for the completely clean pin at 4:06.

Rating: C. This was an interesting way to go as Morrell got the clean win so he gets a boost, but the match felt more like Primate having trouble after dropping Eddie Dennis. That story can be advanced, but at the same time, Morrell finally gets a win that could move him up the ladder. Maybe it means nothing, but at least he is getting a start.

Blair Davenport is back and gets interrupted by Amale. Last week Davenport talked about crushing hope, which COULDN’T have been about her. Davenport laughs it off, but does threaten Amale if she ever tries anything else. With Davenport gone, Stevie Turner comes in and gets a match with Amale as a result.

Video on Ilja Dragunov and all of the people he has beaten. The big takeaway here: what happened to Rampage Brown? As for now though, Dragunov sees a lion called Wolfgang and is ready to face that lion.

Tate Mayfairs vs. Trent Seven

Seven chops him down to start and hits more chops to make it even worse. A DDT plants Mayfairs and another chop gets two. The trash talk takes a bit too long though and Mayfairs strikes away, only to get chopped back down. The Seven Star Lariat finishes Mayfairs at 4:07.

Rating: C-. I get the idea they’re going for here, but at the end of the day, it is a little hard to get behind the idea of Seven as a huge threat. He is doing things right and feels like a villain, but Seven has never felt like some top star in the ring. It’s hard to buy the idea of him being a threat to any top name other than Tyler Bate so this might be a one feud push. It still works, but I’m seeing a pretty firm ceiling.

Post match Seven grabs a leglock, drawing out Sam Gradwell for the save.

Noam Dar calls himself a victim of his own success because he has cleared out the entire Heritage Cup division. That’s why Mark Coffey is getting another shot, because Mark is a lucky lucky boy. The fact that there is a ton of money on the line doesn’t make it any harder.

Meiko Satomura/Sarray vs. Xia Brookside/Eliza Alexander

Brookside pulls Sarray’s hair to start so Sarray cranks on the arm. That’s reversed into some arm cranking from Brookside, which is reversed into some arm cranking from Sarray. Brookside has to headstand her way out of a headscissors and it’s Alexander coming in for a shot to the ribs. Sarray bridges out of a near fall and hits a basement dropkick, allowing the tag off to Satomura.

House is quickly cleaned and it’s already back to Sarray, who is clotheslined down in a hurry. Alexander hits a basement forearm for two and we hit the camel clutch. With that broken up, Sarray rolls her up and hits a double stomp to the chest for two. The real hot tag brings in Satomura to clean house, including a DDT and a frog splash for two on Alexander. Everything breaks down and Alexander pulls Brookside out of the way of a charging Sarray. Satomura is back up and Brookside gets knocked into the ropes for that SCARY running dropkick from Sarray. Scorpio Rising finishes Brookside at 9:28.

Rating: C+. The people involved alone here are going to make the match work but there is only so much that can be done when Satomura is going to come in and clean house like she did here. I’m sure we’re coming up on Blair Davenport getting the title shot soon enough, so having Brookside and Alexander get beaten up is not that interesting. Best match on the show though, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

Celebrating ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. I’m not sure what to think of this show. For one thing, they did have far less of a focus on the regular NXT stars, but what we got wasn’t all that interesting. Things have cooled down a lot around here as of late, with the Turan vs. Williams stuff probably being the best story going. I’m not sure what is going on around here, but they need something to pick up the pace because this show has dropped in interest quite a bit.

Results
Tiger Turan b. Kenny Williams – Small package
Josh Morrell b. Primate – Sunset flip
Trent Seven b. Tate Mayfairs – Seven Star Lariat
Meiko Satomura/Sarray b. Xia Brookside/Eliza Alexander – Scorpio Rising to Brookside

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NXT UK
Date: June 16, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s a fallout show, as the big story is finding out what is up with Treat Seven walking out on Tyler Bate and Moustache Mountain. That should be a heck of a promo as we get closer to what could be a heck of a showdown. Hopefully the rest of the show can live up to the hype so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tiger Turan vs. Josh Morrell

Turan takes him down with a hammerlock to start and grabs a wristlock. Morrell can’t flip out so Turan puts on an armbar to keep Morrell in trouble. That’s reversed into a wristlock but Turan flips him right back for a standoff. There’s a suplex to send Morrell down and a high crossbody gives Turan two….but Morrell is hurt and we’re going to stop it at 3:04. I’ll skip a rating as a good chunk of that was checking on Morrell and it was mainly a squash for Turan before the stoppage.

Blair Davenport is coming back from injury.

Myla Grace vs. Lash Legend

Grace hammers away to start and Legend charges into the general vicinity of Grace’s foot in the corner, then kind of rams her face into it. Legend drops her ribs first onto the top rope before ramming Grace’s head up and down between the top and middle rope. A gorilla press…does nothing as Legend puts Grace back down on her feet and then hits a forearm to the face.

Grace’s back is bent over Legend’s knee but she’s up with a hurricanrana. Not that it matters as Legend literally staggers forward instead of flipping, so Grace hits a tornado DDT for two more. With the match not really able to get worse, Legend kicks her in the face for the pin at 4:36.

Rating: F. I haven’t seen someone as bad as Legend in such a long time. She looks completely unnatural in the ring and like she has no idea what she can do. I know she has the size and the look but WOW she is terrible on another level. How can you screw up running into a boot in the corner? Put your face on the bottom of the shoe! Awful stuff, but it must continue because LASH LEGEND WILL BE A THING AND YOU WILL CARE!

Sarray is coming next week as NXT UK continues to turn into a storage closet.

Brooks Jensen, Josh Briggs and Fallon Henley will be here next week. The guys are getting a Tag Team Title shot next week.

Wolfgang/Damon Kemp vs. Sha Samuels/Noam Dar

Kemp takes Samuels down with no trouble to start so Dar comes in to try his luck. Dar gets taken down as well, setting up the rotating gutwrench suplex. Wolfgang goes after Samuels’ arm before handing it back to Kemp to roll Samuels on the arm. Dar finally manages to take Kemp into the corner, setting up a headlock. Some elbows to the chest let Samuels go after the leg, followed by Dar working on the arm.

Kemp gets double suplexed but comes back with a single suplex….only to have Wolfgang pulled off the apron. As expected, the tag goes through to Wolfgang a few seconds later. House is cleaned so Wolfgang and Kemp can pose together, leaving Wolfgang to spear Samuels for two.

Dar comes back in for a bunch of running kicks to the face until it’s Wolfgang in trouble. Everything breaks down and Kemp gets thumbed in the eye, only to have Wolfgang offer a distraction with a scarf. Kemp uses said distraction to grab a powerslam for the pin at 12:42.

Rating: C. Not much to see here, though it was nice to see Kemp getting a chance to showcase himself here. Kemp is clearly someone that NXT wants to do something with and having him get in more reps around here is a good thing. Seeing him win the Heritage Cup isn’t a bad idea, though it might already be time for him to head back to the regular NXT.

Post match Samuels tries to go after Kemp and Wolfgang, who take him down without much trouble.

Here is Trent Seven for his big explanation. Seven talks about how he had to sit at home and then he didn’t know what he was going to do. Then he and Tyler Bate won the Tag Team Titles and now he doesn’t feel the same way he used to. Seven invites Bate to the ring and sounds rather sad about what he did.

We get some reminiscing about their time in America and here in England, which Seven says will be memories for the rest of his life. It seems like Seven is done so we get the big hug…and Seven hits him low. Seven says he never needed Bate, slaps him, and hits the Birminghammer. Bate is down so Seven steps on him and does the Moustache Mountain pose before looking relieved to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. This was a pretty terrible show and again, a lot of that comes down to the use of the NXT guest stars. Having to watch Lash Legend and then seeing that schoolgirl Sarray is coming doesn’t make me want to watch this show. All it did was make me glad that this show was shorter than the usual episode, because other than the main event segment, there was absolutely nothing worth seeing here.

Results
Tiger Turan b. Josh Morrell via referee stoppage
Lash Legend b. Myla Grace – Big boot
Damon Kemp/Wolfgang b. Sha Samuels/Noam Dar – Powerslam to Samuels

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NXT UK
Date: May 19, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

We’re on to the next two hundred episodes after last week’s big milestone show. That means things will likely take a step off the gas this week and I’m not sure what that is going to include. Odds are that we are going to be seeing some of the NXT lower card around here, as has been the case in recent weeks. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside/Eliza Alexander vs. Amale/Angel Hayze

Amale and Brookside start things off with Brookside being thrown into the corner. Back up and Brookside’s headlock doesn’t get her very far, meaning Hayze can come in and hits some corner clothesline on Alexander. A superkick is cut off with a knee to the face and it’s back to Brookside for a reverse chinlock. That’s broken up and Amale comes back in with a bulldog on Alexander. Brookside tags herself back in and gets Sling Bladed by Hayze, only to send her throat first into the middle rope. Everything breaks down and Brookside hits Broken Wings for the pin on Hayze at 5:58.

Rating: C. I’m still not sure that Brookside needs a bodyguard to go behind her but they are decent as a team. Amale has cooled off a bit in recent weeks but she hasn’t lost the big match yet. I don’t know how far any of these four are going at the moment, though they’re fine for an opening match like this.

Ivy Nile challenged Meiko Satomura for a Women’s Title match. Satomura: “Okay.” You knew Nile was getting a shot sooner or later.

Sha Samuels, now dubbed the East End Bookie, isn’t happy with Damon Kemp coming over here and promises that he is still the odds on favorite.

Die Familie vs. Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff

The winner is added to the triple threat Tag Team Title match and Charlie Dempsey is in Die Familie’s corner. Starz knocks Raja out of the air to start and it’s quickly off to Starz to take Raja down for two. Teoman takes him down and grabs a chinlock before scoring with a rather hard kick. A blind tag brings Raja in so Starz takes him into the corner but Mastiff stops to glare at Dempsey.

That means Raja and Teoman can take over on Mastiff, including working over his rather large leg. A double clothesline gets Mastiff out of trouble but Teoman cuts Starz off like a good villain. Mastiff throws both of them down and brings Starz back in to clean house. Dempsey offers a distraction though, meaning Starz has to dive onto him. With Mastiff on the floor, Teoman hits his flipping faceplant to finish Starz at 8:08.

Rating: C. Starz and Mastiff might have had their day already and that is kind of a shame as they are a pretty good team. Die Familie makes more sense to move forward at the moment though as the title match is going to need a full on heel team. They’re as good as anything else right now so this is the logical move.

Lash Legend and Emilia McKenzie get in a fight in the back but it’s quickly broken up.

Sid Scala isn’t happy with Die Familie cheating and bans the rest of the team from ringside for Charlie Dempsey vs. A-Kid.

Josh Morrell vs. Kenny Williams

Dempsey takes him down to start for some quick near falls, even as he stands on Morrell’s arms. Morrell is up with a headlock but gets sent outside. The fight goes to Morrell but Williams is back with a shot to the face for his own two. A fan in a mask distracts Williams though, even as he cranks on Morrell’s ankle. Williams gets distracted again, allowing Morrell to small package him for two (which I bought as WWE has turned that into a cliché). Williams grabs a bulldog driver for the pin at 5:30.

Rating: C-. The false finish with the small package was good but this was more about Williams’ further descent into paranoia which might not be paranoia. I like them going with something other than the common ending as it keeps Williams strong. That’s something you don’t see enough of these days, as those losses make a difference no matter how much WWE thinks otherwise.

Post match, we see that there are multiple masked men.

Von Wagner isn’t worried about Sam Gradwell. Cue Gradwell and the two have to be separated.

Moustache Mountain is ready for whomever they face for the titles.

Mark Andrews is ready for the main event when the paranoid Kenny Williams comes up. Andrews doesn’t think much of him and leaves.

Wild Boar vs. Eddie Dennis

Dog collar match with Boar jumping Dennis before the bell and beating on him outside. The chain is attached but Dennis uses the chain to pull him throat first into the ropes. That doesn’t seem to bother Boar, who whips him from the apron and into the barricade. Dennis gets in another shot to take over though and it’s time to start the whipping. The chain is wrapped around Boar’s face but he fights out of the corner without much trouble.

Boar gets sent into the corner again though and they head to the apron. This time Dennis is pulled into the post so they crash out to the floor again. Boar gets in his own whipping and an elbow connects for two. Cue Symbiosis to go after Boar, as there are no disqualifications so it’s totally fine. Boar has had it with this and clotheslines Dennis down, setting up a Crossface with the chain wrapped around his head for the tap at 10:17.

Rating: C-. Well that happened. I’m still not sure why this story is supposed to be such a big deal as it isn’t like the Hunt was a top level team when they split up. Dennis got in a pretty good amount of offense here for someone who should have been destroyed, making this a pretty long way to go for an ending that wasn’t quite in doubt. I wasn’t feeling this one but it should wrap up the feud.

Overall Rating: C. You could definitely feel the lack of star power here and it made the show that much less interesting. This was a week about the mid to lower midcard stories and it showed a lot, as I can barely remember anything from the show. Nile getting a shot at Satomura should be good, but it’s a little much to ask me to care about Boar vs. Dennis and Williams vs. the inside of his mind.

Results
Xia Brookside/Eliza Alexander b. Amale/Angel Hayze – Broken Wings to Hayze
Die Familie b. Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff – Flipping faceplant to stars
Kenny Williams b. Josh Morrell – Headlock driver
Wild Boar b. Eddie Dennis – Crossface with a chain around Dennis’ head

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NXT UK
Date: March 10, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another title match as Noam Dar will be defending the Heritage Cup against Joe Coffey in the main event. The other big match will see A-Kid facing Charlie Dempsey in what could be a spectacle of technical wrestling. This show is such a breath of air compared to the main roster stuff so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at the Heritage Cup Title match.

Opening sequence.

Charlie Dempsey vs. A-Kid

During his entrance, Dempsey says he’s doing this himself, without Die Familie. Dempsey’s early cravate is escaped with a cartwheel and they stare at each other a bit. A-Kid gets taken down by the arm but reverses into a headlock. That is countered into a headscissors as they stay with the technical stuff to start. They go to the test of strength and flip around a bunch, with Dempsey bridging up on his neck.

A-Kid can’t break it down no matter what and gives up, looking a bit disturbed as a result. With that not working, it’s time to slug it out until an Octopus sends Dempsey to the ropes for the break. A-Kid starts twisting on the ankle instead but has to fight out of a kneebar, instead kneeing Dempsey in the head. Back up and Dempsey goes right back to the knee before switching things up with Cattle Mutilation. Dempsey switches to an armbar but A-Kid slips out so Dempsey grabs a fisherman’s suplex for two.

A-Kid is back with his own suplex for his own two but can’t get an arm crank. Instead he settles for an enziguri to drop Dempsey, which draws out Rohan Raja for a distraction. That’s enough for Dempsey to grab Checkmate (Where he ties up the head and leg so that A-Kid is almost kicking himself in the back of the head. It’s almost like he is covering and hooking the leg backwards.) for the tap at 12:34.

Rating: B-. This was the kind of technical exchange that is always going to be entertaining. Dempsey is quite the savage on the mat and knows how to make it look like he is destroying people. A-Kid is awesome, and now he might be on his way to the regular NXT, which should be quite good for everyone.

Sid Scala announces that an American is on his way here…but Wolfgang interrupts. That’s perfect for Scala, who gives Wolfgang a match with Roderick Strong next week.

We look back at Isla Dawn attacking Meiko Satomura last week to interrupt her special ceremony. The title match is in two weeks.

Aleah James is asked about the Women’s Title match but Stevie Turner interrupts to ask why we should care what James thinks. James walks away from her chattering.

Danny Jones/Josh Morrell vs. Symbiosis

Primate hiptosses Morrell over to start but gets caught with a pop up dropkick. T-Bone comes in so Jones does as well, setting up an exchange of shoulders. Jones takes over on the arm and it’s Morrell coming in with a top rope stomp to the arm. T-Bone pulls Morrell into the corner though and the beating is on, including Primate coming in off the middle rope with an ax handle to the back.

Morrell shrugs it off though and the hot tag brings in Jones to start cleaning house. T-Bone gets knocked down and Morrell climbs on top of Jones’ shoulders, setting up a Spiral Tap for two. That’s enough for T-Bone though, who is back with a powerslam and brings in Primate for a top rope headbutt and the pin at 6:04.

Rating: C. Jones and Morrell continue to be some of the more promising guys around here and it is nice to see them getting their chance here, even if they lose to a bigger team like Symbiosis. I don’t know if Symbiosis is going to the title scene, but they could make for some good challengers for Moustache Mountain. Not a showcase for either of them, but it did well enough.

Post match Symbiosis celebrates but Wild Boar runs in for his return and clears them out with a chair.

Nina Samuels mocks Emilia McKenzie, who steals the mic and asks how Samuels must feel to be this desperate for attention.

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter think Moustache Mountain is trying to get out of the Tag Team Title rematch but Trent Seven tells them to earn it in a pair of singles matches. We’ll start next week.

Heritage Cup: Noam Dar vs. Joe Coffey

Coffey is challenging and has Mark Coffey to cancel out Sha Samuels. Round one begins with Dar circling around him before his leg dive attempt is thrown away. Coffey cranks on a wristlock before taking him to the mat. A Boston crab is escaped so Coffey goes after the leg again, only to have Dar grab the ropes as the first round ends.

Round two begins with Coffey grabbing a headlock takeover and grinds away for the first minute. Dar slips out and kicks away at the ribs but Coffey snaps off a hard German suplex. A running shoulder in the corner gives Coffey the pin at 2:25 of the first round and 6:11 overall.

Round three begins with Dar having to pull himself up so Coffey knocks him right back down. A top rope spinning crossbody gives Coffey two but Dar is back with a kick to the head. The kneebar doesn’t work for Dar so he rolls Coffey up to tie the score at 1:49 of the round and 8:35 total.

Round four begins with Dar going to the arm to cut off the slugout but stops to yell at the camera. Dar kicks him down and stays on the arm but Coffey gets to the apron for a hard slingshot shoulder. They’re both down for a bit until Coffey gets the Boston crab, sending Dar straight to the rope as the round ends. They fight to the floor between rounds though and Dar gets in a cheap shot.

Round five begins with Dar running over a staggered Coffey in the corner. The Nova Roller is cut off by a flying headbutt/shoulder though and they’re both down again. Coffey hits a clothesline for a knockdown but Dar is back up to badly lose a slugout. All The Best For The Bells knocks Dar silly but Samuels puts the foot on the rope. The distraction lets Dar hit the Nova Roller for the pin at 2:54 of the round and 15:45 total to retain.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t a bad match but it was the kind that came and went. Dar might have felt like he was in a bit of danger but it was nothing serious, even if Coffey winning the title could have been interesting. They seem to see something in Dar holding the Cup for a long time and I could go with that, but this was only a pretty good match.

Overall Rating: C+. In something I’ve said before about other promotions, they’re going to be fine if this is one of their bad ones. The star power wasn’t really around this time and they focused on the midcard guys, which worked out fairly well. You can’t have the big names on every week so it isn’t some horrible idea. Good enough show, though they have had better ones.

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NXT UK
Date: September 30, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back to the show that just kind of exists but still does enough good things to be one of the best wrestling shows going. This time around we get a visit from one of the best tag teams the show has ever seen as Moustache Mountain is getting back together. Other than that, the road to the Heritage Cup #1 Contenders tournament continues, because it can never end. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith vs. Moustache Mountain

Tyler Bate slams Carter down to start and Trent Seven comes in for a spinning slam. Carter takes him down by the arm though and it’s off to Smith to work on the arm. Seven gets slammed down onto some raised boots and we hit the quickly broken chinlock. Back up and Seven takes over on Smith, allowing Bate to…miss the flipping splash off of Seven’s shoulders. Bate is back with the airplane spin and now the flipping splash from Bate’s shoulders connects for two.

Seven powerbombs Smith out of the corner and hits the Emerald Flosion for two more. It’s back to Bate for a German suplex but Smith flips out and hits a Lionsault to a standing Bate for another two. Bop and Bang drops Smith for two as Symbiosis comes out to watch. Bate gets backdropped onto the floor but here are Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff to cut Symbiosis off. Back in and a superkick gets two on Bate but Seven pulls Carter outside for a dragon suplex. That leaves Bate to hit an apron German suplex on Smith (geez), setting up the rebound lariat/dragon suplex combination to finish Smith at 9:59.

Rating: B-. This was the kind of match that can help Carter and Smith go a long way, even in defeat. They made the famous team sweat and that is more than most teams can do. Moustache Mountain is in a weird place as they are too big of a deal to be a team without the title reign but no one can really come off as a threat to them. That leaves them as singles wrestlers, which isn’t going to be the best news for Smith. At least they’re good when they get together though, which was the case here.

Jinny and Joseph Conners don’t have much to say but Emilia McKenzie comes up. They run into Emilia McKenzie and Jinny mocks her, but McKenzie keeps training. Sounds like the next step towards McKenzie challenging Meiko Satomura for the Women’s Title.

Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff are interrupted by Nina Samuels who is trying to have her own talk show. They aren’t interested, but Samuels goes into a rant about Isla Dawn.

Dani Luna vs. Xia Brookside

They go with the grappling to the mat to start with Brookside having to slip out of a waistlock. Brookside tries to pick up the pace but her crossbody is caught in midair. A headscissors is countered into a faceplant though and Luna grabs a suplex for two. The armbar goes on to keep Brookside in trouble but she reverses another suplex into a small package for two of her own. Now it’s a crossface chickenwing to stay on Brookside’s shoulder but this time she fights up and hits a middle rope hurricanrana. Some running dropkicks put Luna in trouble for a change and a neckbreaker gives Brookside two. What looks like a Codebreaker is countered into a World’s Strongest Slam and a fall away slam. Luna flips a fireman’s carry into a sitout powerbomb for the pin at 5:37.

Rating: C-. This was power vs. speed and it worked well enough for a short match. Brookside’s downward trend continues but it is nice to see Luna getting somewhere. I’m not sure how much a win over Brookside really means, but a Brookside heel turn in the future would not surprise me. I’m jut not sure how well it would work.

Video on Blair Davenport being suspended but raiding the ring anyway.

Stevie Turner wants Davenport reinstated but Sid Scala will only think about it.

Sam Gradwell doesn’t like Mark Andrews, who comes in for the pull apart fight.

Josh Morrell vs. Charlie Dempsey

This is Dempsey’s debut (if you don’t count a one off match) and he is an old school technical guy. Dempsey takes him down without issues and works on the wrist in a variety of ways. After escaping a quick armbar, it’s a monkey flip to put Morrell down and we hit the pinfall reversal sequence. A Fujiwara armbar has Morrell screaming and Dempsey switches into a kneebar.

With that broken up, Dempsey sends him into the corner and comes out with a suplex for two. Morrell hits a kind of flipping powerbomb but Dempsey is back with a German suplex for two more. An armbar sets up…well it looked like a cover with Morrell’s head hooked but Dempsey bent the lower half of the bent knee down and grasped his hands, making it something like a cover into a surfboard? Either way, Morrell taps at 6:13.

Rating: C. It was a fine debut with some crazy good submission stuff, though I’m going to need a name for that finisher so I don’t have to try and describe it every time. They have something with the submission master in Dempsey, who looks just simple enough to seem like a threat. Nice start here, with the finish looking creative and deadly.

We get a sitdown interview between Ilja Dragunov and A-Kid. Dragunov talks about beating Walter but A-Kid talks about having experience. A-Kid isn’t interested in picking a fight and asks what would have happened if Dragunov had been forced to face everyone instead of one man. We get Shayna Baszler’s tap, nap or snap line and A-Kid talks about knowing that Dragunov is going to lose his temper. Dragunov promises to keep the title in two weeks.

Noam Dar and Wolfgang talk about what it means to win the Heritage Cup. Dar isn’t quite as serious. The tournament final is next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Joe Coffey vs. Jordan Devlin

Gallus is here with Coffey. Feeling out process to start with Devlin working on the wrist to limited avail. Coffey grabs a hammerlock so Devlin uses a flying mare to escape. A test of strength can’t keep Devlin down but he is shocked when Coffey flips over into the standoff. The headlock takeover works a bit better for Devlin but Coffey fights out in a hurry. Coffey hits him in the face and clotheslines Devlin outside.

Back in and Coffey gets two off a side slam before cutting off a comeback with a running elbow to the face. Devlin crotches him in the corner though and there’s a Backstabber to take him down. A running legdrop gets two on Coffey but he’s strong enough to block a backslide attempt.

Devlin is back with a release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault but he takes too much time MOCKING THE GALLUS POSE, allowing Coffey to launch him into the corner. The springboard spinning crossbody gives Coffey two but Devlin counters All The Best For The Bells with a Spanish Fly. Mark Coffey offers a distraction though, allowing Wolfgang to grab Joe’s hand. The delay lets Joe score with All The Best For The Bells and the pin at 11:35.

Rating: B. The ending was a bit unnecessary but I guess they were going for the strength in numbers. That’s a little weird when Devlin was the heel the whole time and Gallus has been leaning face for weeks, but at least they had a good match to get here. I could go for more of this and there is a good chance that they aren’t done.

Devlin yells a lot to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Another good show here as they had a pair of pretty awesome bookending matches, which is more than you should expect in an hour long show. The talent is here and they have set up the title match in two weeks, but it would still be nice to have SOMETHING to look forward to. Getting fans back will help, but a Takeover would help even more. Still though, another solid week, which isn’t even a surprise anymore.

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NXT UK
Date: August 5, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’ve got a big one this week as it’s Jordan Devlin vs. A-Kid in a thirty minute Iron Man match. Devlin injured A-Kid’s knee in a previous match to set this up so let’s have a good one. That alone should be enough to carry the show but you know there is going to be at least a little bit more. Let’s get to it.

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

Shawn Michaels narrates a video about the history of the Iron Man match and what it means. Devlin is ready to win however and A-Kid says this is wrestling instead of a way to hurt people, as Devlin likes to do.

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Blair Davenport

Brookside goes after the arm to start and takes Davenport down twice in a row. Back up and Davenport cranks on the arm as well until Brookside is back with a dropkick. Davenport takes her down and a baseball slide puts Brookside on the floor. Back in and Davenport is back on the arm until a headscissors gets Brookside out of trouble. A neckbreaker gets two on Davenport, who kicks her in the head. Two knees to the head put Brookside away at 4:23.

Rating: C. This was a way to make Davenport look like a bigger deal as she beat up a more established name. There was some nice storytelling to it also, as Brookside isn’t quite as serious in the ring and was taken out by the aggressive power stuff. Davenport seems to have started fast and it would be nice to see how far she can go. Brookside still has potential, but eventually she needs to do something with it.

We look back at last week’s staredown between Moustache Mountain and Pretty Deadly.

Pretty Deadly and Moustache Mountain agree to a match in the future.

We are getting an eight man tournament to crown a new #1 contender to the Heritage Cup Title. Here are the brackets:

Mark Andrews
Noam Dar

Kenny Williams
Oliver Carter

Wolfgang
Sam Gradwell

Teoman
Nathan Frazier

Isla Dawn finds a box buried in the woods and opens it to find that it’s empty. She puts a watch inside and I think we have a curse.

Wolfgang runs into Subculture, who isn’t happy with him costing them the Tag Team Titles. Flash Morgan Webster slaps him and leaves.

Josh Morrell/Danny Jones vs. Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz

This is Mastiff and Starz’s first time as a team. Starz grabs a front facelock on Morrell and takes him down. It’s time for some shouts to the arm, setting up the armbar. Morrell and Mastiff come in, with Mastiff suplexing him over the top and outside in a huge. Starz comes back in so Morrell kicks him in the face. Jones sends him into the corner for a running knee but charges into a backdrop. It’s back to Mastiff to clean house for a few seconds before Starz puts Morrell in the Tree of Woe. A running headbutt sets up Mastiff’s Into The Void for the pin at 5:27.

Rating: C-. A big/small team has worked forever and it can work here, even if it feels like a recycled Killian Dain/Drake Maverick story. It’s not like the division is deep in talent at the moment so throwing another team out there could do some good. If nothing else, I’ve wanted to see something more from Mastiff and this could be a good place for him.

Nina Samuels and Amele scream at each other in the makeup room.

Noam Dar and Mark Andrews have met before and they both wound up leaving on stretchers. Now they are ready to face each other again in the first round of the Heritage Cup #1 contenders tournament.

Aoife Valkyrie is ready to face Jinny one on one and has an idea to deal with Joseph Conners. The camera pans out to reveal a shark cage. Fair enough.

Stevie Turner interrupts Meiko Satomura’s training with what sounds like a challenge.

Here’s what’s coming over the next few weeks.

A-Kid vs. Jordan Devlin

Thirty minute Iron Man match and A-Kid might have a bad knee coming in. Feeling out process to start and they take turns going after wrist control. Devlin gets him down into an armbar but A-Kid is right back up. A dropkick puts Devlin on the floor but it’s back inside for more grappling. The threat of an armbar sends Devlin over to the ropes and he grabs a Gory Stretch to put A-Kid in trouble for a change. That’s broken up as well so they go to the pinfall reversal sequence.

A-Kid grabs a cross armbreaker, sending Devlin straight to the ropes. Devlin kicks him down though and starts cranking on the arm until A-Kid is up with a dropkick of his own. A slap to the face doesn’t annoy A-Kid, who grabs a headlock on the mat. That’s broken up as well and Devlin ties the bad leg into the ropes. A hard stomp onto the leg sets up a Texas Cloverleaf to give Devlin the first fall at 9:45.

We’re down to 20:00 to go as A-Kid insists that he can continue. Devlin is smart enough to stay on the leg with a kick to the knee into a chop block but A-Kid pulls him into a rear naked choke. The rope is reached though and Devlin drives the knee into the apron. Devlin wraps it around the post as well and the Figure Four around the post makes it even worse. Back in and a Boston crab sends A-Kid bailing to the rope.

With that not working, they trade German suplexes until they fall out to the floor for the double crash. They both beat the count back inside, where Devlin can’t get a Crossface. Instead he hits a running knee to the face for two but Devlin is back up to win the slugout. A-Kid pulls him right back down into the cross armbreaker though and Devlin taps to tie it up with 11:43 to go.

Devlin has to pause to get his elbow back to normal and gets knocked off the apron to make it worse. A-Kid kicks him down to get rid of a chair and snaps off a hurricanrana for two. The running knee gets the same on Devlin and they’re both down with a banged up limb. Devlin gets kicked outside with just over seven minutes to go but comes back in and headbutts A-Kid down for two.

They slug it out from their knees and wind up on the apron, where Devlin is smart enough to hook the rope to avoid any suplex attempt. Instead, he drops to the floor and pulls him down with the Devlin Side for the big crash with 4:00 left. They both dive back inside, where another Devlin Side is countered into a Canadian Destroyer. A kick to the head gives A-Kid two at 3:00 left.

A-Kid tries to pull him into the Rings of Saturn with his legs and finally gets the whole thing on to make Devlin tap with 1:30 left to make it 2-1. Devlin tries some rollups but can’t get anywhere with less than :30 left. They slug it out until Devlin gets two at 30:00, with A-Kid winning 2-1.

Rating: B+. The highest compliment that you can give a match like this is that it didn’t feel long and that was the case here. It felt like two guys beating each other up until one of them couldn’t hang in there any longer, but not through violence. Instead, this was a technical exchange with both guys working on a body part to have an advantage later in the match. Heck of a fight here and worth checking out.

Overall Rating: B. It’s kind of hard to complain about a show where about half of it was a rather awesome match. This was a great showcase for two of the potential breakout stars around here while the rest of the card was fine as a supplement. What matters here is they built up a big match and then delivered, which is a lot more than you would get on a lot of shows these days. Great main event on a good show.

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NXT UK
Date: April 1, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for NXT UK: Prelude, which does look like a pretty solid card. I’m not sure what else we can expect here other than the hard sell for the show, but Pretty Deadly are having their first Tag Team Title defense. Other than that, hopefully we are in for another nice week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Stevie Turner

Turner is described as futuristic and says she has a bad habit of taking things to the next level. Valkyrie grabs a headlock and then does it again for a bonus. Turner takes her down into a headlock on the mat of her own before winning a battle over a top wristlock. An armbar keeps Valkyrie down and Turner picks up the leg for some kicks to the thigh.

Turner pulls her out of the corner for a crash and a near fall but Valkyrie is fine enough to get to the middle rope for a jumping kick to the ribs. An enziguri gets two on Turner but she grabs a Backstabber out of the corner for two. Back up and Valkyrie blocks a kick to the ribs and hammers away at Turner’s face. The top rope ax kick finishes Turner at 4:47.

Rating: C. Not too bad here and Turner got to showcase herself rather well in her debut. The women’s division has been needing some fresh blood for awhile now so maybe Turner is someone who could make a bit of an impact. Granted that might be a long time off, but you have to start somewhere. Or maybe they could have Valkyrie do anything other than beat up one woman after another.

Video on A-Kid, who has wanted to be a wrestler since he was fifteen. Now he has become a star and he wants to be a role model for the next A-Kid. Now he is ready to defend the Heritage Cup against either Noam Dar or Tyler Bate and he wants to find out who it is.

Piper Niven comes in to see Jack Starz, who is ready for a workout, but Piper says there is more to training than exercise. She gives him a training session in intensity, which could go somewhere interesting.

Teoman vs. Josh Morrell

Teoman goes for the arm to start and gets Morrell to the mat in a hurry. Back up and Morrell flips his way to freedom but Teoman slaps him in the face. It’s time to start stomping on the ankle, followed by a running shot to the face to knock Morrell silly. The neck crank goes on, followed by a running elbow to the face.

Back up and Morrell wins a slugout, followed by a twisting backflip over Teoman out of the corner. A hiptoss takes Teoman down but a standing moonsault hits raised knees. Teoman hits a missile dropkick to the back of the head and it’s a running double stomp to crush Morrell again. The Crossface finishes Morrell at 5:22.

Rating: C. Teoman is someone who seems to have a lot of potential but there is something missing from his big offense. A missile dropkick into a Crossface looks good but it isn’t the most impactful sequence. That being said, there is a certain aura to him and hopefully that can go somewhere in the near future. Morrell is kind of generic, but he is starting to develop a bit of a reputation.

We get a sitdown interview between Walter and Rampage Brown. Walter talks about how he is the most dominant champion in NXT UK history but he does not respect Brown. That’s fine with Brown, who says he beat Walter the first time he came from England. Walter asks what he has done since then. Brown talks about being the one who did this before Walter, which sends Walter into a rant about how Brown will never understand what it means to be a champion. This should be a heck of a hoss fight.

Gallus is training, including Joe Coffey having to box right handed due to an arm injury. They leave the gym and go beat up a guy in the street.

Here’s Kay Lee Ray for a chat. She talks about wanting and getting competition, including beating the legendary Meiko Satomura. Get used to the sight of her as champion….but here is Amelia McKenzie, who has not been here for two years. Amelia wants to beat the best and their paths will cross one day. Ray says they can cross right now but here is Isla Dawn to jump McKenzie from behind. The beatdown is on but Meiko Satomura makes the save.

Video on Noam Dar vs. Tyler Bate, who are in a #1 contenders match for a shot at the Heritage Cup next week. Bate says he is a tidal wave so Dar better bring his lifeboat. Dar on the other hand is feeling dangerous.

Kay Lee Ray and Isla Dawn aren’t happy but here is Sid Scala to put them in a tag match against Amelia McKenzie and Meiko Satomura next week. Dawn stares at Scala.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tag Team Titles: Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Pretty Deadly

Williams/Jordan are challenging and after the Big Match Intros, we’re ready to go. Howley works on Jordan’s arm to start and it’s off to Stoker in a hurry. A shoulder puts Jordan down but he is right back up with some dropkicks into a backslide for two. Howley and Williams come in with Howley working on the arms to keep control. Williams is back up with a leg crank and a foot on Howley’s face to make him scream.

That’s broken up and it’s back to Stoker for two off a double hiptoss. Williams armdrags him into an armbar though, setting up a tag back to Jordan. The alternating arm cranking has Stoker in trouble and a double dropkick from Jordan takes down both champs at once. Stoker and Howley are sent outside, with McGuinness being happy with the stall to cut off the momentum. Back in and Stoker makes a blind tag, allowing him to blast Jordan with a clothesline to take over.

We hit the chinlock until Jordan fights up with a neckbreaker but the hot tag attempt is cut off in a hurry. Another shot to Howley lets Jordan dive over but a tackle cuts if off again. The third attempt allows the hot tag to Williams though and the pace picks up in a hurry. A springboard double back elbow drops both champs as everything breaks down. Stoker drops to his back and kicks both of them in the face for a pretty sweet counter.

Jordan is back up with a wheelbarrow faceplant into a Swanton from Williams but Stoker makes another save. Williams hits a tornado DDT for two on Howley but he’s back up with a jawbreaker. Jordan springboards in, only to get caught by Stoker’s DDT. The referee gets bumped though and Williams grabs a title belt. Jordan insists that they don’t need to cheat….so Williams hits him with the belt instead. Spilled Milk retains the titles at 15:29.

Rating: B-. They took their time to get into a groove here but then it wound up working out well in the end. This was a formula tag match with an angle in the end, though I’m not sure how much interest there is in Williams turning on Jordan. Williams has been the bigger star since the team formed, but they still had a chance to win here before the screwy finish. Good match, but Pretty Deadly is a lot better with their vignettes than in the ring.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m running out of ways to say that NXT UK is a nice show with a bunch of good things every week. It might not be the show filled with star power or big angles, but it is a perfectly watchable wrestling show and that is all it needs to be. They are building up to a big show next week and they have set it up well enough. Another rather nice show this week and that’s a nice thing to look forward to every time.

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NXT UK
Date: March 25, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back to England and things are continuing their slow and steady process around here. I’m not sure what that is building towards as there is no Takeover in sight, leaving us with a bunch of featured television matches again. This time around that would be Ilja Dragunov in a rematch against Sam Gradwell. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We open with Supernova Sessions with Noam Dar talking about how he is facing Tyler Bate in two weeks for a shot at the Heritage Cup. For now though the guest is Trent Seven, who came just short in his shot at the Cruiserweight Title. Dar wants to know Seven’s secret to the weight loss, with Seven saying he never worked so hard in his career.

Dar cuts him off and says he has been around WWE for five years and has performed on every brand in the company. He’s the original gangster of the relaunch of the cruiserweight division but Seven gets up and calls himself one of the Founding Fathers of NXT UK. Cue Sha Samuels, who is going to be in Dar’s corner against Bate. Seven volunteers to be there to even things up. I’ve heard worse ideas.

Sid Scala tells Jinny that she and Piper Niven are banned from ringside tonight when Joseph Conners faces Jack Starz. She storms off, albeit fashionably.

We hype up NXT Prelude, which looks like a decent card.

Video on Walter vs. Rampage Brown, who are having a title match at Prelude.

Joseph Conners vs. Jack Starz

Conners grabs a cravate to start and Starz is out just as fast. The same is true of a wristlock but Conners tries it again and takes him down by the wrist. Back up and they hit the pinfall reversal sequence until Starz uppercuts and dropkicks him to the floor. That means a big dive from Starz, followed by a crossbody for two back inside.

Conners hits a double stomp out of the corner though and a backbreaker sets up some near falls. A clothesline gives Conners two more but Starz is back with a suplex for a breather. Starz hits a running uppercut to the back and a backdrop makes it worse. A rollup gives Starz two but Conners grabs a DDT and a neckbreaker to finish Starz at 7:53.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that I would have expected to be absolutely nothing but it wound up being a pretty fun one, which works well in a story that has no business being overly interesting. Neither of them have anything going on so putting them into a story is a nice idea. It’s certainly better than having them sit in catering for five months.

Pretty Deadly are rather excited about their first Tag Team Title defense next week, to the point where they speak in unison.

Piper Niven gives Jack Starz a pep talk after his loss.

The Hunt vs. Danny Jones/Josh Morrell

It’s the new Hunt (though still with Eddie Dennis) with T-Bone taking Wild Boar’s place. T-Bone unloads on Morrell in the corner and Primate comes in for his own shots. It’s off to Jones, who gets his arm worked on by both monsters. Jones does manage a Backstabber on Primate though and the hot tag brings in Morrell to start cleaning house. That earns him a hard shot to the face and it’s back to T-Bone for a backbreaker. Everything breaks down and Jones hits a step up enziguri, only to get kneed in the face. Primate adds the top rope headbutt for the pin at 6:29.

Rating: D+. I’m not sure what they were going for here but this didn’t make me think much of the new Hunt. This felt like it was almost about bringing both of them up, which should not be the idea in a match like this one. The Hunt needed to look dominant and while their stuff looked good, it doesn’t matter all that much when two jobbers are surviving and even hanging in there for a bit. Just let it be about the Hunt and squash these guys.

Amir Jordan and Kenny Williams are training at the Performance Center and everything seems cool. For now.

Aleah James vs. Isla Dawn

James takes her down by the arm to start and hits a dropkick to send Dawn into the corner. Dawn comes out with a kick to the face and then hammers away, only to get small packaged for two. A Saito suplex sets up a weird standing double underhook stretch to keep James in trouble. That’s broken up and James hits a dropkick, followed by a crossbody for two. Dawn suplexes the heck out of her though and a bridging half nelson suplex finishes James at 4:17.

Rating: C. Not too bad here and I’ve always liked Dawn, so it’s nice to see her getting a push for the first time in a good while. They have hyped her up as the white witch over and over again so having her actually do witchcraft stuff makes sense for a change. It’s not like there is anyone else to go after Kay Lee Ray (save for Xia Brookside) anyway.

Xia Brookside makes Nina Samuels clean the bathroom.

Kay Lee Ray comes up to Isla Dawn in the back, so Dawn makes the lights flicker. That’s enough for Ray, who walks off.

Sam Gradwell vs. Ilja Dragunov

No DQ. Gradwell throws his jacket at Dragunov to start and hammers away but Dragunov is right back up with a forearm to the face. A kick to the face sends Gradwell outside and there’s a dropkick through the ropes. Dragunov picks up a chair but throws it down and takes things back inside instead. The Constantine Special drops Gradwell but Dragunov has to stop himself from going too nuts. Gradwell goes outside where Dragunov gets a big running start, only to have Gradwell blast him with the bell (it looked like in the head at first but Dragunov is holding his arm so well done on the head fake).

Some cord whips to the back keep Dragunov in trouble and a shot to the mouth makes it worse. Back in and a butterfly suplex onto a chair gets two on Dragunov. Gradwell pulls off some turnbuckle pads and, after powering out of a guillotine attempt, crotches Dragunov on top. Dragunov shoves him off but gets rammed into the buckle. Gradwell knocks him off the top and they head outside, with Dragunov hitting a heck of a clothesline (which hurts his damaged arm).

The steps are picked up so Gradwell begs off, only to get German suplexed on the floor. Dragunov chops away at the back of the neck so Gradwell begs off again, saying he is a dad too. This time he suckers Dragunov in for something like an AA onto the steps. That makes Dragunov scream in agony but it’s only good for two back inside. More chairs are piled up but Dragunov fights out of another AA.

Dragunov sends him into the exposed buckle to knock him silly and it’s time to go back up. The top rope backsplash only hits chairs though and Gradwell chops him in the back…..which sends Dragunov over the edge (Gradwell knows he’s done too and the facial is perfect). Dragunov hammers away and kicks him in the face, followed by a bunch of chairs to the back. A bunch of forearms to the face are enough for the referee to stop it at 14:48.

Rating: B. The storytelling was what mattered the most here, though they beat the heck out of each other for a good while. Commentary did a great job of pointing out the chops sending Dragunov back to the match with Walter, which sent him over the edge. Throw in his background of dealing with bullies and trying to find an outlet for everything and Dragunov going insane at such a thing makes a lot of sense. That’s the kind of depth you don’t get very often in something WWE related and I want to see where it goes. Gradwell deserved attention as well, as he has gone from nothing to looking great, so more of him too.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event carried this one but it’s another good example of the promotion being able to build a show up without most of their top stars around. That’s a really good sign, because they are showing the ability to build people up rather than just going with the same people over and over. WWE could use a lesson from them, but that has never stopped them before. Good main event to a pretty nice show with some impressive character development.

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

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AND

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