IMG Credit; WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 19, 2020
Location: Coventry Skydome, Coventry, England
Commentators: Andy Williams, Nigel McGuinness

Things should feel a bit more normal this time around as this show was taped before everything went loopy. We should be good for a few more weeks around here as NXT UK tapes pretty far in advance. That being said, last week’s show wasn’t all that great so hopefully they pick things up this time around. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Finn Balor showing up last week, getting in a few shots on Imperium, and running.

Opening sequence.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Dani Luna

Luna takes her down with ease to start but a charge into the corner is cut off with a knee to the ribs. Ray grabs a seated abdominal stretch and hammers at the chest, followed by a middle rope dropkick for two. Back up and Luna muscles her over with a suplex for her own two, only to have Ray grab the Gory Bomb for the pin at 2:33. Short and to the point here.

Post match Ray loads up another Gory Bomb but Piper Niven runs in for the save.

Last week, everyone glared at Finn Balor as he left, including a staredown with Tyler Bate.

Bate went to the bosses about a match with Balor but gets put in a twenty man battle royal for the #1 contendership in two weeks instead.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie.

Nina Samuels is tired of hearing this buzz about Valkyrie.

Ridge Holland vs. Joseph Conners

Conners bails into the corner to start and then gets thrown into it for a change of pace. A release tilt-a-whirl slam sets up some forearms to Conners’ face as the power beating is on. Conners manages to kick at the leg though and Holland is knocked outside, meaning it’s a suicide dive. Back in and Holland starts in on the leg with a DDT and chop block to keep Holland down.

The leg is wrapped around the post and Conners kicks away at it in the corner, where the leg is wrapped around the rope. Holland is strong enough to grab an overhead suplex before a Pounce puts Conners back on the floor. Conners kicks at the knee again and gets two off a slingshot Downward Spiral, only to get caught in Northern Grit to give Holland the fast pin at 7:45.

Rating: C-. Holland might not be the most in-depth character, but he has the two things he needs to be a star: a great look and a dainty hat. He’s the kind of guy that WWE stereotypically would love to push so it makes sense that he is getting a chance around here. If nothing else, going with someone who looks that much different than the rest of the roster makes a lot of sense.

Mark Andrews has been attacked before tonight’s six man main event.

Video on Ilja Dragunov.

Kassius Ohno vs. Kenny Williams

Ohno takes him to the mat with ease to start as the fans are behind Ohno for a change. Back up and Ohno knees him in the ribs but has to kick out of a sunset flip. A headscissors works a bit better for Williams, who grabs him by the wrist and goes up. You don’t do that to someone like Ohno though, as he pulls Williams down by the arm without much effort. Back up and Williams strikes away, including some kicks to the head. Ohno gets knocked to the floor and that means a suicide dive, only to knock Williams silly with a shot to the face. The Kassius Clutch finishes the out cold Williams at 6:59.

Rating: C. Williams was trying here but there’s something to be said about Ohno winning by hitting people in the face really hard and then bragging about how awesome he is at pure wrestling. I mean, he is good at it, but the whole thing is better than it should be. Not a bad match either, as Ohno continues to play his role well.

A-Kid interview, Noam Dar interrupts, match next week.

Video on Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks for the Cruiserweight Title next week.

Gallus vs. Dave Mastiff/Flash Morgan Webster/Trent Seven

Seven, Andrews’ replacement, shoulders and hiptosses Wolfgang down to start and it’s off to Webster in a hurry. Wolfgang shoves him into the corner though and it’s off to Mark, who gets hurricanranaed right back down. A quick distraction lets Mark get in an elbow to the face and it’s off to Joe for a pop up uppercut. Joe’s sliding lariat gets two more and we hit the neck crank.

It’s already back to Wolfgang for a running hip attack, plus some stomping from Mark. We hit the chinlock for a bit until a kick to the head allows the hot tag off to Mastiff. Everything breaks down and it’s Joe and Mastiff trading big shoulders. Trent comes back in to DDT Wolfgang but Mastiff blocks All The Best For The Bells. Webster Swantons Joe for two and a rollup gets the same but Wolfgang tags himself back in. With Mastiff and Seven down, All The Best For The Bells finishes Webster at 10:17.

Rating: C. It came, it went, it ended like you would have expected it to and it was fine. I’m not sure what else there is to say about it because there was nothing important to talk about here. They did their stuff and they did it fine, but the mixed bag of opponents for Gallus didn’t exactly make me interested.

Overall Rating: C-. That was one of the most decisively mediocre shows I can remember watching in a long time. There was nothing very good and there was nothing very bad, but it set up some stuff for the future so it was hardly a big waste of time. It was ok enough, but I need a little bit more than ok enough to get my interest up.

Results

Kay Lee Ray b. Dani Luna – Gory Bomb

Ridge Holland b. Joseph Conners – Northern Grit

Kassius Ohno b. Kenny Williams – Kassius Clutch

Gallus b. Dave Mastiff/Flash Morgan Webster/Trent Seven – All The Best For The Bells to Webster

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: February 27, 2020
Location: York Barbican, York, England
Commentators: Aiden English, Tom Phillips

It’s an early show as we have Super ShowDown taking place this afternoon, meaning this show needed to be moved to 10am EST. As luck would have it, we have a major match this week with Toni Storm challenging Kay Lee Rae for the Women’s Title in an I Quit match. That’s not something you get around here very often so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Ray vs. Storm.

Opening sequence.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. The Hunt

Primate blasts Drake with a clothesline to start and it’s Boar coming in to send him into the corner. Gibson blocks a charge though and comes in, only to run from Boar. As the fans remove their shoes in protest, Drake comes in to dropkick the knee so Gibson can dropkick the head. With Primate being knocked to the floor, a double clothesline gets two on Boar and we hit the chinlock.

A backbreaker sets up another chinlock but this time Boar is back up with his own clothesline. It’s back to Primate to clean house but the numbers game gets the better of him. An enziguri into a neckbreaker/superkick combination gives Gibson two, only to have Boar come back in for stereo German suplexes. Gibson breaks up Boar’s half of the double Swan Dive though and it’s Ticket to Mayhem to finish Primate at 9:50.

Rating: B-. It’s very clear that the Veterans are ready to move on to bigger and better things as there’s nothing left for them to accomplish here. The match was entertaining, though it’s time to give them better competition. There are a lot of teams around here but most of them aren’t on the Veterans’ level and that has become very clear in recent weeks. They’re already showing up in NXT anyway so the move seems to have at least started a little bit.

Video on Ridge Holland.

Jack Starz vs. Kassius Ohno

Starz can’t snapmare him to start so Ohno grabs him with an abdominal stretch. That’s fine with Starz, who powers him up into a stretch of his own. Ohno breaks that up in a hurry and boots him in the face, setting up a backbreaker. The finger bending continues to look painful, as does Ohno suplexing him by the arm. The short armscissor goes on and Starz isn’t about to deadlift Ohno. Instead he slips out and hits a slingshot elbow into a butterfly suplex. Ohno has had it with him though and pulls the arm down again, setting up the Kassius Clutch for the win at 5:02.

Rating: C. Starz is an interesting one as he is trying a lot harder than you would expect someone in his spot. It helps make these matches more interesting as it is likely to end with Starz losing, but at least he is making the matches somewhat interesting. Ohno is fine as someone to build up so someone can knock him down, which is what tends to be his pattern around here.

Isla Dawn is ready for Aoife Valkyrie.

Travis Banks wants Alexander Wolfe next week.

A-Kid vs. Brian Kendrick

Feeling out process to start with A-Kid picking up the pace and shrugging off a headlock. An armbar has Kendrick in trouble and he can’t get off the mat. A dropkick puts Kendrick up against the ropes but he pulls A-Kid’s arm into the ropes to take over. Kendrick’s cravate doesn’t last long as A-Kid slips out and dropkicks him to the floor. The suicide dive connects and a moonsault off the steps puts Kendrick down again. A high crossbody sets up a Fujiwara armbar with Kendrick making the ropes. Kendrick can’t grab the Captain’s Hook so A-Kid is back up with a springboard moonsault DDT for the pin at 6:47.

Rating: C. Another nice match here as Kendrick is at his best putting over a younger guy. A-Kid is someone they see something in so giving him a win here is a good idea. The finisher is impressive, though I’m hoping that he has something else as that kind of a move is going to require some contrived setups.

Dave Mastiff is ready to take the United Kingdom Title from Walter next week.

Women’s Title: Kay Lee Ray vs. Tony Storm

Storm is challenging in an I Quit match. They slug it out to start and head outside with Storm sending her into various things. Back in and Storm Zero is blocked so Storm goes with something like an STF instead. Ray makes the rope but since that means nothing, she keeps crawling until Storm has to let it go. Ray bends Storm’s neck around the ropes and pulls the hair, setting up a Gory Special for a smart change of pace from her norm.

That’s broken up so Storm takes it to the floor and loads up a table. It takes Storm too long to go up top though and Ray catches her on the ropes. Not that it matters as Storm knocks her off and hits a splash through the table (nearly covering before catching herself). Storm Zero on the apron is broken up and a hanging DDT off the apron plants Storm again, this time with a heck of a thud.

Ray busts out the athletic tape and ties Storm’s hands behind her back so the beating can really begin. It’s chair time with Storm’s head being put through the open chair for a superkick. Ray drives the chair into Storm’s neck but she still won’t quit, meaning it’s time to wrap the chair around her neck. Instead of stomping though, Ray stands on the chair. Sid Scala and Piper Niven come out as Ray PILLMANIZES HER NECK. That’s not enough so Ray goes up again, which is enough to make Storm give up at 12:51.

Rating: B. This was an interesting one but it’s more about the future than anything else. Ray beat her up pretty decisively here and the loss should get Storm off of television for the time being. She can move on to the regular NXT (or maybe even higher) as there is nothing left for her to do around here. Let her go away for the time being so she can rebuild herself a bit and then do something bigger in the future.

Overall Rating: B-. Another solid show around here, which has become the case over the last few months. Next week’s show with the big title shot should be fine for a hoss fight as we can then move on for the build towards Takeover: Dublin. I’m not sure what is going to take place there, but there are enough options that I can feel rather optimistic about the whole thing.

Results

Grizzled Young Veterans b. The Hunt – Ticket to Mayhem to Primate

Kassius Ohno b. Jack Starz – Kassius Clutch

A-Kid b. Brian Kendrick – Springboard moonsault DDT

Kay Lee Ray b. Toni Storm when Storm gave up

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: January 16, 2020
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another NXT tradition as we look at the two matches taped before Sunday’s Takeover. In other words, this show is going to be a lot of fallout from Takeover, but in this case we also might get some major hype for When Worlds Collide. Both of those sound good so we could be in for a fun show. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Takeover if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Takeover, as we should.

Opening sequence.

The announcers narrate some stills from Takeover.

A-Kid vs. Joseph Conners

Kid takes him down by the arm to start and it’s a very early standoff. Conners gets in a headscissors on the mat but that’s broken up as well, allowing Kid to roll around and hit a dropkick. A missed dive off the top lets Conners get in a shot to the knee, setting up a slingshot bulldog for two. Conners shouts that HE IS WORTHY and stomps away before hitting a Falcon Arrow for two more.

Kid fights out of a chinlock and hits a German suplex into a bridging northern lights suplex for his own two. The threat of a kick sends Conners outside so Kid hits a quick dive. Back in and Conners’ slingshot is superkicked out of the air to put him on the floor again. That means a big springboard moonsault, though Kid seems to hurt his knee on the landing.

Back in again and Conners reverses a rollup into Don’t Look Down, which is countered into a small package to give Kid another two. Conners is right back with a belly to back faceplant and a reverse Hennig snap gets two more. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker plants Kid but he reverses into an armbar, which is switched into a triangle. Kid goes after the arm again but gets pulled into Don’t Look Down for the pin at 10:17.

Rating: C. As little as I care about Conners, it was nice to see a match with a bit of a story. That being said, they kept trying to set up the knee but it never went anywhere as Conners kept trying to do something else. Having Conners trying to make the next Takeover is better than dealing with the newcomers, especially on a show that has only been around about a year and a half.

After losing to him at Takeover, Trent Seven yelled at Eddie Dennis a lot.

We look at Gallus retaining the Tag Team Titles at Takeover.

Gallus is fired up to retain. It was as sweet as milky buttons.

We recap the recent issues between Jinny and Jazzy Gabert.

We look at Kay Lee Ray stealing the pin to retain the Women’s Title.

Toni Storm isn’t happy with being robbed but she’s ready for Rhea Ripley at When Worlds Collide.

We look at the Undisputed Era attacking Imperium to close Takeover.

Sid Scala and Johnny Saint announce a four way Cruiserweight Title match for When Worlds Collide. Next week, there will be two qualifying matches with Ligero vs. Jordan Devlin, plus Travis Banks vs. Brian Kendrick.

Kassius Ohno vs. Dave Mastiff

They go to a test of strength to start and Ohno realizes that wasn’t the best idea. It’s off to a battle of wristlocks with Mastiff shoving him away and hitting a dropkick to the apron. Ohno gets pulled back inside but he sends Mastiff shoulder first into the buckle. The cravate puts Mastiff down and a rolling senton has Mastiff in more trouble.

Ohno grabs the cravate again and mocks the fans’ LET’S GO MASTIFF chant, only to get thrown down with ease. Mastiff’s backsplash gets two but Into The Void is countered into a sunset flip (good thing Mastiff left it short). Mastiff is right back with a German suplex so they head up top, with Ohno getting caught in a super Regal Roll. Into The Void finishes Ohno at 6:45.

Rating: C. They had a story going here with Mastiff using the huge power advantage to override anything Ohno might have been able to do. It’s good to see Mastiff continue his momentum as you never know how long someone like him is going to have on top. I’m not sure how high Mastiff can go but it’s been fun to see what he’s doing.

Overall Rating: C-. This is the kind of show where I never know what to think of them as it’s mainly about the recaps and filling in some time this week. I do appreciate them setting up some stuff for next week and treating When Worlds Collide as a big deal, as it’s nice to have something that matters from the series. Hopefully next week can make up for some of the effort, but there wasn’t much they could do this time.

Results

Joseph Conners b. A-Kid – Don’t Look Down

Dave Mastiff b. Kassius Ohno – Into The Void

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: January 2, 2020
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips

We’re back from a week off and it’s time to hit the gas on the build towards Takeover: Blackpool II. Most of the card is either already set or all but set, meaning it’s time to firm everything up. That is where NXT shines so hopefully they can do the same thing over in England. Let’s get to it.

Sid Scala and Johnny Saint confirm Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin and Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis for Takeover. Nothing wrong with keeping these announcements quick.

Opening sequence.

Dave Mastiff vs. Kona Reeves

Before the match, Reeves rants about how unfair it was when the fans threw him off against Trent Seven a few weeks back. The jet lag messed up his nutrition and his sleep so he wasn’t ready! Then there’s Mastiff, who used to be undefeated around here. Now he gets to go home and tell his family that he was defeated by the Finest.

They go to the floor almost immediately and Reeves’ dive is puled out of the air. He’s fine enough to slip out and send Mastiff’s knees into the steps a few times in a row. Reeves ties him in the ring skirt for more shots to the head before taking it back inside. A DDT gets two on Mastiff and a big boot connects for the same. Mastiff is right back with a suplex into the corner and Into The Void is good for the pin at 3:18.

Rating: C-. Mastiff gets another win and I got to see Reeves getting crushed so I’m rather pleased with the whole thing. Mastiff is someone who surprises me quite a bit most of the times he’s in the ring and this was no exception. He only hit two moves here but Into The Void is a good finisher and something they have built up as a winning move so they’ve got a little something there.

Here’s Toni Storm for a chat. Kay Lee Ray took her to a very dark place and it made her snap on someone she considers a friend. Therefore, she would like to talk to Piper Niven right now. Cue Piper in person and Storm says she hasn’t been cool to Piper lately. Before they get past this though, Toni needs a favor. She’s going to need Piper to step aside from the title match so she can deal with Ray on her own. Then after Toni gets the title back, Piper can get the first title shot.

That doesn’t seem to be happening as Piper says she’s gone through a lot to get here and Toni has had her shot. Toni grabs her but Piper nails a headbutt, only to immediately regret it. Referees break it up so here’s Ray to laugh at the brawl, sending Toni after Piper again. It’s a good idea to give Toni and Piper a reason to fight because it makes things more of a triple threat, which you don’t get very often.

Takeover rundown.

Kassius Ohno vs. Ligero

We get a production gaffe as the recap video says this is fallout from “earlier this year”. Ohno grabs the arm to start but Ligero flips out in a hurry. A forearm puts Ohno down and he shouts that HE’S TRYING TO WRESTLE! Back up and Ligero starts kicking at the leg, including a dropkick to the thigh. Ohno misses a flip splash attempt and gets anklescissored out to the floor early on.

Ligero throws him back in but gets caught with a neckbreaker over the ropes to put him right back down. The Kassius Clutch goes on with Ohno demanding that Ligero not make Ohno hit him. Ligero slips out and hits a missile dropkick so Ohno goes for the mask, as he did in their previous match. That’s broken up and Ligero gets two off a sunset flip, only to have Ohno pull him down off the ropes. Another Kassius Clutch on the mat makes Ligero tap at 6:55.

Rating: C. Just a match to get Ohno back on track here as he lost a big one to Tyler Bate and needed a correction. Ligero is someone the fans are going to get behind every time and it’s not like a loss really hurts him. It’s good to have people like him around and I’m impressed that Ohno has had some staying power around here. Usually he loses and moves on but this could have some legs.

Post match Ohno says he’s back to being the best in the UK because no one in the back knows anything about British wrestling. Tonight he beat Ligero with wrestling instead of knocking him out because he is the greatest British wrestler alive.

Joseph Conners interrupts an A-Kid interview to say he is worthy of a spot on Takeover.

Dave Mastiff tells Kassius Ohno that if he wants a match with a British heavyweight, Ohno knows where to find him.

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Outliers

Moss gets a running start to run Smith over as they’re starting fast. Carter is right back up with a kick to the face, only to get caught with a running elbow to the face. Mack comes in for a big toss but a double dropkick puts him out on the floor. Some double forearms do it again and Smith and Carter clear the ring.

Back in and Mack gets more serious with some running elbows to Carter in the corner. The aggressive Moss forearms Carter down in the corner but Carter fights out of a chinlock. That’s enough for the hot tag to Smith so house can be cleaned, including some kicks to the faces. Moss shoulders Smith right back down, only to get small packaged to give Smith the pin at 5:52.

Rating: C. Another standard match here with Smith and Carter finally picking up a win. The Outliers are a team who look rather good but might not have enough to back it up in the ring. The tag division is pretty stacked around here and having two more teams like this is a good thing. That being said, finding roles for all of them to play could be rather tricky.

We get a rather awesome video on the Tag Team Title ladder match with all four teams talking about how important the titles are and how all four teams want to be the best. The clips of classic ladder matches make it even better.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe

No DQ with Gallus and Imperium barred from ringside. Dragunov comes to the ring but sneaks through the dark arena to attack Wolfe during his entrance in a smart move. The fight heads to ringside with Dragunov getting the better of it, only to have Wolfe post him. Dragunov is fine enough to hit a spinning chop into a backsplash, setting up a big ax handle out to the floor to knock Wolfe silly.

Wolfe is right back up to disarm Dragunov of a kendo stick so Dragunov says bring it on and goes for the stick, only to get kicked in the face. Some stick shots to the back have Dragunov screaming but he blocks the big shot to the head. Wolfe is back with a kendo stick legsweep into a backbreaker for two, followed by the stick going across the mouth. That’s broken up as well and Dragunov starts striking away with the cane as well. Dragunov hits a heck of a shot to the chest on the floor, meaning it can be table time.

The table is set up in the corner and Dragunov kicks him down to the floor again. Wolfe is right back up with a chair shot though, setting up a Death Valley Driver onto the apron for the big knockdown shot. Dragunov hits a quick enziguri and shakes his head as Wolfe goes for the chair. Said chair is put onto Wolfe’s face in the corner for a Coast To Coast and a near fall, only to have Wolfe come back with a chair shot of his own.

Wolfe can’t follow up though so Dragunov throws in a bunch of chairs of his own. That takes too long so Wolfe grabs a German suplex and a DDT onto the chair for two. A chair gets sent into Dragunov’s throat but Dragunov gets up and says bring it. That’s what Wolfe does, by slamming the chair around Dragunov’s hand. Wolfe does it to the other hand as well but Dragunov is back with a clothesline and a running Death Valley Driver through the table. Torpedo Moscow finishes Wolfe at 14:52.

Rating: B+. They beat the fire out of each other here and this was the kind of match that shows Dragunov’s incredibly high potential. He could be a top star around here in a heartbeat because of his insane facials alone but when you throw in his ability in the ring, the star power is even stronger. Heck of a match here and I had a great time with it.

Post match Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel come in for the beatdown. Walter approves from the stage but Joe Coffey runs out for a cheap shot on Walter before bailing from the numbers advantage.

Overall Rating: B. This show did what they needed to do to make me want to see how Takeover is looking. They only have a little time left to really hammer things down and that’s what they did here. The main event was awesome and I want to see these people fight again. Now that the setup is going well, the payoff needs to work as well, and that very well may be the case. Check out the main event if you have the time.

Results

Dave Mastiff b. Kona Reeves – Into The Void

Kassius Ohno b. Ligero – Kassius Clutch

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter b. Outliers – Small package to Moss

Ilja Dragunov b. Alexander Wolfe – Torpedo Moscow

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: December 4, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix, Nigel McGuinness

Things got more interesting last week with Finn Balor going after Adam Cole, though it isn’t clear if they’re going to be alone, as Tommaso Ciampa was in the mix too. They have something interesting with the NXT Title picture and that is going to make for some fun shows as we get ready for Portland. Granted that’s a long way off though and a lot could change by then. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Mauro Ranallo previews the show.

Killian Dain is in the ring to call out an opponent to replace the injured Damian Priest.

Killian Dain vs. Pete Dunne

They go straight to the fight with Dunne kicking him down and working on the arm. The fingers are bent back but a clothesline doesn’t put Dunne on the floor. Instead Dain hits a crossbody and crushes Dunne for two. The reverse chinlock goes on, followed by a running elbow to give Dain two more.

The second chinlock goes on, this time with Dain hammering away at the chest at the same time. Dunne fights up and hits a German suplex, only to get caught going up top. Dain pulls him to the apron, only to get stomped on the hand. A moonsault jams Dunne’s knee though and Dain hits a dive, with the camera missing most of it.

Back from a break with Dunne hitting a tornado DDT and stomping on the fingers again. A kick to the head gives Dunne two and now the moonsault to the floor connects. Dain drops him onto the apron though and a Cannonball against the steps makes it even worse. Back in and Dunne tries to catch him on top, only to get dropped backwards for the big crash to give Dain the pin at 14:46 (the same thing Dain did to Dunne at Takeover to accidentally give Dunne the pin on Priest).

Rating: B-. Nice match here with a good callback to the previous match at Takeover. Dunne losing is still something I’m not used to after watching him destroy people for so long but it’s what happens when you move up in competition. He jumped into NXT when the talent pool was crazy deep and it’s going to take some time for him to adjust himself.

Dakota Kai thinks Tegan Nox isn’t worth her time and now Rhea Ripley wants to play hero. Tonight, Dakota is taking her out, just like she did to Mia Yim.

Here’s the Undisputed Era, minus Bobby Fish, for a chat. They’ve been on a roll lately and the greatness is just beginning. However, they don’t like the way they were treated last week, as NXT allowed Bobby Fish to get hurt and then Keith Lee knocked Adam Cole around like a rag doll. Cole is NOT a rag doll and wants Lee out here right now for an explanation. Cole dubs him Mr. Moment Maker so the fans sing about basking in his glory.

Strong brings up Roman Reigns beating Lee at Survivor Series, because he’s a loser you see. Lee gets to the point and looks at all the gold. Cole: “My eyes are up here.” Lee: “I’m just deciding which of these championships I should take first.” The fight is on with Lee cleaning house. Tommaso Ciampa runs down to send Cole back in, but Strong saves him from the Spirit Bomb.

Xia Li wants revenge on Shayna Baszler.

Kushida is back from his broken wrist.

Xia Li vs. Shayna Baszler

Non-title. Li wins an early strike off and Baszler isn’t sure what to do. They go to the mat with Baszler not being able to hang in the striking. Instead she flips Li over, only to get kicked in the head. Baszler takes her down by the arm though and hits the big stomp to put Li in trouble. More strikes give Li a breather but she can only do so much with one arm. Li heads up top and strikes her way out of a superplex attempt. A powerbomb out of the corner gets two but Baszler pulls her into the Kirifuda Clutch for the tap at 4:06.

Rating: C+. Li was giving it everything she had here and got in some big shots that made her look good. It wasn’t like the ending was ever in doubt here as Baszler just won the main event of Survivor Series and isn’t going to lose something like this. Li got to show off a lot and I could see her being something in a few months.

Kassius Ohno is back from the UK and wants to be ready for Worlds Collide, when NXT meets NXT UK. That could be good if they treat it like something special, and it seems that they might.

Forgotten Sons vs. Adrian Alanis/Leon Ruff

Ruff and Alanis are from Evolve. Blake wastes no time in clotheslining Ruff in the back of the head and there’s the buckle bomb to make it worse. Alanis comes in and gets taken down by a running knee to the head. A release German suplex sets up the reverse DDT/middle rope stomp finishes Alanis at 1:21.

Post match Jaxson Ryker chokeslams Ruff onto the apron for a heck of a nasty crash.

Dakota Kai vs. Rhea Ripley

Kai’s new Titantron is the attack on Tegan Nox for an outstanding addition. Hold on though as Ripley has a mic and says not so fast. It was a great setup at Takeover, and now we have another one. Cue Mia Yim to run Kai over and the fight is on. Yim destroys Kai, sending her into the barricade over and over again. They eventually go into the crowd with Kai crawling away. No match of course.

With Ripley still at ringside, cue the Horsewomen for the other brawl. Ripley fights them off as well as she can but the numbers game eventually gets the better of her, allowing Baszler to choke her out. Ripley is out so Baszler talks trash about how Ripley can’t win when anything is on the line. Now Ripley wants a title shot, and so does Baszler. They’ll fight for the title in two weeks. Best thing about this: flowing from one story into another without having to go to the back and set things up. It feels MUCH more natural and that is the best thing that they could have done here.

Ciampa and Lee are ready to face the Undisputed Era. Dominick Dijakovic shows up and seems to be joining them tonight.

Video on Finn Balor, who wants the NXT Title back. He’s playing chess while Cole is playing checkers, so checkmate.

Video on Isaiah Scott.

Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno

The fans chant for Riddle in the Goldberg cadence for a fun moment. They go with the grappling to start until Riddle takes him down by the (right) arm. The cravate has Riddle in more trouble but he’s back out with a German suplex as the eyes get a bit more serious. Ohno gets sent outside for a kick to the chest and we take a break.

Back with Riddle kicking at the chest as the announcers keep hyping up When Worlds Collide. Ohno gets in a shot to the throat and a big boot to drop Riddle as he is willing to cheat to finally beat him. Or he’s just a villain in general. The cravate goes back on and is switched into a crossarm choke to keep Riddle in trouble.

That’s broken up as well and Riddle hits a Broton but has to bail out of a standing moonsault. The Bro To Sleep sets up a powerbomb to plant Ohno, and the Final Flash knocks him silly. Riddle’s Floating Bro gets two but Ohno is right back with a suplex. Ohno tries a cradle piledriver but gets reversed into a knee to the face and the Bro Derek to give Riddle the pin at 12:33.

Rating: B-. Yeah of course these two have good matches against each other because they work well together and have similar styles. At the end of the day though, Ohno exists to put Riddle over and that’s a great role for him. What matters more than anything else here though is the hype for When Worlds Collide, meaning it might actually be important for once. They have been watchable before, but it would be great to see the show have some meaning.

We look back at Baszler beating Ripley down. The title match is official for the 18^th.

Kushida vs. Raul Mendoza

Or not as here’s Cameron Grimes to jump Mendoza and take his place. This stuns Kushida for some reason.

Kushida vs. Cameron Grimes

As stunned as he is, Kushida is fine enough to hit a handspring kick to the face to put Grimes on the floor to start, setting up a big flip dive off the top to take Grimes down again. Back in and Kushida grabs something like the Black Widow and bends the arm WAY back for a nearly terrifying visual. Another handspring is countered into a German suplex to put Kushida down for the first time and the Superman forearm connects. Grimes tries his backflip into a German suplex but Kushida reverses into a rollup for the pin at 4:16.

Rating: C. This was a weird one as Grimes has been getting a pretty big push in recent weeks but then loses here to the returning Kushida. I get why Kushida gets the win to put himself back on track but why have him beat Grimes and not, say, Mendoza like you had planned? Just a weird moment but it came at the end of a fine match.

We recap Lio Rush vs. Angel Garza. They meet for Rush’s Cruiserweight Title next week.

Also next week: Yim vs. Kai.

Undisputed Era vs. Dominick Dijakovic/Tommaso Ciampa/Keith Lee

Strong gets taken into the corner for the early beating and Ciampa already has to give himself some applause. O’Reilly comes in for a standing guillotine on Dijakovic and is quickly tossed out of a suplex. A middle rope splash gives Dijakovic two and the standing knees to the back make it even worse. The Era is sent outside and we take a break. Back with Dijakovic fighting out of O’Reilly’s abdominal stretch and hitting one heck of a clothesline.

That’s not enough to get over for the tag though as O’Reilly grabs the leg. It takes all three members of the Era to pull Dijakovic back into the corner for a unique visual. Dijakovic fights up and makes the tag off to Ciampa so house can be cleaned. A jumping knee to the back of O’Reilly’s head sets up Project Ciampa for two.

The Fairy Tale Ending is broken up and it’s High/Low to give Strong two with Lee and Dijakovic making a double save. Strong drops Ciampa again as things settle into the normal structure again. Cole and Lee get the hot tags and it’s time for the real house cleaning. The threat of a big dive sends the Era scattering so Lee runs over O’Reilly and Strong.

Dijakovic hits a spinning springboard dive but Cole breaks up a superplex to put O’Reilly on the pile outside. Cue Finn Balor to dropkick Cole into the referee in the corner. 1916 plants Ciampa but Lee rises up behind Balor for a great visual. Lee hits the Spirit Bomb on Balor and, after avoiding the Last Shot, hits the Limit Breaker for the pin on Cole at 11:48.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match that NXT knows how to do very well as they had the interference but then gave us the big moment to end things as well. These guys beat the heck out of each other and had the big spots in there, with Lee continuing to get the rocket push. That being said, there are other people involved who could get the title shot as well, which makes for a lot of great possibilities.

Post match here’s William Regal to make Keith Lee vs. Finn Balor vs. Tommaso Ciampa for next week with the winner getting a title shot the following week. That really could go any of the three ways and that’s not something you see every day.

Overall Rating: B. Another night with the wrestling being good throughout, as well as setting up multiple things that I want to see later on. You don’t get that very often and they made it work here, which almost no one else can do. The future is crazy bright with Lee and Ripley getting the monster pushes, but what makes it so much better is you could see them winning, which is almost unthinkable. More good stuff here though, as NXT’s roll continues (for years now).

Results

Killian Dain b. Pete Dunne – Middle rope belly to back slam

Shayna Baszler b. Xia Li – Kirifuda Clutch

Forgotten Sons b. Adrian Alanis/Leon Ruff – Reverse DDT/middle rope stomp to Alanis

Matt Riddle b. Kassius Ohno – Bro Derek

Kushida b. Cameron Grimes – Cradle

Keith Lee/Tommaso Ciampa/Dominick Dijakovic b. Undisputed Era – Limit Breaker to Cole

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 14,, 2019
Location: Brentwood Centre, Essex, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

It’s back to the old ideas around here this week as Tyler Bate faces Kassius Ohno. That could go either way as Ohno is as up and down of a wrestler as you can get. If he’s on, this could be great but if he’s off, it could be a rather long night. Other than that, Xia Brookside gets Kay Lee Ray in a non-title match. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Kay Lee Ray

Non-title. Ray drives her into the corner to start and gets in a shove to the face for some mind games. A headlock takeover works a bit better for Brookside as the fans look….asleep? Brookside headstands her way out of a headscissors and dances a bit to get on Ray’s nerves. A shot to the face puts Brookside down and the fans aren’t happy with that one.

Brookside’s crossbody is countered with a slam and a gordbuster gives Ray two. It’s too early for the Gory Bomb though and now the fans are getting into things. Brookside hammers away and snaps off a headscissors, setting up a hurricanrana for two. That’s enough for Ray who hits a superkick and plants Brookside with the Gory Bomb for the win at 7:02.

Rating: C. Maybe it’s the smile but it’s so easy to like Brookside. She’s a great underdog but can hang in the ring so it’s not like it’s ridiculous to imagine her pulling off an upset. At the same time though, Ray is turning into a rather strong champion and I’m not sure who could take the title off of her in the near or far future.

We look back at Alexander Wolfe recruiting Ilja Dragunov to Imperium but Dragunov sided with Gallus instead.

We get the second video on Piper, who is a role model for kids who might not feel like they belong due to their size. She was determined to make it to WWE and has proven everyone wrong due to her passion and heart.

Travis Banks vs. Ligero

Rematch after a double pin last month. They chop it out to start and an exchange of kicks to the face gives us a double knockdown. Ligero gets two off a clothesline and it’s off to something like an Octopus. That’s broken up and a standing clothesline just gets on Banks’ nerves. They go to the same double cover that gave us a draw last time before chopping it out again.

Banks knocks him into the ropes and hits a missile dropkick to a seated Ligero for a different visual. Ligero is right back with a Code Red for two but neither can get anywhere off a small package. The Kiwi Crusher gives Banks two so he goes up, only to get caught in a superplex. They head to the apron with Banks hitting a fisherman’s suplex but Ligero is right back with C4L on the floor. With Banks down, cue Joseph Conners to post Ligero. Back in and the Slice of Heaven finishes Ligero at 9:56. Banks did not see what Conners did.

Rating: C+. I wasn’t all that interested in seeing this one again but they had an entertaining match and I was wondering what was going to happen here. That being said, Conners can fall in a hole and never come out because he is one of the least interesting people NXT has put out there in a LONG time. It just isn’t there and that is showing more and more every single time.

Post match Conners beats up Banks as well. Conners grabs a mic and says this was supposed to be him but he has been overlooked. He is sick of the excuses and if he has to suffer, so does everyone else.

Ridge Holland debuts next week.

William Regal was at the NXT UK Performance Center this week when Alexander Wolfe came up to Regal and the NXT UK bosses. Wolfe wanted a match with Ilja Dragunov and didn’t want to hear from Sid Scala. Johnny Saint makes the match for next week.

Kassius Ohno vs. Tyler Bate

The fans start singing about Bate and it’s some standing grappling early on. Bate works on the wristlock but Ohno takes him to the mat for one of his own. That’s broken up and it’s an Octopus hold, only to have Ohno pull him down into a reverse chinlock with Ohno sitting on the mat. Back up and it’s a standoff until Ohno hits some palm strikes, only to throw a closed fist when the referee turns his back for a good heel move.

Back up and Bate is sent into the corner for the Jack Gallagher raised boot, plus a headscissors. Ohno sends him to the apron and then into the post to really take over for the first time. Bate’s shoulder is banged up and Ohno brings him back inside for a backsplash. One heck of a chop has Bate in trouble so Ohno stops to yell at the crowd for a bit.

We hit the cravate with Ohno lifting him up to make it almost like a guillotine. Bate gets dropped down like a Stunner for two and Ohno is rather confident. Some suplex attempts don’t work for Bate until he just muscles Ohno over, followed by the running forearm in the corner. Another suplex lets Bate nip up for the running shooting star and another near fall. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered with a backdrop so hard that Bate lands on his face.

The Cyclone Boot gives Ohno two and frustration is setting in. Ohno hits a headbutt but Bate starts swinging and hits Bop and Bang for two. The Rebound clothesline is blocked with a forearm to the back of Bate’s neck but Ohno misses a moonsault. Bate muscles him up for two off a German suplex and they’re both down.

Ohno gets up with a pump kick so Bate hits the big clothesline to put Ohno on the floor. The big dive is forearmed out of the air and Ohno’s Dream Crusher gets two. Ohno demands that the fans chant his name and takes Bate up top, only to have Bate slip down for a spinning torture rack slam. The Tyler Driver 97 is good for the pin at 24:03.

Rating: B+. The time helped this one and made it feel all the more epic. Bate looks pretty standard when you just look at him but my goodness he can turn it on. Then you have Ohno, who looks like he doesn’t belong anywhere near a ring but has the psychology to make up for his lack of a physique. Heck of a match here as Bate does it again and Ohno surprises me one more time.

Overall Rating: B. That main event is more than enough to make up for what was just an ok show otherwise. Sometimes you need to just go out there and have an awesome match, which is what happened here. They even have the Gallus vs. Imperium battle for down the line, making this a rather nice sign for the future. NXT UK has had some issues with putting on an entertaining show without the top talent and they did it here. Well done indeed.

Results

Kay Lee Ray b. Xia Brookside – Gory Bomb

Travis Banks b. Ligero – Slice of Heaven

Tyler Bate b. Kassius Ohno – Tyler Driver 97

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 31, 2019
Location: Brentwood Centre, Essex, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

This is one of those shows that might be in a weird place as it comes on the same day as a huge afternoon which also included Crown Jewel. There is a fairly stacked card for a show not featuring the main eventers, as we’ll be seeing Dave Mastiff vs. Jordan Devlin and the debut of A-Kid. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert vs. Piper Niven/Rhea Ripley

Jinny and Piper start things off and an early Jazzy distraction completely backfires with Piper knocking Jinny down with ease. Rhea comes in to a massive reaction and sends Jinny outside, where she is caught between Rhea and Piper for a scary visual. Back in and Rhea nails a running basement dropkick to Jinny’s head but a second Jazzy interference works a bit better as Rhea gets taken down.

Jazzy blasts Rhea down and hands it back to Jinny for something close to the Black Widow. That’s broken up with raw power and it’s time for Piper to run into Gabbert really hard. A backsplash crushes Gabbert and Jinny at the same time but Gabbert is right back up with a spear for two. Piper comes back in for the save and the villains are sent to the floor for the big flip dive from Ripley. Back in and Niven Michinoku Drivers Gabbert for the pin at 6:04.

Rating: C. Ripley looks more and more like a superstar every second she’s out there that Toni Storm is gone. She’s a complete star and someone who seems ready for the main roster today (she isn’t there yet, but that’s how it feels a lot of the time). Her move over to NXT is overdue as she needs better competition, and that was on full display here.

A-Kid vs. Kassius Ohno

The fans are behind the Kid here and the much bigger Ohno takes him down by the arm to start, only to let him go in a hurry. That seems like a bit of a waste of time as Ohno grabs another armbar on the mat a second later, only to get rolled up for two instead. Kid’s headlock is countered into a rather hard headscissors but Kid is out again. An armdrag out of the corner into a dropkick has Ohno in trouble so he hits Kid in the throat.

Ohno grabs a chinlock and drops a backsplash for two but can’t keep Kid down on the mat with a test of strength. Kid gets up and snaps off a springboard hurricanrana but Ohno powers out of a cross armbreaker. A catapult sends Kid throat first into the middle rope and they stagger around outside. The slugout is on but Kid hits a 619 underneath the bottom rope (apparently not breaking the count) for the countout at 6:36.

Rating: C+. Kid definitely has some potential, which was on display in the few times I’ve see him before here too. The match got just enough time to go somewhere and Ohno is the kind of guy who can easily bounce back from a loss like this. You can all but guarantee a rematch too, which would be just fine.

Post match Ohno beats him down but Tyler Bate, who endorsed Kid before he got here, runs in for the save.

Killer Kelly is medically cleared and is off to demand a match.

Joseph Conners vs. Roy Johnson

Johnson is a friend of a friend so this is a cool moment. The fans certainly seem to like Johnson (Big Wavy you see) so he dances a bit and hits a right hand, only to get caught with a clothesline. Johnson goes head first into the buckle and gets his ribs bent around the post for a bonus. Conners shouts about this being his so Johnson makes the comeback with a series of forearms and elbows. A backbreaker connects and the straps come down, only to be sent face first into the buckle. A reverse Hennig neck snap sets up Don’t Look Down to give Conners the pin at 4:06.

Here’s Kay Lee Ray to talk about how great it is to have Toni Storm gone. What matters now though is the fact that she has Xia Brookside saying that she wants a title shot. Xia tries to claim that Ray cost her a title shot but all Ray did was win a battle royal. Now, she stands here as your champion.

Gallus says as long as they’re around, Imperium doesn’t hold all the gold. Joe Coffey is coming for the UK Title.

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.

In the back, Alexander Wolfe gives Ilja Dragunov another sales pitch to join Imperium but Dragunov isn’t convinced to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. It felt like they were in a bit better groove this time and I liked the show as a result. What mattered the most through was the main event, which came off better than I would have bet on. A-Kid looks good and Ripley is still a star. That being said, the lack of Walter is starting to hurt as it feels like this is all the second stringers because he’s so dominant on top of the roster. Good enough show here though, and an improvement over most recent weeks.

Results

Piper Niven/Rhea Ripley b. Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert – Michinoku Driver to Gabbert

A-Kid b. Kassius Ohno via countout

Joseph Conners b. Roy Johnson – Don’t Look Down

Jordan Devlin b. Dave Mastiff – Super Devil Inside

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: September 18, 2019
Location: Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time to go full British here as Sid Scala faces Kassius Ohno in a British Rounds match. This could make for something interesting while also giving this place a signature match, which it hasn’t had so far. I’m curious to see how WWE runs something like this as it could range from really bad to a pleasant surprise. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Ohno defeating Scala on a moment’s notice, so Scala is now prepared and in a match of his choice.

Opening sequence.

Travis Banks vs. Tyson T-Bone

Banks takes him straight into the corner for an early stomping and some running shots to the face to make it even worse. T-Bone uses the size advantage to crush Banks and damage the ribs, meaning it’s time to punch said ribs over and over. We hit the chinlock on Banks, followed by the slingshot suplex to get back to the ribs. Banks is fine enough to hit a knee to the floor, setting up the required suicide dive. T-Bone is right back with a German suplex out of the corner to counter the Slice of Heaven. Back up and T-Bone tries another suplex, only to get reversed into a small package to give Banks the pin at 4:35.

Rating: C-. Banks continues to seem to be the guy who should be rocketing up the card but he never gets there. He clearly has talent but doesn’t seem ready to move up to the next level for whatever reason. T-Bone looks great but is more about being a jobber to the stars around here, which they have to have.

Toni Storm’s whereabouts aren’t clear yet but Gallus comes in to say this is their kingdom.

Rhea Ripley vs. Debbie Keitel

Keitel is from Ireland and has only been wrestling for two years. A waistlock just annoys Ripley so she sends Keitel into the corner. For some reason Keitel thinks it’s a good idea to slap Ripley in the face so it’s Riptide to finish Keitel at 1:25. Well that worked.

Post match Ripley says it’s time to get her NXT UK Women’s Title match. There is no one like her around here so here are Jinny and Jazzy Gabbert to interrupt. Jinny insults Rhea’s look, saying it all belongs in the past. The present is right here though so the brawl is on, with Rhea kicking Jazzy off the apron before anything can really start.

Trent Seven arrived earlier and Noam Dar annoyed him with a bullhorn. The fight almost started but referees broke it up.

Joseph Conners vs. Kenny Williams

The always serious Conners sends him into the corner to start and gets two off a hard clothesline. Williams gets his own two off a sunset flip before firing off some elbows to the face. A hard whip into the corner has Williams in trouble again as Conners talks to himself, which apparently is now his thing. Williams comes back with a jawbreaker and some chops, followed by the springboard back elbow to the face. A wheelbarrow faceplant gets two more with Conners rolling to the apron. Conners snaps the rope into Williams’ chest and Don’t Look Down is good for the pin at 5:12 to an almost creepy silence.

Rating: D+. Yeah this was another Conners match, though I guess talking to himself is better than fighting the rookies in a company that is about a year old. The match wasn’t terrible but Williams is better than this and Conners is just not interesting in any definition of the word. I don’t know what they see in him but he doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon.

Video on Cesaro vs. Ilja Dragunov from Takeover. Cesaro says Dragunov brought it and you should keep watching him (Dragunov).

Oliver Carter is back for his first win next week. YEAH MAN (his words).

Kay Lee Ray is ready for Tegan Nox in two weeks.

Next week: Trent Seven vs. Noam Dar.

Sid Scala vs. Kassius Ohno

This is a British Rounds match, meaning we have six three minute rounds. You win with two pinfalls or submissions, one knockout, or being ahead on falls at the end of the final round. The fans are rather behind Sid here, even as Ohno takes him down by the arm. A headlock has Ohno in more control as Nigel has a ball listing off various British wrestlers of rounds fame. The chinlock keeps Scala down before it’s off to an ankle crank. Scala reverses into one of his own but the first round ends to break things up.

After a thirty second break, Scala starts the second round with a cravate but Ohno spins out to give us a standoff. Ohno starts cranking on both arms but Scala slips out again. A few rollups get two but the second round ends with a kickout. The third round begins with Ohno using the size to hold Scala down but some knees to the ribs get him out of trouble. That’s fine with Ohno, who hits the rolling elbow to earn the first fall at 1:30 of the third round.

Scala is rocked and can barely stand as round four begins, apparently with the other minute and a half being dropped due to the fall. Ohno slams him down and Scala has some trouble getting back up. That’s fine with Ohno, who grabs a cravate and drops a knee to keep Scala down. Scala slugs away but it’s another big forearm to put him down again. Ohno grabs another cravate and headbutts him to end the fourth round. Scala can barely get to his feet during the rest period so Ohno is very happy to start the fifth round.

The abdominal stretch goes on, followed by a chinlock but Scala comes back with some knees to the head. Back in and Ohno misses an elbow, followed by a backsplash hitting raised knees. Ohno is in trouble as the sixth and final round begins so Scala dives at him and hammers away in the corner. The size is just too much though and Ohno grabs a Regal roll for two.

The chinlock doesn’t last long so Ohno BLASTS him in the back of the head with a forearm. An electric chair is countered into a victory roll for two, followed by a crucifix for the same. Ohno kicks him in the head with twenty seconds left but gets caught in a backslide for two as time expires at 20:02 (counting the breaks so well done on keeping the time close), meaning Ohno wins one fall to nothing.

Rating: B. This match is not going to work for everyone (meaning fans or wrestlers) but I got into it a lot more than I expected to. Not only did they have a story here with Ohno being the bully but they sucked me into the drama at the end. Throw in Scala as a rather good underdog and the match did exactly what it was supposed to. It’s not something that would work every week or that I would want to see very often, but if you make it someone’s gimmick or a special attraction, it could work rather well.

Scala is upset to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was one of those shows that had a lot of different things to offer, which often makes the show that much better. I liked the show well enough and the whole thing went by rather quickly. As usual, it’s a good idea to focus on things other than the major title, which is what they did here. Nice show, with a main event that may or may not be your taste.

Results

Travis Banks b. Tyson T-Bone – Small package

Rhea Ripley b. Debbie Keitel – Riptide

Joseph Conners b. Kenny Williams – Don’t Look Down

Kassius Ohno b. Sid Scala – 1-0

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: September 4, 2019
Location: Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness. Vic Joseph

It’s a rare post Takeover edition here, meaning we’ll be seeing a bunch of post match interviews, highlights, and the two matches taped before the show started. After the marathon that was this weekend, a little breather is often a nice change of pace so hopefully that’s what we get here. Let’s get to it.

Here are Saturday’s results if you need a recap.

We open with the Takeover recap. A lot of that show doesn’t feel like that big of a deal, but the match and moment that did make up for a lot of it.

Opening sequence.

Piper Niven vs. Rhea Ripley

They go with the power shoves to start and Ripley’s big boot is shoved away. Some shoulders to the ribs work a bit better and Niven is down for a bit. Rhea stays on the back and tries a camel clutch but opts for a standing Cloverleaf instead. Niven pulls that down into a kneebar in the middle of the ring so Ripley kicks her in the arm for the break. A stomp to the back lets Rhea talk more trash and it’s off to a camel clutch neck crank.

Piper drops back on her for the break and it’s a Cannonball in the corner (GOTTA HAVE THE CANNONBALL!), followed by a Vader Bomb for two. The back gives out but Piper is fine enough to hit her in the face to block Riptide. A low crossbody connects (with Rhea’s leg folding underneath her but thankfully she seems fine) but Rhea hits her in the back again. This time Riptide finishes Niven at 8:42.

Rating: C. They had a nice story here with Ripley winning by staying on the back. That’s not the biggest surprise given that Ripley is now going after the regular NXT Women’s Title, meaning a promotion isn’t out of the question. Piper will be back as a monster in no time because she’s so much bigger than anyone else in the division so this is hardly some kind of a crippling loss.

Jack Gallagher is not medically cleared so we’ll need a suitable replacement to face Kassius Ohno.

The Grizzled Young Veterans ranted about their loss and demanded a two on two rematch. Johnny Saint says he’ll think about it.

He apparently thought about it fast as the rematch is next week.

Joe Coffey was banged up after his match with Dave Mastiff and needed a medic.

The Hunt (in suits) told Mastiff that he could beat Coffey.

Trent Seven checked on Tyler Bate after the main event.

Video on Tegan Nox, who debuts next week.

Kassius Ohno vs. ???

The replacement is…..Sid Scala, who hasn’t wrestled in a long time and is in most of a suit here. Scala looks fired up to start and spins out of an early wristlock. A head fake out of the corner lets Scala grab a middle rope sunset flip for two but Ohno gets in a kick to the leg. Some hard chops have Scala in more trouble before it’s back to the knee.

The leg gets stomped but Scala manages a neckbreaker across the corner for a unique escape. Ohno knocks him out of the air but Scala is able to forearm away back inside. Something close to a dragon screw legwhip cuts Scala off though and it’s the Dream Crusher to give Ohno the pin at 7:15.

Rating: C-. Scala was trying here and put in a good showing but they went the right way with the decision. Ohno continues to be a fine addition to the roster (odd result vs. Dragunov aside) as he can do almost anything he wants. Putting him against the bosses is an interesting idea as they could send quite a few names after him to make things more fun. This feels like part of a bigger story and that’s not a bad thing.

And that’s the show, which might be the shortest in the series’ history.

Overall Rating: C-. This wasn’t much of a show though I do appreciate them getting in and out faster than usual if they didn’t have much to show. They did their quick highlights and showed very little of note from after the matches, but we have a title match set up for next week. It’s a completely skippable show, unless you’re a big Ripley fan.

Results

Rhea Ripley b. Piper Niven – Riptide

Kassius Ohno b. Sid Scala – Dream Crusher

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:

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IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: August 14, 2019
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We only have three shows left before Takeover: Cardiff and I’m actually looking forward to what they have on tap. The show is looking better each week and odds are tonight we get another step towards Tyler Bate vs. Walter, which is showing some potential for greatness. The rest of the show should work as well so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Coffey vs. Flash Morgan Webster

That Gallus theme is far catchier than it should be. If Webster wins and then Mark Andrews wins over Wolfgang (both at ringside) at some point in the future, the team is added to Takeover in the Tag Team Title match. They take their time to start with the fans behind Webster, as they should be. A sunset flip gives Webster one and he sends Coffey outside, with Mark coming up holding his hamstring. Andrews and Wolfgang tease a fight and the distraction lets Mark knock Webster down to take over.

Mark hits a full nelson slam (with the count almost happening before the audio has heard Webster landing because THIS WWE NETWORK UPDATE IS GARBAGE) for two and Mark sends him outside. A glare at Andrews is enough of a distraction for Webster to nail a suicide dive, followed by a moonsault press for two.

Mark can’t hit a jumping knee to the ribs but he can hit a kick to the side (seemed to be aiming for the head). A chokeslam gives Coffey two but Webster is right back up with is own kick to the head. Wolfgang’s distraction lets Coffey avoid the Swanton so Andrews takes Wolfgang out. Back in and Webster hooks a small package for the pin at 5:49.

Rating: D+. The interference was a bit annoying but at the same time, it makes for a better match than having the two of them have a regular match. It even makes more sense to have it go this way as Webster and Andrews are trying to get to the Tag Team Title match. It wasn’t bad, but Webster is better in a team than on his own.

Toni Storm is ready for Takeover because it’s going to be a big party in Cardiff. Toni: “You’re going to be there, I’m going to be there and I’m so sorry but what did you ask me?” She’ll be ready for Ray. I don’t think this is what happened, but were we supposed to think Toni was drunk or hungover there?

Jordan Devlin was about to be interviewed when a Piper Niven/Rhea Ripley brawl interrupted him.

Travis Banks vs. Kenny Williams

Noam Dar joins commentary. Great. Banks goes straight for the backslide for two but misses a stomp and gets taken down by the leg. Williams cartwheels away and it’s an early standoff. A jumping back elbow gives Williams one (Dar: “I would have won with that.”) but Banks is right back with a running dropkick for two of his own. Banks drops a knee for the same and the front facelock goes on. That lasts all of three seconds as Williams sends him into the ropes, setting up a sunset flip for two.

Williams misses a dive to the floor and gets taken down with a suicide dive. Back in and a top rope double stomp to the back (ouch) gives Banks two more but Williams is right back with a headlock driver for the same. Banks gets elbowed off the apron to set up a suicide dive into the barricade, followed by another top rope back elbow for two more. Banks is fine enough to hit the Slice of Heaven into the Kiwi Crusher for the pin at 5:36.

Rating: C. I still like Banks, though I’m not sure how far he’s going to be able to go given how high up the totem pole given how strong Walter is on top. They’re going to need someone to challenge whoever wins in Cardiff, but Banks might not be someone who can take that spot. Not with how many other potential stars there are on this show.

Dar mockingly applauds Banks as we seen to have something new.

Nina Samuels vs. Isla Dawn

Samuels pulls her down by the hair to start and gets a quick two before going to the cross arm choke. Dawn holds onto the ropes to avoid a whip and rolls Samuels up for two. They fight near the corner until Dawn is sent face first into the buckle. Some knees to the back give Samuels two and it’s a dropkick to the back for two. Samuels puts on something like an STF to stay on the back as the strategy is strong so far.

That’s broken up and Dawn hits a belly to back driver, followed by a knee to the face for two. Samuels gets sent to the apron but scores with a kick to the head to drop Dawn for two more. Dawn is back with a kick of her own, setting up the half and half suplex for two of her own. That’s it for Nina though as she grabs the fireman’s carry backbreaker to finish Dawn at 5:38.

Rating: C-. These two don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon but at least one of them got a win here. The women’s division has cooled off a lot in the last few weeks and there isn’t much to do as we wait on Storm vs. Ray to wrap up. They’re going to need some fresh talent in there and I’m not sure either of these two are going to be the next big thing.

We look back at last week’s Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey match, which went to a double countout.

At Takeover: Coffey vs. Mastiff in a Last Man Standing match.

We go to the Westside Xtreme Wrestling gym where Walter tortures some students. This is a wrestling school and all of these people are small like Tyler Bate. After making one of the students say his name is Tyler Bate. Walter challenges the real Bate to meet him next week.

Also next week: Imperium vs. the Hunt.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Kassius Ohno

Dragunov does the cool conducting the crowd entrance, which loses some spark because the timing is out of sync. Dragunov has to power out of a headlock to start and switches to a cravate. That’s broken up with a knee to the ribs and a loud chop, which just makes Dragunov’s eyes go a little crazier. The cravate goes right back on but Ohno sends him shoulder first into the post for the break.

Ohno pulls him back in by the arm and puts on the armbar. Back up and Dragunov gets thrown throat first into the middle rope, with a rather serious Nigel wanting him checked immediately. Ohno drops a leg for two and cuts off another comeback with a big boot. The nerve hold goes on to weaken Dragunov’s arm a bit more but a hammerlock suplex is reversed into a regular one for some rather enthusiastic applause.

Dragunov tries some running clotheslines but hurts his own arm. Since he’s a bit off, Dragunov tries it again but gets hit in the arm for his efforts. Nigel wants him to use the left arm so Dragunov does just that (always listen to British wrestlers), followed by another right arm clothesline for two. That was quite a few clotheslines, arm of choice aside. Ohno takes the leg out and stomps n the arm, followed by a powerbomb into a faceplant for two. For some reason Ohno mocks Dragunov, who kicks him in the head as a result.

Ohno is sent flying with a German suplex and rolls outside, meaning the suicide dive takes him down again. Back in and Dragunov sunset bombs Ohno (who initially glared down at Dragunov for thinking he could make that work). Ohno is right back up and shoves Dragunov off the top, allowing him to get in a posting for good measure. Back in and the rolling elbow finishes Dragunov clean at 15:00.

Rating: B. I think I’m going to need an explanation for this one. What in the world are they thinking by having Dragunov, who might be the most unique talent on the entire roster, lose to Ohno, whose sole job seems to be putting people over? I’m assuming they’re setting up a rematch so Dragunov can get his revenge, but Dragunov shouldn’t need to get revenge against Kassius Ohno. I really don’t get this and I was actually surprised when Ohno won, albeit in a rather bad way.

Overall Rating: C+. Bizarre choice for the main event aside, this was a well put together show which focused on several stories, all within the span of just under an hour. That’s what a show like this should be able to do: bounce from one story or feud to another without missing a beat and they came pretty close here. The wrestling wasn’t great for the first three matches, but a quite good (albeit confusing) main event brought the rest of the show up.

Results

Flash Morgan Webster b. Mark Coffey – Small package

Travis Banks b. Kenny Williams – Kiwi Crusher

Nina Samuels b. Isla Dawn – Fireman’s carry backbreaker

Kassius Ohno b. Ilja Dragunov – Rolling elbow

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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