NXT UK
Date: February 24, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another title show as Moustache Mountain is defending their Tag Team Titles against Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter. That could be quite the showdown, as NXT UK tends to do rather well when it comes to title matches. I’m curious to see what else they have on the show so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the Tag Team Title match, as Smith and Carter are ready for their big shot at the gold.

Opening sequence.

Amale vs. Xia Brookside

They fight over wrist control to start with Amale taking her down into an armbar. Back up and a shoulder drops Brookside, who can’t believe Amale would do that to him. Amale tries to pull her out to the corner but Brookside says Amale can’t do that. Brookside: “I’M SPECIAL!” Amale counters a crossbody into a slam and a basement dropkick gets two. Brookside finally gets in a shot of her own and chokes Amale on the ropes before standing on her back for some screaming.

The armbar has Amale in trouble and the look on her makes would make you think she is being stabbed by a lightning bolt. Some elbows to the head have Amale in more trouble and Brookside mocks her again. Back up and Amale strikes away, including a running boot to the side of the head. Brookside forearms her back though and a kick to the head makes it worse. Amale isn’t having that though and sends her into the corner for a running boot to the face. The Hope Breaker gives Amale the pin at 6:17.

Rating: C+. Brookside is really starting to feel it with this stuck up brat daddy’s girl and that could suit her very well going forward. At the same time though, Amale continues to seem to be the future of the division and odds are she will wind up being the Women’s Champion one day. If nothing else, they are building her up some something and having her win matches over and over is the right way to go.

Sha Samuels and Noam Dar want to see Gallus suspended for stealing Supernova Sessions. Instead, Sid Scala is giving Joe Coffey a Heritage Cup shot. Mark Coffey can face Samuels too.

Pretty Deadly walks through a Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff interview. Mastiff tells Starz that he knows what to do. That brings us to Challenge #4: Bomber Initiative. Starz goes into Pretty Deadly’s dressing room and we cut to Pretty Deadly in their street clothes….which now have holes in the chest. Yelling ensues.

Rohan Raja vs. Danny Jones

The rest of Die Familie is here with Raja. Jones can’t spin out of a wristlock to start but some right hands in the corner work a bit better. A knee to the ribs takes Raja down and a boot to the face sends Raja outside for a Die Familie meeting. For some reason Jones decides to go outside after him and gets driven into the apron to put Raja back in control.

A running basement dropkick to the back of the head gives Raja two but his trash talk brings Jones back up. An enziguri into a belly to back suplex drops Raja again but it’s a rather slow near fall. Jones’ banged up back gives out though and it’s a Backstabber into a jumping Downward Spiral to give Raja the pin at 5:03.

Rating: C. It wasn’t a classic or anything but it was a way to have Jones get in some offense before going down to the bigger star. That was a nice rub to Jones, with is really just a guy in trunks, which makes it a little harder to find something for him to do. Not a bad match whatsoever, and Raja gave him a pretty good bit here.

Post match the big beatdown is on with Jones being left laying, though Charlie Dempsey didn’t seem sure about it at first.

Eddie Dennis whispers to Symbiosis about how an arrow has to be pulled back before it can go forward. The team looks ready to come back.

A truck driver is distracted by eating a hamburger and hits….what might have been a werewolf. The wolf/person is watching from the road as the driver looks at some fur on the road. I have no idea who or what this was supposed to be about and thought it was some weird commercial.

Sha Samuels runs into Mark Coffey for an exchange of insults before their match next week.

Die Familie again runs into A-Kid and stares at him. Charlie Dempsey calls the other two off and asks if A-Kid has something to say to him. A-Kid thought Dempsey was better than that and Dempsey says maybe.

Andy Shepherd brings out Meiko Satomura to honor her career. First up, we see a video on her title reign and Andy hands her a bouquet of flowers. Satomura says thank you but Isla Dawn pops up (with the camera going a bit wacky, like it’s in a weird world) to say she is distressed over not receiving an invite.

She thanks Satomura for giving us something to desire but now she needs her final trophy. At the moment, Satomura possesses it, so Satomura says if she wants a title shot, all she has to do is ask. Dawn says she takes things and kicks Satomura in the head. Then she takes and eats the flowers. So she’s Maleficent with a taste for flowers?

Sam Gradwell tells himself to get over having his hair being shaved but what gets to him is people, like his son, asking what happened to his mohawk. He can get over Kenny Williams doing that, but he doesn’t think Williams can get over what Gradwell is going to do to him.

We look back at Nathan Frazer challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Title.

Ilja Dragunov accepts the challenge, even though he had to win a battle royal just to get a title shot. Then he failed, because he wasn’t ready yet. He knows how good Frazer is, but he also knows how great he can be. Frazer isn’t ready, but he’ll take his first step.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith

Moustache Mountain is defending. Bate and Smith lock it up to start with Smith having to bail to the corner to escape a takedown attempt. Carter comes in and gets taken to the mat as well but manages to pull Bate into an armbar. That’s broken up and Bate takes him down, allowing Seven to come in for an assisted twisting moonsault. Carter is able to forearm him into the corner and there’s an armdrag into an armbar.

Smith comes back in and gets chopped/slammed, allowing Seven to drop a leg for two. It’s back to Bate to grind away on a headlock before unloading with forearms to both of them. Smith gets in a shot of his own though and brings in Carter, whose springboard…is pulled out of the air. Bate swings him around to knock Smith down as well but it makes Bate dizzy too. That means Carter can kick Bate in the head before a hurricanrana out of the corner sends him flying.

Carter even knocks Seven off the apron before he can do anything about it but Bate is back up with a suplex. The running shooting star press looks to set up the Tyler Driver 97 but Carter backdrops his way out. Bate settles for the rebound lariat and it’s back to Seven, leaving Bate to knock Smith off the apron. Something like Private Party’s Silly String into a tornado DDT lets Carter hit a springboard moonsault for two of his own and Seven is in trouble.

Seven sends Carter outside though and hits the Seven Star Lariat on Smith. Emerald Flosion gets two with Carter having to make a save. Bate comes back in so Smith Blue Thunder Bombs him for two of his own. An assisted moonsault (how they won the tournament) gets two on Bate and Carter is down too. A Silly String moonsault is cut off by Seven so Smith goes with a top rope Rough Ryder for two on Bate.

One heck of a Doomsday cutter drops Bate again but this time it’s Seven making the save. Everyone is down for a much needed breather Smith knocks Seven’s right hand back into Bate but Seven and Carter are knocked outside. That leaves Smith to hit a great superkick on Bate but Bop and Bang into an enziguri knock Smith silly. Bate knocks Smith silly with a left hand and covers, with Smith getting his foot on the ropes….but Seven shoves it off so Bate (who didn’t seem to see what Seven did) can retain the titles at 13:12.

Rating: B. Action packed fight here as Moustache Mountain was stretched to their breaking point here, with Seven having to tease a bit of a turn to keep the titles. Smith and Carter were keeping up from these two every step of the way and that was an awesome thing to see. Pretty great main event here and I’m not sure who is going to be able to take the titles, but at least it will be fun to watch people try.

Overall Rating: B-. As tends to be the case, the main event carried this show as the other two matches were fairly skippable. The main event was worth seeing though and it made the show feel important. I’m curious to see where some of these stories are going and then you can expect some good matches to blow the stories off. Now just get some kind of a major show scheduled and we could get somewhere special. For now though, it just continues to be the best weekly WWE show.

Results
Amale b. Xia Brookside – Hope Breaker
Rohan Raja b. Danny Jones – Jumping Downward Spiral
Moustache Mountain b. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter – Left hand to Smith

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NXT UK
Date: February 17, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

Things toned down a bit last week after back to back title match weeks. This time around seems to be more of the former as well, with the main event being a grudge match between Wolfgang and Jordan Devlin. Other than that, it’s hard to say what we might be getting around here week to week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sam Gradwell vs. Kenny Williams

Hold on though as Williams, in street clothes, is out on crutches. There was a terrible accident so the match cannot happen. Hold on to that holding on though as Sid Scala pops up on screen to say there is no evidence of Williams being injured, so start the match. Gradwell pulls him in and hammers away to start as Williams is rocked early.

A forearm out of the corner staggers Gradwell and a rake to the eyes lets Williams hit a rebound lariat. The cravate goes on for a bit before Williams rakes at the back. Gradwell fights up and hits some clotheslines into a butterfly suplex, only to get rolled up for two. Back up and Williams tries a sunset flip but Gradwell sits down on him for the pin at 3:58.

Rating: C. Williams finally gets caught and oddly enough it’s in a wrestling counter, which was a nice change of pace after Gradwell being all intense most of the time. It’s nice to see Gradwell getting a win, even if it is a small one like this. Odds are the feud continues though and I’m not sure if that is the best thing, as it’s only so interesting.

Post match Williams jumps Gradwell with the crutch as this is indeed going to continue. Williams pulls out some scissors from underneath the ring and cuts off Gradwell’s mohawk to really make this personal. Gradwell is furious, though not quite furious enough to go after Williams, who is standing at the entrance.

We recap Gallus stealing Jordan Devlin’s sunglasses last week.

The Coffeys find this funny but Wolfgang takes it a bit more seriously.

Xia Brookside is very happy to have an interview but she freaks out when she is asked about Amale. Her daddy will be hearing about this!

We recap Jack Starz wanting to earn one of Dave Mastiff’s bomber jackets, meaning Mastiff has some challenges for him.

First up it’s Challenge #1: Bomber Physicality. That means an hour of free squats, but Mastiff forgets to check on him and comes back three hours later, with Jack mostly still squatting and a pool of sweat underneath him.

Challenge #2: Bomber Appetite. Starz has to eat a bunch of what looks to be cookies or crackers.

Challenge #3: Bomber Guts. Starz has to streak through the Performance Center but he can’t do it and runs off (censored) instead.

Sam Gradwell is furious and goes hunting for Kenny Williams.

Angel Hayze vs. Emilia McKenzie

McKenzie grabs a headlock to start but gets rolled up for a fast two. Hayze hiptosses her over for two more and it’s off to a front facelock. That’s eventually broken up with McKenzie powering her down for two of her own. There’s a forearm for two more and McKenzie grabs a chinlock.

This time it’s Hayze fighting up and hitting her own forearm for a breather. A running elbow in the corner sets up a Sling Blade for two as McKenzie is having to work here. McKenzie is right back with a fisherman’s neckbreaker into a belly to back suplex for a needed breather. A superkick gives Hayze two more but McKenzie grabs a wheelbarrow faceplant for the pin at 4:57.

Rating: C+. This was a back and forth match and much better than I would have expected. Hayze got in a ton of offense here and looked like a pretty solid prospect, making this a very nice surprise. The women’s division can always use some fresh stars and if that is Hayze, good for her.

Earlier this week, Nathan Frazer talked about how last week’s win over Teoman might shut up Die Familie for a bit. As for facing the Ring General (no name given), he was scared to death of what was in front of him and he didn’t know how he got there. Now he needs something new though, so he’s challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Title. That’s a big step forward.

Die Familie is in their apartment, where Teoman says he’s ashamed of his loss. Rohan Raja says Teoman kept his promise of looking after his family, but Teoman says he will never be a loser, as long as the family wins. Charlie Dempsey says the loss might make the family come closer together.

Stevie Turner vs. Myla Grace

They fight over a lockup to start with Turner taking her into the corner. Grace armdrags her down into an armbar but Turner is back up with a Thesz press. A running boot to the face knocks Grace against the ropes for two and we’re off to the chinlock. Nigel tries to explain Stevie’s futuristic deal as Grace fights up, including a clothesline which is more like a punch to the stomach. Turner cuts that off without much trouble though and finishes with a Side Effect at 4:36.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what is missing from Turner but she has yet to click around here. Granted part of that is due to the still weird futuristic deal, which seems to involve her wearing slightly strange clothes. Grace was fine here, but didn’t exactly stand out for the most part.

Sid Scala announces that Meiko Satomura will be presented with a gift next week.

Moustache Mountain is very happy with their Tag Team Titles and now they’re ready to defend against Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter. Smith and Carter are ready too, with the title match coming next week.

Jordan Devlin vs. Wolfgang

Feeling out process to start with Wolfgang driving him into the corner. It’s time to work on the arm, including some driving shoulders to put Devlin down. Back up and Devlin’s running shoulder has no effect so Wolfgang shows him how it’s done, which bangs up the arm even more. Another shoulder puts Devlin on the floor but he pulls Wolfgang outside too. It turns out that it’s a bad idea to brawl with someone named Wolfgang, as Devlin is beaten up against the barricade.

Back in and the slingshot cutter is blocked, allowing Wolfgang to hit a delayed vertical suplex for two. It’s back to the armbar but Devlin knocks him outside. The Asai moonsault is pulled out of the air but Devlin manages to post him shoulder first for a breather. Devlin’s armbar is broken up as well but he kicks at the arm to cut Wolfgang down again. The arm is fine enough to hit a gorilla press drop, only to have Devlin get his knees up to block a moonsault.

Devlin gets a cross armbreaker but Wolfgang is in the ropes almost immediately. There’s a running kick to Wolfgang’s arm and another puts him down on the floor. Back in again and Devlin grabs a hammerlock before kicking at the arm again. Wolfgang manages a catapult over the top to send Devlin outside for a breather before hitting a top rope ax handle back inside.

The spear only hits buckle though and now the slingshot cutter gives Devlin two. Devlin unloads on him with shots to the head but Wolfgang hits a spear, which hurts his arm even more though. Wolfgang goes up top but gets caught with a super Spanish Fly….for two. That’s enough for Devlin, who hits the 450 for the pin at 13:43.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match where they didn’t have much of a build coming in (stolen sunglasses remember) but put together a good story with both of them having bad arms. Wolfgang looked solid in a rare singles match but there wasn’t much drama as Devlin needed to get a win after losing to Ilja Dragunov a few weeks back.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event is quite good but this show was really feeling the lack of star power. Maybe they front loaded these tapings too much or something but the last two weeks haven’t been as sharp as the weeks before them. I’m not sure what they are going to do next with with Satomura’s gift, though maybe it can lead to something bigger. Good show, assuming you don’t mind the midcard getting the focus.

Results
Sam Gradwell b. Kenny Williams – Rollup
Emilia McKenzie b. Angel Hayze – Wheelbarrow faceplant
Stevie Turner b. Myla Grace – Side Effect
Jordan Devlin b. Wolfgang – 450

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

For once, we don’t have a title on the line and after last week, that might be a good thing. Last week’s Women’s Title match ended with a fluke injury to Blair Davenport and she is likely to be gone for a long time. This week’s show is about revenge though as Nathan Frazer gets his hands on Teoman. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Amale vs. Nina Samuels

Fallout for Samuels taking over Amale’s interview and mocking her. Amale slugs away with forearms to start but Samuels grabs a hiptoss. Back up and Amale grabs a butterfly suplex but they head to the apron where Samuels trips her down. A high kick into a slingshot splash gives Samuels two and she rakes Amale’s face into the mat.

The chinlock puts Amale in trouble for a bit until she fights up for the clothesline comeback. A backsplash crushes Samuels for two but she is right back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for her own near fall. That’s too much for Amale, who hits a running kick in the corner, setting up the Hope Breaker to finish Samuels at 4:18.

Rating: C. Amale gets a nice win to boost her a bit and that is the kind of thing that she can always use. It still seems like she is going to be one of the next big projects in the women’s division and a title match in a few months would not surprise me. Now just find something for her to do on the way there and things should be set.

A-Kid continues trying to teach Saxon Huxley etiquette, which doesn’t exactly work. Then A-Kid leaves and Huxley is completely sane and normal, only to go nuts again when A-Kid comes back.

Someone steals Noam Dar’s Heritage Cup and locks Dar and Sha Samuels in their locker room.

We look back at last week’s street fight, with Meiko Satomura defending her title due to Blair Davenport’s injury. There is no update on Davenport’s injury.

New #1 contenders Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter run into Moustache Mountain so trash talk can be exchanged. Their title match is in two weeks.

Gallus, now with the Heritage Cup, has taken over the Supernova Sessions set. Actually let’s make that Gallus Boys On Top, with Jordan Devlin as the first guest. Devlin isn’t happy with the changes and thinks they stole his sunglasses. I assure you that Wolfgang putting some sunglasses on is just a coincidence. We’re out of time…but here are Sha Samuels and Noam Dar to interrupt. Samuels makes a bunch of threats but Gallus stops for some pictures with the Heritage Cup. Arguing ensues and Joe Coffey tells Dar to enjoy the Cup while he can. Gallus dances to Dar’s funky music.

Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff try to talk about what happened last week. Starz wants one of Mastiff’s vests but Mastiff says he has to earn it. That’s cool with Starz.

Kenny Williams, in a thunderstorm, talks about how Sam Gradwell has been after him. Williams can weather any storm though.

Saxon Huxley vs. A-Kid

Huxley starts with the stalking and A-Kid has to dodge around in the corner. A-Kid is put on the apron where he gets in a shot to the face, followed by raising a boot in the corner. That doesn’t work for Huxley, who throws him down and then launches him with a slam. Huxley sends him chest first into the corner and gets two off a backbreaker.

Some running sits onto A-Kid’s back sets up a quickly escaped over the shoulder backbreaker. A-Kid picks up the pace with a dropkick and a running kick to the arm. Huxley is sent outside for a suicide dive but he plants A-Kid with another backbreaker back inside. Some forearms to the chest keep A-Kid in trouble until he hits….I think a Sliced Bread out of the corner. An enziguri sets up a springboard moonsault DDT (that was sweet) to finish Huxley at 7:04.

Rating: C+. A-Kid is one of those guys who can work well with anyone and that was on display here with the NXT UK version of Bruiser Brody/Berzerker. It’s nice to have someone as versatile as A-Kid around and he looked good against the monster. At the same time, Huxley does his thing very well, and I’m curious about the “he’s actually smart” deal from earlier.

Post match, respect is shown and the still slightly nuts Huxley runs off.

Gallus is happy with their show but Jordan Devlin jumps Wolfgang and steals his sunglasses back.

A-Kid is happy with his win but here is Die Familie. Charlie Dempsey nods at A-Kid but nothing gets physical.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Teoman vs. Nathan Frazer

The rest of Die Familie is here with Teoman. Frazer takes him down to start and hammers away before grabbing a headlock. Back up and some right hands stagger Teoman but he’s fine enough to counter a springboard into a neck snap across the top. Teoman grabs a chinlock and we get some rather blatant spot calling.

Some right hands to the ribs and then the back of the neck keep Frazer down but he punches his way back up. They fight to the floor and it’s Frazer hitting a moonsault off of the barricade to drop Teoman again. A few shots stagger Frazer though and it’s a double arm crank back inside.

Frazer fights up and manages a kick to the face, which is finally enough for a double knockdown. A running forearm and a Sling Blade drop Teoman and Frazer dives onto Die Familie for a bonus. Back in and a springboard moonsault is kicked out of the air to give Teoman two. Frazer grabs the rope for a Seth Rollins spin into an enziguri to drop Teoman and, after taking care of Die Familie, the Phoenix splash gives Frazer the pin at 13:11.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to see Frazer getting a win like this for a change as he hasn’t had the best win/loss record, at least in bigger matches. This time he got the chance to showcase himself, including beating the odds with the rest of the team. Other than that you have Teoman continuing to be just kind of there, though Charlie Dempsey still feels like someone who could be the breakout star from the team.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, the show knows how to get through a bunch of stuff and cover a lot of stories at once. That is hard to do for most shows but NXT UK manages to make it work almost every time. Again, that might have something to do with the show being taped in advance, but I’ll take what I can get. Another good show here, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

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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NXT UK
Date: February 3, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the second title week in a row around here as we follow up last week’s United Kingdom Title match with a Women’s Title match as Meiko Satomura defends against Blair Davenport. At the same time, we have the finals of the #1 contenders tag team tournament, which could be a good one. I continue to have high hopes for this show and that isn’t something you get to say very often these days. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at the Japanese street fight between Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport.

Opening sequence.

Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith

The winners get a future Tag Team Title shot at Moustache Mountain, who is on commentary. Carter works on Starz’s wrist but can’t get very far as Starz takes him to the mat. An armdrag into an armbar works a bit better on Starz as Nigel tries to drive some tensions among the champs over the Heritage Cup. Mastiff comes in for a big headlock on Smith but it’s right back to Starz.

This time it’s Carter headlocking him down but Starz isn’t having that either. Instead Mastiff comes in and shrugs off some dropkicks before missing a springboard moonsault press. Everything breaks down and Carter/Smith clear the ring so Mastiff takes a breather on the floor. Back in and Starz dropkicks Smith twice before being backdropped outside.

Something like Private Party’s Silly String into a moonsault gets two on Starz and Smith slams him down for the same. A Doomsday Device is loaded up but Starz fights his way off of Smith’s shoulders (that’s a new one). The hot tag brings in Mastiff to clean house but Starz already wants back in. Mastiff waves him off and hits a German suplex, only to miss the Cannonball. A shot to the face drops Mastiff and an assisted moonsault finishes for Carter at 12:32.

Rating: C+. The ending surprised me a bit as they had some out of nowhere issues between Starz and Mastiff. Starz seeming to want to prove himself to the much bigger Mastiff makes sense but they had been working very well together for a long time. That could be an interesting story, but what matters here is Carter/Smith. You need to build up some teams at some point and they are a good choice.

A-Kid is ready to team with Saxon Huxley but isn’t sure about his mind. Therefore, we see a montage of A-Kid working with Huxley on mat, chess and manners. This goes very badly (Huxley ate a chess piece).

Video on Ilja Dragunov retaining the United Kingdom Title over Jordan Devlin last week.

Nathan Frazer’s car won’t start as he is leaving the Performance Center. As he checks on the engine, Die Familie jumps him from behind.

Myla Grace vs. Isla Dawn

Dawn drives her into the corner to start but gets caught with a dropkick for a fast two. That doesn’t work for Dawn, who chokes on the ropes and hits a running knee to the face. A headscissors gets Grace out of trouble though and it’s a 619 to the ribs into a tornado DDT for two. Dawn is done with this though and hits a fireman’s carry spun into a side slam for the pin at 2:58. Grace got to show off a bit here.

Amale’s interview is turned into the Nina Samuels Show. That’s not cool with Amale, so a match is set for later.

Sam Gradwell doesn’t like Kenny Williams and violence seems to be implied.

Gallus tries to put a bet down on themselves with Sha Samuels but the store is closed at the moment.

Women’s Title: Blair Davenport vs. Meiko Satomura

Satomura is defending in a street fight. Davenport’s kendo stick is kicked away to start and they’re on the floor early, with Davenport missing a chair toss. A whip sends Satomura into the barricade but Davenport talks too much trash. The distraction lets Satomura chair her in the ribs and whip out some nunchucks.

That’s broken up so they head back outside for another whip to send Satomura into the barricade. A chain is pulled out but Satomura wraps it around her foot for a kick to the chest. Davenport canes her in the leg though (with Nigel getting in a Harry potter reference by saying “Enemies of the heir beware” in regards to Davenport).

Back in and Davenport pulls out an extra turnbuckle, only to get pulled into a failed STF attempt. Some kendo stick shots to the back have Satomura in trouble so she makes the rope. That doesn’t make a difference, but Davenport lets her go anyway. Satomura goes to the apron and Davenport goes up for a double stomp, only to land on the floor awkwardly. That’s enough for a referee stoppage to retain Satomura’s title at 9:42.

Rating: B-. The ending aside (because it wasn’t their fault), this was good but it was the second week in a row with some kind of violent, street fight style main event. There was more of a story here though and Davenport had brought the violence. I could go for Satomura fighting and winning in an environment that she didn’t know, though they got cut off before they could really get there.

Davenport is taken out on a stretcher as Satomura quietly celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show got in two big matches while also making Dawn feel like a bigger deal. They were coming off the big show last week and now we should be in for a pretty awesome tag match when they get around to it. Unfortunately the ending didn’t get to the real ending, but hopefully Davenport is back on her feet sooner than later.

Results
Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter b. Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz – Assisted moonsault to Mastiff
Isla Dawn b. Myla Grace – Fireman’s carry swung into a side slam
Meiko Satomura b. Blair Davenport via referee stoppage

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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NXT UK
Date: January 13, 2022
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the end of an era as we are going to see Walter’s final match around here. Walter is one of the people who has made this show feel special every time he appears and while it will be great to see him moving up the ladder, he is going to be missed around here. Hopefully there is a nice tribute to go with the match, so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video looking back at Walter’s time in NXT UK. No one brought the big fight feeling like he did.

Opening sequence.

Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff vs. Die Familia

Charlie Dempsey is here with Die Familia and the winners face Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter for the #1 contendership. Raja muscles Starz up to start and throws him away without much effort. They fight over a lockup but Raja throws him off a front facelock. Starz can’t take him down by the leg but he can take him down with an armbar. A headlock gives Starz two and some dropkicks send Raja into the corner.

That’s enough for Raja to need a breather so it’s off to Mastiff vs. Teoman. Mastiff doesn’t mind, as he runs both of them over and hands it back off to Starz for the elbow between the shoulders. Mastiff’s backsplash into a slingshot crossbody gets two on Teoman, meaning it’s finally time for Dempsey to offer a distraction. Starz gets tied up in the ring skirt as a result and the big beating is on to put the villains in control.

The armbar goes on and it’s back to Raja to work on both arms and a leg. Starz isn’t having any of this switching limbs/ignoring his other leg and fights out of the corner, allowing the diving tag off to Mastiff. House is cleaned in a hurry, including a suplex to Raja and a toss over the top to send Teoman to the floor. Dempsey tries to get involved again but here is Gallus to take care of them. Mastiff German suplexes Raja for the pin at 9:48.

Rating: C. Totally watchable tag match with a lot of people involved to give us a surprising result. Die Familia seemed to be the perfect choice for the title match and they will probably get one in the future, but Mastiff and Starz are doing well as the big/little team. If nothing else, it is great to see some fresh teams in the division so let’s see what they can do.

Video on Walter’s path of dominance through NXT UK, with wrestlers talking about how awesome he is. Shouldn’t be hard to figure out something to compliment him on.

We look at Meiko Satomura retaining the Women’s Title over Blair Davenport last week, but Davenport laid her out after the match. The feud will continue.

Video on Jordan Devlin who wants the United Kingdom Title for the fame, while Ilja Dragunov wants to keep it to make things better for his family. The title match is in two weeks.

Amale vs. Stevie Turner

Jinny is on commentary. They strike it out to start but Amale sends her into the corner for a running clothesline. Turner kicks her in the face but gets knocked into the corner in a hurry. A running boot misses Turner so she takes Amale down to hammer away. There’s a knee lift for two and it’s time to work on both of Amale’s arms at once as we look at Jinny. Amale is back up with some clotheslines and a dropkick into the corner. Now the running boot connects, setting up a kind of Rock Bottom spinebuster for the pin on Turner at 4:00.

Rating: C-. Amale is still a bit of a work in progress but it is clear that she is one of the projects around here. Between the French Hope deal and Jinny focusing on her, there is something worth trying out here. It wasn’t a very good match, but it got Amale a win and that is what she needs most at the moment.

Pretty Deadly comes in to Sid Scala to complain about Sam Gradwell. Next week, they get to face Gradwell and a partner of his choosing. Scala doesn’t seem pleased.

Video on Walter’s dominance as the NXT UK Champion…until he met Ilja Dragunov for their pair of classics.

Video on A-Kid vs. Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup. Kid wants the title back, but Dar wants revenge on Kid for eliminating him from the original Heritage Cup tournament. Now it is time to fight, because they both want something.

Amale is happy with her win but here is Jinny to mock her for being weak. Jinny gets shoved and they shout at each other a lot, with security breaking it up.

Walter vs. Nathan Frazer

This is Walter’s Last Stand and my goodness does that entrance still work. The WALTER chants begin and Frazer starts to realize he’s in trouble. Walter throws him down to start and Frazer looks terrified. An armbar takes Frazer down and Walter isn’t having any of this flipping stuff for an escape. A dropkick staggers Walter so he puts Frazer on the apron and pats him on the head.

Frazer snaps into reality and starts striking away, earning himself a slam onto the turnbuckle. Walter chops him on the chest and steps on his face (geez), sending Frazer crashing down to the floor. Back in and a hard slam takes Frazer down again, setting up the sleeper. That’s broken up and Frazer scores with some running forearms….until Walter kicks him in the face. The double arm crank with a knee in Frazer’s back goes on, followed by a hard fist to the chest.

It’s off to the chinlock for a change before Walter starts yelling at him. Frazer fires off some chops of his own and Nigel knows what’s coming. One Walter chop has Frazer looking like he has been shot but he manages to counter a powerbomb into a hurricanrana. Back up and Walter misses a dropkick, allowing Frazer to hit a running shooting star press. Frazer strikes away but has to flip out of a German suplex attempt.

Another boot rips Frazer’s head off but he is still able to counter another powerbomb into a Code Red for two. Frazer kicks away at the leg some more and some superkicks stagger Walter again. A Nightmare on Helm Street sends Walter outside, where Frazer hits a shotgun dropkick into the barricade.

Back in and Frazer kicks away some more, setting up a running chop block. A springboard takes too long though and Frazer gets chopped out of the air. The powerbomb is countered again and a low superkick rocks Walter. Seth Rollins’ (Frazer’s trainer) stomp sets up a frog splash for two but the Phoenix splash is broken up. Now the powerbomb can finally connect to finish Frazer at 14:01.

Rating: B+. They told a great story here with Walter having the game plan of trying to get to the powerbomb over and over again while Frazer was doing everything he could to get out of it. Frazer was trying to hang in there as well as he could and finally got caught, but he gave it a great ride on the way there. I didn’t think Walter would lose in his last match for NXT UK but they made you believe there was a chance, and that is better than I would have bet on. Heck of a match.

Overall Rating: B+. The main event blows everything away but at least they were trying to do something with the other two matches. The women’s match was only ok at best, but they have a point to what they’re doing there. That being said, this is all about Walter and there is nothing wrong with focusing on the most successful star the show has ever had as he is leaving. Check out the main event for sure and the rest if you have time, as this is still the most well put together show going today.

Results
Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff b. Die Familia – German suplex to Raja
Amale b. Stevie Turner – Spinebuster
Walter b. Nathan Frazer – Powerbomb

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NXT UK
Date: December 16, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things changed a bit last week as Moustache Mountain won the Tag Team Titles from Pretty Deadly. That means we can focus on something else this week, so thankfully we do have a #1 contenders match to the Heritage Cup between Nathan Frazer and A-Kid. That alone sounds awesome so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Charlie Dempsey

The bigger Coffey pushes him up against the corner and seems to be a bit more aggressive here. Dempsey kicks his way out of a wristlock but can’t quite tie up the arm and leg at the same time. Back up and Coffey rolls through a hiptoss into an armbar as he seems to be a step ahead so far. Coffey ties up the legs and even stomps on them, only to punch the turnbuckle by mistake.

Dempsey goes right after the arm, even tying it up so he can slug Coffey in the face. A backslide attempt doesn’t get Coffey anywhere so Dempsey rips at the face to keep him in trouble. Dempsey grabs a suplex for two and puts on something like an abdominal stretch on the mat. Coffey fights up and is quickly put into a guillotine but powers out again. They hit heads and go down for a double breather, followed by the slugout.

That’s as illogical as it seems for Dempsey as Coffey hammers away and scores with the discus lariat. Coffey manages a springboard spinning crossbody but the bad arm is banged up. Cue the rest of Die Familia, which draws out Gallus for the big brawl. Dempsey uses the distraction to send the bad arm into the steps, setting up the dragon sleeper to knock Coffey out for the win at 12:29.

Rating: B-. Dempsey really does feel like someone that different around here, even if he is about as physically uninteresting as you can get. That doesn’t seem to matter though as he knows how to hurt people, which can always be used around here. Odds are this is setting up a six man tag and that could be a heck of a fight, whenever we get there.

We look back at Moustache Mountain winning the Tag Team Titles last week.

Sid Scala announces a tournament to crown the new #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles.

Video on Jordan Devlin, who knows that he is awesome and looks great, but he wants to be more than just an ace. He wants to be more than Ilja Dragunov, who needs the fans approval. All Devlin needs is himself.

Here is Moustache Mountain to celebrate their win. Trent Seven talks about how they needed that last week because they have come up short a few times. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do if they didn’t win….but it doesn’t matter because they have the titles. Seven is going to fight as long and hard as it takes to keep these titles, which sounds good to Bate.

The champs are rather pleased with their win, which Seven says makes Bate a Grand Slam winner around here. I believe he means Triple Crown winner but close enough. They thank everyone for sticking with them through the rough times because this is impossible without them. Nice moment here, as it was a big win.

Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter want the Tag Team Titles.

Video on Blair Davenport, who is coming for Meiko Satomura’s Women’s Title. The title match is in three weeks.

Danny Jones vs. Kenny Williams

Hold on though as Williams says he wants to beat up Mark Andrews instead of Jones. That’s not enough to get Jones to to back down though so let’s get this over with. Jones armbars him to the ropes to start but Williams slips out of a slam and goes for the knee. There’s a rake to the back and Williams yells about Andrews. Jones manages a comeback by sending him into the corner, setting up a kick to the face. Williams takes the knee out again and stomps away though, setting up Bad Luck. Another Bad Luck finishes Jones at 3:47.

Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash for Williams and that is what he should be doing. I’m still not sure how far he is going to go as the Cockroach but at least he got a win here and looked pretty good doing so. Jones is another one of those guys who can look good in defeat while giving someone else a boost so at least he has a role.

Post match, Williams yells about Andrews some more.

Symbiosis is read for a new beginning in 2022. They’re standing behind a cage during this for some reason.

During the break, Kenny Williams has attacked Mark Andrews, injuring his arm in the process.

Nathan Frazer vs. A-Kid

Heritage Cup rules and the winner gets a shot at Noam Dar. Round one begins with A-Kid taking him to the mat for a very early headlock before running Frazer over for two. Frazer can’t get very far with a hammerlock as A-Kid is right back up with another headlock. A-Kid hits him in the face to take over but can’t quite get the Fujiwara armbar. Frazer’s monkey flip doesn’t get him out so A-Kid stays on the arm without much avail to end the round in a standoff.

Round two begins with Frazer hitting a dropkick and grabbing an armbar of his own. Frazer flips out of a headscissors as they are still at a fast pace. We hit the pinfall reversal sequence with Frazer getting a cradle for the pin and the first fall at 1:48 of the round and 5:22 overall.

Round three begins with A-Kid missing some kicks to the face, allowing Frazer to kick him in the face instead. A-Kid’s cross armbreaker sends Frazer bailing to the ropes and he’s back with a belly to belly. There’s a moonsault into the reverse DDT to plant A-Kid and they slug it out until A-Kid hits a heck of a running knee for two. The Fujiwara armbar goes on but time runs out on A-Kid.

Round four begins with Frazer kicking him in the ribs and hitting a Sling Blade. Frazer rolls into a Boston crab but A-Kid rolls out for a break of his own. A-Kid is up with a dive through the ropes to counter a springboard moonsault into a German suplex (cool) and Frazer is rocked. Back in and a leg lariat finishes Frazer at about 1:50 of the round and 11:14 overall.

Round five begins with A-Kid hitting a fisherman’s suplex for two but he nips up into a heck of a superkick to give Frazer two. They go up top with Frazer hitting a dropkick on the top and hitting a super flipping fall away slam for two more. A-Kid is right back up with a shot to the arm though, setting up the Rings of Saturn with the legs for the win at 2:31 of the round and 14:19 overall.

Rating: B. These are two of the young, talented guys around here and it is nice to see them getting to showcase themselves well. A-Kid getting the chance to get his title back is a good thing, but I’m not sure if I would have gone with him here. Frazer is a fresh challenge for the title and it could have been interesting to see what he could have done in the title match.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a heck of a show with two good matches and a not bad one in the middle. They seem to be setting up some big stuff in the future and that’s how these shows are supposed to feel. I’m not sure what that future is going to be if the pandemic keeps hitting everywhere, but it’s nice to enjoy it while it lasts.

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NXT UK
Date: November 11, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s time to crown some new #1 contenders as we have a four way tag match to find the next challengers for the NXT Tag Team Titles. This show continues to follow the old NXT formula, which allows such a match to feel that important. That’s a heck of a trick and they’ve done it again here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Nathan Frazer vs. Mark Andrews

This should be good. Andrews takes over on the arm to start and Frazer can’t quite spin out of it yet. Back up and Frazer flips forward to stay on his feet but Andrews armdrags him down. That’s countered into a headscissors, setting up Frazer’s armdrag, which is countered into a headscissors for a standoff. Frazer snaps off a dropkick into a snap suplex for two but Andrews is back up with a running dropkick in the corner.

They fight over a double arm crank until Andrews northern lights suplexes him for two. The Iron Octopus has Frazer in more trouble but he comes back with a swinging suplex. Frazer Sling Blades him down and hits a running shooting star press for two. Andrews slides underneath a clothesline though and hits the enziguri.

The tornado DDT is countered though and a lawn dart sends Andrews hard into the corner. Andrews is able to head fake him to break up a springboard and Frazer is sent into the barricade. Back in and Frazer runs the corner for a springboard Spanish Fly (because he can do that) for two more. The Phoenix splash misses though and Andrews grabs the Stundog Millionaire. Fall To Pieces misses but Andrews manages to counter a cradle for the pin at 10:27.

Rating: B-. This was about having two exciting wrestlers go out there and tear down a good chunk of the house. Sometimes that’s all you need and both of them came out of it looking rather good. Frazer has kind of fallen back a bit after his hot debut, but it’s nice to see him getting to go out there and do his thing. The same is true for Andrews, who hasn’t done much since Subculture began, but at least he won here.

We look back at Rampage Brown answering Ilja Dragunov’s challenge and jumping him.

A-Kid doesn’t like what Sam Gradwell has been saying about him and wants to fight.

Pretty Deadly met the cast of the play version of Magic Mike and trained with them.

Kenny Williams gets caught writing something about Sha Samuels on a wall but gets chased off by a rather angry Saxon Huxley.

Dani Luna vs. Stevie Turner

Luna powers her into the corner without much trouble to start and then does it again for a bonus. For some reason Turner wants to try a test of strength and is taken down in a hurry. A Thesz press gets Turner out of trouble for all of two seconds before Luna spins her over into a powerbomb. Back up and Turner hits her in the face for two, setting up a Rude Awakening for the same. Luna isn’t having that and it’s a World’s Strongest Slam into a running clothesline in the corner. A pump kick into a snap suplex sets up a fireman’s carry flipped into a sitout powerbomb to finish Turner at 5:08.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what the deal is with Turner, as she seems like someone who is ready to become a star, but for some reason she has never really gotten out of the blocks. That being said, I can go with having Luna turning into a powerhouse who wrecks through some women. It’s what she did here and it worked out well enough. Maybe she can even get up towards the title picture down the line.

It’s time for the Nina Samuels Show where Aleah James interrupts her and doesn’t seem to like what Samuels has had to say lately. A match seems to be made for later.

Gallus is ready for Teoman and Rohan Raja…and the cops seem to pull them over.

Blair Davenport interrupts Subculture’s celebration and a match with Dani Luna seems set.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Moustache Mountain vs. Symbiosis vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith vs. Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff

One fall to a finish for a future Tag Team Title shot. Starz and Seven start things off with an early rollup giving us a standoff. Some rolls have Seven a bit perplexed so Starz takes him down by the leg. That’s broken up so it’s off to Mastiff to run Seven over. For some reason Seven tries a slam, earning himself a large crash down onto his chest. Smith comes in to work on the arm until he kicks Seven into the wrong corner.

That means a tag from Primate, who gets caught by the arm as well. Smith comes in to stay on said arm but Mastiff tags himself in for the backsplash to crush Primate. Starz comes back in to knock a bunch of people off the apron until it’s Bate coming in for a headlock. Eddie Dennis gets caught interfering on the floor for an ejection, meaning he misses Tyson T-Bone fall away slamming Mastiff.

A double stomp gets two on Starz but Carter comes back in to pick the pace way up. Some kicks to the face send T-Bone into the corner, where Seven tags himself in. Everything breaks down again and it’s Bate and Carter slugging it out. Seven gets tossed off the top and onto a pile at ringside. Primate follows with a dive of his own but Bate rolls through a high crossbody to set up the airplane spin.

That’s not enough so Bate giant swings Starz at the same time (because that’s something he can do). Everything breaks down again and Carter manages to get Mastiff up in an electric chair for a springboard cutter from Smith. Primate’s top rope headbutt is good for the save and T-Bone powerslams Bate. Another top rope headbutt misses though, leaving Seven to hit the Seven Star Lariat for two on Primate. The torture rack/top rope knee is enough to finish Primate at 14:03.

Rating: C+. Normally I would say there was no doubt here, but there actually kind of was for a change. This time around you could have easily seen Moustache Mountain lose as their issues continue, but that’s not where they went this time. That made for a bit more drama than expected, which is a good little perk. At the same time, Starz and Mastiff continue to be a rather nice team and I could go for seeing more of them.

Pretty Deadly comes out for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. What works here is there are different paths the main event could lead to. You could very well do the title change, but you could also have Bate and Seven fall apart. That’s a sign of a well put together story and NXT UK has figured that out. I’m curious to see where this and other things go, as this continues to be one of the best shows going today.

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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NXT UK
Date: November 4, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s another title week around here as Jinny is getting a Women’s Title shot against Meiko Satomura. I know she might not be the flashiest, but there is something special about seeing Satomura get in the ring. She really is a legend and it will be nice to see her defend the title again. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a quick look at the Women’s Title match.

Opening sequence.

Rampage Brown vs. Flash Morgan Webster

This is part of Webster trying to go after the monsters on the show because he’s a bit out there. Brown powers him around to start and doesn’t seem to be sweating Webster that much so far. There’s another toss into the corner so it’s time for Webster to get a breather. Back in and Webster strikes away in the corner to little avail but he manages to send Brown outside for a change.

Brown gets back in and hits something like a belly to belly, followed by a toss suplex to send Webster flying again. One heck of a Saito suplex drops Webster again but he somehow survives and strikes away, setting up a jawbreaker. A top rope hurricanrana sends Brown outside but he pulls a dive out of the air. Webster escapes and gets back inside, setting up the suicide dive DDT to take Brown down. Back in and Shadows Over Malice gives Webster two but Brown just BLASTS him with a clothesline. The Doctor Bomb finishes Webster at 7:16.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure where Webster is going with his attacks on the monsters, but they had a nice match here with with good story. Brown getting a win works, as he was just too much for Webster to handle. The match worked out well enough and now I’m curious about what they are going to do with the Webster story.

We look back at Trent Seven costing Tyler Bate the Heritage Cup to Noam Dar last week.

Trent Seven interrupts a Tyler Bate interview and apologizes for last week. Bate seems to forgive him, but Seven isn’t done: he has gotten them added to a #1 contenders match for the Tag Team Titles. That’s cool with Bate and everything seems fine.

Xia Brookside comes in to see Sid Scala and asks to be #1 contender to the Women’s Title. That’s a no because she has been losing a lot lately, so she calls her dad (NXT trainer Robbie Brookside) to complain. This was rather different for her and I’m going to need to see more of it.

Angel Haze vs. Isla Dawn

Dawn runs her over to start but punches the mat by mistake. Haze grabs a rollup for two but gets sent flying, allowing Dawn to hit a backdrop driver. With Haze rocked, Dawn pulls out some of Haze’s hair and that’s a DQ at 2:17.

Post match, Dawn beats her down again and leaves with the hair, seemingly rather happy.

Video on A-Kid.

Sam Gradwell isn’t impressed with A-Kid.

Flash Morgan Webster is with Subculture and is happy with his match. Stevie Turner comes in to say she’s better than all of them so Dani Luna glares her away.

Here is Ilja Dragunov for a chat. He reminds us that he is the champion and he wished he could explain how it feels to go from nothing to champion. Now he is the face and spirit of everyone here and he is ready to step into this ring with some top level competitors. He thanks A-Kid for pushing him harder than ever and thought it was a great first title defense. Now he wants the next one so here is Rampage Brown to say he wants a title shot. Dragunov says he has faced giants before and he would love to face Brown. Dragunov goes to leave so Brown hits him from behind, saying he doesn’t need respect, but rather just the title.

Jinny comes up to Meiko Satomura for some trash talk before the match, but Blair Davenport comes in to say that she’s taking the title from whoever wins anyway.

Teoman and Rohan Raja are ready for their fight with Gallus and the eye is always open.

Nathan Frazer is watching film when Subculture comes in. Frazer vs. Mark Andrews is set in a hurry, though they’re cool with each other.

Women’s Title: Jinny vs. Meiko Satomura

Satomura is defending and we have Joseph Conners and Emilia McKenzie as the seconds. Jinny powers her up against the ropes to start and gets kicked in the leg for her efforts. Satomura cranks on the arm but Jinny takes her down into an armbar. A headlock takeover gets Satomura out of trouble but she has to fight out of a headscissors.

Back up and Satomura wins a slugout until Jinny kicks her in the knee to slow things down. It’s time to go after Satomura’s leg but she sweeps Jinny’s leg to take her down into another headlock. Satomura goes up, only to quickly be pulled onto the turnbuckle for the big crash. Now Jinny can really take over on the leg again, starting by slamming it onto the mat. The half crab doesn’t work very well so Jinny kicks at the leg, only to have Satomura come back with her own kicks.

A spinwheel kick sets up the YES Kicks but Jinny catches her on top. Jinny cutters her down into the half crab but Satomura makes the long crawl to the rope. Satomura kicks her right back down and hits a top rope splash. An STF sends Jinny over to the ropes this time so Conners gets on the apron. That’s broken up by McKenzie, leaving Satomura to grab a Death Valley Driver for a very close two. Scorpion Rising sets up another Death Valley Driver to retain Satomura’s title at 12:45.

Rating: B-. This took some time to get going but they managed to turn Jinny, who isn’t the most intimidating, into someone who felt like a threat to Satomura. Conners and McKenzie didn’t do much here and that is a lot better than having to deal with them getting involved every two seconds. Good enough for a low level title match main event, which is hard to do most of the time.

Overall Rating: B-. They hit a bunch of good points here, making this a rather NXT UK show. You had some fine enough action and they set things up for later, which is one of the most important things a show can do. It’s nice to give me a reason to want to come back and they pull it off well around here.

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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NXT UK
Date: September 23, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

The tournament to crown a new #1 contender to the Heritage Cup is STILL GOING, despite the fact that Tyler Bate could have probably given everyone in the field a shot at this rate. It’s time for another semfinal match this week as we’re finally close to wrapping up. Other than that, stuff will happen. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Heritage Cup #1 Contenders Tournament Semifinals: Teoman vs. Wolfgang

Rohan Raja and the rest of Gallus are here too. Round one begins with Wolfgang going simple by hitting him in the face and then knocking Teoman down into the corner. Teoman punches him in the arm and takes it to the mat with a wristlock. A suplex sets up a failed Crossface attempt so Wolfgang is up with a clothesline, setting up the Caber Toss for the first fall at 2:01.

Round two begins with Wolfgang hammering away again but missing a charge to crash out to the floor. Teoman tries to follow up but gets dropped in a hurry, allowing Wolfgang to take him back inside. Never mind as Teoman is knocked outside again, only to get in a cheap shot to take over. Back in and Teoman scores with a missile dropkick for two. Teoman tries the Crossface but can’t get it on as the round ends.

Round three begins with Teoman winning a slap off until Wolfgang knocks him down. The basement clothesline gives Wolfgang two but Teoman is back on the arm. A running forearm to the side of Wolfgang’s head ties it up at a fall each at 1:12 of the round and 7:17 overall.

Round four begins with Teoman going after the bad arm so Wolfgang uses the good arm to clothesline him down. Teoman ties the arm around the ropes but misses the stomp, allowing Wolfgang to drive him into the corner. A middle rope ax handle connects but the seconds get up on the apron. Not that it matters as Wolfgang hits a spear for the win at 2:45 of the round and 10:04 overall.

Rating: C. It’s not a bad match but egads this tournament feels like it has been going on forever. It also doesn’t help that we’re having seven Heritage Cup rules matches to set up an eighth Heritage Cup rules match. Teoman seemed like the natural winner here but it can be nice to throw in a curve every now and then. Fine match, but not exactly interesting.

Blair Davenport is annoyed that she is still suspended and promises more bad things will happen. Reinstate her.

Subculture arrives and finds that Sam Gradwell has spray painted over their spray paint. The spray paint over his spray paint too.

Gallus has taken over Jordan Devlin’s dressing room and throw him out, stealing his sunglasses in the process. Devlin: “I’M GOING TO TELL JOHNNY SAINT ABOUT THIS!!!” Tell him he’s still part of the show too.

Isla Dawn vs. Jinny

Joseph Conners is here with Jinny and this is fallout from Dawn drawing a pentagram on Jinny’s mirror last week. Dawn wins an early slugout but Jinny kicks away at the ribs in the corner. A running shoulder lets Jinny hammer away even more but Dawn whips her hard into the corner. Jinny hits a running knee to the face and loads up some kind of a stretch, which is countered into a whip into the ropes.

Dawn is back with her own running knee and some kicks in the corner rock Jinny even more. They head outside where Jinny is sent face first into the apron, sending Conners into a panic. Dawn grabs his wrists and seems to try some kind of a spell to make it worse. Back in and some running knees give Dawn two but she stops to yell at Conners again, allowing Jinny to grab the Facelift out of the corner for the pin at 4:51.

Rating: C. This was a rather energetic and hard hitting match as Dawn loses again. She has a bad habit of that, though at least she is actually doing something with the witchcraft deal after a very long time of just mentioning it. Good enough match though as we keep trying to find some more main event level talent for the division.

Dani Luna is lifting when Xia Brookside comes up for a friendly challenge. Sure.

Charlie Dempsey is ready to debut next week and demonstrate how to hurt people like they did in the good old days.

Trent Seven challenges Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith to a match against Moustache Mountain next week. Sure, despite Tyler Bate not being here. That doesn’t seem too bright.

Nathan Frazer vs. Rampage Brown vs. A-Kid

The winner gets the next UK Title shot against Ilja Dragunov. Brown has to fight off a double teaming to start and knocks the other two outside in a hurry. Back in and Frazer dropkicks him into the corner, setting up a double dropkick to the floor. Frazer picks up the pace to run/flip away from A-Kid before hitting another hard dropkick. Brown comes in to whip Frazer hard into the corner so A-Kid comes back in to strike away.

A kick to the knee puts Brown down with Frazer joining in, only to have Frazer drop him as well. Brown is back up up to wreck them again, including a toss to send A-Kid into Frazer. A-Kid is knocked outside, leaving Brown to chop away at Frazer. Brown puts Frazer on top but A-Kid is back in to kick away at both of them. A triangle choke has Brown in trouble, or at least it does until he powerbombs A-Kid onto Frazer.

The Doctor Bomb is broken up though and A-Kid is knocked outside, leaving the other two trying to get back up. Frazer takes too long to go up top and has to flip out of a German superplex. A-Kid is sent outside as well, allowing Frazer to dive onto both of them. Back in and Frazer drops both of them again, this time for two on A-Kid. They get up for the circle slugout until Brown hits a double suplex for a double knockdown.

A-Kid is back up with a springboard armdrag/headscissors to put them both down, followed by a high crossbody for two on Frazer. A northern lights suplex sets up a cross armbreaker on Frazer but Brown is back in with a powerbomb for the save. Frazer kicks Brown down again and everyone gets a breather. Somehow Frazer manages to slam Brown and super flipping World’s Strongest Slam A-Kid for two with Brown making a save.

A-Kid is back up with a guillotine on Brown, who reverses it up into a suplex until Frazer nails a superkick for two in a nice sequence. Frazer’s springboard is (nicely) powerslammed out of the air and now the Doctor Bomb can connect. A-Kid superkicks Brown to the floor though and a running kick to the face finishes Frazer for the pin and the title shot at 16:32.

Rating: B. This was some pretty sweet stuff with everyone going hard throughout until we got an interesting winner. Brown vs. Dragunov feels like a downgrade from Walter and Frazer doesn’t feel like a real threat. A-Kid might not either, but he is certainly a unique way to go and that is a good idea. Make things a little more interesting and let him show what he can do in a fight against the champ. This was rather good while it lasted though, with some innovating spots and everyone doing their thing well.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event is the only thing worth seeing and that’s not a good sign. The show usually has at least one good match but it feels rather cold at the moment. Dragunov has been champion for about a month now and it still feels like he’s a complete ghost. The entire promotion feels like it has been forgotten about to do its thing and I don’t know what happens to it when WWE remembers it exists. Another nice show here, though it still doesn’t feel important.

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NXT UK
Date: September 16, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

The Heritage Cup #1 contenders tournament continues this week as we reach the semifinals. That’s probably a good thing as tournaments with one match a week take their sweet time getting along. Other than that, we are on the way towards…well absolutely nothing around here, which they might want to address. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Heritage Cup #1 Contenders Tournament Semifinals: Noam Dar vs. Kenny Williams

Round one begins with both guys going after the leg and not getting very far. They go to the mat with Dar’s chinlock not working as Williams slips out and grabs a headlock. Back up and Dar goes after the arm, setting up an armbar and then a wristlock. Williams shoves him away to wrap up the round with a bad shoulder.

Round two begins with Williams taking him down and raking his boots over Dar’s eyes. Some kicks to the back and a running dropkick in the corner let Williams start in on the arm as well. Dar gets smart and kicks the leg out but Williams grabs a rollup with tights for the pin at 2:24 of the round (6:00) to go up 1-0.

Round three begins with Dar bailing to the floor and diving back in, only to get stomped down again. Dar blocks a shot to the arm though and starts kicking away at the leg some more. A running uppercut to the back gets two on Williams and a shot to the face gets the same. Williams tries to bounce off the ropes but gets pulled into a kneebar. That’s a lot of trouble but the round ends to give him a breather.

Round four begins with Dar hitting Williams in the face and getting a rollup out of the corner, only to get caught with his feet on the ropes. Back up and Williams takes out Dar’s leg and goes for a turnbuckle pad. That takes too long though and Dar grabs…something out of the corner, which he throws to Williams. The referee yells so Dar pulls Williams into the kneebar for the tap at 1:27 of the round (11:39) to tie it up.

Round five begins with the slugout until Dar hits a Judas Effect for two. Williams pulls him into the corner and scores with a rebound lariat but Dar rolls outside before Williams can try something else. Dar is thrown back in but Sha Samuels pops out from underneath the ring and grabs Williams’ leg, allowing Dar to hit the Nova Roller for the pin at 2:28 of the round (14:46 total) for the win.

Rating: C+. This was a fine technical match but it wasn’t exactly interesting. Dar is a good pesky heel but Williams is just a guy in tights. There is only so much that you can get out of a match like this and I think they hit that limit here. Dar was the only choice to have move forward here and it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly fascinating.

Sid Scala introduces Ilja Dragunov….on the screen. Dragunov talks about how it has been a long time but he made the impossible possible. Now he is the new NXT UK Champion and he will be back, but who is going to be the one trying to take the title from him? Cue Nathan Frazer, who says he isn’t supposed to be here. He used to think something like this was in bad taste but why not him?

Cue Rampage Brown to remind us of what he did to Joe Coffey. That means he should get the shot, but here is A-Kid to say he should get the shot because he doesn’t have a limit. He’ll face anyone to get that shot so the triple threat #1 contenders match is set. Dragunov pops back up to say he agrees and the brawl is on. This segment showed me one thing: NXT UK wrestlers have very similar music.

Jinny and Joseph Conners throw Isla Dawn out of Jinny’s dressing room, but Dawn has messed with some things, including drawing a pentagram on the mirror.

Moustache Mountain thinks things are interesting around here.

Stevie Turner vs. Emilia McKenzie

McKenzie drives her into the corner to start so they slap each other a bit. A wristlock has Turner in almost no trouble as she reverses into a headlock. That’s broken up as well and it’s an elbow to the face into a dropkick. Turner is back with a running knee and elbows in the corner as we keep hearing about how futuristic she is. I have no idea what is futuristic about her, but that’s the description they’re going with for her.

Another shot to the face gives Turner two and we hit the double arm crank. McKenzie fights up and starts hitting some running clotheslines. Turner hits something like a Side Effect for two but McKenzie is back with a German suplex. A running knee to the face finishes Turner at 5:20.

Rating: C. They were doing well here, but I’m curious about the story they’re telling long term. McKenzie keeps standing up to defend Meiko Satomura and beats every challenger, making me think she is the next challenger. It’s not like there is anyone else out there to challenge Satomura at the moment anyway, so go with McKenzie later on. As for Turner…figure out what the heck she is supposed to be, or at least make her feel futuristic, because right now it’s just a weird buzzword.

Video on Wolfgang vs. Teoman in next week’s Heritage Cup tournament match.

Charlie Dempsey has been watching a lot of film and will show you something new. You might remember him as Bailey Matthews, or William Regal’s son.

During the break, the suspended Blair Davenport jumped Stevie Turner. Davenport promised to cause more bad things to happen until she is unsuspended.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Pretty Deadly

Joe Coffey/Mark Coffey are challenging here. Mark and Lewis Howley start things off with Mark messing with the hair to make this personal. A big hiptoss sends Howley into the corner and it’s time for a breather on the floor. Back in and Stoker makes a blind tag but Joe is right there with a headlock takeover. That’s broken up and Stoker teases rolling away but kicks Joe in the face for a nice counter.

Joe doesn’t seem to mind as he crushes Stoker with a crossbody and it’s back to Mark for a seated abdominal stretch. Stoker gets over for the tag to Howley so Mark takes the knee out. With nothing else working, Stoker low bridges Mark to the floor and hammers away. Back in and a hurricanrana sends Mark into the corner for the tag to Joe and house is cleaned in a hurry.

Something like a DDT/Codebreaker combination takes Joe down though and the champs take over for the first time. Well in theory at least as Joe grabs a suplex but Stoker elbows him in the back to cut him off again. A clothesline out of the corner drops Howley though and a backdrop allows the hot tag to Mark. House is really cleaned and a middle rope bulldog gets two on Howley. Mark’s spear is countered into a DDT (nice) and the champs take over again.

Howley and Mark collide to put them both down again and the hot tag brings Joe back in. The middle rope spinning high crossbody hits Stoker and Mark Pounces Howley against the barricade. The fans thinks THIS IS AWESOME, despite there not being any fans there. Back in and a high/low gets two on Howley with Stoker making the save. Joe is posted hard and Spilled Milk retains the titles at 14:24.

Rating: B-. Ghost crowd chants aside, this was another case where Pretty Deadly should have been destroyed and managed to survive as champions. That’s the kind of thing that works every time as Pretty Deadly continues to be far better than anyone would have guessed. Seeing someone finally solve the puzzle is going to be awesome and that’s because of matches like this one.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a completely watchable but also completely skippable show. They got through an hour rather easily and the main event was good, but it wasn’t exactly something you would need to go out of your way to see. This show still needs something to build up to, like a Takeover, but I’m not sure if that is actually going to happen. In other words, we’re just kind of left watching a TV show, which can work but doesn’t exactly build up the excitement.

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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