NXT UK – February 4, 2021: Formatting/Here It Comes

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

It’s another week in London and that means we could be in for some good stuff. NXT UK has started to find its stride again, including a pretty awesome four way tag team match last week that saw Pretty Deadly become the new #1 contenders. Hopefully they can keep the momentum going this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Commentary opens with a bit of a surprising chat about how the pandemic has shaken everyone. You don’t hear WWE talk that way on television very often.

Xia Brookside vs. Nina Samuels

As usual, Samuels has a man carrying her bags and tells Brookside that she should be doing just that. They start fast with Brookside taking her to the mat and then pulling on the arm as they get back up. Samuels kicks her into the corner though and sits on Brookside’s leg, setting up the chinlock. Make that an armbar but Brookside fights up and slugs away. The running knees in the corner set up a running faceplant and they head outside. Brookside kicks the steps by mistake so Samuels throws in a suitcase. That’s enough of a distraction for a loaded purse to knock Brookside silly for the pin at 4:56.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here before the screwy finish but Samuels winning to set up Brookside’s revenge down the line should work fine. I still like Brookside a lot and Samuels is starting to grow on me. She has a perfectly fine heel character and they could go in a few directions with her so things could be looking up.

Post match Samuels poses and said she told us so.

Jordan Devlin wants to know who he is facing tonight but Sid Scala isn’t sure.

Sid Scala talks to Jack Starz behind closed doors and Stars doesn’t look thrilled. It looks like Scala is trying to find Devlin’s opponent.

Josh Morrell vs. Joseph Conners

Conners has Jinny in his corner. The grappling exchange goes nowhere to start so Morrell dropkicks him to the floor, where Conners needs to talk to Jinny. Back in and Conners starts cranking on the arm before clotheslining him down for trying to flip out. The arm is snapped over the ropes and Conners crucifixes him for two. There’s a backbreaker for two and we hit the armbar again. This one doesn’t last as long as Morrell fights up and increases the pace with a dropkick. Morrell has to bail out of something off the top but gets run over again. A neckbreaker finishes for Conners at 5:37.

Rating: C. It’s going to take a long time for me to care about Conners but at least this is better than complaining about the young whippersnappers of NXT UK. Morrell doesn’t have much to make him stand out but the energy he has in the ring should keep him around for a bit. This was all about Conners though and he looked a bit better than usual.

Video on Sha Samuels, who calls himself the Butcher because he comes from a family of butchers.

Xia Brookside wants a rematch with Nina Samuels and orders Scala to get it done.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Tyson T-Bone

T-Bone promises to win during his entrance and they charge at each other to start in a hurry. Some shots to the back have Dragunov in trouble so he rolls over into a keylock. Cue Sam Gradwell to watch from ringside and heckle Dragunov. A hard slam into a knee drop keeps Dragunov down and a t-bone suplex does it again. Gradwell: “YOUR FAMILY IS WATCHING!”

Dragunov manages to knock him into the corner but charges into a belly to back suplex. A half nelson suplex puts Dragunov on the floor where Gradwell talks even more. T-Bone follows for some shots to the back….and Dragunov snaps to unload on T-Bone outside. They go back in where Dragunov takes him down with ease and unloads with elbows for the stoppage at 6:47.

Rating: C+. T-Bone is another one of those guys who hasn’t shown me much, though he hasn’t felt like a big waste of time. This was a better performance though as he kept taking it to Dragunov but eventually got caught by the buzz saw version. Dragunov continues to look awesome and it’s going to be even better when he fully embraces the full monster side.

Post match Gradwell yells at Dragunov some more, saying Dragunov let his family down. Gradwell: “Do you need a cuddle???” Dragunov snaps and runs over the cameraman but referees keep them apart before violence can ensue.

Meiko Satomura is here next week and some people are rather pleased.

Sid Scala still tries to find Devlin’s opponent.

Joe Coffey vs. Danny Jones

Coffey drives the tall Jones up against the ropes but Jones slaps him in the face. This is a rather bad idea as Coffey unloads on him with right hands to put Jones down. Jones manages some shots to the face, including a jumping knee, but a belly to belly suplex cuts that off. A sleeper staggers Coffey but he’s right back with the running headbutt into the corner. All The Best For The Bells finishes Jones at 2:51. There was WAY more in here than you would have expected and Jones gave it a shot.

Post match, Coffey says if Rampage Brown wants to make a name for himself, he needs to hit someone in the face really hard. Cue Brown to say anytime anywhere.

We look back at Pretty Deadly becoming #1 contenders last week.

Gallus is ready for Pretty Deadly.

Video on Eddie Dennis and the Hunt vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews. They meet next week in a street fight.

Here’s Jordan Devlin for the main event and Scala has found him an opponent. It’s just not for the title.

Jordan Devlin vs. Dave Mastiff

Non-title of course. Devlin works on a wristlock to start before switching to an early headlock. the running shoulder hits Devlin though and Mastiff cartwheels away and drops a backsplash. An exchange of shots to the face goes to Mastiff and he runs Devlin over in the corner. Devlin slips out of a suplex though and takes out the knee in a smart move.

A dragon screw legwhip into another chop block keeps Mastiff down but Devlin manages to put him on top. He can’t pull him into the Devlin Side though and Mastiff gets the better of a slugout. There’s a big toss to send Devlin into the corner and another toss sends him flying over the top to the floor in a great bump. Back in and Devlin slaps him in the face so Mastiff gets Devlin on his shoulders. A victory roll sends Mastiff to the floor with Devlin following, only to get caught in the Regal Roll.

Mastiff breaks the count but goes back to the floor, where Into The Void only hits (and breaks) the barricade. Devlin is still down so Mastiff hits a top rope headbutt for two more with commentary losing it on the kickout. A dropkick to the leg takes Mastiff down again though and there’s a slingshot cutter to knock him silly. Devlin adds the 450 for the pin at 12:02.

Rating: B-. If Devlin wasn’t already a face, this might have been the match that shoved him over the line. Not only did he want to fight tonight but he came up against a monster and beat him clean. I still thing this winds up with Devlin taking the United Kingdom Title from Walter and they’re setting Devlin up as a giant killer. Mastiff had Devlin in a lot of trouble but wanted to win clean rather than taking the countout. Good stuff here, but it could be setting up something bigger down the line.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked this one quite a bit as it was rapid fire material focusing on all kinds of people up and down the card. They set up a few different things going forward and you could see a Takeover style card, even if that show isn’t even set at the moment. Either way, good stuff here and I could go for another format like this in the future.

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NXT UK – November 12, 2020: The Old Story

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 12, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

We’re coming up on the end of the Heritage Cup tournament and that means we are going to need some finalists. A-Kid advanced to the finals last week and this week we find out who his opponent will be. Other than that, we have the debut of Rampage Brown, who looks like he could be a big deal. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The Hunt vs. Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan

Eddie Dennis is here with the Hunt. Boar takes Williams into the corner and it’s Primate coming in off the top with a shot to the back. A headlock doesn’t do much to Primate but a dropkick sends him into the corner for the tag back to Boar. The Hunt is knocked outside by a springboard elbow and some dives have them down as well. Back in and Boar sends Williams flying towards the camera to take over.

The Hunt pounds Williams down in the corner and Boar adds a headbutt for a bonus. The face pulling is on but Williams fights up, only to get elbowed right back down. We hit the chinlock for a bit but Williams slips out again and this time gets over for the hot tag to Jordan. Everything breaks down and a Downward Spiral into a Swanton gives Jordan two. There’s an enziguri to Primate and it’s already back to Williams to strike away. Williams hits a double springboard elbow and brings Jordan back in but Dennis’ distraction lets Primate hit a clothesline. The double headbutt gives Primate the pin at 9:26.

Rating: C. I’ve liked the Hunt for a good while and it is nice to see them getting a push like this for a change. They could do well as the aggressive monster style team and they seem to be gelling well into the rope so far. Throw in Dennis, who has always had potential as well, and this is a team I want to see more from in the future.

Trent Seven talks about asking Dave Mastiff to help him with some training in his younger days. They became friends, but now they’re in WWE and Seven doesn’t need his help. Seven needs Mastiff to get out of the way so he can show he can win the big one.

Jack Starz vs. Rampage Brown

Starz circles him a lot to start and the forearms have no effect on Brown. A powerslam cuts Starz out of the air (Rick Steiner style) and Brown drives him into the corner. Starz scores with a dropkick but charges into a Samoan drop. The Doctor Bomb finishes Starz at 2:23. Brown looked good but it’s just Jack Starz.

Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter hijack a Sid Scala interview at the Performance Center. They talk to Pretty Deadly (while making me feel better by not knowing which is which either) and ask about Pretty Deadly’s relationship with Eddie Dennis. Insults are launched and Scala breaks it up, saying they can settle this later.

Video on Kay Lee Ray vs. Piper Niven. Piper looks rather violent here and that’s how to make her seem like more of a threat.

Rampage Brown says that is just the beginning.

Xia Brookside vs. Nina Samuels

They trade wrist control to start until Brookside hits a monkey flip into a springboard headlock takeover. The headscissors gets Samuels out of trouble until Brookside flips backwards into a half crab. That’s switched into an Indian deathlock but Samuels slips out and stomps away. The chinlock goes on but Brookside is back up with some forearms.

Nina charges into a boot in the corner and the high crossbody gives Brookside two. A missed big boot lets Brookside grab a Codebreaker for two but Nina avoids the running knees in the corner. The Brooksie Bomb is countered and Samuels cartwheels off the top to the mat, only to collapse while holding her knee. Brookside small packages her for the fast pin at 5:50.

Rating: C. Just a match here and the ending was a little weird. I was expecting the goldbricking but Brookside just got the small package for the win to get out of there in a hurry. Samuels is almost the gatekeeper loss of the women’s division and that’s a fine role for her to have. Brookside continues to be the person who seems to be the next breakout star but they’re taking their time with her, which is a good idea.

Post match Nina is helped out but she’s goldbricking and hits a fireman’s carry backbreaker to leave Brookside laying.

Sam Gradwell doesn’t like being asked about his loss last week. They threw him into a six man tag instead of a singles match and he can’t keep up with every three seconds in a match. He got pinned by Joe Coffey in a six man tag but a different tail would unfurl in a singles match. Alexander Wolfe comes up to ask what is wrong with Gradwell before leaving just as fast.

Next week: Kay Lee Ray defends against Piper Niven in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

Heritage Cup Semifinals: Trent Seven vs. Dave Mastiff

They fight over a lockup to start with Mastiff powering him against the ropes without much effort. Seven’s headlock is broken up without much effort and Mastiff grabs a much bigger version. Stereo crossbodies end the round with both guys in some pain, including Seven favoring his chest. Round two begins with Mastiff running him over again but misses a legdrop, allowing Steven to crucifix him for the pin at 1:22 (5:04 total).

Round three starts with Mastiff hitting him in the damaged chest and the backsplash gets two. Mastiff ducks his head and gets DDTed for two. Seven heads up top so Mastiff superplexes him back down, only to come back with the Seven Star lariat. That just earns Seven one heck of a right hand but the round ends despite Seven looking out of it.

Round four begins with Mastiff knocking hitting a powerbomb into Into The Void for the pin at 42 seconds of the round (10:24 total). Round five begins with Seven down in the corner but managing to avoid Into The Void. Seven blocks an apron superplex but Mastiff blocks a sunset bomb. A shot to Mastiff’s leg sets up the Birminghammer out of the corner to give Seven the pin at 1:30 (12:18 total).

Rating: C+. This match told a nice story with the monster injuring Seven and then following up on it by staying on the chest throughout. Seven needed to fight though because the point of winning the tournament is to prove himself, which is some of the best motivation you can get. It might not have been the best match but Seven vs. A-Kid sounds rather nice.

A-Kid comes out for the staredown/handshake to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling was fine enough here but the important parts were setting up the finals and making Brown look like a player right out of the box. They accomplished both of those things and the show is still less than an hour so it is a little difficult to get annoyed. Not a show you need to see but a completely acceptable watch, making it run of the mill NXT UK.

Results

The Hunt b. Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan – Double headbutt to Jordan

Rampage Brown b. Jack Starz – Doctor Bomb

Xia Brookside b. Nina Samuels – Small package

Trent Seven b. Dave Mastiff 2-1

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

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NXT UK – October 22, 2020: That’s What They Were Trying To Do

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 22, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

Things are hot coming after last week’s show with the red hot tag match. All roads are leading to the Ilja Dragunov vs. Walter showdown and I really want to see the match. Hopefully we should be in for something awesome, but there are some other things to get through first. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Eddie Dennis vs. Oliver Carter

They go to the mat to start but Dennis is up with a wristlock. Dennis’ headlock is countered into a headscissors on the mat before Dennis is back up to pull on the arm. Back up and Carter snaps off an anklescissors. Back up and Dennis strikes him in the face before low bridging him to the floor.

They get back inside for a hard whip into the corner for a cravate on Carter, which is broken up with some shots to the face. A facebuster sends Dennis to the floor and there’s a suicide dive. Back in and Carter hits a superkick into a Rock Bottom into a Lionsault, which is more of a knee to the face instead of a splash. Dennis catches him on top though and it’s the Severn Bridge for the pin 5:28.

Rating: C-. This was Dennis’ first match back since a long term injury and he looked about the same. The biggest problem was actually his gear, which is now just tights without the shirt he wore previously. I miss the previous gear as looks a bit weird like this, as Dennis is always a little off in general. The match was the regular stuff from him though, which certainly works for me.

Post match Dennis says it’s a shame that Flash Morgan Webster was taken out. Next week, he’s going to moderate an interview between Webster and Mark Andrews. Class adjourned. There’s something so creepy/slimy about Dennis and I rather like watching him.

Video on Joe Coffey and Gallus.

Amele vs. Nina Samuels

Fallout from Samuels turning on her in a tag match two weeks ago. The brawl is on in a hurry with Amele charging into a boot in the corner but coming back with a running clothesline for two. A Figure Four neck lock goes on but Samuels gets up and hammers away for a bit. Amele is sent into the corner and a bodyscissors goes on.

Samuels grabs a hammerlock with her leg and then cranks back on the other arm for a bonus. That’s finally broken up with a backdrop but Amele misses a charge in the corner. Samuels ties her in the rope for a running dropkick to the back but Amele grabs a northern lights suplex for two of her own. Back up and Samuels hits a quick Final Act for the pin at 5:39.

Rating: C. These two are both in weird places as Samuels has been around forever but is stuck in midcard limbo and Amele still feels brand new. Samuels winning here makes more sense as Amele still hasn’t established herself, though she has looked good in her limited appearances so far. I could go for more of both of them and that’s a good sign for the future.

Post break, Nina Samuels says she wants Piper Niven next.

Heritage Cup Tournament First Round: Trent Seven vs. Kenny Williams

Round one begins with Seven taking him into the ropes to start and then moves it to the mat for a hammerlock. Williams turns it into a test of strength on the mat but Seven reverses into one of his own. A monkey flip gets Williams back to his feet but it’s a slam into a legdrop to give Seven two. They start running the ropes as the round comes to a close.

Williams rolls around to start the second round and Seven ties Williams’ arms around his own neck. That’s broken up with an elbow to the face and a springboard elbow to the face takes Seven down again. There’s a running hurricanrana into a dropkick for two and it’s off to a headlock on the mat. Seven kicks out of a sunset flip and the round comes to an end.

We start round three and Seven is looking a bit winded. Williams takes him down by the leg and slaps on a headscissors to keep Seven on the mat. That’s broken up as well and they chop it out until Seven grabs a DDT for two. Back up and Williams springboards over Seven but walks into the Seven Stars Lariat for the first fall at 2:57 of round three (9:42 total).

Williams is shaken up to start round four so Seven tries another Seven Stars Lariat but Williams grabs the rope. A backslide gives Williams two but he bounces off the rope and grabs a sunset flip to pin Seven and tie it up at 38 seconds of round four (10:41 total). Round five starts with Williams grabbing a victory roll for two and hitting a hard rebound lariat for the same.

Williams grabs a quick tornado DDT for another near fall but Seven is right back with the dragon suplex. Seven goes up but Williams catches him with some shots to the face. A springboard hurricanrana brings Seven down, only to have him roll through and stack Williams up for the winning pin at 2:22 of round five (13:24 total).

Rating: B. This was the match that made the best usage of the round system so far as they were playing the drama very well. Seven looked like he was having to survive and pick his spots, which makes sense as he is the veteran compared to the much younger Williams. Good story, good action and good drama make for a rather good match.

Here are the updated brackets:

Noam Dar

A-Kid

Dave Mastiff

Trent Seven

Here are Ilja Dragunov and Walter for their contract signing. Walter wastes no time in signing and has no comment. Dragunov signs as well and stands up so the fight is on with Walter chopping away but not being able to powerbomb him through the table. Dragunov knocks him to the floor and tries a dive, only to get chopped out of the air. A big clothesline rocks Dragunov but he charges to drive Walter through the barricade. Dragunov throws the belt at Walter and the champ is held back to end the show. They didn’t waste time here and it was an awesome segment. I want to see these two fight and that’s exactly the point.

Overall Rating: B. This was a two hit show with the ending and the Heritage Cup match both working really well. The other two matches were just kind of there but they weren’t something that were going to make much of a difference on the show. I really want to see Walter vs. Dragunov though and that is the main goal here so it’s a success.

Results

Eddie Dennis b. Oliver Carter – Severn Bridge

Nina Samuels b. Amele – Final Act

Trent Seven b. Kenny Williams 2 falls to 1

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

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NXT UK – October 8, 2020: They’re Back

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 8, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

The comeback continues as we are now into the second week of the Heritage Cup tournament. I’m still not sure what to think of last week’s first match but I certainly didn’t hate it. Hopefully we get another good one this week, though it takes the right kind of match under these rules. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside/Dani Luna vs. Amale/Nina Samuels

Luna and Samuels start things off with Samuels working on the arm. That’s reversed into Luna’s wristlock and Brookside comes in for a headlock takeover. A double chop puts Samuels down again but it’s off to Amale to take over on Brookside. The running kick to Luna’s chest gets two but she’s back with her own double clothesline. Brookside comes back in and charges straight into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to put her in trouble for a change.

Samuels gets two off a reverse suplex but doesn’t like it when Amale comes back in. Brookside rolls away from Amale and makes the hot tag to Luna so the pace can pick up. The beating is on but Samuels doesn’t seem to care from the apron. Samuels offers a rather weak tag and then drops down as Amale gets closer. So it’s down to a handicap match with Luna suplexing Amale and handing it off to Brookside for a Brookside Bomb into a powerbomb for the bridging pin at 7:12.

Rating: C-. I’ve liked Brookside for a long time now so it’s nice to see her getting a win, but at the same time history has shown that pushing Samuels only works to a certain extent. This was a little bit of a strange choice overall, but the women’s division needs new stars so this works as well as anything else. Amale and Luna looked fine too so maybe they have several new ideas in mind.

Ilja Dragunov doesn’t have time for questions so he goes up to Sid Scala, with Pete Dunne there as well. Dragunov wants Walter or Alexander Wolfe so the tag match is made for next week.

Piper Niven isn’t all that impressed by Kay Lee Ray giving us a state of the women’s division tonight but she’ll be there.

Saxon Huxley vs. Jack Starz

Huxley throws him into the corner to start and knees Starz in the ribs to break up a wristlock. Some arm cranking keeps Starz in trouble but Starz climbs over his shoulders to set up a dropkick. Huxley unloads in the corner though and sends him flying again. A torture rack doesn’t last long for Huxley so Starz dropkicks the knee out for two. That’s about it for the comeback as Starz hits a running knee to the ribs and an over the shoulder powerbomb drop (basically the Big Ending with Starz facing up) for the pin at 5:18.

Rating: D+. There is only so much you’re going to get out of these two. They aren’t the most interesting people in the world and Starz is little more than the show’s designated jobber to the stars. Huxley has never done anything for me since he debuted and this newer version of him isn’t exactly changing my expectations.

Video on Gallus.

Pretty Deadly thinks they were impressive against the Hunt but won’t talk about Eddie Dennis.

Xia Brookside and Dani Luna are looking forward to Ray’s address.

We go over the Heritage Cup rules.

Heritage Cup First Round: A Kid vs. Flash Morgan Webster

Kid takes him down by the head to start and armbars Webster down for trying to escape. The grappling continues but we wind up at a standoff on their feet, as tends to be the case. Morgan sends him to the apron for a springboard dropkick as the first round ends. We start the second round with Kid grabbing another headlock on the mat before switching over into a bow and arrow. Webster gets out again and works on Kid’s arm, which barely gets him anywhere. They go back to the mat for a pinfall reversal sequence with Webster stacking him up for the pin at 2:00 of the second round (5:23 overall).

The third round begins with Kid driving him into the corner for little avail. Kid’s arm cranking is on again but this time Webster reverses into a double arm choke. With that broken up, Webster is back up with the Rude Boy Block for two and a reverse hurricanrana connects as time expires. Round four begins with Webster hitting a nasty running knee to the face for two and going up top. Kid is right there with a super Spanish Fly and a hard superkick for the pin at 48 seconds of the round (9:56 total).

We’re tied up going into the fifth round and Kid smacks him in the face early on. They trade loud strikes until Webster gets two off a Falcon Arrow. Kid is back up with another kick to the head but Webster headbutts him down. Webster sends Kid outside for a suicide dive but it’s something like the Rings of Saturn to make Webster tap at 2:57 (13:11 total).

Rating: C+. I’m starting to get the hang of this idea and that’s going to make things easier. It’s such a different concept but when you ignore the 2/3 falls stuff, it’s basically a longer match with some breaks in the middle and that’s fine. I liked this one well enough and Kid continues to look like a rather nice project in the making. Webster losing isn’t the biggest surprise, but he hung in there after a bit of a weak start. Good match and the rules are starting to feel more natural.

Webster doesn’t look happy but he does shake hands.

Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov for the UK Title in three weeks.

Video on Dragunov’s path to the title shot. Walter talks about making Dragunov but this is his profession and he isn’t losing the title. We see some clips of their WXW matches with Dragunov shouting that Walter will not break him.

Flash Morgan Webster has been attacked and Mark Andrews runs up to check on him.

Here’s Kay Lee Ray to talk about how awesome her title reign has been. Cue the four women from tonight’s tag match, plus Piper Niven. A big brawl breaks out with extra women joining in. Ray tries to leave but Jinny catches her near the entrance. Jinny knocks Ray back to ringside and Niven cannonballs onto a bunch of people. Aoife Valkyrie hits a big dive of her own and Ray leaves to end the show. Kind of a weird segment but it did get some people on camera.

Overall Rating: C. This was more like the normal version of the show and I’m getting into the Heritage Cup. They are starting to showcase more of the roster in a good way and now that we have the big title match set, there is a point to a lot more of this. For a show that was mainly focused on the midcarders, this worked out rather well as NXT UK is starting to feel like its old self in a hurry.

Results

Xia Brookside/Dani Luna b. Amale/Nina Samuels – Brookside Bomb into a powerbomb to Amele

Saxon Huxley b. Jack Starz – Over the shoulder powerbomb drop

A Kid b. Flash Morgan Webster 2-1

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

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NXT UK – August 13, 2020 (Hidden Gems): The Modern Day Coliseum Video

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: August 13, 2020
Commentators: Andy Shepard, Vic Joseph
Host: Andy Shepard

Believe it or not we actually have something different this week with some more Hidden Gems. These are a bunch of dark matches from various NXT UK TV tapings and some of these have been pretty good before. There is something nice about having a fresh match with no storyline behind it between bigger names and that is what we are getting here. Let’s get to it.

Andy throws us to the first match.

From June 16, 2019 at the Download Festival.

NXT Title: Adam Cole vs. Zack Gibson

Cole is defending after having won the title about two weeks earlier. The fans ask where is their….I’m not sure but they’ll have to settle for an exchange of wristlocks to start. Gibson elbows him down and stomps away in the corner, setting up a wristlock on the mat. The fans stand up in their hatred for Gibson and then sit down for the same reason. That’s enough of a distraction for Gibson to delay his cover for two and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and Gibson charges into a superkick for the double knockdown. Cole hits a pump kick and the fireman’s carry backbreaker, followed by a Backstabber for two. Gibson is right back with something close to an Angle Slam as the fans still don’t like him. Shankley Gates is blocked but Cole can’t hit the Last Shot.

Instead it’s Gibson with the Ticket To Ride but Cole superkicks him again for two. The Panama Sunrise is countered with an arm twist to the mat and Gibson’s middle rope Ticket To Ride gets two more. Back up again and they slug it out again until Cole superkicks him out of the air. The brainbuster onto the knee rocks Gibson and the Last Shot retains at 9:57.

Rating: B-. That was a fast ten minutes and it was nice to see Cole having to break a sweat against someone like Gibson. I know Gibson is in a good team with the Grizzled Young Veterans but he can do some good stuff on his own as well. It was weird seeing Cole as the default face here but he can wrestle that style well, so this was a nice time.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie, who seems to live in trees and wants the NXT UK Women’s Title.

The Hunt wants to hurt other teams.

From March 6, 2020.

Xia Brookside vs. Nina Samuels

Samuels flicks her hair at the handshake offer so Xia dropkicks her into an armbar. That’s reversed with a pull of the hair as they’re getting the face/heel dynamic set up fast this time. A headlock puts Samuels down until she reverses into a headscissors. Xia headstands her way out and kicks Samuels outside, setting up a baseball slide and a smile.

Back in and Samuels whips her hard into the corner but Xia hits some running knees to the back in another corner. Samuels grabs a rollup and some trunks but the referee actually does her job and catches her. That’s enough for Brookside to hit a high crossbody for the pin at 5:18.

Rating: C-. This was something that could have served as a very good opener for a show as they were in and out in a hurry and did just fine. I like both of them, even though they don’t seem to be the most viable Women’s Title contenders at the moment. Brookside seems to have all kinds of potential, and keeping her in a short match like this lets her shine and get out. Samuels is good at what she does, but her getting much higher than this doesn’t seem likely.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews want to make their future better.

Amele, the French Hope, wants to be the first French NXT UK Women’s Champion. She is a leader, not a follower.

From July 20, 2019.

Pete Dunne vs. Alexander Wolfe

They go straight to the slugout to start with Dunne knocking him outside in a hurry. Dunne follows him outside and goes for the fingers, which are stomped onto the steps. Wolfe staggers up the ramp and gets caught in the arm stomp, only to send Dunne into the apron. Back in and Wolfe hits a top rope clothesline before hammering down right hands. Wolfe slams him down and cranks on an arm and leg at the same time. Dunne fights up and hits a German suplex, followed by the X Plex for two.

Another X Plex is countered with a drop over the top rope but Dunne knocks him out of the air for two more. Dunne stomps away but Wolfe kicks him in the head, setting up a Death Valley Driver. They strike it out from their knees (BOO/YAY) and Wolfe snaps the fingers. The Bitter End is countered into a German suplex to give Wolfe two but Wolfe’s German superplex is countered with a nice backflip. A kick to the head sets up the Bitter End to finish Wolfe at 8:28.

Rating: B-. Dang I’ve missed Dunne as it’s so fun watching him in the ring. Wolfe is great for a midcard villain and it felt like Dunne needed to work to get his win here. They beat each other up for a good while and Dunne is someone who still looks like he could be in the WWE Title picture in the blink of an eye. Wolfe is good in his own right and this was a perfectly solid main event.

Overall Rating: B-. This worked rather well and it’s nice to see something new from NXT UK for a change. They have a lot of talent around here and some names who seem like they could be on regular NXT if not the main roster. Good show here, as this feels like a bunch of Coliseum Video exclusives, which isn’t a bad thing to have (sometimes).

Results

Adam Cole b. Zack Gibson – Last Shot

Xia Brookside b. Nina Samuels – High crossbody

Pete Dunne b. Alexander Wolfe – Bitter End

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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NXT UK – July 2, 2020 (Superstar Picks): A New Hope?

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 2, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

We’re back with the Superstar Picks this week as there isn’t much else to show. That’s the kind of thing that works well here as WWE could run these things for months, though word on the street seems to be that we could be seeing tapings again soon. I’m happy with this for now though so let’s get to it.

Andy wastes no time in throwing it to our first pick.

Nikki Cross starts us off with this.

From NXT UK, March 5, 2020.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Isla Dawn

They fight over a wristlock to start and Valkyrie gets a few near falls off some rollups. A monkey flip lets Valkyrie put her down for two and they go into the pinfall reversal sequence. Valkyrie misses the big kick though as Dawn drops into the splits. Dawn powers her into the corner to get out of something like a Kimura, setting up a Meteora for two. Valkyrie gets in a kick to the face though and the top rope ax kick is good for the pin at 4:30.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have much time and while Valkyrie continues to look dominant, she isn’t looking like a star most of the time. Maybe she needs some adjustments, but I haven’t seen the big moment from here that makes me think there’s something special there. Then again she has had a handful of matches around here so maybe she just needs some more time.

Video on Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel, who won the NXT Tag Team Titles a month or so ago. We hear about them breaking into the sport, with Aichner’s trainer Alex Wright (yes that one) commenting on how great he is. Barthel talks about his dad wrestling Wright’s dad. Walter says the two of them are great and Imperium is on its way to dominance. This was more interesting than I would have bet on.

William Regal gives us this.

From NXT UK, March 26, 2020.

A-Kid vs. Noam Dar

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

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

Post match, Dar brags some more.

Pretty Deadly are having a picnic and kick away a soccer ball for daring to interrupt them. They’re taking over the tag team division.

Drew McIntyre talks about how far British wrestling has come and has this for us.

From the United Kingdom Title Tournament Night One.

Semifinals: Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews

Dunne takes him straight to the mat and grabs a chinlock but a spinning armdrag sends Pete to the floor. That of course means a big flip dive as Andrews has shown me more in the last two matches than in his entire TNA run. As usual, I blame TNA. Pete bends the fingers back and goes for the stomp on the steps but Andrews snaps off a hurricanrana to take over again.

Dunne has a counter of his own though as the shooting star is reversed into a rollup for a very close two. The pumphandle Downward Spiral (Bitter End) is broken up and the fifth or so X Plex is countered into the fourth or so hurricanrana for two. Another shooting star misses and ANOTHER FREAKING X PLEX sets up the Bitter End to send Dunne on at 10:45.

Overall Rating: C. Not as strong as the previous weeks but it still works well enough. There is something interesting about airing more modern stuff this time around. Maybe they want you to get ready for whatever they have coming up. If nothing else they have the promos for current teams and that makes things a little more promising.

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

NXT UK – June 25, 2020 (Superstar Picks): Keep It Going

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: June 25, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

Things have changed a lot since last time around but this week’s show is another Superstar Picks, which probably takes about ten minutes to put together in the first place. These things have had some very nice surprises in there and it’s great to open up the memory banks every now and then. Let’s get to it.

No opening sequence this week, likely due to various images.

Jinny goes first, with this one from NXT, June 28, 2017.

Medics come out to check on a smiling Nikki to end the show.

Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith pick their gear colors. They’re ready to dominate the division.

Nina Samuels goes with this, from Wrestlemania II.

Tag Team Titles: British Bulldogs vs. Dream Team

Rating: B. Match of the night by far here with Dynamite taking one heck of a bump to end the match. The Bulldogs were a great team and they definitely deserved the titles and they did it in a tag match that went completely against the common tag team formula. Unfortunately it felt like it was much more about a way to get Osbourne on screen, which is only going to get worse.

Ridge Holland is ready to take NXT by storm.

Next week: more Superstar Picks.

Aoife Valkyrie goes around the world for her pick, from Beast In The East.

NXT Title: Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens

Post match Itami and Japanese legend Tatsumi Fujinami come in to honor Balor but Owens refuses to shake hands. Balor gets a bit ovation as he celebrates.

Overall Rating: A. Yeah this worked, mainly as due to the worst match being the best match from that year’s Wrestlemania. The good thing is they could do this kind of show for months (just like they could do on 205 Live) and never repeat material, which is a good place to go for something like this. The profile shows and Hidden Gems are fine, but how many can they do? Open up the vault and have some fun. It’s not like you have anything else to offer right now.

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

NXT UK – May 28, 2020 (Hidden Gems): How I Like My Riddle

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: May 28, 2020
Commentators: Andy Shepard, Tom Phillips
Host: Andy Shepard

It’s another Hidden Gems episode, meaning we have more dark matches from various NXT UK TV tapings. I had a good time with this last time around and hopefully that means we could still be in for some fun here. You never know what you might get out of these but their track record isn’t half bad. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Andy tells us what to expect.

From Coventry, England, March 7, 2020.

Finn Balor vs. Kenny Williams

Balor pulls him down into an early headlock but Williams jawbreaks his way to freedom. Williams takes him into an armbar and drops a leg on the arm, followed by a running knee to the chest. That’s not cool with Balor, who is back up to stomp away at the chest for two. Some running chops in the corner set up another kick to the chest for two more but the fans get behind Williams again.

Balor promises to kill Walter and the delay lets Williams get in some forearms. A rebound lariat gives Williams two and he sends Balor to the floor for the suicide dive. Balor is right back with the Eye of the Hurricane into the shotgun dropkick. The Coup de Grace sets up 1916 to finish Williams at 8:10.

Rating: C. This was a nice enough match with Balor having to break a bit of a sweat against someone who wasn’t all that much of a challenge. Having him call out Walter the entire time made it even better as Balor was focused on Walter, even if the masses weren’t going to be seeing this. Not a great match, but it worked well enough.

From Brentwood, England, October 5, 2019.

Rhea Ripley vs. Nina Samuels

Samuels can’t spin out of a top wristlock to start and a hiptoss is blocked as well. Rhea puts her on top and throws her down for daring to jump. Back up and Samuels kicks away and sends Rhea face first into the middle buckle for two. We hit the crossarm choke for a bit but Rhea is right back up with a basement dropkick for two more. Not that it matters as Riptide finishes Samuels at 4:51.

Rating: D+. This was Ripley’s last match in NXT UK and it makes sense to send her out with a fairly dominant win. Ripley was a much bigger star than Samuels could ever hope to be so just having Ripley on the show was a good idea. Let the fans feel like they got to see something special and send them home happy.

From Derby, England, June 16, 2019.

Killian Dain vs. Travis Banks

The much bigger Dain sends him into the corner but Banks starts kicking away. That just causes Dain to say bring it so Banks kicks him down and fires off some YES Kicks to the chest. Dain throws him down and limps around before sending Banks hard into the corner. Running knees to the chest give Dain two and we hit the chinlock with a knee in Banks’ back.

A seated abdominal stretch keeps Banks in trouble until he fights up with more kicks to the leg. The running dropkick in the corner connects to put Dain on the floor and there’s the suicide dive. A top rope double stomp gets two back inside but the Slice of Heaven misses. Dain gives him a fireman’s carry slam though and the Vader Bomb finishes Banks at 8:28.

Rating: C+. I had a good time with this as it was a fine power vs. speed/striking match. Banks continues to be someone with a lot of potential who never has gotten anywhere for some reason. Dain is fine for a midcard monster, but I’m not sure if he’s ever going to break through to the main event level. Still though, good little match here.

From Plymouth, England, July 19, 2019.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans (NXT UK Tag Team Champions) and Joseph Conners for a chat. Zack Gibson isn’t pleased with the SHOES OFF chant because he can see the webbed feet from here. After a break (and a Gallus video), Conners says he wants the best the world has to offer. Cue the Street Profits (NXT Tag Team Champions) to tell Drake to shut up. They’ve got a friend with them tonight too.

Street Profits/Matt Riddle vs. Grizzled Young Veterans/Joseph Conners

After an exchange of holding up titles, Riddle and Conners start things off but it’s Drake coming in before anything happens. Riddle grapples him down without much effort and then takes it to the mat with a headlock takeover. The kick to the chest misses so Riddle goes with the rolling gutwrench suplexes. Gibson comes in and is quickly pulled into a cross armbreaker so it’s right back to Drake, whose ankle is locked in a hurry. It’s off to Dawkins, who holds up both Veterans on the ropes so Ford (still in the hoodie) can jump onto their backs.

The hoodie comes off and Ford chops Drake so hard that he shivers a bit himself. A cheap shot sends Ford to the floor though and it’s the backbreaker/slingshot forearm to keep him in trouble. Back in and the stomping continues, followed by the chinlock from Gibson. That’s so thrilling that we go split screen for a highlight package on the match and Drake comes in for a neck crank. Drake’s snap suplex gets two and it’s off to another chinlock.

Gibson continues the chinlock parade but the fans get behind Ford to bring him back up. I mean it doesn’t actually get him to his feet, but they are at least cheering for it. Drake can’t get another chinlock as Ford rolls over for the tag to Dawkins for the house cleaning, followed by a Doomsday knee to the chest from Riddle. Everything breaks down and the Veterans hit a superkick/neckbreaker combination on Ford.

Everyone is down and it’s a double tag to bring in Ford and Drake. Ford superkicks him out of the air and small packages Gibson for two. A double dropkick takes down Gibson and Conners, who tagged himself in on the way. The Cash Out into the Bro Derek finishes Conners at 13:39.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of Riddle I like: the calm, cool, laid back version who can suddenly go beast mode with the suplexes and submissions. The Profits continue to have more charisma than they know what to do with and the fans absolutely hate the Veterans. Entertaining match here with the result never in any serious doubt.

Overall Rating: B-. This is how you do a Hidden Gems show, with a collection of entertaining matches with low stakes. It’s very much a sit back and enjoy some fun wrestling and that’s what they did here. I liked this more than I was expecting to and if you need something really easy to watch, this is a great choice.

Results

Finn Balor b. Kenny Williams – 1916

Rhea Ripley b. Nina Samuels – Riptide

Killian Dain b. Travis Banks – Vader Bomb

Matt Riddle/Street Profits b. Grizzled Young Veterans/Joseph Conners – Bro Derek to Conners

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

NXT UK – March 26, 2020: The Champ Is Back

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Imperium vs. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Nina Samuels

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

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

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

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

We look at Mark Andrews being attacked last week.

Flash Morgan Webster will find out who did this.

A-Kid vs. Noam Dar

Post match Dar brags even more.

Video on Walter.

More people are ready to win the battle royal.

Cruiserweight Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks

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

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

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

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

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

Results

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

Aoife Valkyrie b. Nina Samuels – Top rope ax kick

Noam Dar b. A-Kid – Nova Roller

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

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

NXT UK – January 30, 2020: I Could Go For That

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: January 30, 2020
Location: York Barbican, York, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Aiden English

Things have already changed since last week’s show as NXT and NXT UK split at Worlds Collide. Despite being down a man, Imperium defeated the Undisputed Era in the show’s main event. Jordan Devlin even brought home some gold by winning the Cruiserweight Title. Now almost none of that is going to mean much here because this show was taped in advance, though we’ll likely get some videos taped since. Let’s get to it.

Here is Worlds Collide if you need a recap.

Quick recap of Worlds Collide.

Opening sequence.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. The Hunt

Burch and Boar start things off with Danny working on the wrist and taking it over with a headlock. Boar is back up with a shoulder in the corner and Primate comes in with a springboard double stomp to the back. Lorcan comes in and hits Primate in the face to take over, setting up a double chop from Lorcan and Burch. It’s already back to Boar though and the wild running starts charging around at everyone.

That just earns him a double suplex to give Lorcan two and we hit the abdominal stretch. A bite to the arm allows the hot tag off to Primate and house is clotheslined in a hurry. Primate hits the post though and Burch’s powerbomb gets two. Everything breaks down again and a bunch of headbutts have people staggered. Primate gets uppercutted out of the air, setting up the elevated DDT for the pin at 7:24.

Rating: C. They packed in a lot of energy here and that’s the kind of thing that these teams should have been doing. The Hunt continues to be one of the more entertaining teams around while Burch and Lorcan are great for a gatekeeper team who might even win the titles one day. That’s a valuable team to have around and they had a fun match here.

Toni Storm is upset because Kay Lee Ray is still in her head.

Here’s Eddie Dennis for a chat. He shows us a clip of his destruction of Trent Seven at Takeover and brags about the destruction in a bit of a scary voice. Cue Trent (he gets around these days) to pull off a turnbuckle pad and say that Eddie used it to win at Takeover. Since Eddie is so tough, let’s have a street fight with no turnbuckle pads. Dennis doesn’t answer but does lunch at Trent, who sends him outside. Of note: Trent sounded fine here, which doesn’t do much for continuity after Finn Balor attacked him earlier this week. The perils of a taped show.

A-Kid wants to impress Tyler Bate so they’ll have a match next week.

Aoife Valkyrie is coming in two weeks.

Nina Samuels vs. Isla Dawn

This is their fourth match on this series alone. Samuels snaps off headscissors so Dawn grabs a rollup for two. Back up and Dawn bridges into a cradle for two more so Samuels sends her to the floor. A handspring kick to the face knocks her off the apron to give Samuels two back inside. Samuels drops a leg and grabs a quickly broken chinlock, only to have Dawn send her hard into the corner. Dawn pulls her off the top and hits a top rope Meteora, setting up the half and half suplex for the pin at 5:03.

Rating: C-. The match wasn’t bad but there is only so much you can do when they keep having the same match over and over again without actually getting anywhere. These two have been stuck in the midcard of the division for a long time now and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’m not sure if either of them can move up to the title scene and therefore, they come off as little more than filler.

Ilja Dragunov says he will not miss again.

Burch and Lorcan want Gallus.

Tyson T-Bone vs. Ridge Holland

Holland drives him up against the ropes so T-Bone hits him in the head. The slugout is on until Holland snaps off an overhead belly to belly. Some uppercuts have T-Bone on the ropes again and again he comes right back with some wild swings. Holland fires off some headbutts though and an Alabama Slam sets up Northern Grit for the pin at 3:13.

Rating: C. They got in some hard shots here but Holland showed off more potential here. If he gets a character to go with the look and hard hitting, they have something with him. He can be the body guy around here and the kind of powerful physicality can take him a long way. T-Bone isn’t going to get pushed but he’s a fine brawler and that’s a good thing to have around.

Next week: Tyler Bate vs. A-Kid and Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis in a steel corner street fight.

Imperium vs. Dave Mastiff/Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews

Walter is the odd man out here, with the Wolfe injury being mentioned on commentary because putting in commentary later is a useful tool. Andrews and Barthel start things off and the size difference is rather notable. Barthel takes him down and works on the arm to start, even spinning around while holding an armbar. It’s Aichner coming in for an armbar of his own so Webster comes in to try his luck.

A running hurricanrana is easily countered and Aichner cranks on the ankle while pulling him over to the ropes. Webster knocks Barthel down though and hits a standing inverted Swanton for two. That’s enough to bring in Mastiff and a hiptoss has Aichner down. It’s already back to Andrews, who spins around for a headscissors to send Aichner over for the tag to Barthel.

The fast tags continue with Mastiff grabbing a delayed vertical suplex for two on Barthel, setting up Andrews’ basement dropkick for the same. Webster climbs onto Barthel’s back for a hurricanrana to Wolfe but Wolfe is right back with a SCARY German suplex to drop him onto the back of his head. Things slow down in a hurry and Webster is tied in the Tree of Woe for the running double dropkicks.

A spinebuster into a penalty kick gets two but Webster is right back up with the tag off to Mastiff to run people over. Everything breaks down and Barthel throws Andrews to Aichner for the suplex, only to get reversed into the Stundog Millionaire. Andrews and Webster hit the stereo flip dives and Mastiff dives off the apron onto all three villains. Mastiff even mocks the Imperium pose, drawing out Walter to jump him from behind. That earns Walter a right hand to the face but it’s Aichner hitting a brainbuster on Andrews for the pin at 11:27.

Rating: B-. Mastiff has been one of the more interesting people around here for a long time now as he looks like any other big guy who shouldn’t have much of a run around here. However, he’s stayed relevant since his debut and while he isn’t going to win, it isn’t insane to put him against Walter. The others were their usual selves and I can go for more of them in spots like this.

Walter and Mastiff stare each other down to end the show. I could go for that.

Overall Rating: C+. Not too bad of a show here, though the continuity issues from Worlds Collide and NXT were a little distracting (not a big negative, just distracting). The Mastiff vs. Walter stuff feels like a mini filler feud until we get on to the Wrestlemania season stuff and that’s acceptable. The rest of the show was pretty skippable, but it was still a fine enough show that didn’t get dull so well enough done.

Results

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch b. The Hunt – Elevated DDT to Primate

Isla Dawn b. Nina Samuels – Half and half suplex

Ridge Holland b. Tyson T-Bone – Northern Grit

Imperium b. Dave Mastiff/Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews – Brainbuster to Andrews

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