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

We have a pretty stacked card this week with Jordan Devlin vs. A-Kid and Tyler Bate defending the Heritage Cup against Jack Starz. This is a good example of what NXT UK does well, as they have built those matches up to feel important rather than throwing big names out there and having them do whatever. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Emilia McKenzie vs. Isla Dawn

McKenzie charges straight at her but Dawn hammers her down. That doesn’t seem to bother McKenzie, who is back with a swinging neckbreaker into a suplex. Dawn gets in some stomping and a forearm to the back of the neck gets two. What might have been a botched suplex is turned into a small package to give Dawn two more and McKenzie is sent outside.

A whip into the barricade has McKenzie in more trouble but she comes back in with an enziguri and a cutter. McKenzie’s spear only hits knee though and a Saito suplex plants her. A second spear connects with Dawn, who is right back with a superkick. Dawn takes a bit too much time being all freaky though and McKenzie takes her down, setting up a running knee for the pin at 6:07.

Rating: D+. Not much to see with this one and that shouldn’t be a huge surprise. This was a pretty low level women’s match and Dawn isn’t someone who is going to win very often. McKenzie has a long way to go but at least she has started off well enough. WWE might be able to do something with her and it isn’t like her matches have been terrible. For someone who is still getting started around here, this worked well enough.

Post match Dawn looks up and talks to someone.

We look back at Walter attacking Ilja Dragunov after last week’s main event.

Gallus is happy with their friendly rivalry, though Mark Coffey goes off to ask about a match. Everything is cool.

Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate vs. Jack Starz

Bate is defending and has Trent Seven as his second. Round one begins with a feeling out process into a rather early standoff. Bate goes for the wrist and pulls on an armbar to settle things down a bit Starz fights up into an armbar of his own. That’s countered into a fairly fast paced series of near falls until Bate hits a dropkick for two as the round ends. Round two begins on the mat again…and Bate rolls him up for the pin at 37 seconds of the round (4:10 total).

Round three begins with Bate grabbing a cravate but Starz shoves him away and hits a running elbow. Starz suplexes him out of the corner for two and grabs his own airplane spin into a pop up uppercut for two. Bate tries la majistral but Starz sits down on it to tie things up at 2:39 of the round (6:50 total). Round four begins with Bate trying a rolling Liger kick but Starz reverses into a Boston crab. That’s reversed with a flip though and now the Liger kick connects. The Tyler Driver 98 retains Bate’s title at 1:21 of the round (8:44 total).

Rating: C+. They had me thinking of an old low level Ric Flair NWA World Title defense here, as Flair gave up enough to make you think a miracle might happen but then everything got back to normal. Starz was never going to win here but it was a fine example of looking good in defeat. That seemed to be what Bate had in mind when he made the challenge, so well done on setting things up and then making them work.

Post match, Wolfgang and Mark Coffey come out for some mock praise.

Pretty Deadly is having a photo shoot when Sid Scala interrupts. The champs don’t like being interrupted but Scala has news: next week it’s Lewis Howley vs. Mark Andrews. If Andrews wins, Subculture gets a title shot. Short and to the point here.

Here is Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura for a chat. The title is one of the few things she had never accomplished but now NXT UK is her home. Cue Nina Samuels to congratulate her on the, but now Satomura needs a win over a star to establish her reign. Amele runs in to jump Samuels and say she wants a title shot. Satomura may be the final boss, but Amele doesn’t play games. That’s fine with Satomura, who knocks her down and grants the title match.

After last week’s triple threat, Joe Coffey sat down next to Rampage Brown and respect seems to be shown.

Blair Davenport is here and as all but already known, it’s Bea Priestly.

Mila Smidt vs. Aoife Valkyrie

Smidt seems to have an amateur background and stays low to the mat to start. They trade takedowns until Valkyrie starts in on the arm. A running dropkick sets up another armbar as we hear about Smidt training for the Olympics. Valkyrie strikes away until Smidt suplexes her down for two. Cue Jinny to watch as Valkyrie kicks Smidt down, setting up the top rope ax kick for the pin at 3:41.

Rating: C. This was a double shot as Valkyrie gets back on track with an impressive outing, which Smidt also got her first chance to shine. Valkyrie winning isn’t a surprise but they did a nice job of making you buy Smidt having a tiny chance. Smidt’s amateur background can get her pretty far and this kind of a match suggests she is going to get at least one chance.

Post match, Valkyrie stars Jinny down.

An intense looking Kenny Williams is ready for Nathan Frazer next week.

Trent Seven is answering questions when Eddie Dennis interrupts. Dennis asks how it feels to always be a bridesmaid but never a bride. Seven reminds him of the Burning Hammer through a table to destroy Dennis’ shoulder, which gets him to back off.

Jordan Devlin vs. A-Kid

Devlin takes him down by the arm to start until Kid reverses into a headscissors. They continue the reverses on the mat until Kid’s near fall gives us a standoff. Kid flips over him a few times and tries what looks to be a monkey flip, only to be shoved off the top and down to the floor in a nasty crash. That’s almost enough for a countout so Devlin grabs a belly to back suplex for two more.

We hit the neck crank for a bit before Devlin drops down onto Kid’s banged up back. Kid comes back up with a dropkick but Devlin snaps off a cutter for a double knockdown. A fisherman’s suplex gives Kid two and he grabs a guillotine to put Devlin in real trouble. That’s escaped with a suplex and an exchange of rollups gets two each. A triangle choke puts Devlin in trouble again, with a rope grab getting him out of trouble this time.

Devlin snaps off a Spanish Fly but Kid pulls him into the modified Rings of Saturn. Another rope grab breaks it up and they slug it out with Devlin getting dropped for two more. Some rolling German suplexes rock Devlin, who comes back with a headbutt to knock himself outside. Kid hits a dive to drop him again but Devlin snaps the rope into his face for a clever counter.

Devlin drops him knee first onto the steps but the Devlin Side is countered into a sunset bomb. A half crab goes back to the knee and they go into an exchange of submission attempt until Devlin BENDS KID’S LEG AROUND for the tap at 15:23. Kid was laying face down on the mat and Devlin pressed the leg so far that it bent around so that it was laying on the mat, foot up.

Rating: B. The ending alone makes this worth seeing (assuming you don’t have a weak stomach) but this was a heck of a technical showdown for the most part. They were trading holds back and forth until Devlin had to cheat with the steps. Devlin has cooled off a bit in recent weeks and this is the kind of win that could bring him back a bit. Now it’s Kid needing a win, which is weird after a nice title reign.

Medics come out to check on Kid immediately as Devlin celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The long main event is the boost that the show needed as it was only so good going into it. Just like NXT though, one of the best things to be said about NXT UK is they know how to make something out of not much. They didn’t have the top names featured this week and the show worked anyway. That’s a good sign for the show and it is a sign we have seen a lot more than once now. NXT UK is on solid footing and that’s more than most shows can say these days.

Results

Emilia McKenzie b. Isla Dawn – Running knee

Tyler Bate b. Jack Starz 2-1

Aoife Valkyrie b. Mila Smidt – Top rope ax kick

Jordan Devlin b. A-Kid – Knee crank

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

It’s title week around here as Gallus is defending the Tag Team Titles against Pretty Deadly in a match that has seemed set for a good while now. Gallus has held the titles since October 2019 and I’m not sure what else there is for them to do with them, but it’s almost hard to imagine them losing. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at the title match, as expected.

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Nina Samuels

The loser is the winner’s servant for a month after Samuels cost her a few matches. As a preview, Samuels’ bags are brought out to ringside by Henry (yeah Henry). Brookside jumps her to start and the fight is on in a hurry with Samuels being wrapped around the top rope. Samuels bails to the floor and kicks Brookside into her bags for a nine count. Back in and Samuels grabs a rear naked choke with a bodyscissors.

With that going nowhere, it’s off to an armbar and then a surfboard but Brookside flips over into a cover for two. A neckbreaker gives Brookside the same and she knocks Samuels outside. Brookside isn’t being all nice here and hammers away on the floor but a hurricanrana is easily blocked. Samuels isn’t happy with Brookside beating the count so she goes to grab the tablet from Henry. With Henry gone, Brookside kicks the tablet away and grabs a rollup for the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C. The end result is going to be the bigger deal here and Samuels losing will likely send her flying over the edge. Brookside getting a big win is a good idea and the more they push her, the better things can get for the division. I still think she would be perfect to take the title from Kay Lee Ray in a slightly more serious version of NXT Bayley, but we’re a long way off from that.

Post match reality sets in for Samuels and panicking ensues.

Trent Seven is trying to get down to 205lbs but it’s really hard. This includes running with dogs and snapping towels. Maybe he should drop the beard weight.

Ilja Dragunov isn’t sure what he’s been doing lately but Sam Gradwell comes up for the challenge. Game on next week.

Bailey Matthews vs. Tyler Bate

This is the 19 year old Bailey’s debut. They fight over wrist control to start with Bailey taking him down into an armbar. Bate has to fight out of a headscissors but gets caught in it again for some hard cranking. A headlock gets Bate out of trouble but Matthews wristlocks him right back down. The cravate takes Bate down again and there’s a backslide for two.

Back up and Bate unloads with uppercuts but gets dropped with an even bigger one. That’s too far for Bate, who is right back with the t-bone suplex. The airplane spin is broken up and they trade rollups for two each. Bate nails a rolling kick to the head though and the Tyler Driver 97 finishes Matthews at 5:40.

Rating: C+. What the heck was that? Matthews got a heck of a rub here and that is a great thing to see. You can always go for some fresh talent around here and we might have seen something good here. It was a heck of a debut and William Regal is likely going to be rather proud of his son.

We get a vignette for someone debuting from Berlin whose name isn’t given. The words “devam edeck” come on screen, which apparently means “coming soon” in Turkish. More on this later, though you might already know him better as Lucky Kid.

Piper Niven jumps Joseph Conners but Jinny comes in for the save. Niven wants to face them in a handicap match but Sid Scala says no. With that not happening, Niven grabs Jack Starz and we seem to have a mixed tag.

Lana Austin vs. Aoife Valkyrie

They go with the exchange of wristlocks to start with Valkyrie spinning out and taking her down by the arm. Some kicks to the legs have Austin down but she trips Valkyrie down for a change. There’s a running basement dropkick to give Austin two but Valkyrie pounds away again. A running neckbreaker gives Valkyrie two and Austin’s small package gets the same. Valkyrie unloads in the corner and nails a spinning heel kick, followed by the top rope ax kick for the pin at 4:06.

Rating: C. It was short but they beat the heck out of each other. There was something entertaining about Austin getting in some offense but only angering Valkyrie enough to make her beat Austin down. The women’s division continues to have some strong potential and that gives me some hope for the future.

Here’s what’s coming in two weeks.

Aoife Valkyrie is pleased with her win but here’s Nina Samuels carrying the bags and looking like she is near a breakdown.

Kenny Williams and Ashton Smith need to train to get the Tag Team Titles.

Video on Kay Lee Ray vs. Meiko Satomura.

Tag Team Titles: Pretty Deadly vs. Gallus

Gallus is defending and Mark Coffey drives Sam Stoker into the corner to start. It’s off to Lewis Howley, who is armdragged into an armbar without much effort. Wolfgang takes Howley down by the arm as well and there’s the same thing to Stoker. Therefore it’s already back to Hawley as the champs are dominating to start. A double monkey flip sends Howley to the floor and Pretty Deadly needs a breather.

Back in and Howley manages a hiptoss but gets rocked with an uppercut. Wolfgang shrugs off some double teaming and we get the big staredown that would take us to a commercial if NXT UK had commercials. We settle down to Wolfgang being distracted by Howley so Stoker can knee him to the floor. A double backbreaker gets two on Wolfgang and it’s time to take turns choking in the corner.

Stoker’s running elbow to the jaw gets two and it’s time to work on the arm. Wolfgang knocks Howley down without much trouble and the double tag brings in Coffey and Stoker. Coffey cleans house without much trouble and a belly to back suplex drops Stoker for two. Howley comes in off a blind tag to kick Coffey in the head for two but Coffey kicks him even harder. Wolfgang is back in to catapult Howley into a Samoan drop but Stoker makes a save.

Coffey chokeslams Stoker onto the apron and a spear gives Wolfgang two on Howley. There’s a clothesline to put Howley on the floor but Stoker slaps Wolfgang to send him over the edge. The chase is on with Howley getting in a cheap shot to knock Wolfgang into the barricade. Back in and Stoker’s Codebreaker gets two on Coffey so Howley brings in a title. Coffey knocks it out of his hands but it’s a tornado DDT to drive him into the belt. The spinebuster/neckbreaker combination (Spilled Milk) gives us new champions at 15:03.

Rating: B-. This took some time to get going but then they got into a groove with the classic formula working. The ending with everything breaking down worked out rather well. There was little doubt about the title change here and that’s ok. Gallus had held the titles for far too long already so the title change was necessary. Not a great match, but it did what it was supposed to in this situation.

Pretty Deadly celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. NXT UK might not be blowing the doors off the place these days but they are having some of the most consistently good television around. As usual, the best thing going on around here is how well they use the time they have. You have all kinds of stories and wrestlers being advanced with nothing feeling like filler. It is rare enough to hear that on any show, but having it week after week is rather impressive. Another good show here, and I’m not even surprised anymore.

Results

Xia Brookside b. Nina Samuels – Rollup

Tyler Bate b. Bailey Matthews – Tyler Driver 97

Aoife Valkyrie b. Lana Austin – Top rope ax kick

Pretty Deadly b. Gallus – Spilled Milk to Coffey

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 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.

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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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:

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

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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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: 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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: 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.

A standing 450 moonsault (GEEZ) gets two on Dunne and a springboard hurricanrana sends him outside again. Didn’t we just see this? Andrews’ latest dive is caught and dropped onto the apron, followed by a release suplex (the X Plex) onto the ramp. That’s still not enough to get a countout so Dunne stomps away on the head. Back in and yet another X Plex is countered into the Stundog Millionaire (that name is rapidly losing its charm).

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.

Rating: B-. This match is going to get high praise and I get why but DANG I was getting tired of that stupid X Plex in the second half of the match. I don’t like it when Lesnar does the same suplex over and over and Dunne is the same way. It’s still entertaining enough but this is going to be praised to death for one of the things that gets on my nerves more than anything else.

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.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: 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.

Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Nikki Cross

Asuka is defending and this is Last Woman Standing. Nikki gets beaten up against the ropes and out to the floor but Asuka’s baseball slide gets caught in the ring skirt. She hammers on the champ and builds up a pile of chairs as we take a break. Back with Asuka not being able to suplex Nikki onto said pile but getting sent into the steps instead. Nikki goes into the steps again but Asuka sends her into them as well.

It’s trashcan time and that means an ECW chant. Asuka puts the can over Nikki’s head and kicks away, followed by a missile dropkick for good measure. They fight over a chair with Asuka being sent outside, only to have Nikki dive into a knee to the head. Another pile of chairs is stacked up in the ring and Nikki is slammed off the top onto the pile for a seven count.

We take another break and come back with Asuka kicking her in the chest, drawing laughter from Nikki. Cross grabs four straight fisherman’s neckbreakers (because she’s a bit crazy and actually acts like it for a change) but Asuka is up at nine. Nikki grabs the belt but gets it kicked back into her own face.

She’s up at eight and laughing even more before blocking a suplex to the floor. A powerbomb onto the pile of chairs on the floor gets nine on the champ. They stagger up the ramp with Asuka hitting the hip attack off the stage for nine. Nikki picks her up and hits a hanging swinging neckbreaker off the barricade for a sick thud. She’s up at nine again and Nikki is looking crazier than usual. A spinning backfist sends Nikki staggering into the back and it’s table time.

Nikki sets one up near the announcers’ table and grabs a ladder to make things worse. They both climb the ladder and Asuka superplexes her through the announcers’ table for a huge crash and the HOLY S*** chant. Nikki is DONE and Asuka beats the count at nine to retain at 26:00.

Rating: B+. It takes something special to know the ending to a match (if nothing else it’s hard to believe that anyone other than Ember Moon is taking the title) and still get completely sucked into it. These two beat the heck out of each other in one of the longest women’s matches in WWE history and it was all good stuff from start to finish. They kept building up to bigger and bigger spots until the last one finally put the psycho away. I had a blast with this one and it was a heck of a match. Check this out if you get the chance.

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

The Dream Team, Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine, is defending. The Bulldogs are Davey Boy Smith (also known as the British Bulldog) and Dynamite Kid, who are managed by Lou Albano and have Ozzy Osbourne in their corner for no apparent reason. Even Gorilla doesn’t seem to know why he’s out there. Smith and Valentine start things off with Davey cranking on the arm.

It’s quickly off to Dynamite as things speed up, including a big shoulder to knock Valentine into the corner. Greg comes back with a suplex but Smith comes in to scare Valentine out to the floor. Back in and Valentin gets in a headbutt to the ribs and tags out to Beefcake for the first time. Beefcake is quickly press slammed and it’s back to Dynamite for a hard clothesline.

Brutus finally drags Davey off to the corner and makes the tag off to Greg, who comes in off the top with a forearm to the back. That’s some good heel tag team work and it’s as successful as always. Dynamite comes in anyway though and it’s time for some hard forearms and shoulders in the corner. A backbreaker gets two on Valentine with Brutus having to make the save. It’s not often that you see a tag match stay even this long but this was before the Rock and Roll Express vs. Midnight Express had created the classic tag team formula.

Valentine comes back with a piledriver (where he picked him up for a traditional version but kneeled forward like a tombstone) for two but he crotches himself on the Kid’s knees. Everything breaks down and the powerslam plants Valentine for two. Davey misses a charge into the post though and the champs start in on the arm.

A hammerlock slam and a top rope elbow onto the shoulder have Davey in even more trouble and Valentine gets two off a shoulder breaker. For some reason he pulls Smith up at two and Okerlund thinks it’s going to come back and haunt him. As he says this, Dynamite gets on the middle rope and sticks his head out. Smith rams Valentine head first into the Kid’s head, knocking Dynamite down onto the floor but knocking Greg out cold for the pin and the titles at 12:03.

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.

Albano and Osbourne celebrate as the Bulldogs remember what planet they’re on. Kid can’t talk or stand as he’s still recovering from having being knocked off the middle rope and down onto the floor with no one to catch him. That’s a scary bump and it’s no shock that his body gave out on him so soon after this.

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

Owens is defending. Both of them are presented with flowers according to Japanese custom but Owens throws his to the floor because he’s just that much of a villain. Balor hits a running dropkick at the bell and scores with a top rope plancha to the outside as an NXT chant starts up. Owens goes outside again and eats a baseball slide through the ropes.

Back in and Balor wins a slugout but gets caught in something like White Noise for two. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Owens breaks up a springboard with a right hand to the face. Back in again and Owens gets two off a backsplash and sends Finn outside a second time. Owens counts along with the referee before hitting the ropes twice, only to drop into a chinlock for a signature spot. Owens: “Are you not impressed? I don’t care. I hate this stupid country and everyone in it.”

Owens starts doing John Cena’s signature sequence as we’re two weeks away from Owens vs. Cena II at Battleground 2015. Balor slips out of the AA and Peles Owens out to the floor. That means it’s time for a flip dive over the top, followed by a reverse Bloody Sunday (inverted lifting DDT) for his first near fall. The Coup de Grace (top rope double stomp) misses though and Owens hits his corner Cannonball for two. Balor comes back with the Sling Blade (running spinning clothesline) and the Coup de Grace but Owens kicks out, the first time anyone has ever survived that move.

Balor puts him on the top rope but has to escape Owens’ swinging superplex. That’s fine with Owens who grabs a super Regal Roll for two and now it’s Kevin’s turn to be shocked. Owens’ Swanton hits knees and another Sling Blade gets another two. Balor gets thrown over with a sleeper suplex as these two are just beating the heck out of each other. Finn escapes the Pop Up Powerbomb and dropkicks Owens into the corner, setting up the second Coup de Grace for the pin and the title at 19:25.

Rating: A-. These guys were beating the heck out of each other and actually got over the hump of a fairly obvious ending. Balor winning was the only possible option here but it was a really cool moment to have him win the title in Japan. If nothing else this makes the NXT Title seem like a big deal as this was one of the featured matches on the show and the real main event. Owens leaving NXT on such a strong match isn’t surprising as he had been an outstanding talker but a great in ring performer as well, which is often overlooked.

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.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: May 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

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

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

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

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