IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: January 23, 2020
Location: York Barbican, York, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Aiden English

We’re back to normal after Takeover: Blackpool II and last week’s recap show. There isn’t much time to rest though as it’s also the go home show for Worlds Collide. Hopefully things can get going as well as wrapping up the build towards Saturday. That’s a hard balance to find but maybe they can make it work. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sid Scala and Johnny Saint are in the ring with something underneath a blanket. Cue Imperium before anything can happen and it’s a presentation to them. Walter is presented with the new NXT United Kingdom Title, which the fans think he deserves. He approves of finally being honored as he should have been. This is now the top prize in European wrestling and he is glad to have destroyed Gallus. On Saturday, the Undisputed Era will get the same treatment.

Cruiserweight Title Match Qualifying Match: Ligero vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin messes with the mask to start so Ligero hits him in the face. Ligero hammers away in the corner and grabs a rollup for two, followed by a kick to the jaw. A release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault puts Ligero down and Devlin can take the jacket off. Back up and Ligero hits a running clothesline to put Devlin on the floor, only to get superkicked for trying a headstand on the apron.

Back in and Ligero gets sent into the corner and a backbreaker makes it worse. A seated abdominal stretch with some shots to the ribs have Ligero in even more trouble but he fights up for the escape. Ligero dodges the slingshot corner and hits a bottom rope springboard Stunner for two.

Devlin hits a standing Spanish Fly for the same and a half nelson suplex plants Ligero again. The moonsault misses so Devlin grabs a rollup with feet on the ropes for two. The Devil Inside is countered into a DDT, setting up Ligero’s top rope splash for two of his own. They slug it out from their knees until Devlin is sent to the apron. The slingshot cutter plants Ligero and the Devil Inside is enough to finish him off at 11:08.

Rating: B-. Devlin continues to grow but he probably isn’t going to be involved in the decision on Saturday. I can’t imagine him winning the title but at the same time he isn’t going to be taking the fall. Ligero continues to be the kind of guy who can go out there and lose in style, which is a valuable thing to have around.

Kay Lee Ray isn’t worried about Mia Yim on Saturday.

Imperium talks about how awesome they are when Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews come in. They don’t know how dominant Imperium can be without ever being Tag Team Titles.

Finn Balor is ready for Ilja Dragunov.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Josh Morrell

Dragunov takes him down by the arm and cranks on it a bit before standing up for the bring it pose. A shot to the face rocks Morrell and there’s a backsplash to make it worse. Morrell gets dropped with a running clothesline and a release pumphandle slam. Torpedo Moscow finishes Morrell at 2:25. Exactly what it should have been.

Post match Dragunov says he’s ready for Balor but here’s Gallus to interrupt. Joe Coffey wants to talk to Dragunov on his own so Mark and Wolfgang stay at the ramp. Joe talks about losing at Takeover but part of that is due to Dragunov. Yeah he helped against Imperium but he isn’t Gallus. That’s all well and good at the moment and they’ll let him deal with the Prince, but after that, it’s time to deal with the Iron King.

Imperium goes to the bosses and asks for a match with Andrews and Webster. That’s made but it’s going to be a six man tag with Webster and Andrews getting to pick a partner next week.

Also next week: the Hunt vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan.

Cruiserweight Title Match Qualifying Match: Travis Banks vs. Brian Kendrick

They stare at each other for a bit until Banks kicks away at the leg and pulls him down into a rollup for two. A dropkick puts Kendrick on the floor and Banks hits a running kick off the apron. Back in and the chinlock goes on but Banks gets bored and sends him outside instead. This time around it’s Kendrick sending Banks’ hand into the steps and then raking it across the ropes for a unique move.

Back in and Kendrick works on the arm with some nasty looking bending, plus a hammerlock for a bonus. Banks gets twisted down by the arm but Kendrick misses a knee drop. Kendrick’s leg gets kicked out and Banks hits a running dropkick in the corner. Another dropkick puts Kendrick on the floor for a suicide dive. Back in and Banks hits a double stomp in the corner, followed by the Kiwi Crusher.

Kendrick rolls outside though and catches a charging Banks with a suplex. That’s only good for nine so Kendrick slaps on the Captain’s Hook back inside. Banks breaks that up in a hurry, earning himself a kick to the face. Kendrick is right back up with Sliced Bread #2 for two and the shock is on. Back up and Banks hits a quick Slice of Heaven into the Kiwi Crusher for the pin at 12:37.

Rating: C+. Kendrick is still good for a solid midcard heel role and he made Banks work here. That being said, Banks was hardly a surprise winner here and there’s nothing wrong with that. I like him when he gets to be in the ring, which unfortunately isn’t all that often these days.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was built around two matches and they both worked out rather well. I’m curious to see how things are going to go in the next few weeks and they’ve done a good job of making me believe it’s going to keep working. NXT UK is a rather solid show these days and I really can’t say I’m surprised anymore. When did that happen?

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Ligero – Devil Inside

Ilja Dragunov b. Josh Morrell – Torpedo Moscow

Travis Banks b. Brian Kendrick – Kiwi Crusher

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

Here’s Takeover if you need a recap.

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

Opening sequence.

The announcers narrate some stills from Takeover.

A-Kid vs. Joseph Conners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We recap the recent issues between Jinny and Jazzy Gabert.

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

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

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

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

Kassius Ohno vs. Dave Mastiff

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

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

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

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

Results

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

Dave Mastiff b. Kassius Ohno – Into The Void

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Takeover: Blackpool II
Date: January 12, 2020
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

It’s almost weird how infrequently these things take place as this is only the third edition ever. The good thing is they have followed the regular NXT formula and the show, with its five match card, looks rather good. They might not have the trickiest card to predict but that doesn’t mean it is going to be boring. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks back at last year’s Takeover: Blackpool with everyone talking about why they do this. It’s their kingdom.

Eddie Dennis vs. Trent Seven

Dennis has what looks like a dragon’s helmet on during his entrance. Eddie charges at Trent in the corner but walks into a powerbomb for an early two. Trent chops away but gets caught with a toss Razor’s Edge out of the corner instead. The cravate goes on and Dennis hammers away at the head for his own two. A DDT is blocked though and they head outside with Trent hitting a suicide dive.

Back in and Trent misses a dive off the top, allowing Dennis to hit a swinging Side Effect for two more. Another Razor’s Edge is countered but Dennis ducks the Seven Star Lariat. The Birminghammer is blocked with a grab of the rope so Dennis goes for the turnbuckle pad. That takes too long as well and Trent hits a top rope superplex for another near fall. Seven shoves him into the exposed buckle and it’s a toss Razor’s Edge over the top onto a well placed production worker. That’s only good for two so Eddie hits the Next Stop Driver for the pin at 8:03.

Rating: B-. They didn’t waste time here but it made Dennis look like a killer, which was exactly the point. Seven getting sent into the buckle leaves them an opening for a rematch if they want to go there and odds are they will. What mattered here though was Dennis and he looked a lot better than he did before the injury. Good match and a solid opener that served a purpose.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Kay Lee Ray defeated Toni Storm to win the title at Takeover: Cardiff but Storm has gotten a lot more focused. At the same time, Piper Niven is hunting for the title, setting off some issues between the challengers.

Women’s Title: Kay Lee Ray vs. Piper Niven vs. Toni Storm

Ray is defending and Niven jumps her during the Big Match Intros. Niven sends Ray outside for the suicide dive and then Cannonballs both of them in a row. That earns her a whip into the steps so Toni and Ray can fight, only to have Niven drop a backsplash onto both of them. Ray superkicks Niven and chokes Toni, who is right back with a release German suplex.

Storm suplexes Niven as well but gets planted by Ray, who is suplexed by Niven to put all three down at once. It’s Toni and Piper slugging it out but Ray shoves them together in what might not have been the smartest move. Ray grabs a chair and wraps it around Storm’s neck but Niven breaks up the Pillmanizing (and near death). Storm picks up the chair and Niven says hit her, only to have them both go after Ray instead.

With Ray and Storm on the floor, Niven hits a Cannonball off the apron to crush the champ. Back in and Niven breaks up the superplex by powerbombing Storm but Niven breaks it up with a top rope Swanton. Niven’s Michinoku Driver gets two on Ray, who somehow gets Niven up for the Gory Bomb and the same near fall.

Niven busts out a Canadian Destroyer on Ray (because she can) but Storm breaks up the cover and hits Storm Zero for two more on Ray with Niven making the save this time. Storm Zero doesn’t work on Niven so Toni settles for something like a Pedigree instead. A frog splash hits Niven but Ray steals the pin to retain at 13:24.

Rating: B. They didn’t really stop moving here for the most part and Ray winning that way makes sense. I’m a little surprised they pinned Niven, but it makes a little sense given that Storm is coming up on the big match with Rhea Ripley at When Worlds Collide. All three worked hard here though and it was good stuff with the logical ending.

Travis Banks is here.

We recap Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin. Bate beat him in the first United Kingdom Title Tournament and Devlin has wanted a chance for revenge ever since. Devlin has said he’s better than the big star in Bate and tonight is his chance to prove it.

Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin

They circle each other to start as the fans are almost all behind Bate. Devlin wins an early battle over wrist control until Bate flips around and grabs his own wristlock. A battle over a rollup goes nowhere and Devlin is ready for Bop and Bang. There’s a backdrop to Devlin and a gorilla press makes it even worse. Devlin is sent to the floor but catches a charging Bate with a release Rock Bottom.

The Arabian press gets two and we have a split crowd for a change. A butterfly suplex lets Devlin mock the Moustache Mountain pose but the Devil Inside is blocked. Devlin drops him on the arm/back and stands on Bate’s neck to make it worse. The surfboard works on almost all of Bate, with Devlin pulling back on the head to add a little extra pain. Since that can’t last long, they’re both up and stereo crossbodies give us a double knockdown.

Back up and Bate catches a charge in the corner to slam Devlin. A running kick to the head sets up the standing shooting star press for two. Devlin gets up an elbow in the corner but the slingshot cutter is countered into a ridiculously long airplane spin. Even Bate is dizzy off of that one but manages a brainbuster for two. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a rollup for two before Devlin hits a half and half suplex for his own near fall.

Now the slingshot cutter connects, only to send Bate out to the apron. Another slingshot cutter onto the apron drops both of them on the floor and Devlin’s kick to the chest makes Bate dive back in to beat the count. They slug it out with Devlin getting the better of it until the rolling Liger Kick gives Bate a breather. The Devil Inside is blocked but Bate’s handspring clothesline is countered into a Spanish Fly for another double knockdown.

Bate crotches him on top but a super Spanish Fly into the Devil Inside connects for a VERY close two. Devlin punches him in the face and loads up his own Tyler Driver 97, only to get reversed into a headbutt. Bate hits a springboard tornado DDT into the Tyler Driver 97 for two, but Bate is right back up top with a Spiral Tap for the pin at 22:41.

Rating: A-. Yeah this was great stuff with both guys beating the heck out of each other. Devlin knew a lot of what Bate was going to do but got just a bit too cocky and slipped up in the end, allowing the better Bate to win. That being said, I’m not sure how much sense this makes as Devlin needed the win a lot more than Bate. Either way, this was the blow away match the show was looking for and it’s excellent.

Post match Bate gets a standing ovation, including from HHH, William Regal and Johnny Saint.

We recap the Tag Team Title match. Gallus, the champions, were defending against Imperium when the Grizzled Young Veterans interfered to steal the titles. Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews cut them off so there was only one solution: a ladder match.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Imperium vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Gallus, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang, are defending and it’s Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel for Imperium in a ladder match. There’s something about the referee ringing the bell and getting out of the way that makes this seem a lot more violent. It’s a brawl to start with Gallus and Imperium heading outside, leaving the Veterans to take over on Webster and Andrews.

Coffey and Imperium take their places in the ring but Webster and Andrews come back in to pick up the pace. The Veterans pulls them down by the arms though and some chair shots make it worse. Gallus ties Drake in the Tree of Woe but Imperium saves him from having his face crushed. Imperium tries to grab a ladder but Webster and Andrews hit big flip dives to knock it away. Imperium brings the ladders in and clean house, making sure to stop to pose.

The Veterans clear them out and tie Andrews in the corner for a running dropkick. Gallus is back in for a slingshot Samoan drop to put Drake onto a ladder but Imperium breaks up a climb attempt. Webster DDTs Wolfgang and Andrews goes up, only to dive onto Coffey instead of grabbing the titles. Andrews is laid over a ladder and it’s Aichner hitting a springboard moonsault onto Andrews onto the ladder for the big crash.

The Veterans are back in with the big ladder and set it up next to two regular ladders, only to have Webster bridge a ladder into one of them. Another, unopened ladder, is pressed against Gibson’s back but everyone gets knocked down before we get the big disaster. Drake is up there alone but hits a 450 on Andrews instead of grabbing the titles. Gibson helps Drake up so Aichner makes his own save.

The European Bomb hits Drake and Imperium is smart enough to get rid of the rest of the ladders, leaving just one to climb. Gallus grabs some more ladders and make the save, setting up a powerslam/enziguri combination to Drake. Webster and Andrews pull the ladder away from Gallus and drop them with a double Stundog Millionaire. The really big ladder is set up at ringside and we get some tables for the bonus (maybe it can shut the fans up for a bit).

One table collapses under Coffey’s weight, leaving Wolfgang on the other table. That doesn’t last long either as Andrews and Webster go up the same ladder at the same time for a double Swanton to crush Wolfgang in a hurry (cool spot, but not the brightest move). Andrews and Webster go up but the Veterans make the save this time.

The Veterans climb but Andrews busts out a kendo stick and destroys Drake. Imperium makes the save and climb as well, only to have Coffey make the save. Wolfgang spears Aichner through a ladder and Barthel gets shoved off the top onto a pile at ringside, leaving Gallus to retain the titles at 22:54.

Rating: A-. This was a blast and somehow managed to not get too jumbled with everyone and all of the ladders involved. They had some big spots and kept things moving, with a few unique spots to make things all the better. I liked this way more than I was expecting to and it was pretty well structured throughout. Heck of a match here and one of the better ladder matches I’ve seen in a good while.

Ridge Holland is here.

We recap Joe Coffey vs. Walter. After winning the title last April, Walter needs some competition so Coffey said this is his kingdom. This stems from last year’s Takeover: Blackpool where Walter debuted and laid out Coffey after his long match with Pete Dunne. It has turned into Gallus vs. Imperium and it should be a heck of a hoss fight.

United Kingdom Title: Joe Coffey vs. Walter

Walter is defending and tries a big boot at the bell in a flashback to last year’s Blackpool. The early sleeper is countered into a spinning belly to back suplex so Walter gets a breather on the floor. Coffey follows and hits a big diving shoulder over the barricade as Walter can’t get going so far. Back in and Coffey stomps away, setting up a belly to belly for two. There’s a tornado DDT for two more and it’s time for the slugout, with Coffey seemingly rather pleased. A stalling suplex gives Coffey two more but they chop it out, and that’s just a bad idea against Walter.

Some big chops put Coffey on the floor and that means a big boot against the barricade. Back in and a half crab into the STF have Coffey in more trouble but Walter lets it go. More forearms just fire Coffey up…so Walter knocks him right back down. Some forearms to the chest set up a Boston crab and then a modified Crossface has Coffey in more trouble. A rope is grabbed so they ram into each other a few times until Walter suplexes him for two more.

The sleeper is broken up with a drop backwards and they’re both down. That doesn’t last long as Coffey spears Walter in the back to set up a German suplex for two. Walter is right back up with a powerbomb for his own near fall but the ref gets knocked VERY silly (and sells it like he fell out of a building).

All The Best For The Bells connects for no count so here’s Alexander Wolfe to go after Coffey. Ilja Dragunov makes the save but knocks Wolfe into Coffey’s leg. Walter clotheslines Dragunov to the floor and kicks him down before sending Coffey into the steps. We have another referee as Dragunov and Wolfe fight to the back. Coffey catches him on top and manages a belly to belly superplex to put them both down again.

Walter is up first for his awesome top rope splash and another near fall. The powerbomb is escaped and All The Best For The Bells connects (after the first one grazed the top of Walter’s head) for two so Walter slaps on a sleeper. The sleeper suplex drops Coffey on his head and there’s the powerbomb. Walter hits another powerbomb and puts on the Crossface to make Coffey tap at 27:40.

Rating: A. It’s the second best NXT UK Takeover main event ever and that’s not bad at all. This was exactly what it should have been with both guys beating the heck out of each other as only a pair of monsters can do. I had fun watching them hit each other really hard and that’s how it should have gone. Heck of a fight here and Coffey continues to have a great role around here. It’s going to take something special to beat Walter and you can probably pencil in Dragunov for the next shot, which could be fascinating.

Post match Imperium comes out to pose but it’s the Undisputed Era running in to lay them out, including a four on one beatdown of Walter. A High/Low and the Last Shot leave Walter laying and the Era poses to end the show. This was really well done and got a huge reaction. They’re making When Worlds Collide seem like a huge deal and I want to see how things go.

Overall Rating: A-. This felt like a Takeover is supposed to feel: one awesome match after another with even the worst being rather good. The main event was great and the big angle at the end was nearly perfect. NXT UK has figured it out in recent months and I’ve liked it more and more as the weeks go on. Another awesome show here and while it didn’t have the incredible match like Takeover: Cardiff, I never once got bored or wanted the show to speed up, leaving this one as a better overall experience. Heck of a show.

Results

Eddie Dennis b. Trent Seven – Next Stop Driver

Kay Lee Ray b. Piper Niven and Toni Storm – Frog splash to Niven

Tyler Bate b. Jordan Devlin – Spiral Tap

Gallus won a ladder match

Walter b. Joe Coffey – Crossface

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

It’s still kind of strange that these shows happen so infrequently. If there is one thing that WWE is not known for, it’s taking their time and letting a show be built up over time. That’s what they’ve done with the NXT UK Takeovers though and given how the main event of the most recent one went, we might be in for a special treat here. I’m looking forward to the show so let’s get to it.

Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin

We’ll start with what should be a heck of a match here as these two are capable of tearing the house down. That being said, Bate has built up his reputation so well that it might be difficult for him to pull it off again. Devlin should be more than up to the challenge though and the last big match I saw him again (against Walter at an OTT show) was outstanding. Hopefully they can live up to the considerable hype here.

I’ll take Devlin to win as Bate is as over as you can get in NXT UK without winning the United Kingdom Title (again). It’s not like he’s going to lose anything by being pinned so let Devlin overcome the odds and get the big win that he needs to move himself up the ladder. The promotion needs some fresh names in the main event and Devlin has been ready to move there for what seems like ever now.

Women’s Title: Kay Lee Ray(c) vs. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven

This is one of the places where NXT (both American and UK) shine. There wasn’t much of a reason to believe that Storm was going to get the title back here as she’s already had it once and the bigger story seems to be between her and Niven rather than her and Ray. Then we had this week’s NXT, where Storm vs. Rhea Ripley was set up and Storm mentioned a title vs. title match. That is something that could happen and gives you a reason to believe something might go down here. It’s such a nice addition and helps the match out a lot.

That being said, I’ll still take Ray to retain here. Niven winning the title by defeating Ray one on one makes more sense and you can build that up in a few weeks. Have Niven ready to win the title and then Ray steals it (yeah it’s cliched but it makes sense here) to set up their singles match later where the title change can take place. It’s been a well set up feud though and that’s always a plus.

Eddie Dennis vs. Trent Seven

This one kind of came out of nowhere and that’s ok for what they’re doing. Dennis is back after a long absence and he is mysterious enough that he doesn’t have to say much to get his point across. Going after Seven is an easy way to get back into things as he’s over enough to be a big deal and can pull off the surprise win at times. I’m not sure he will here, but Seven is dangerous enough to make you believe something could happen.

I’ll go with Dennis though, as there isn’t much of a reason for Seven to win. Dennis is someone who seems like he would be an interesting player so he needs a win to get him back in the running. Much like Bate, Seven doesn’t need to win a match due to how over he already is, so give Dennis the win and see what you have with him. Seven can make him look good too so it should be a nice result all around.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus(c) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Imperium

It’s a ladder match because….well you have to have an annual ladder match quota in modern wrestling. Gallus haven’t been the most interesting champions and I had almost forgotten that they had the titles when they came out this week on NXT. It also doesn’t help that they lost to the Undisputed Era in the first round of the Dusty Classic as that wasn’t their best sign for the future. That being said, who is the most likely pick for the titles?

Of course it’s Imperium, as the Veterans have taken a bit of a step back and Webster/Andrews seemed to win the titles because the title match was taking place in Wales. Imperium seems to be the big thing in NXT UK at the moment and giving them the Tag Team Titles to go with the United Kingdom Title makes the most sense. Just do what you should do here and don’t try to overthink things, as this is the most logical choice they have.

United Kingdom Title: Walter(c) vs. Joe Coffey

This is an idea that anyone can get, even if they’re not a wrestling fan: both of them run their own faction and they’re both big and strong. Let them hit each other really, really hard until the other one can’t get up, likely after interference from their cohorts, and see who winds up winning the thing. That’s as good of an idea as you can have here and it should be fun.

However, it’s not like there is any serious doubt here as Walter should win and win handily. It’s going to take something special to get the title off of him and while Coffey will give him one heck of a fight, I don’t think he’s going to be able to make it work. This should be very entertaining and they’ll have one of the best hoss fights in a long time, but Walter leaves as champion to give Imperium all of the belts.

Overall Thoughts

If there is one thing that NXT UK knows how to do, it is get something out of a card that does not seem the greatest on paper. This seems like a show that should have some rather obvious results but that doesn’t mean the show will be boring. The crowd response and the energy from everyone involved should make things work and we could be in for a heck of an afternoon.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Dave Mastiff vs. Kona Reeves

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

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

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

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

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

Takeover rundown.

Kassius Ohno vs. Ligero

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Outliers

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

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

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

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

Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

Dave Mastiff b. Kona Reeves – Into The Void

Kassius Ohno b. Ligero – Kassius Clutch

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

Ilja Dragunov b. Alexander Wolfe – Torpedo Moscow

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 26, 2019
Hosts: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips

It’s the end of the year and that means we get to look back at some of the better things to go down in 2019. I wouldn’t have believed it when the year started but NXT UK has become one of the better wrestling shows on television and they could have some great offerings on a show like this. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The hosts welcome us to the show and preview Takeover: Blackpool II.

From Takeover: Blackpool.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley

Ripley is defending. Storm goes after her to start and starts firing off the forearms until a faceplant cuts her off. That’s fine with Storm who hammers away even more, setting up a suicide dive onto a bailing Ripley. They don’t head inside just yet though and Ripley kicks her back first into the barricade. Back in and Ripley stomps away as the loud fans continue to be split.

The bodyscissors stays on the weakened ribs and a delayed vertical suplex gets two. A pair of legdrops gives the champ two but the trash talking lets Storm headbutt her for a double knockdown. The slugout goes to Storm and she rolls some German suplexes but Storm Zero is countered. So is Riptide and they go into a pinfall reversal sequence for two each.

Ripley gets the standing Texas Cloverleaf but gets reversed into the hip attack in the corner. Storm gets frustrated at the kickout and gets caught with Riptide for two, giving us Ripley’s great stunned face. A headbutt lets Storm Zero connect for two and they’re both down again. Storm slugs away with forearms and another Storm Zero gives her the pin and the title at 14:49.

Rating: B-. Kind of a flat and out of nowhere finish as they didn’t really build off the near fall from the first Storm Zero. Storm winning the title so soon after Ripley won it for the first time is a bit of a surprise but you can’t go wrong with either of them as the champion. Tyler Bate winning the inaugural title and dropping it to Dunne has gone just fine and Storm is going to be perfectly fine with the title, as is Ripley without it.

Video on Toni Storm.

Video on Kay Lee Ray.

From Takeover: Cardiff.

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

Toni is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. Ray bails straight to the floor so Storm dives onto her, setting up a big forearm to the face back inside. Ray knocks her right back down though and we hit a seated abdominal stretch. Toni goes off with shots to the face and a superkick to put Ray down. A running clothesline can’t set up Storm Zero so its’ a Code Red for two instead.

Now Storm Zero connects for two so Ray is right back with her own superkick. The Gory Bomb gives Ray her own two so they head up top. Neither can hit a super version of their finisher so Toni grabs a release German suplex for two more. Storm gets sent outside so Ray hits a top rope flip dive for a nasty landing, sending the referee down to check on them. Back in and the Gory Bomb onto the top rope sets up a regular Gory Bomb to give Ray the title at 9:58.

Rating: C. This felt sloppy and rushed, the latter of which is probably true due to it not getting that much time. Storm didn’t have a lot of life or fire here and it was causing some issues. Ray winning is a good thing as Storm had held the thing long enough but I was hoping it was in a better, or at least bigger feeling, match.

Video on Piper Niven.

Video on Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin.

We see the end of the Grizzled Young Veterans becoming the inaugural Tag Team Champions.

From Takeover: Cardiff.

Tag Team Titles: Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Gallus vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

The Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) are defending and it’s Andrews sunset flipping Gibson for two to start. Drake comes in for a double hiptoss into a standing moonsault/standing flip dive from Andrews and Webster. We settle down to Webster not being able to sunset flip Wolfgang so it’s a six man staredown. The champs are knocked to the floor and a hurricanrana/moonsault takes down Gibson and Coffey.

Back in and a moonsault press gets two on Gibson as the champs are in trouble. He’s right back up with a backbreaker on Webster on the floor with Drake slingshotting down into a forearm to Webster’s chest. Back in again and everything breaks down again with Andrews cleaning house, only to get jumped by Gallus. That means stereo flip dives from the Welsh guys to both other teams and the fans are rather pleased.

Back in and Andrews’ assisted 450 gets two on Gibson, only to have Gallus come back in to start cleaning house. A catapult into a Samoan drop gets two on Andrews but it’s a reverse hurricanrana/running knee strike (cool) for two on Wolfgang. Andrews is back up with a shooting star to take out Gallus and Gibson. As the fans again ask about Vince’s viewing habits, it’s Stundog Millionaire into a Swanton from Webster for two on Gibson. Helter Skelter into the 450 gets two on Andrews, with the crowd literally getting to their feet on the kickout.

The champs and the Welsh guys are all knocked down but it’s Gallus coming back in to clean house. Coffey hits his own big dive to take everyone out, followed by the enziguri into the powerslam for a delayed two on Andrews. Everyone gets back in and Gallus gets beaten down until Webster is catapulted into a Canadian Destroyer on Coffey. Gibson takes Wolfgang to the floor for an electric chair, with Drake adding the suicide clothesline for a Doomsday Device.

That means the big showdown between the champs and Andrews/Morgan with the Welsh guys getting the better of it. Webster hits a 630 on Drake with Gibson making the save. Andrews tries to dive on him but gets hit in the throat on the way down. Back in and Ticket to Mayhem hits Webster but Drake goes to deal with Gallus. That lets Andrews come in with Fall to Pieces to Gibson to give Webster the pin and the titles at 20:10.

Rating: B. This was WAY too long and felt like it just kept going and going. That being said, there were some very good near falls and some awesome near falls before the perfectly done feel good moment at the end. If you cut off five minutes, it’s even better, but the length held it back a lot. Andrews and Webster winning is completely the right call though and it felt like a special moment.

Video on Dave Mastiff.

Video on Dave Mastiff vs. Jordan Devlin in their Falls Count Anywhere match.

Devlin promises a bigger 2020 because he’s the MVP of 2019.

The announcers talk about Devlin.

Video on Ilja Dragunov vs. Cesaro.

We look at some of the rising stars.

From October 24.

Noam Dar vs. Trent Seven

They’ve been annoying each other for weeks. Dar’s towel says RIP STRONG STYLE. Dar jumps him on the floor during Seven’s long entrance and uses the towel to tie Seven to the post. That means a dropkick to drive the arm into the post as we’re still waiting on the opening bell. Seven gets in and insists that he can go so Dar charges at him, right into a hard lariat for two. A legdrop gives Seven two but Dar slips out of a Burning Hammer and snaps Seven’s bad arm across the top rope.

The arm is fine enough to snap off a Rock Bottom out of the corner but Dar kicks him off the top. The crash makes Seven scream in pain and a fisherman’s suplex gives Dar two. A snapmare into the ropes gives Dar two and it’s time to start stomping at the leg. With the fans chanting something about Alicia Fox, Dar grabs something like an STF with a bend of the fingers and a shout about how much he loves Pete Dunne.

Back up and Seven blocks a Tyler Driver 97 but gets his leg kicked out again. Something close to a snap dragon suplex sends Dar outside for a change and Seven nails the suicide dive. The spinning moonsault misses though (partially due to the knee being banged up) but Seven’s Michinoku Driver gets two instead. Dar is right back with the ankle lock, sending Seven rolling over to the rope.

They fight to the apron with Seven getting in a DDT to drop Dar on his head. That’s only good for two as well so Seven dedicates this one to Tyler, setting up the Seven Star Lariat for two more. Seven is fired up but Dar kicks the knee out and hits a top rope double stomp to the leg.

The ankle lock with the grapevine goes on so Seven has to flail a lot, eventually making it over to the rope. Dar grabs the towel before kicking Seven in the head, ala Pete Dunne, for two more. The trash talk goes on so Seven bends the finger back, gets in the punch to the face and hits the Birminghammer (if that’s not what Tom said, it should be) for the pin at 13:10.

Rating: B. Yeah that worked. This is the kind of match that Seven hasn’t had very often so giving him the fighting from behind win, which also tying in the stuff with the rest of British Strong Style, worked very well. Dar is very easy to dislike and it’s even better watching Seven literally hit him in the face and drop him on his head for the win. This felt like a definitive win and a statement win for Trent, which was exactly what he needed to do.

Video on Pete Dunne vs. Walter.

Video on Tyler Bate vs. Walter. That’s still my Match of the Year.

Joe Coffey is ready to take the title from Walter at Takeover.

One more Blackpool rundown wraps us up.

Overall Rating: B. This is the kind of show that works very well in this spot. Takeover is coming up soon and WWE needs to promote it as well as they can. Giving us a look at the show and looking at everything else while saying “here’s what you can expect” is a smart move and I liked this show rather well. Good stuff here from a very good promotion.

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: December 19, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

We’re starting to see the path towards Blackpool taking shape and that’s a good thing. The show is in about a month and with the main event and a few title matches set, there aren’t many things left to get ready. The show is looking good and under the right circumstances, we could be in for a heck of a night. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams vs. Pretty Deadly

Williams takes Stoker down by the arm to start and it’s off to Jordan in a hurry. The running crossbody gives Jordan two on Howley, who rolls outside. Back to back dives put him down again and Jordan hits a slash for two back inside. It’s Stoker coming in again to work on the recently repaired shoulder, including sending it into the post for two. The armbar goes on but Jordan jawbreaks his way to freedom.

An attempt at some double teaming is broken up and a diving tag brings Williams back in to speed things up. Stoker pulls Howley to the floor to get him out of trouble so Williams dives onto both of them at once. Back in and everything breaks down with Howley stealing a rollup for two on Williams. A gorilla press tossed into a gutbuster gets the same but Williams victory rolls Howley down, setting up the Swanton Bombay for the pin at 7:59.

Rating: C. Williams and Jordan have grown on me as they’re fine for the midcard face team and can get some nice reactions. They might not be able to go very far but at least they’re getting a little chance to shine. You never know where you might be able to go with things and maybe they can turn into a little something.

Imperium isn’t happy about a ladder match for the Tag Team Titles but they’ll win them anyway.

Ligero used to respect Kassius Ohno until he figured out that Ohno felt none for him. In two weeks, he’ll knock some respect into Ohno.

Here is Trent Seven for a chat. Trent talks about Eddie Dennis getting involved with him lately and they’ve known each other for a long time now. Then Eddie grabbed his hand from the crowd and it wasn’t the same Eddie Dennis that he knew. Last week, a wrestler named Michael May was trying to make his NXT UK debut and make a name for himself but Dennis took him out and offered him up as a gift to Trent.

It’s weird, so he would like Eddie out here now for an explanation. Cue Eddie, but before he says anything, Trent asks why he’s doing this. Trent talks about being proud of being one of the Founding Fathers of NXT UK. Eddie gets in and knocks him down before saying he’ll see Trent at Takeover. Works for me.

Video on the Women’s Title triple threat at Takeover.

Amale vs. Jinny

Jinny wastes no time in starting with the knees before throwing Amale down for the right hands to the head. Amale tries a comeback but gets knocked down again, this time setting up a rocking boat hold. That’s broken up so Jinny stomps her down in the corner. A dropkick gives Amale a breather but Jinny avoids a charge and hits a slingshot hilo for two. The Makeover finishes Amale at 3:33.

Rating: D+. The match was just a squash but that’s the kind of match that Jinny needs. I know she has Jazzy Gabert around to do the enforcing but at some point Jinny has to do something for herself so she has credibility later on. This was also a nice performance from Amale, who showed some nice fire at times.

Post match Jinny sends Jazzy after Amale. The beatdown is on but Gabert changes her mind and walks away.

Walter is ready for Imperium to get a technical advantage when Alexander Wolfe beats up Ilja Dragunov.

Noam Dar vs. Tyler Bate

The fans are behind Bate, as you almost knew they would be. Bate takes him into the corner and adjusts the mustache before it turns into a fight over arm control. The fans appreciate Dar’s efforts to take over with an armbar but he bails to the rope when Bate takes over. It’s too early for the Tyler Driver 97 so Dar backs off and we get a staredown. Dar gets in a few shots in the corner but Bate does a headstand and pulls out Jack Gallagher’s one foot stop.

Some uppercuts stagger Dar but Bate tries the handstand again, this time earning himself a running dropkick to the face. Dar’s armbar goes on again before he snapmares Bate into the ropes for a nasty crash. We hit the neck crank to mix things up a bit but Bate belly to back suplexes his way to freedom. Dar kicks the leg out though and baseball slides him to the floor.

It’s back to the snapmares, this time with one sending Bate into the steps. That’s good for a nine count (Nigel: “LUCKY!”) but Bate blocks a big kick to the chest. An exploder suplex into a running shooting star gets two on Dar but he pulls Bate into an ankle lock. That’s broken as well and it’s an exchange of rollups until Dar grabs the Rings of Saturn. Bate slips out again but another running shooting star is countered into a small package for two. The Nova Roller is blocked with an enziguri, only to have Dar pull him into the kneebar.

The big dive reaches the rope to get Bate out of trouble so Dar kicks him in the head for two more. Bate’s leg is fine enough for a rolling Liger kick but it takes him a long time to get to the top. Dar rolls to the floor so Bate kicks him off the apron. That sets up the big dive and the rebound lariat connects to give Bate two more. The Tyler Driver 97 is loaded up but here’s Jordan Devlin for the distraction. Dar’s rollup only gets two and it’s the Tyler Driver 97 to finish Dar at 18:00.

Rating: B+. This got going at a level that had me feeling Bate’s magic all over again. The guy just knows how to make a match feel exciting and that’s what he did here. Dar was right there with him every step of the way too. He’s a very talented guy in the ring and while I can’t get into most of the other stuff he does, I can get behind one of his matches and he brought me in hard here.

Post match Devlin teases coming in but bails. We do get what sounds like a Takeover challenge though.

Overall Rating: B. The main event easily powers this one and it became a good show all around. I’m wanting to see Takeover at this point as they’ve turned it into a heck of a card. We could be in for a great one if they hit everything that they’ve set up, and this card is looking like the best yet. Check out Dar vs. Bate if you get the chance as they were rolling at the end.

Results

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams b. Pretty Deadly – Swanton Bombay to Howley

Jinny b. Amale – Makeover

Tyler Bate b. Noam Dar – Tyler Driver 97

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 5, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

The big story has started picking up as we have the now face Gallus vs. Imperium, which seems to be focused around Joe Coffey challenging Walter for the United Kingdom Title. That works very well as we are just over a month away from Takeover: Blackpool II. Tonight is the negotiating session, which sounds like a fancy way of saying “they’ll talk and then they’ll fight.” Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Toni Storm vs. Killer Kelly

Storm starts fast with a low dropkick and a running big boot drops Kelly again. Kelly knocks her down though and hits some crossface shots to set up the reverse chinlock. Back up and a jumping spin kick to the chest rocks Storm so she hits Kelly in the face. A release German suplex drops Kelly and it’s Storm Zero for the pin at 2:12.

Post match Toni grabs the mic but it’s Kay Lee Ray jumping her from behind. Cue Piper Niven for the save and Ray leaves, but Storm doesn’t seem happy with Piper for helping her.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews want to be the #1 contenders. Let them have a chance in Blackpool.

Post break, Storm tells Niven to stay away from her.

The Hunt vs. The Outliers

That would be Riddick Moss/Dorian Mak (Dan Matha). Boar pulls Moss into the corner to start and then punches him right back out. Make up your mind dude. Moss is right back with a heck of a running shoulder into the corner and the trash talk is on in a hurry. Mak comes in and it’s time for some slow stomping.

The Outliers take turns stomping in the corner but stop to mock Boar for not being able to make it over to the ropes. Mak grabs a bearhug to mix things up a bit and Boar’s bite to the finger doesn’t get him very far. A missed charge allows the tag off to Primate though and it’s time to clean house. Moss gets sent outside for an apron splash and it’s three straight top rope headbutts into a double top rope headbutt to finish Mak at 7:41.

Rating: C. This was a fairly dull one for the most part but then the ending comeback from Primate made up for a lot of it. The Outliers aren’t the most original team in the world but they make for some annoying heels that you want to see lose and that’s a nice act to have around. I still like the Hunt, but they seem a long way off from the title picture.

Jordan Devlin vs. A-Kid

This could be interesting. Devlin headscissors him down to the mat to start but Kid flips up and we get the early staredown. Kid’s springboard is cut off by a kick to the leg and Devlin is starting to get cocky in a hurry. Cue Tyler Bate as Devlin puts a knee in the back and cranks on the leg at a rather unnatural angle (A-Kid’s foot is parallel to his hip for a cringe inducing visual).

Kid gets up and climbs the ropes into a springboard moonsault DDT. Back up and Kid’s knee gives out on a whip across the ring, meaning it’s a slingshot cutter to give Devlin two. The Devil Inside is shoved off though and Devlin falls to the floor, allowing Kid to hit a great looking springboard moonsault out to the floor. Devlin kicks him in the face though and, after a glare at Bate, hits the Devil Inside for the pin at 7:25.

Rating: C+. You have two guys with a lot of talent and give one of them a reason to be more aggressive than usual. Bate vs. Devlin is going to be a big deal as not only is the match going to be entertaining but it might be the boost that Devlin has been needing. British Strong Style is still the most over group of people around here so having Devlin in there with Bate is going to be nothing but great for him.

Jinny isn’t happy with the loss to Piper Niven and calls it disrespectful. It was the same thing when Jazzy Gabert was ejected from ringside. Everything is fine though, with Gabert speaking for once to say the same thing.

Joseph Conners vs. Ligero vs. Travis Banks

Fallout from Conners breaking up Ligero vs. Banks from three weeks ago. That earns Conners a double beatdown in the corner to start so some chops and kicks can make his skin crawl. Ligero and Banks stare each other down but go with a double superkick to put Conners on the floor instead. We get a double cover between Ligero and Banks so Conners rolls both of them up for two at the same time in a smart move. Not a successful one, but smart.

They head outside with Ligero headscissoring Conners down but getting stomped from the apron by Banks. Everyone is back in with Banks dropkicking Conners into the corner and Ligero following him in to give Banks two. Conners breaks up a cover on Banks with the slingshot DDT before DDTing both of them down for two each. A shortarm clothesline gets two more on Ligero but Banks shoves Conners off the top.

Ligero is back up with a super armdrag to bring Banks down and it’s a triple knockdown. Banks and Ligero chop it out on the apron until Banks is sent out to the floor. That means Conners comes out to join him and knock Ligero into the steps. Conners, with a busted nose, tries a dive but gets caught in the ropes as Banks is back up.

The Slice of Heaven hits Conners but Ligero hits C4L on Banks. Conners is back up with Don’t Look Down on Ligero so Banks nails a top rope double stomp for the save in a session with a lot of action but not much selling. Another Slice of Heaven is countered into a powerbomb from Ligero but Conners snaps his arm across the top rope. Another Don’t Look Down gives Conners the pin on Banks at 10:36.

Rating: B. Winner aside, they had a very fast paced match here with everyone getting a chance to shine. Banks continues to look like a star, Ligero is someone who is playing way above his head and Conners is still the least interesting guy in the promotion. Giving him wins isn’t making him more interesting and I don’t know what WWE sees in this guy.

Kassius Ohno doesn’t like that Tyler Bate got underneath his skin. He doesn’t like that so from now on, the knockout artist is taking a backseat to the wrestling genius. It’s going to be holds instead of strikes because the genius is back.

Sid Scala and Johnny Saint are here for the face to face between Coffey and Walter. Coffey tells Walter to start negotiating but Walter wants to hear his terms. Walter has a seat and Coffey talks about him showing up at Blackpool in January to take the attention. That night, Walter kicked him in the face and left a mark that hasn’t gone away. Now Coffey wants the title, which doesn’t surprise Walter. But what would Walter get in return?

He wants Wolfgang and Mark Coffey to defend the Tag Team Titles and Joe says yes before Walter can get another word in. Walter isn’t done yet though because he also wants Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe in a No DQ match. Joe can’t do that because Dragunov isn’t part of Gallus, but here’s Dragunov to say he’s in.

Scala makes the Tag Team Title match for next week and the No DQ match for some point in the future before confirming Coffey vs. Walter for the title at Takeover. Coffey leaves but Walter stops Dragunov, saying that he made a bad decision. Wolfe pops out from underneath the ring and here are Barthel and Aichner to destroy Dragunov. They put him through the table to end the show with no Gallus save. This was fine, though it didn’t exactly set up anything surprising.

Overall Rating: C+. Good wrestling and an ok enough ending segment make for a pretty nice show as Takeover is starting to pick up steam. This show may not be the best week to week but, like any other, it gets better when they have a target in sight. That’s what they have now and it made this show better. It’s a good week and maybe they can keep it going.

Results

Toni Storm b. Killer Kelly – Storm Zero

The Hunt b. The Outliers – Double top rope headbutt to Mak

Jordan Devlin b. A-Kid – Devil Inside

Joseph Conners b. Ligero and Travis Banks – Don’t Look Down to Banks

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 28, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

The incredibly busy week for WWE continues as we head over to a place where Thanksgiving is just another Thursday. The big story around here has been Gallus vs. Imperium, which has the potential to be a heck of a feud under the right circumstances. There is almost no way of knowing what we’ll be seeing here though, as things can go in a variety of directions in this promotion. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap focuses on Gallus vs. Imperium, with some extra attention going to Ilja Dragunov. Alexander Wolfe cheated to beat Ilja Dragunov last week and it was a big beatdown until Gallus made the save.

Opening sequence.

Jinny vs. Piper Niven

Jazzy Gabbert is here with Jinny. Niven starts with the big shoves and Jinny can’t do much against the size and power. A missed charge into the corner gives Jinny a break though and Jinny gets two off a slingshot hilo. The Iron Octopus sends Piper down to one knee before powering out. Jazzy trips her up though and that’s good for an ejection.

Niven drops a big elbow for two as Nigel is wondering how Jinny can survive without her best friend. A headbutt knocks them both down but it’s Piper up first to snap off a belly to back suplex. Jinny gets caught on top and it’s an electric chair faceplant to give Piper two. Piper gets kicked in the face for two so she dropkicks Jinny hard into the corner. The Cannonball sets up the Michinoku Driver for the pin on Jinny at 7:28.

Rating: D+. The size difference caused some problems here as there are only so many ways you have have a monster like Niven as the face in a match like this. Jinny doesn’t have the most in the ring either and it made for a bit of a difficult situation. The match could have been worse, but this didn’t work all that well.

Post match Niven calls out Kay Lee Ray for a Women’s Title shot. Cue Ray to slap Niven in the face and the fight is on. It’s Toni Storm running out to go after Ray as well, which seems to confuse Niven more than anything else.

Eddie Dennis vs. Deriese Gordon

Dennis isn’t about to have his wristlock broken to start so Gordon tries again to some more success. Not that it lasts long though as Dennis reverses into a cravate, only to have Gordon come back with a dropkick. Dennis knocks him outside for a hard right hand and the beating continues in the corner. The cravate goes on again, setting up the Severn Bridge into the Neck Stomp Driver for the pin on Gordon at 4:08.

Rating: D+. Dennis continues to be someone intriguing, though I don’t know how far he can go. If nothing else he looks intimidating and can do some nice power stuff, though how many people is he going to get to do them to? It’s just nice to have him back though and hopefully we get a longer run from him this time around.

Joseph Conners is ready to allow Ligero and Travis Banks a triple threat match.

Ashton Smith vs. Noam Dar

Fallout from Dar attacking Oliver Carter last week. Smith powers him into the corner to start and a quick throw has Dar hiding in the corner. Dar’s sunset flip doesn’t work as Smith powers him up and hits a dropkick out to the floor. Back in and Dar’s running shoulder bounces off of the bigger Smith so he goes after the knee for a smart change of pace. A few forearms to the back are shrugged off for the sake of Smith’s very delayed vertical suplex.

They head outside again but this time Dar bounces off the ropes and hits a quick forearm to the face to take over. Back in and Dar starts in on each of the limbs, meaning we get the required Ronnie Garvin reference. Some kicks to the shoulders look to set up the Rings of Saturn but Smith elbows his way to freedom. Smith is right back with a Death Valley Driver for two of his own but Dar kicks him in the face. The Nova Roller is countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Smith two more as the fans are behind Dar again. Dar hits a running kick to the face and it’s the Nova Roller for the pin at 7:46.

Rating: C-. Just a match here to make up for Dar messing with Carter last week. Dar is settling nicely into his heel role and he really does have one of those punchable faces. I’m sure I’ll change my mind on him again the next time I see him because he’s that kind of a wrestler, but at least we had a passable match here.

Next week: A-Kid vs. Jordan Devlin and Conners vs. Ligero vs. Banks.

Imperium vs. Gallus/Ilja Dragunov

I thought they would wait a bit longer for this one. Wolfe and Wolfgang start things off with Alexander taking over and pulling Wolfgang over to the corner. Aichner comes in to work on the arm and it’s Barthel doing the exact same thing. That’s broken up though and it’s Joe Coffey coming in for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to Wolfe. A running elbow to the back of the neck gets two and it’s Dragunov coming in for the wild running forearms.

Aichner has some better success with stomping and uppercutting in the corner. Dragunov runs him over though and even smacks Walter in the face, drawing everyone in for the big staredown. We settle back down a bit and Dragunov gets sent outside with Walter getting in a big boot to take over. It’s Dragunov getting beaten down in the corner with Walter getting to come in and pull on his own trunks a lot (he has to do that rather frequently). The nerve hold goes on as the fans get in a disturbing/amazing JOLLY WALLY chant.

One heck of a chop rocks Dragunov again and it’s back to Wolfe to stomp away in the corner. Aichner cuts off a dive over for the hot tag attempt and it’s Barthel grabbing a chinlock. Back up and a hard clothesline gets Dragunov out of trouble but Wolfe breaks up the hot tag attempt. Dragunov clotheslines him down though and there’s the hot tag to Mark Coffey to clean house. It’s already off to Wolfgang and everything breaks down with Wolfgang backsplashing Aichner for two.

Mark gets caught in a spinebuster into a kick to the chest but Dragunov catches Aichner with Torpedo Moscow. The big (and dramatic) double tag brings in Walter and Joe so it’s hoss fight time. Joe can’t German suplex him so he settles for hammering away in the corner. Walter’s running dropkick sends Joe into the corner as well though and it’s time to start throwing people to the floor. Dragunov and Wolfe fight into the crowd and the match is finally thrown out with the double DQ at 15:32.

Rating: B-. That’s the right ending as you don’t want either of them to lose here, not when they could be having a bigger match down the line. The idea of having someone being able to hang in there against Imperium is almost hard to believe but it is the kind of thing they needed to do. Give the fans a reason to believe Imperium can be stopped and then go from there, as long as you start with something like this.

Post match everyone keeps brawling with Joe knocking Walter down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Not their best show here as a lot of the positives from the non-main event level stars weren’t on display this week. Aside from the main event, this was a rather skippable show, outside of Toni Storm returning. It isn’t a bad show, but it isn’t something you need to watch. Given that this is taking place on Thanksgiving, I doubt many people were watching in the first place anyway though so it doesn’t matter that much. Gallus vs. Imperium was good but the rest wasn’t so much.

Results

Piper Niven b. Jinny – Michinoku Driver

Eddie Dennis b. Deriese Gordon – Neck Stomp Driver

Noam Dar b. Ashton Smith – Nova Roller

Imperium vs. Gallus/Ilja Dragunov went to a double DQ when everyone brawled on the floor

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 21, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

Things are picking up around here with the suddenly united forces of Gallus and Ilja Dragunov vs. Imperium. For the first time since the promotion started, it feels like something other than British Strong Style is at the forefront and that is a very good feeling as you can only ride those (great and incredibly talented) guys for so long. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Trent Seven vs. Kona Reeves

Dang it why couldn’t Reeves get held up at customs? During his entrance, Reeves talks about how he is here to teach the UK fans something because it is NXT’s crooked tooth cousin. Reeves rants about how Seven is out of date and not a superstar, even with his moustache. Seven backdrops him at the bell and starts in with the chops.

A trip to the floor lets Reeves tie him in the ring skirt though and forearms to the back have Seven in trouble. Some quick suplexes get Seven out of trouble and it’s the suicide dive to take Reeves down again. The corkscrew Swanton misses though but the Seven Star Lariat connects….for two. That’s enough for Seven who goes big with the Birminghammer for the pin at 3:25.

Rating: C-. Seven has grown on me a lot as he has his own style instead of being Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate’s old friend. If nothing else, anyone who calls a move the Birminghammer has to be worth something. Reeves on the other hand….I just can’t get into him whatsoever, but WWE seems to have caught onto the problem and keeping him as a jobber like this is acceptable.

Post match Seven goes to celebrate with the fans but runs into the returning Eddie Dennis, which seems to shake Seven a bit.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how Alexander Wolfe trained him in Germany but Wolfe made all of the decisions. Now he is trying to do the same thing here by making Dragunov feel like nothing. Tonight, it’s time to show him who is in charge of Dragunov’s future.

Takeover: Blackpool II is on January 12 and it’s already sold out.

Jack Starz vs. A-Kid

Feeling out process to start with Starz rolling his way out of an early wristlock. Kid snapmares him down and gets an early two so Starz has to slip out of a headlock. That’s fine with Kid, who flips back into a leglock before cranking on both arms at the same time. Starz grabs the leg and spins into some cranking as they stay pretty close to the mat. A triangle choke has Starz in more trouble until a powerbomb gets him loose. Kid tries a backslide for two but pulls Starz down into the Rings of Saturn for the tap at 4:07.

Rating: C. Starz is a good choice for a jobber to the stars as he’s getting in a little more offense than he has before. You can’t just have people lose over and over again and expect it to mean anything so a match like this is a good idea. A-Kid had to sweat a bit here and that is better than running through Starz like he’s not even there.

Jinny says Rhea Ripley ran away to America rather than face her. Now it’s Piper Niven as the Superstar of the Month and she actually thinks she is championship material. Jinny really is championship material and Piper can try to overthrow the queen.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans for a chat and the shoes are off before their music ends. They would be the NXT Tag Team Champions if not for a horrible decision, but like other great tag team, they can bounce back. Not too long ago they had Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews beaten but Gallus and Imperium messed everything up.

So what is going to happen to those teams? Absolutely nothing of course and every day that they don’t hold the NXT UK Tag Team Titles, the titles depreciate in value. Gibson talks about a stadium and gets shouted at by the fans. There is a statue of a man at that stadium which says “he made the people happy”. Well NXT UK needs to make the people happy by letting them have another title shot at Takeover: Blackpool II.

Jordan Devlin shows us a highlight reel of himself and how inspirational he is. Then there is A Kid who is endorsed by Tyler Bate. That won’t be enough, so maybe the kid should face Devlin next week.

Oliver Carter vs. Ridge Holland

Holland is the former rugby player who wrestled under his name Luke Menzies. The much bigger Menzies throws him around to start with a hiptoss sending Carter to the apron. Carter is right back with a running hip attack to the back of the head but a crossbody is countered into an overhead belly to belly. Another suplex makes it even worse and there’s a cobra clutch so Holland can swing him around a bit. Carter tries a comeback but gets Pounced down. A headbutt sets up something like a scoop brainbuster (Northern Grit) for the pin on Carter at 4:04.

Rating: C-. Carter was trying here but Holland looked rather impressive here with a lot of power on display. The rugby background gives him enough of a moveset for a good foundation and the rest of it should go well for him. I could go for more of his stuff and that’s an encouraging sign.

Post match Ashton Smith comes out to check on Carter and glare at Holland.

We look at Joseph Conners costing Ligero a loss to Travis Banks last week.

Banks didn’t like it, Ligero didn’t like it, Conners is glad he left a good impression. Someone please explain Conners to me. Anything positive anywhere?

Smith tries to encourage Carter when Noam Dar comes up to mock them. Dar vs. Smith is set up for next week.

Next week: Piper Niven vs. Jinny.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe

They go to the mat grappling to start and get up to do it some more without so much as a quick break. The referee breaks it up and the threat of a left hand has Wolfe backing off. Dragunov says bring it on before hitting a crossbody and falling out side off the kickout. Wolfe sends him into the barricade but takes too much time going after a camera cord, allowing Dragunov to miss a 619.

Back in and the kick to the ropes sets up the low blow puts Dragunov down for a bit longer this time. He fights out of a neck crank so Wolfe knees him in the face to really rock Dragunov this time. Some shots to the face put Dragunov outside, where Wolfe can throw a chair down. The chinlock goes on again but Dragunov fights up and drives him into the corner.

They slug it out with Dragunov chopping away at the neck and nailing a jumping enziguri. Dragunov goes up and knees off a superplex attempt, setting up a middle rope knee for two more. A running knee has Wolfe in more trouble and he gets bridged into a German suplex. Wolfe rolls away before Dragunov can come off the top so it’s Coast to Coast into the leg. Wolfe’s knee is fine enough to hit a suplex of his own, plus a top rope superplex for a bonus.

The kickout frustrates Wolfe again so he slaps Dragunov in the face while saying he had a chance. They slap it out until it’s a slugout. Dragunov gets the better of it and hits the 61Line to knock Wolfe silly. He has to deal with the invading Imperium though and Torpedo Moscow is countered into a DDT. That and a sitout powerbomb are enough to finish Dragunov at 16:45.

Rating: B. The more I see of Dragunov the more I like him. He has that warrior presence and you could picture him getting to the top of the card in a hurry. Wolfe was a good choice for an opponent here and the ending protected Dragunov thanks to the interference. Pretty sweet match, with Dragunov looking like a star.

Post match the group beatdown is on until Gallus makes the save. Joe Coffey grabs at Walter’s title as the teams glare at each other to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The main event helped a good bit but it wasn’t enough to bring up the rest of the show. Everything else was fine enough, but there was nothing that you really needed to see. That made the main event angle better due to feeling more important, though the show being a little longer didn’t help things. Not a bad show, but the main event is the only thing that has much value.

Results

Trent Seven b. Kona Reeves – Birminghammer

A-Kid b. Jack Starz – Rings of Saturn

Ridge Holland b. Oliver Carter – Northern Grit

Alexander Wolfe b. Ilja Dragunov – Sitout powerbomb

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