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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Charlie Dempsey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter want the Tag Team Titles.

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

Danny Jones vs. Kenny Williams

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

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

Post match, Williams yells about Andrews some more.

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

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

Nathan Frazer vs. A-Kid

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

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

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

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

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

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

Respect is shown to end the show.

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT UK
Date: December 9, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

So it turns out that one of the side effects of being sick for a few weeks is that you forget to do a show every now and then. Therefore it’s time to get caught up on NXT UK, starting with a Tag Team Title shot as Moustache Mountain challenging Pretty Deadly. That alone could make this into a big deal so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at Moustache Mountain’s rocky path to the title shot, but now they’re ready to fight.

Opening sequence.

Blair Davenport vs. Emilia McKenzie

They fight over wrist control to start until McKenzie snaps off a neckbreaker for two. Davenport takes her down out of the corner though and kicks McKenzie in the back to put her in trouble of her own. A corner clothesline sets up the chinlock, allowing Davenport to crank away a bit. That’s broken up in a hurry so McKenzie can slug away, setting up a spear for two. Back up and Davenport gets sent into the corner, where she comes out with a middle rope dropkick. McKenzie is back with a suplex, only to charge into a boot in the corner. The Falcon Arrow finishes for Davenport at 6:02.

Rating: C. It was a quick match but they did a nice job of showcasing both of them. Davenport continues her rise to the Women’s Title match against Meiko Satomura and having her beat up Satomura’s student/whatever McKenzie is works rather well. I could go for more of Davenport and this was a good way to move her forward.

Noam Dar and Sha Samuels came in to see Sid Scala, who tells them that next week, it’s Nathan Frazer vs. A-Kid. The winner gets a shot at Dar’s Heritage Cup and the champ isn’t happy.

We look at Ilja Dragunov knocking Rampage Brown silly to retain the United Kingdom Title.

There isn’t an update on Brown’s condition.

Xia Brookside isn’t happy that she is being asked about her loss to Meiko Satomura and insists she be left alone.

Here is Jordan Devlin for a chat. Devlin gets straight to the point: he wants the NXT UK Title, so he’d like Ilja Dragunov out here right now. Cue Dragunov, who says all Devlin has to do is ask. Devlin says he won’t quit if Dragunov knocks him out, but Dragunov won’t be intimidated. That’s cool with Devlin, who hopes Dragunov is ready to explain this to his wife and son. Devlin mentions Dragunov’s son by name and the fight is on in a hurry, with referees breaking it up. I’ve wanted Devlin in this spot for a good bit now so this is a nice thing to see, even if I can’t imagine him winning the title.

Video on Amele, who gets rather emotional talking about how hard she has fought to get here and what WWE means to her every day. Her name is Amele and that means hope.

Kenny Williams thinks Mark Andrews is a scared little boy. He is everything Andrews thinks he is and even worse.

Sam Gradwell vs. Sha Samuels

Noam Dar is here with Samuels. Gradwell has bet ten pounds on himself here, with some very favorable odds. Samuels gets sent into the corner to start and then gets sent there again as the early frustration sets in. They trade forearms with Samuels getting the better of things, setting up a clothesline for two.

That doesn’t last long, as Gradwell fights up and hits some shots to the face to take over. Samuels heads outside and gets in another clothesline for two more back inside. Dar gets in a few shots so the referee yells at him, meaning Gradwell hits Samuels low with what looked like a scarf. The Samoan driver finishes Samuels at 6:53.

Rating: C-. This was a short match in the first place and a good bit of it was spent killing some time. That being said, it’s nice to see Gradwell win something as he has come a very long way in a short amount of time. I’m curious to see how far he can go with this feud, but any improvement is better than nothing at this point.

Gallus puts their stuff in the car and is ready to destroy Charlie Dempsey. They might want to destroy whoever put the camera in the trunk of their car.

Video on A-Kid vs. Nathan Frazer next week.

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Pretty Deadly

Pretty Deadly is defending and they’re in yellow, which oddly suits them. Stoker works on Bate’s wrist to start, which goes about as well as you would expect. Bate takes him down with a wristlock of his own and the champs bail to the floor in a hurry. Back in and Howley shoulders Seven down but Seven is right back up with a slam for two. Stereo suplex drop the champs for two on Howley as they seem to be taking their time here.

Howley gets in a single shot of his own but gets chopped away without much effort. Stoker offers a distraction though and Seven is sent into the steps to put him in trouble for a change. A shot to the leg knocks Seven off the top for a crash but he jawbreaks his way out of a chinlock. Howley is right there to send Seven outside, where Stoker gets suplexed down for his efforts. The hot tag brings in Bate to start cleaning house, including with a pair of nipups.

The Tyler Driver 97 gets two on Howley but it’s a launch into a gutbuster for two on Bate instead. A clothesline drops Howley though and it’s back to Seven to hammer away as well. The Seen Star Lariat gets two on Howley and they’re both down for a bit. Stoker comes back in off a blind tag and kicks Seven in the face, setting up Spilled Milk for a very near fall.

Bate sends the champs outside but his dive is countered into Spilled Milk on the floor. Back in and Stoker belts Seven in the face for a very near fall and the shock is real. Seven superkicks Howley out of the air and brings Bate back in to clean house again. A Birminghammer sends Stoker onto Howley and it’s the Spiral Tap to give Bate the pin and the titles at 17:48.

Rating: B. This worked because of both the action and the moment, which made it feel important. Bate and Seven have felt like the best tag team around here for a very long time now and the title win was going to feel like a big deal. At the same time, Pretty Deadly deserves all kinds of credit, as they went from a nothing team to holding the titles for eight and a half months. That’s so far beyond what they would be expected to do so well done for being a big surprise.

Moustache Mountain has a pretty emotional celebration to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show covered quite a bit of stuff and the big main event felt like an important moment. I still fully believe that WWE has forgotten this place exists, as it is so different than anything else WWE does. The wrestling might not be great in every single match, but you can see where things are going and what they have set up for each story. That’s the trick that is never seen in WWE these days so well done all around.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT UK
Date: December 2, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for a big show with the United Kingdom Title on the line as Ilja Dragunov defends against Rampage Brown. Dragunov works well against big powerful bruisers so we should be in for a good one here. Other than that, we have…well probably a bunch of UK wrestlers in a variety of matches. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on Brown vs. Dragunov.

Opening sequence.

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside is challenging after whining her way into a title match (daddy threats were made). Satomura takes her down by the arm to start and a slightly shaken Brookside gets up for a test of strength. A wristlock is broken up with some well timed flipping and spinning so Satomura takes her down by the leg for some cranking. Brookside grabs a headlock takeover but gets reversed into a headscissors.

That’s broken up with a headstand and a bit of dancing so Brookside can hit some knees to the back. You don’t do that to Satomura, who blasts her with a kick to the chest. An armbar sends Brookside straight to the rope and she avoids a running spinwheel kick. Brookside takes her down again for two and the near fall causes a bunch of screaming. Back up and Satomura knocks her hard into the ropes, setting up the Death Valley Driver. Scorpion Rising retains Satomura’s title at 7:58.

Rating: C+. Brookside didn’t feel so much like a threat here as much as she felt like someone who Satomura had to beat into silence. It wasn’t exactly a hard match for Satomura, but it seems that there is more in this whiny daddy’s girl for Brookside. As for Satomura, it’s hard to imagine anyone but Blair Davenport taking the title from her at the moment.

Rohan Raja takes Charlie Dempsey up to the roof, where they call Teoman. Dempsey says he cares about legacy and respect, which he wasn’t seeing from Gallus. Teoman (not heard) approves so welcome to De Familia.

Meiko Satomura is with Emilia McKenzie and says she’s going back to Japan for a few weeks. Blair Davenport comes in to ask who is going to protect McKenzie while Satomura is gone. This doesn’t sit well with McKenzie and a match is set for later.

Saxon Huxley vs. Kenny Williams

Williams throws his coat at Huxley to start and gets elbowed in the face for his efforts. A running crossbody against the ropes has Williams rocked again and a forearm to the back puts him outside. They’re right back in with Huxley choking away and slamming the back of Williams’ head into the mat. Huxley misses a charge though and crashes out to the floor in a heap.

Back in and a top rope crash down onto Huxley’s back gets two so Williams switches to the knee. That earns Williams a heck of a gutwrench toss and something like a chokebreaker, leaving both of them down. A pair of clotheslines set up a gorilla press toss and another backbreaker gives Huxley two. Huxley misses the middle rope elbow though and Williams hits a DDT for his own near fall. Cue the Subculture entrance video though and the distracted Williams gets caught in a fireman’s carry spinebuster to give Huxley the pin at 8:15.

Rating: C. This was the second match between the two and the series is evened up, though I’m not sure where this is going. You could go with Huxley vs. Williams III, but it seems more likely to be about Williams vs. Subculture. Either way, it’s nice to see the rather charismatic Gradwell get a win.

Sha Samuels is running betting odds on the next #1 contender to the Heritage Cup (including names such as Eh? Kid, Tiler Bate, John Coffee, St. Johnny Saint, Doink (The Clown) and Samson Gradwell). Sam Gradwell comes in, doesn’t like that he is last at 4000=1, and offers to beat Samuels next week. He’ll even throw in a ten pound bet at those odds that he can pin Samuels. Deal.

We look at Moustache Mountain becoming the new #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles.

Pretty Deadly isn’t scared of Moustache Mountain getting a title shot next week. Why should they be worried when they have beaten Moustache Mountain already?

Moustache Mountain talks about the meaning of Moustache Mountain. It’s all about the climb, and now they are ready to reach the peak. Trent Seven makes it clear that he needs to win.

United Kingdom Title: Rampage Brown vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov is defending and the much bigger Brown powers him into the corner to start. Brown misses an elbow though and Dragunov chops away until a shot to the face…just wakes him up. Some heavy forearms stagger Brown and Dragunov grabs a headlock to grind away. Brown powers up again but charges back into a headlock takeover to keep Dragunov in control. Back up and Brown finally sends him outside for a posting to take over for the first time.

It works so well that Brown does it a second time as Dragunov screams a bit. Brown slams him for two back inside and Dragunov’s back is hurt even more as he fails at a slam of his own. A waistlock is broken up so Brown knocks him silly with a headbutt. More shots keep Dragunov in trouble and an Irish whip into the ropes has him dropping down in pain.

Brown tries a powerbomb but Dragunov (very slowly, as it should be) backdrops his way to freedom. Dragunov strikes away so Brown hits him in the face, earning himself an enziguri to send Brown crumpling. He crumples so much that the referee actually calls the match at 8:49, with Dragunov retaining via stoppage.

Rating: B-. I’m never sure what to call a match like this as it was starting to cook before the injury. The referees were kind of inconclusive as Brown’s hand was in the way of the camera, but it looked like the toe of Dragunov’s boot caught Brown in the jaw/side of the head. You could see him going down hard and that’s never good to see. I would assume they had about eight to ten minutes left, as this was the shortest episode in a good while and Dragunov was just starting the comeback. Odds are he was retaining anyway, but a rematch wouldn’t shock me.

Dragunov doesn’t look happy as he celebrates the win. Brown is tended to by the trainer and has to sit down next to the ring instead of walking to the back to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is a hard one to grade because they were having a good show that felt big and it was cut off because of an accident rather than their own idea. I can be a lot more forgiving than that and hopefully Brown is ok sooner rather than later. Other than that, this show was big on its own and set up more stuff for the future, which feels so different than what you see in WWE. It furthers my theory that Vince McMahon has forgotten this show exists and that is a great thing for fans.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

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

Things might be picking up a bit this week as we have another title match. This time around, the Heritage Cup is on the line as Sam Gradwell is challenging new champion Noam Dar. Other than that, we are well on our way to next week’s NXT UK Title match between Ilja Dragunov and Rampage Brown. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jordan Devlin vs. Mark Andrews

In the back, Flash Morgan Webster tells Andrews to not worry about the missing Dani Luna. Devlin takes him down to start and slaps the back of Andrews’ head for a bit. That’s enough to send Andrews into a frenzy and a bunch of strikes to the face put Devlin down for a change. A hurricanrana gets two on Devlin but he’s right back with a slingshot hilo. Devlin kicks him in the back of the head and stomps away at the back, setting up a backbreaker. A hard clothesline gets two and we hit the chinlock with a knee in Andrews’ back. Andrews fights up and hits a tornado DDT, setting up an enziguri.

Back up and Devlin tries a jumping hurricanrana but gets caught in a sitout powerbomb for two. Devlin gets sent to the apron but slingshots right back in with a cutter for two of his own. Andrews is sat on top but reverses into a super poisonrana, setting up a Code Red for his own near fall. Devlin is sent outside so Andrews can hit a dive for the big crash. They head back inside where Devlin gets in a shot to the face, setting up the Devlin Side for the fast pin at 9:47.

Rating: B-. These are two of the better young stars around here and it is often a good idea to let them have some time to show off a bit. I still think Devlin could be a big star around here but he seems to be stuck around the same spot. Andrews is someone who seems like he is going to be around the same level for good as well, but he has been upgrading it a bit in recent weeks.

Andrews seems a bit banged up.

We look at Charlie Dempsey joining Teoman and Rohan Raja to beat down Gallus last week.

In two weeks: Moustache Mountain vs. Pretty Deadly.

We look back at Noam Dar and Sha Samuels annoying Sam Gradwell.

This week: Noam Dar and Sha Samuels annoyed Sam Gradwell again, this time with a loud party.

Sam Gradwell and Noam Dar/Sha Samuels yell at each other. Johnny Saint actually appears to make the Heritage Cup Title match for tonight’s main event.

Isla Dawn vs. Aleah James

Dawn goes after the arm to start (as a witch tends to do) but Aleah spins around to grab a headlock. James’ throat is snapped across the top rope though and a running kick to the chest gets two. A legsweep takes James down and we hit the cobra clutch. That’s broken up and James grabs a small package for two, which just seems to annoy Dawn. Instead, it’s a fireman’s carry spun into a side slam to give Dawn the pin at 4:19.

Rating: C. Dawn’s fairly slow rise continues as she claims another victim. It took a long time to go anywhere with the witch stuff and her collection deal works well. James is certainly someone I could see then turning into a longer term project as she is showing a good deal of potential.

Post match, Dawn opens her box and returns James’ hair ribbon.

Xia Brookside complains to Sid Scala about her lack of title shot, despite HER DADDY intervening. Scala makes the match for next week, which doesn’t please her either because that’s not enough time to prepare. It’s either then or never, so Brookside begrudgingly accepts.

Moustache Mountain is ready for Pretty Deadly.

Pretty Deadly is ready for Moustache Mountain.

Dani Luna vs. Angel Hayze

Hold on though as here is Jinny to say there is no Dani Luna, who will be gone for a long time. Her business relationship with Joseph Conners is OVER, but she is ready to restart her winning streak.

Jinny vs. Angel Hayze

Jinny drives knees into the ribs to start and hits Hayze in the face for daring to fight back. The chinlock goes on but Hayze fights back up with some strikes of her own. A clothesline cuts Hayze down again and the Makeover gives Jinny the pin at 2:39. Total squash.

Nina Samuels interrupts Meiko Satomura’s training to ask if she’s ready for next week’s title match. Satomura is not amused.

Noam Dar and Sha Samuels cover up the names of the other winners on the Heritage Cup.

Video on Ilja Dragunov vs. Rampage Brown for the United Kingdom Title, with the match coming in two weeks.

Kenny Williams mocks Subculture for being hurt again.

Heritage Cup: Noam Dar vs. Sam Gradwell

Dar, with Sha Samuels, is defending. Round one begins with Dar taking a shot from Samuels’ hip flask and then grabbing a headlock. A pull of hair lets Dar stay in control but Gradwell is back up with a shot to the face. Gradwell grabs him by the ear and hits him in the face, setting up a Samoan driver for the pin and the first round at 2:42.

Round two begins with Samuels carrying Dar to the floor for the bell, but the goldbricking Dar grabs a small package for two. Gradwell isn’t having that and hits a clothesline into a backdrop, with Dar heading outside out of desperation. Dar manages to send him into the apron though, setting up a spinning elbow to the face back inside. The Nova Roller ties it up at 1:35 of the round and 4:53 total.

Round three begins with Dar knocking him down again and working on the arm while kneeing him in the ribs. Gradwell manages to get in a hard knee but Dar pulls him down into a kneebar. A lot of screaming ensues until the round ends to save Gradwell, who was in a lot of trouble.

Round four begins with Dar jumping the injured Gradwell in the corner. Samuels gets in a cheap shot as well and Dar’s running forearm to the back of the head gets two. Gradwell kneels him in the ribs but Dar kicks the leg out again. Another Samuels distraction doesn’t work so Gradwell rolls him up for two, earning himself another kick to the head. The kneebar makes Gradwell tap to retain Dar’s title at 2:54 of the round and 11:55.

Rating: B-. This was a well put together match with Gradwell being the crazed monster who got picked apart by a mixture of Dar and Samuels. Dar is a good choice for the cocky champion that everyone knows they should be able to beat but just can’t pull it off. The match felt like a main event and it was a good way to get Dar’s first title defense down.

Overall Rating: B-. More good stuff from NXT UK as they feel so together with everything they do. Nothing comes off like it is being made on the fly and you get solid action thrown in. The main event and the opener were both rather nice TV matches and Dawn gets to change things a bit. They’ve got some matches set up for the upcoming weeks as well so it’s hard to complain about much here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT UK
Date: November 18, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re back in England and on the way to a bunch of big TV matches since there has not been any mention of a Takeover in forever around here. The big story at the moment is the upcoming Rampage Brown vs. Ilja Dragunov United Kingdom Title match, which is coming at some point in the future. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

A-Kid vs. Sam Gradwell

They go with the grappling to start with A-Kid taking him down with the headlock takeover. That’s reversed into an armbar but A-Kid flips out and grabs a cravate. Gradwell can’t flip his way out so he goes with a knee brace to the eyes to escape instead. We’re off to a face pull on A-Kid, followed by a heck of a running elbow to the face. There’s an overhead belly to belly for two and Gradwell is getting cocky. The Boston crab goes on but A-Kid slips out and kicks him in the head.

A high crossbody gets two on Gradwell and it’s a double knockdown for a breather. Back up and Gradwell gets pulled down into an omoplata, which is muscled up into a suplex for another break. One heck of a discus forearm puts A-Kid on the floor and a suplex sends him flying again. That’s good for nine so Gradwell hits him in the face for two more. The frustrated Gradwell hits him in the face but A-Kid pulls him into a cross armbreaker for the tap at 10:43.

Rating: B-. The more I watch A-Kid, the more impressed I am. He’s one of those guys who can make anything look smooth and that is always fun to watch. Change his name to something that sounds a bit more impressive and they’ve got something. Gradwell is someone who has all kinds of charisma and somehow stays popular despite not winning much of anything. I could go with the latter changing, but that doesn’t seem likely.

Gradwell looks frustrated and A-Kid looks impressed.

We look back at Rampage Brown wrecking Flash Morgan Webster last week. Webster is on the shelf with a shoulder injury and it’s not clear how long he’ll be out of action.

Ilja Dragunov is ready for his title match with Rampage Brown. Yes Brown is a monster, but Dragunov embraces the pain. Legends are written about the people who make the monsters fall, so long live the Czar. The title match is in two weeks.

Aleah James vs. Nina Samuels

Samuels pats her on the head to start and gets headlocked for her condescending efforts. They trade wristlocks until James snaps off a hurricanrana. Samuels runs her over though and stands on James’ hair, which is not exactly that nice. Three straight backbreakers keep James in trouble and Samuels cranks on the leg so hard that James kicks herself in the back of the head. That’s enough to make James fight back up with some clotheslines and a dropkick but Samuels plants her with a reverse suplex. Back up and James grabs a quick small package for the surprise pin at 4:53.

Rating: C-. James is someone who could be brought up through the women’s division in a hurry and it seems that might be what is on WWE’s minds at the moment. Samuels continues to be one of the established stars who doesn’t actually go anywhere, but who still has enough status that beating her means something. It’s not a great match, but it could moves James forward and that’s what matters.

Sam Gradwell is mad but Noam Dar and Sha Samuels interrupt with their Heritage Cup victory celebration.

Aleah James is very happy with her win but Isla Dawn attacks her and steals something from her gear.

Saxon Huxley vs. Kenny Williams

Huxley throws him around to start so Williams grabs a less than successful headlock. That earns Williams a grab by the throat and some rams into the mat but Williams gets smart by going after the leg. Williams ties the leg in the rope for a running kick before cranking on both arms at once. Back up and Huxley sends him into the corner, setting up a running big boot to the face. A running crossbody against the ropes rocks Williams again so he crawls under the ring and slides back out to post Huxley from behind. Back in and Bad Luck finishes Huxley at 5:53.

Rating: C-. Another not so great match with the rather charismatic Huxley losing to Williams, who is quite the villain. That being said, Williams is currently going by the name The Cockroach and I’m not sure how much of a future that leaves him. He has done well on his own though so maybe he can keep moving forward well enough.

Xia Brookside doesn’t like being told that she is late for training but she has a note from her dad.

Mark Andrews is happy with his win over someone as great as Nathan Frazer. Jordan Devlin comes in and tells him to start acting like more of an ace.

Teoman/Rohan Raja vs. Gallus

Joe Coffey is here with Gallus. Wolfgang throws Raja into the corner to start and it’s Mark coming in for an armdrag into an armbar. A shot to the face allows the tag off to Teoman, who gets armdragged as well. Gallus cleans house with monkey flips to the floor but Teoman ties Mark up in the apron to hammer away.

The villains take over and start the alternating stomps, including a variety to the shoulder. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Teoman runs Mark over for two instead. There’s a kick to the arm to keep Mark down and Wolfgang gets knocked off the apron. Mark doesn’t seem to mind though as he ax handles Teoman down and brings Wolfgang back in to clean house.

Everything breaks down and an enziguri into a Backstabber gets two on Wolfgang. An assisted DDT gets the same but Wolfgang hits a double clothesline. The assisted powerslam is loaded up but here is Charlie Dempsey of all people to jump Joe Coffey. The distraction lets Raja hit a jumping Downward Spiral to finish Wolfgang at 9:31.

Rating: C+. There’s something about Teoman that gets my attention and I like the option of having Dempsey join in. Raja might not exactly be a star but he is a good enough choice for a third wheel. Gallus is going to be fine as they are long since established as stars, so it isn’t like this is some big devastating loss. The Dempsey stuff has my attention though and that’s a good sign for Teoman/Raja.

Post match Dempsey, Teoman and Raja lay waste to Gallus to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. You can kind of tell when the tapings are wrapping up as there isn’t much left to go with on this show. The main event angle was good, but it’s all about waiting for the big stuff to come in the future weeks. I’m looking forward to some of these things, but they need a fresh taping to breathe a bit more life into the show after this one. The good thing is that I fully believe that NXT UK can pull that off, which is very nice to see after so many other shows have no such luck.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Nathan Frazer vs. Mark Andrews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dani Luna vs. Stevie Turner

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s coming next week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Rampage Brown vs. Flash Morgan Webster

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

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

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

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

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

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

Angel Haze vs. Isla Dawn

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

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

Video on A-Kid.

Sam Gradwell isn’t impressed with A-Kid.

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

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

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

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

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

Women’s Title: Jinny vs. Meiko Satomura

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

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

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

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

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT UK
Date: October 28, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another title match and this week that means the Heritage Cup is on the line. After spending what has felt like the better part of forever crowning a new #1 contender, it is time for Tyler Bate to defend the Heritage Cup against Noam Dar. Other than that, I’m not sure what really matters because I’m too relieved that the tournament stuff is finally over. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Coffey vs. Rohan Raja

Wolfgang and Teoman are the seconds. Coffey takes him down into the armbar to start but Raja reverses, meaning it’s time to go to the ropes. Raja Codebreakers the arm and the fans are not pleased, though Coffey taking him into the corner makes it a bit better. Not that it matters though as Raja goes right back to the arm and some knees in the corner get two.

The seated armbar goes on but Coffey comes back with a clothesline and middle rope bulldog. Raja isn’t having that and plants him with a sitout powerbomb for two more, followed by a Backstabber for the same. Back up and Coffey scores with a quick kick to the head, followed by a sliding forearm for the pin at 5:55.

Rating: C. The ending was really abrupt but this was the best performance from Raja so far. He looked like someone who could hang with a bigger star like Coffey and that is a good sign for his future. This is the kind of feud that could go on for a bit, though I’m a bit surprised that Teoman hasn’t taken off more than he has. Either way, not a bad match to start things off here.

Post match Teoman and Raja jump Gallus and leave them laying.

Sid Scala is making a triple threat match to crown new #1 contenders between Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith, Symbiosis and Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff.

Charlie Dempsey is ready for his match but Gallus storms in looking for Teoman.

Myla Grace vs. Amele

Amele takes her down to start and shouts a lot before grabbing a headlock. Grace is back with some rollups for two each but Amele stomps her out of the corner to take over again. A fisherman’s neckbreaker gives Amele one and we hit the chinlock. Cue Blair Davenport to watch as Grace fights up and hits a 619 to the ribs in the corner. A tornado DDT out of the corner gets two on Amele, but she is right back with the Hopebreaker for the pin at 3:49.

Rating: C-. I get more out of Amele every time she’s on this show and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her moving up the ladder in a hurry. I’m not sure where Davenport fits into the whole thing but it could go somewhere in the future. Grace didn’t get to do much here but she showed off some skills while she had the chance.

Nina Samuels interrupts an Aleah James interview and makes fun of her for being short. James leaves and Samuels isn’t sure what went wrong.

Flash Morgan Webster comes up to Rampage Brown, who pins him up against the wall. If Webster wanted a match, all he had to do was ask.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Danny Jones

Dempsey takes him down in a hurry and works on a cravate with some grinding. Jones is back up with an uppercut and a backfist rocks Dempsey. That’s enough of being in trouble for Dempsey who goes for the leg and whips him face first into the middle buckle. A front facelock suplex gives Dempsey two as Nigel is rapid firing the British wrestler references. The rolling butterfly suplexes into the crossface chickenwing makes Jones tap at 4:48.

Rating: C+. This was a lot of fun as Dempsey is such a throwback to the old grappling style. That is something you can always use on any show because it is such a classic style of wrestling. Jones looked good in defeat here, but this was all about Dempsey, who isn’t the most impressive looking but can do some painful things in the ring.

Video on Meiko Satomura vs. Jinny before their title match next week.

Isla Dawn has her box of trophies but says she needs one more thing.

Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate vs. Noam Dar

Bate is defending and has Trent Seven in his corner while Dar has Sha Samuels. Round one begins with the two feeling each other out until Bate starts working on the arm. Dar’s twisting of the arm doesn’t last long so it’s a standoff until Bate takes him down by the head. Back up and Bate drives him up against the ropes but the round ends.

Round two begins with Bate taking him down by the foot and cranking away on the leg. That’s enough for Dar to need a breather in the ropes and they fight over the arm some more. Dar avoids a charge but has to slip out of the airplane spin. A double clothesline rocks both of them and they fight over an aggressive lockup as the round ends. Round three begins with Bate dropkicking him to the floor and then going after him. That’s enough for Dar to knock him outside with Bate hurting his knee. Back in and the Nova Roller gives Dar the first fall at 59 seconds of the round and 8:06 overall.

Round four begins with Dar throwing a rocked Bate down and taking his turns on the limbs. Bate manages a DDT but the knee is too banged up to do anything about it. The northern lights suplex drops Dar and Bate nips up, setting up a heck of a clothesline. The Tyler Driver 97 ties things up at a fall each at 2:03 of the round and 10:42.

Round five begins with Bate grabbing a dragon screw legwhip but Dar does the same to bring him off the ropes. Dar kicks him down for two but Bate is back up with a Birminghammer attempt. Samuels offers a distraction though and Dar slips out, only to miss the Nova Roller. Bate pulls him into a kneebar and they slug it out with the hold still on as time expires.

Round six (the final round, with Bate retaining in a draw) begins with another slugout until Dar kicks out the leg. Bate catches him on top with a t-bone superplex so Dar rolls outside for a breather. You don’t do that to Bate, who takes Dar out with a dive. Back in and Bate hits the rolling Liger kick but gets caught in the Champagne Super Knee Bar (I’m not sure if that is clever or not).

That’s broken up with a rolling German suplex to put both of them down but cue Pretty Deadly to go after Seven. The brawl is on as the knee bar goes on again….and Seven’s towel winds up in the ring, which is enough to make Dar champion at 2:45 of the round and 17:35 overall.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t feeling this one as much as some of the other tournament matches but what matters it they went with the right winner. After that never ending tournament, they more or less had to put the title on Dar. Bate having issues with Seven could be the start of something great, but the towel accidentally being thrown in is not the greatest. Still though, good enough match and the ending sets up some stuff.

Bate isn’t happy with Seven as Dar and Samuels celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty solid show again this week, as they manage to turn the midcard title match into an event, which is a pretty impressive feat. I’m still enjoying this show every week and having fans back has made it feel that much better. More good stuff this week as things continue chugging along.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT UK
Date: October 21, 2021
Location: BT Sport Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

The fans came back last week and saw a classic with Ilja Dragunov successfully defending the United Kingdom Title against A-Kid. It did feel like something was changing around here and that is quite the upgrade as it just makes the show feel that much bigger. Hopefully they do that again this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Aleah James

Brookside cranks on the arm to start but neither can get very far. A headlock takeover puts James down but she reverses into a headscissors to keep Brookside in trouble. That’s finally reversed and it’s a seated abdominal stretch to put James in trouble. Back up and James fires off some kicks, only to get taken down with a running neckbreaker. The Iconoclasm is loaded up but James kicks her away and grabs a sunset flip for the pin at 4:17.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what has happened to Brookside but this feels like the kind of losing streak that you see before someone turns heel. The idea of Brookside as a villain is almost hard to fathom but that might be where things are going. James looked good here and we could be in for a nice new batch of women moving up the ranks here soon.

Post match, Brookside shows frustration as the heel turn is looking imminent.

Meiko Satomura is the Final Boss so she’s not scared of Jinny.

Kenny Williams is looking a little nuts and says he can be even badder after his Heritage Cup loss. Then we see some bugs on the ground because….someone needs to be like Bray Wyatt?

Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff vs. Symbiosis

Fallout from Starz/Mastiff cutting off Symbiosis’ failed interference attempt in a Tag Team Title match. Eddie Dennis is at ringside and Pretty Deadly is on commentary, which should be downright snazzy. T-Bone shoves Starz down without much trouble to start but gets pulled into an armbar. That earns Starz a fall away slam and it’s off to Primate as commentary talks about Tik Tok. Starz gets up and cleans house with some dropkicks, setting up a clothesline from Mastiff to clear the ring.

Mastiff’s backsplash sets up Starz’s slingshot splash for two on Primate. T-Bone comes back in and it’s time to wreck Starz, including sending him crashing out to the floor. Back in and a sitout powerbomb gets two on Starz and Primate pounds on his (own) chest. There’s a delayed vertical suplex for a delayed two on Starz, who is then tossed outside. That’s actually fine with Starz, who slams T-Bone on the floor and makes the hot tag to Mastiff. Everything breaks down with Mastiff hitting Into The Void but Dennis hits Starz with a chair for the DQ at 8:26.

Rating: C. They went pretty fast here and the match didn’t feel nearly as long as it was. What we got was a way to keep things going between the two teams as Starz/Mastiff seem ready to move into a Tag Team Title feud with Pretty Deadly. Good enough match here, as the tag division is bringing in some fresh blood, just like the women’s division.

Post match the beatdown is on but Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter save Starz and Mastiff.

Video on Amale, who says her loss to Emilia McKenzie was a fluke.

Charlie Dempsey thinks his time in NXT UK has been great so far but Gallus interrupts. They don’t think he should get too confident, but here are Teoman and Rohan Raja to brawl with Gallus.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions, though this time it’s actually in the ring. Noam Dar is ready to take the Heritage Cup next week, and it happens that he’ll be taking it from this week’s guest, Tyler Bate (with Trent Seven). Dar says he respects Bate so much that he’s willing to let Bate forfeit the Heritage Cup to him right now.

That isn’t happening, so Dar accuses Bate of going soft and blames Seven for the problems. Seven is ready to take him down but Bate says hold on, because this is going to be Bate beating Dar again. Dar gets in a cheap shot and bails with Sha Samuels. I think you know where this is going and that’s not a bad thing.

Gallus steals Jordan Devlin’s jacket as he’s warming up.

Jordan Devlin vs. Joe Coffey

The jacketless Devlin jumps him in the aisle before the bell but Coffey says ring the bell. Devlin shrugs off the early flurry and grabs a headlock takeover but Coffey fights up and hits a quick powerslam. The armbar has Devlin in trouble until he fights up and sends Coffey shoulder first into the post.

Coffey’s ribs get wrapped around the post as well and there’s a knee to the ribs to make it worse. Some kicks to the chest set up an abdominal stretch, followed by a bodyscissors. That’s countered with a ram into the corner but Coffey bangs up his ribs again. Devlin goes up top but dives into a hard uppercut. A pop up World’s Strongest Slam gets two on Devlin and the springboard spinning crossbody gets the same.

Another shot to the ribs puts Coffey on the floor though and Devlin hits the Penalty Kick off the apron. Back in and Devlin goes up, earning himself a belly to belly superplex right back down. Coffey is up first and slugs him down for two, setting up the running headbutt to the ribs in the corner. Devlin kicks him right back though and the 450 is good for a rather near fall. Back up and the Devlin Side finishes Coffey at 14:10.

Rating: B-. The latest rise of Devlin continues and that is an interesting way to go. I’ve long since thought that he seems primed for a main event run around here and Ilja Dragunov could use some new challengers. Beating someone as big as Coffey could get him in that direction, but I’m not sure how soon a match like that would happen, assuming it ever does.

Overall Rating: C+. This show seemed designed to help move us towards the next batch of challengers and stories, which is not a bad thing. At some point you need to move forward and it would make a lot of sense to do so now that the fans are back. NXT UK has been good for a long time now and it would be nice to see them take another step forward, which might have started this week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT UK
Date: October 14, 2021
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s championship week as Ilja Dragunov is back to defend the United Kingdom Title against A-Kid. That has all the makings of a great match, but more importantly, there will be a crowd here for the first time in WAY too long as the United Kingdom has started to lighten their Coronavirus restrictions. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence, with a new song.

The fans are back!

Blair Davenport vs. Stevie Turner

Davenport jumps Turner before the bell as we start fast. That’s fine with Turner, who fights back at the bell and scores with a Thesz press to hammer away. Some right hands in the corner don’t work out so well as Davenport drops her face first onto the turnbuckle and scores with a basement dropkick to the back of the head. Turner is back up with a running boot to the face and some neckbreakers get two. Davenport BLASTS her with a kick to the head for two more but Turner is back with a Side Effect for the same. That’s enough for Davenport, who knees her in the face and hits a Falcon Arrow for the pin at 4:36.

Rating: C. This was short and to the point, as Davenport shrugged off Turner’s offense and pinned her in short order. You can tell that Davenport is likely the next big thing and eventually the top star in the division, but we still have a little while before we get that far. They had another good step here though, as it is nice to have Davenport back in the ring.

Sha Samuels commandeers a birthday party and gives it to Noam Dar instead. Samuels isn’t happy with the banners but Dar says this can be a warmup for the real celebration when he wins the Heritage Cup.

Rohan Raja makes excuses to Teoman for the Heritage Cup tournament but Teoman promises that the family will grow soon.

Sid Scala has a match to announce when Jinny and Joseph Conners come in. As luck would have it, the match was about her, as Jinny challenges Meiko Satomura for the Women’s Title in three weeks. Jinny’s advice to Scala: burn his clothes.

Flash Morgan Webster vs. Sha Samuels

Webster dodges to start and scores with some right hands in the corner. A few fast chops annoy Samuels, who takes Webster’s head off with a chop of his own. Some hard kicks to the back give Samuels two and a shoulder to the ribs in the corner gets the same. They head outside with the fans chanting for Webster, who is dropped face first onto the apron.

Back in and Webster suddenly picks up the pace, including a middle rope standing moonsault. Samuels is sent outside for a change and that means a suicide dive from Webster. They head back inside where Webster scores with a running kick to the face for another near fall, setting up a heck of a top rope flip dive to the floor. Back in again and Webster scores with a headbutt but walks into a spinebuster to give Samuels the pin at 8:16.

Rating: B-. They were starting to rock here with that Webster comeback being a standout highlight. This was a rather fun edition of power vs. speed and that is going to work every single time. Webster doesn’t get as much attention as Mark Andrews but he showcases himself well when he gets the chance.

It’s time for another Nina Samuels Show, with Xia Brookside not realizing she is the guest. Brookside calls over Leah James and gets a match with her instead. End of show.

We recap Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz cutting off Symbiosis’ attempt at interfering in a recent tag match. They’re facing off next week as a result.

Gallus interrupts Jordan Devlin’s meeting with Sid Scala. Devlin doesn’t want to hear this and threatens to take Joe Coffey out soon.

United Kingdom Title: A-Kid vs. Ilja Dragunov

A-Kid is challenging and circles around the champ to start until a headscissors pulls him to the mat. They go with some grappling until A-Kid rapid fires kicks to the leg. That earns him a big chop but he nips up and kicks at the leg some more. Dragunov checks one though and snaps off a German suplex, sending us back to the grappling. That’s broken up so Dragunov snaps off the rebound lariat, only to hurt his own arm in the process.

Now it’s Dragunov’s turn to crank on the leg but A-Kid chops his way out of a leglock. The leg gets cranked back again though and it’s time to chop A-Kid in the corner. Dragunov gets two off something like a powerbomb but A-Kid kicks at the bad arm to get a breather. The good arm is fine enough to blast A-Kid….who responds by kicking Dragunov in the face. The kicks to the chest (with the bad leg) don’t do much to Dragunov, who catches the leg and sends us back to a strike off.

A kick to the head sets up a fisherman’s suplex (with the bad leg being raised) for two on Dragunov, who is right back with an STO. Dragunov takes him down with a hard knee to the ribs and the rolling German suplexes, though A-Kid cranks on the arm to escape. Some elbows to the head set up another suplex for two on A-Kid as the fans (accurately) deem this awesome. Dragunov misses a top rope backsplash and gets pulled into a sleeper. With that broken up, A-Kid scores with a running kick to the chest.

An armbar over the ropes has Dragunov hurt again but he drops A-Kid again. Torpedo Moscow is cut off with a kick to the face though and they’re both down one more time. They slug it out with A-Kid getting the better of things and Dragunov not being able to powerbomb his way out of a cross armbreaker. He can however flip out of an Oomoplata, setting up Torpedo Moscow to the leg. Another Torpedo Moscow retains the title at 19:25.

Rating: A-. This was excellent stuff and the two of them beat the fire out of each other. That is what you should be expecting to see from Dragunov these days and A-Kid was able to hang in there with him every step of the way. The battle of limb manipulation was great here and it felt like a huge main event title match. These guys brought it and the match was excellent throughout, as you probably expected.

Dragunov demands A-Kid stand up so the handshake can end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. There is a reason that this show has been so well received as of late and the fans being back only make it better. This show felt important again and the energy from the fans played a bit role in that change. Granted the main event being a nearly twenty minute clinic helped as well, as we had one of the better editions of this show in a very long time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.