NXT UK
Date: August 12, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andrew Shepherd

It’s tournament time as we have eight people vying to become the new #1 contender to the Heritage Cup. That alone should take quite a while to cover so hopefully they have something else going on to fill in some of the gaps. I’m not sure what that is going to be, but NXT UK has surprised me before. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Flash Morgan Webster vs. Wolfgang

This is fallout from Webster slapping Wolfgang to prove a point of some kind. Webster knocks him into the corner to start but Wolfgang takes him to the mat without much trouble. That means a third slap to Wolfgang so he runs Webster over and grabs a cravate. A dropkick puts Wolfgang on the floor but he sends Webster hard into the barricade.

Back in and a hard whip into the corner rocks Webster’s ribs and it’s time for some forearms to make them worse. We hit the nearly required bearhug, followed by the slightly less required abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and Webster hits another dropkick but what looked like a tiger driver is easily countered with a backdrop. A poisonrana plants Wolfgang out of nowhere but a Swanton hits knees. Wolfgang spears him for the pin at 7:32.

Rating: C+. You can do a power vs. speed match at any time in wrestling and it is going to work out just fine. That is as basic of a wrestling match as you are going to get and it was acceptable here as well. Wolfgang isn’t one of the Coffeys and Webster isn’t Mark Andrews but they did well enough to make this work out.

In two weeks, Joe Coffey vs. Rampage Brown, knockout or submission only.

The rest of Subculture is proud of Flash Morgan Webster for coming so close to beating Wolfgang but Isla Dawn comes up behind Dani Luna and reaches for her. Luna says back off and Dawn does, though still looks creepy in the process.

Moustache Mountain is ready for Pretty Deadly, who has to face the best team around here. Tyler Bate is ready to complete the Grand Slam (Shouldn’t that be Triple Crown?) and Trent Seven is ready to get his first title.

Jinny is fine with getting to face Aoife Valkyrie in a No DQ match but isn’t happy that Joseph Conners will be locked in a shark cage.

Nina Samuels vs. Amele

Samuels gets aggressive to start by driving her into the corner for the shoulders to the ribs. Amele isn’t having that and hammers away with forearms of her own. A bulldog gives Amele two and we hit the cravate. An elbow misses though and Samuels is back with a Hennig necksnap, setting up some double knees to the back in the corner. Amele is right back with a running boot in the corner but Samuels grabs back to back tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. A bridging northern lights suplex gives Amele two and a t-bone suplex into a spinebuster finishes Samuels at 4:58.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to get very far but it was energetic while it lasted. The women’s division is in a bit of a weird place as you have the very top firmly established and then a bunch of people scattered around underneath them. These two are firmly in that secondary group and maybe this can start Amele moving up a bit. It likely won’t, but it was a good enough match.

We look back at the first Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov match, with Dragunov talking about how he gave everything he had but he will be ready next time.

We look back at Walter costing Ilja Dragunov a match against Pete Dunne this week on NXT but Dragunov laid Walter out after the match.

Saxon Huxley runs around shouting BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME. Symbiosis isn’t sure what to make of him.

Meiko Satomura is ready to defend the Women’s Title against Stevie Turner next week.

Pretty Deadly is at the WWE Warehouse and find some photos of Moustache Mountain. Right now, Moustache Mountain is the best team in NXT UK but next week, they will be the best team that Pretty Deadly has beaten.

Heritage Cup #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Mark Andrews vs. Noam Dar

Dani Luna is here with Andrews. Round one begins with the grappling exchange and Andrews putting on an armbar on the mat. Andrews spins out of a wristlock and hits a dropkick to send Dar into the ropes. Back up and Dar pulls him down by the leg but Andrews twists him down by the arm again as time expires.

Round two starts with a test of strength, which is always odd to see from smaller guys like these two. Dar takes him to the mat for a fast two and a snapmare into the ropes of all things makes it worse. Now it’s time to work on Andrews’ arm for a bit before taking him outside for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Andrews snaps off a cartwheel into a dropkick to put Dar outside as the round ends.

Round three begins with Dar kicking the leg out to take Andrews off the middle rope. Cue Teoman and Rohan Raja to watch as Dar stays on the knee. Luna offers a distraction though and Andrews pulls Dar down for a quick double stomp. Stundog Millionaire sends Dar outside and there’s the big dive to drop him again. Back in and Andrews misses a springboard though and the knee gets banged up again. Andrews tries a Pele kick but gets pulled into a kneebar for the tap at 2:43 of the round (9:47 overall).

Round four starts with Raja and Teoman leaving and Andrews hitting a 619 onto Dar’s knee in the ropes. The leg gets snapped over the middle rope, setting up a kneebar back inside. Dar breaks that up and reverses an enziguri into an ankle lock. That’s fine with Andrews, who flips him over into a cradle for the pin at 1:38 of the round (12:03 overall).

Round five begins with Andrews hooking another rollup for two but his 619 is countered into Dar’s ankle lock. The Nova Roller is countered with an enziguri but Dar catches him on top again. Dar goes after Luna though, drawing Andrews over. That means Dar can kick him in the knee and hit the Nova Roller for the pin at 2:38 of the round (15:12 overall).

Rating: C+. They were building things up rather well here and the knee/Luna both played into the end. These matches are some of the better things about NXT UK at the moment and I could go for more of them like this. They have figured out the formula and these two made it work well, as was the case here. I’m not wild on Dar moving on, but he would be fine for a villain to make a decent run.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t their strongest show of the last few weeks but it isn’t like it was a bad fifty three minutes. The action was mostly good and I liked enough of what they did. It is the kind of show where you are better off just reading are cap rather than watching the show in full, but even if you did, you would be completely fine.

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NXT UK
Date: August 5, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’ve got a big one this week as it’s Jordan Devlin vs. A-Kid in a thirty minute Iron Man match. Devlin injured A-Kid’s knee in a previous match to set this up so let’s have a good one. That alone should be enough to carry the show but you know there is going to be at least a little bit more. Let’s get to it.

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

Shawn Michaels narrates a video about the history of the Iron Man match and what it means. Devlin is ready to win however and A-Kid says this is wrestling instead of a way to hurt people, as Devlin likes to do.

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Blair Davenport

Brookside goes after the arm to start and takes Davenport down twice in a row. Back up and Davenport cranks on the arm as well until Brookside is back with a dropkick. Davenport takes her down and a baseball slide puts Brookside on the floor. Back in and Davenport is back on the arm until a headscissors gets Brookside out of trouble. A neckbreaker gets two on Davenport, who kicks her in the head. Two knees to the head put Brookside away at 4:23.

Rating: C. This was a way to make Davenport look like a bigger deal as she beat up a more established name. There was some nice storytelling to it also, as Brookside isn’t quite as serious in the ring and was taken out by the aggressive power stuff. Davenport seems to have started fast and it would be nice to see how far she can go. Brookside still has potential, but eventually she needs to do something with it.

We look back at last week’s staredown between Moustache Mountain and Pretty Deadly.

Pretty Deadly and Moustache Mountain agree to a match in the future.

We are getting an eight man tournament to crown a new #1 contender to the Heritage Cup Title. Here are the brackets:

Mark Andrews
Noam Dar

Kenny Williams
Oliver Carter

Wolfgang
Sam Gradwell

Teoman
Nathan Frazier

Isla Dawn finds a box buried in the woods and opens it to find that it’s empty. She puts a watch inside and I think we have a curse.

Wolfgang runs into Subculture, who isn’t happy with him costing them the Tag Team Titles. Flash Morgan Webster slaps him and leaves.

Josh Morrell/Danny Jones vs. Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz

This is Mastiff and Starz’s first time as a team. Starz grabs a front facelock on Morrell and takes him down. It’s time for some shouts to the arm, setting up the armbar. Morrell and Mastiff come in, with Mastiff suplexing him over the top and outside in a huge. Starz comes back in so Morrell kicks him in the face. Jones sends him into the corner for a running knee but charges into a backdrop. It’s back to Mastiff to clean house for a few seconds before Starz puts Morrell in the Tree of Woe. A running headbutt sets up Mastiff’s Into The Void for the pin at 5:27.

Rating: C-. A big/small team has worked forever and it can work here, even if it feels like a recycled Killian Dain/Drake Maverick story. It’s not like the division is deep in talent at the moment so throwing another team out there could do some good. If nothing else, I’ve wanted to see something more from Mastiff and this could be a good place for him.

Nina Samuels and Amele scream at each other in the makeup room.

Noam Dar and Mark Andrews have met before and they both wound up leaving on stretchers. Now they are ready to face each other again in the first round of the Heritage Cup #1 contenders tournament.

Aoife Valkyrie is ready to face Jinny one on one and has an idea to deal with Joseph Conners. The camera pans out to reveal a shark cage. Fair enough.

Stevie Turner interrupts Meiko Satomura’s training with what sounds like a challenge.

Here’s what’s coming over the next few weeks.

A-Kid vs. Jordan Devlin

Thirty minute Iron Man match and A-Kid might have a bad knee coming in. Feeling out process to start and they take turns going after wrist control. Devlin gets him down into an armbar but A-Kid is right back up. A dropkick puts Devlin on the floor but it’s back inside for more grappling. The threat of an armbar sends Devlin over to the ropes and he grabs a Gory Stretch to put A-Kid in trouble for a change. That’s broken up as well so they go to the pinfall reversal sequence.

A-Kid grabs a cross armbreaker, sending Devlin straight to the ropes. Devlin kicks him down though and starts cranking on the arm until A-Kid is up with a dropkick of his own. A slap to the face doesn’t annoy A-Kid, who grabs a headlock on the mat. That’s broken up as well and Devlin ties the bad leg into the ropes. A hard stomp onto the leg sets up a Texas Cloverleaf to give Devlin the first fall at 9:45.

We’re down to 20:00 to go as A-Kid insists that he can continue. Devlin is smart enough to stay on the leg with a kick to the knee into a chop block but A-Kid pulls him into a rear naked choke. The rope is reached though and Devlin drives the knee into the apron. Devlin wraps it around the post as well and the Figure Four around the post makes it even worse. Back in and a Boston crab sends A-Kid bailing to the rope.

With that not working, they trade German suplexes until they fall out to the floor for the double crash. They both beat the count back inside, where Devlin can’t get a Crossface. Instead he hits a running knee to the face for two but Devlin is back up to win the slugout. A-Kid pulls him right back down into the cross armbreaker though and Devlin taps to tie it up with 11:43 to go.

Devlin has to pause to get his elbow back to normal and gets knocked off the apron to make it worse. A-Kid kicks him down to get rid of a chair and snaps off a hurricanrana for two. The running knee gets the same on Devlin and they’re both down with a banged up limb. Devlin gets kicked outside with just over seven minutes to go but comes back in and headbutts A-Kid down for two.

They slug it out from their knees and wind up on the apron, where Devlin is smart enough to hook the rope to avoid any suplex attempt. Instead, he drops to the floor and pulls him down with the Devlin Side for the big crash with 4:00 left. They both dive back inside, where another Devlin Side is countered into a Canadian Destroyer. A kick to the head gives A-Kid two at 3:00 left.

A-Kid tries to pull him into the Rings of Saturn with his legs and finally gets the whole thing on to make Devlin tap with 1:30 left to make it 2-1. Devlin tries some rollups but can’t get anywhere with less than :30 left. They slug it out until Devlin gets two at 30:00, with A-Kid winning 2-1.

Rating: B+. The highest compliment that you can give a match like this is that it didn’t feel long and that was the case here. It felt like two guys beating each other up until one of them couldn’t hang in there any longer, but not through violence. Instead, this was a technical exchange with both guys working on a body part to have an advantage later in the match. Heck of a fight here and worth checking out.

Overall Rating: B. It’s kind of hard to complain about a show where about half of it was a rather awesome match. This was a great showcase for two of the potential breakout stars around here while the rest of the card was fine as a supplement. What matters here is they built up a big match and then delivered, which is a lot more than you would get on a lot of shows these days. Great main event on a good show.

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NXT UK
Date: July 29, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re coming up on Ilja Dragunov vs. Walter II for the United Kingdom Title….but it’s going to take place in Florida on the regular NXT Takeover. Well so much for that. Instead, we’ll have to get read for the Iron Man match between Jordan Devlin and A-Kid. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jordan Devlin vs. Tristan Archer

Devlin takes him down by the arm to start without much effort and the cranking begins. Back up and Archer reverses into a wristlock of his own so Devlin nails a dropkick. Archer tries to knee away but gets hit in the face to drop him without much trouble. A belly to back backbreaker plants Archer again and Devlin grabs the chinlock with a knee in the back. We hit the neck crank for a bit until Archer fights up again. Devlin gets dropped for a running backsplash but Archer’s back is banged up. That’s enough for Devlin, who snaps off the Devlin Slide for the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C. They packed in a bit of a story into a five and a half minute match, which is quite the little trick. Archer has looked good in his limited appearances so far and I could see him doing something more in the future. Devlin continues to be one of the bigger stars around here and I’m still expecting him to become a main eventer at some point in the future.

Post match, Devlin says he has heard about a thirty minute Iron Man match against A-Kid. That’s cool with Devlin, but he has warned Johnny Saint that it will be the end of A-Kid’s career. Cue A-Kid on his crutches, which Devlin kicks away while issuing threats. A-Kid hits him anyway and cleans house, including some dropkicks. With Devlin on the floor, A-Kid says Devlin failed to get rid of him and next week, he’ll have thirty minutes to fail again.

Video on Jinny vs. Aoife Valkyrie.

We get the announcement that Ilja Dragunov will face Walter at Takeover on August 22. Walter is ready to destroy Dragunov for the greater good.

Meiko Satomura comes in to the women’s locker room and says she wants a challenge. Satomura then stands back while everyone else argues and smiles at all of them.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Jinny

Joseph Conners is here with Jinny. Valkyrie works on the arm to start and Jinny can’t snapmare her way out of it. A kick to the head staggers Valkyrie, who is right back up with a running sunset flip for two. Conners offers a quick distraction though and Jinny gets in a shot from behind to take over. A shoulder takes Valkyrie down again but she sweeps the leg. Back up and Conners offers another distraction, allowing Jinny to snap the arm.

It’s off to the double arm crank until Valkyrie flips forward and kicks her way to freedom. Something like a surfboard takes Valkyrie down again and Jinny kicks her in the back to make it worse. That’s broken up and Valkyrie strikes away, including some kicks to the head. There’s a spinning kick to the face for two so Valkyrie goes up for the ax kick. Conners gets up for another distraction though, meaning Valkyrie has to settle for an enziguri. ANOTHER Conners distraction lets Jinny get in a shot from behind though and a rolling kick to the head finishes Valkyrie at 4:59.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t exactly feeling Conners having to interfere that many times but it isn’t like there is much of a reason to believe that Jinny is going to be a real threat to Valkyrie otherwise. That is Jinny’s biggest problem by a wide margin: she is a great character and can talk, but she is only so much inside the ring. She did fine enough here, but there is a gap between this and the top of the division.

Video on Joe Coffey vs. Rampage Brown, who are geared up for a hard hitting hoss fight.

A-Kid is ready to make history again when he wins next week’s Iron Man match.

Aleah James vs. Stevie Turner

They go technical to start with a wristlock not working, though Turner’s headlock doesn’t either. James ducks underneath a clothesline, but Turner stomps her down into the corner without much effort. There’s a facewash against the ropes but Turner misses a running boot and gets rolled up for two. James is back up with a running forearm and a dropkick, setting up a crossbody for two more. A missed charge rocks James so Turner hits a running clothesline, only to bounce off the ropes into a Downward Spiral to put James away at 4:28.

Rating: C. Turner is growing on me and James looked fairly smooth out there. I’m curious to see where Turner can go, but I don’t know if it is going to work out that well with her futuristic deal. It works fairly well, but I’m not sure if it is going to be good enough to get her into the title picture.

Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff train in the ring, with Starz having some issues with the size.

Symbiosis vs. Moustache Mountain

Eddie Dennis is in Symbiosis’ corner. Symbiosis jumps Bate and Seven during their WAY too choreographed entrance (it wasn’t hard to get in a cheap shot) and we start in a hurry. That’s fine with Bate, who busts out some nunchucks to clear the ring before the bell. Back in and T-Bone hammers Seven into the corner but Seven is back with a crossbody. A slam puts T-Bone down and it’s off to Bate for some driving shoulders. Seven comes back in and gets caught in a fast hot shot.

There’s a whip into the corner to keep Seven in trouble, followed by a catapult into a right hand to make it worse. A double stomp gives T-Bone two, followed by a backbreaker for the same. Seven fights up and hits Primate in the ribs, setting up a quick DDT for the hot tag to Bate.

Everything breaks down with Bate hitting Primate in the face and getting two off the running shooting star press. There’s the airplane spin with T-Bone attempting a save, only to have Bate throw Primate at him. The Tyler Driver 97 gets two on Primate with Primate making a save. T-Bone powerslams Bate down and takes out Seven, allowing Primate to hit his top rope head butt for two.

Bate chokes Primate on the apron but Eddie Dennis pulls him into the Severn Bridge into the barricade (egads). Back in and Bate manages a double clothesline to get him out of trouble, allowing Seven to make a blind tag. Bate dives onto Dennis and T-Bone, leaving Seven to hit the Seven Star Lariat for two on Primate. The top rope knee/Burning Hammer combination finishes Primate at 10:56.

Rating: B-. The ending was the right call as you don’t want to have Moustache Mountain losing unless it’s a big change. Symbiosis made the better team sweat a bit here with some of those near falls at the end being pretty hot. Other than that, this was a good showcase for both teams and a nice main event for a lower level TV show.

Pretty Deadly comes out for the staredown with Moustache Mountain to end the show. They had to get there at some point.

Overall Rating: C. While it wasn’t bad by any means, this show was pretty flat without much of anything that you need to see. The main event was by far the biggest thing this week and the ending has me interested in the title showdown, but there wasn’t much else worth mentioning. That is going to happen from time to time but NXT UK has enough of a reputation to be fine for a single off week.

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NXT UK
Date: July 22, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

This was supposed to be the big showdown between Walter and Ilja Dragunov but the injury bug struck, meaning the match has been postponed. Instead, we have to settle for Subculture challenging Pretty Deadly for the Tag Team Titles. I’d call it a downgrade but they can probably make it work. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video recaps the NXT Title match being canceled and a look at the Tag Team Title match.

Sid Scala opens things up and we go to William Regal (fine after being laid out on Tuesday), HHH and Shawn Michaels (the birthday boy), who announce Walter vs. Dragunov II will take place at Takeover 36 on August 22.

Eddie Dennis says Symbiosis is ready to destroy Moustache Mountain.

Laura DiMatteo vs. Nina Samuels

Samuels works on the arm to start but gets pulled down for a front facelock. That’s reversed back into a wristlock but Samuels reverses into a cradle, which DiMatteo stacks up for two of her own. Samuels takes her down and ties up the legs without much effort, setting up a surfboard of all things. With that broken up, Samuels hits a Hennig necksnap and pulls away at DiMatteo’s face.

DiMatteo reverses into a rollup for two and hits a dropkick for the same. There’s a sunset flip for the same but Samuels powers her into the corner without much effort. Back up and DiMatteo clotheslines her into an enziguri, only to get caught in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. The over the shoulder backbreaker spun into a knee to the face finishes DiMatteo at 6:11.

Rating: C. This was more of a showcase for DiMatteo than anything else and that is not a bad thing. She has a certain spark to her and it makes for some entertaining matches. Samuels is someone who has always seemed primed to move up the ladder but it has never actually happened, though she was showing some more aggression today.

Teoman talks about how important his family is. Rohan Raja joins him to agree, plus a discussion on respect and fear. Family is everything.

Blair Davenport interrupts a Xia Brookside promo and says come talk to her when she has her own last name.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions with this week’s guest: Jinny, with Joseph Conners. Jinny isn’t pleased with the folding chair, so Noam Dar offers her a cushion. Dar talks about his fashion sense and declares himself boyfriend material. He asks if Conners and Jinny have a more personal relationship, which Jinny finds cheap. We get a video of Jinny and Conners living the good life as the two of them talk about being sick of hearing the same question. Dar goes to wrap it up but Jinny calls out Aoife Valkyrie for talking about her when she isn’t there. Come say it to her face. These things are still rather annoying as talk shows go.

Video on Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey, who are set for a hoss fight.

Joseph Conners vs. Tristan Archer

Jinny is here with Conners, who takes Archer down by the arm to start. Archer sends him into the corner though and grabs a headlock. Conners’ leapfrog is pulled out of the air and a hard clothesline puts him down again. That’s it for the surprise offense though as Conners hits a hard shoulder into a reverse Hennig necksnap (ouch). Some kneedrops gets two on Archer and a crucifix of all things gets the same.

We hit the chinlock with a knee in Archer’s back for a bit but he fights up and sends Conners into the corner. A springboard…I think Downward Spiral gets two on Conners and a small package gets the same. Archer hits a Michinoku Driver for two more and Conners is reeling. Conners is fine enough to slip out of a GTS though and rolls into a DDT to plant Archer. The Hierarchy (hangman’s Regal Cutter) finishes Archer at 6:03.

Rating: C+. This was a heck of a match and quite the surprise. Archer is going to get some attention out of this as he managed to get something good out of JOSEPH CONNERS. That’s a trick in its own right but they were starting to roll before the finish. Good match here and well done by both of them.

Post match, Aoife Valkyrie comes out for the staredown with Jinny and hands her a feather. That means a challenge for later.

Jordan Devlin is set for a thirty minute Iron Man match with A-Kid, showing that A-Kid is the dumbest man in NXT UK. Next time, Devlin will finish that knee off.

Jack Starz thanks Dave Mastiff for his inspiration, but Mastiff says there is more to come.

Moustache Mountain is ready to finish this with Symbiosis next week.

Tag Team Titles: Pretty Deadly vs. Subculture

Subculture (Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster), with Dani Luna, is challenging. Sam Stoker takes Webster up against the ropes to start but gets chopped back. A running armdrag takes Stoker down for a second but he snaps off a hurricanrana to get a breather. Webster is right back with a Hennig necksnap (third of some kind tonight) and it’s off to Andrews vs. Lewis Howley.

Andrews snaps off a running hurricanrana but Howley sends him flying without much trouble. Everything breaks down for a second and Howley teases decking Luna, earning himself a shot from Andrews. Back in and an assisted DDT plants Andrews to put the champs in real control for the first time. We hit the chinlock for all of a few seconds before it’s back to Howley for a kick to the ribs.

Andrews gets sent outside for a shot from Stoker, who gets to taunt Luna for a bonus. Back in and Howley has to cut off a hot tag attempt and it’s a splash/legdrop combination. The chinlock doesn’t last long again as Andrews fights up and collides with Stoker, setting up the hot tag to Webster. Everything breaks down and Angel’s Wings gets two on Stoker. Webster flips out of a German suplex and the Rude Boy Block hits Howley for two. There’s a headbutt to Stoker and a leapfrog over Andrews into a Canadian Destroyer gets two more on Howley.

An assisted Codebreaker hits Webster for two but Andrews is back in for the double Pele. Howley comes in off a blind tag though and Andrews is tossed into…something for another near fall. Stundog Millionaire hits Stoker and a poisonrana/running big boot combination connects as well.

Howley breaks up the cover so Stoker and Andrews can trade near falls before Stoker gets dropped again. Andrews loads up Fall To Pieces but Howley pulls Stoker out of the way to cause the crash. Webster’s flip dive is caught and countered into a toss over the barricade. Howley throws in a title for a distraction, setting up Spilled Milk to retain at 15:49.

Rating: B. This was WAY better than I would have expected as they turned it way up near the end, with the last few minutes being a sprint. Pretty Deadly is a team who should have no business being this good and yet they are pulling it off every time. Subculture have some credibility due to being former champions but Pretty Deadly should be holding the title for a fairly long time. Rather good match here and that was a great surprise.

Overall Rating: B. Now this was a heck of a show, with a very good main event and nothing bad. Throw in the big announcement at the start of the show and some things being set up for next week and you had an outstanding use of an hour. This show might actually be better than the regular NXT at this point, or at the very least it is better at being NXT than being NXT. Good stuff this week, because of course it was.

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

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NXT UK
Date: July 15, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a double title week as both the Heritage Cup and Women’s Title are on the line. That alone should be enough for a huge show, but it is also time to hype up the United Kingdom Title match for next week, which should be a candidate for match of the year. This show has a tendency to be good lately so maybe they can keep that up here. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Paul Orndorff.

Opening sequence.

HHH joins us to hype up Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov II for the United Kingdom Title next week. Walter has been champion for over 800 days but Dragunov is an enigma. NXT UK is proud to present it and it is going to be amazing.

We go to the ring, with Walter and Dragunov set up for a press conference. First up is Alex McCarthy from talkSport, who asks if Walter thinks his title reign is under threat. That’s a no, because Walter is here for the long term. It’s true that Dragunov is an amazing athlete but he doesn’t have the mental capacity to reach his level. Ace from BBC1 Radio asks what Dragunov has learned since his defeat in their first match.

Dragunov talks about how the loss was tough and has hurt him mentally. He lost control because he wasn’t ready to be at this level, but now he is prepared. Aleister McGeorge from Metro asks what we can expect next week. Dragunov promises violence and calls Walter violent, which is too far for the champ. Walter talks about how he redefines wrestling every time he gets in the ring and calls Dragunov a fraud. Yes Dragunov is fantastic, but he isn’t on Walter’s level.

Dragunov won’t look at Walter, which is enough to draw him to his feet for a long rant. With Walter yelling, Dragunov says he thought it was enough last time but, while holding back tears, he admits it wasn’t. All Dragunov feels is hate and now they both stand up. Dragunov hates Walter for turning him into this and wants to take it out on him. Next week, Dragunov will break him and walk out with the title or not walk out at all. Heavy breathing ensues to wrap up an awesome segment, though the questions and stuff didn’t need to be there. Dragunov was awesome here and I want to see the match a lot more now.

Subculture is ready to win the Tag Team Titles again and spray paint about it.

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

Ashton Carter/Oliver Smith vs. Teoman/Rohan Raja

Fallout from Teoman hurting Smith, who jumps Teoman to start. A jumping knee drops Teoman and Smith muscles him up into a suplex. Raja and Carter come in, with Carter hitting a jumping sidekick to the face. Carter gets taken into the corner for the stomping though and the kicks to the chest have him in trouble for a change. We hit the seated abdominal stretch but Carter fights up, only to get stomped back into the corner.

The Crossface goes on but Teoman lets it go and hands it off to Raja….who gives up the hot tag without much trouble. Smith comes in and starts cleaning house until he gets sent face first into the buckle. It’s back to Carter for a German suplex into a low superkick for two on Raja, who is pulled outside. Smith hits a big running flip dive and the referee finally decides to restore some order. The distraction lets Teoman break up a Lionsault and Raja hits a jumping Downward Spiral. Teoman adds the Crossface for the tap at 8:54.

Rating: C+. They kept things moving here and while I’m not sure how much Teoman really needs Raja, they do make a nice enough pairing. Teoman is making the Crossface into a fairly successful hold and moving him up the card a bit could be a nice move. Smith continues to look good in limited quantities so

A-Kid’s leg is in a huge cast and wants Jordan Devlin as soon as possible. We should make it a thirty minute Iron Man match too.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie.

Pretty Deadly isn’t sweating Subculture because they run this division.

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Amele

Satomura is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. A kick to the leg staggers Amele to start and the headlock grinds her down even more. Make that a leg crank on the mat but Amele gets up and hammers away to take over for the first time. Satomura is back up with a flying shoulder and the seated abdominal stretch goes on. That’s broken up as well and Amele stomps her down in the corner.

You don’t do that to Satomura, who kicks Amele down and drops a pair of knees. More kicks to the chest get two on Amele, who gets in a cheap shot for a breather. A fisherman’s neckbreaker gets two but Satomura kicks her in the head again. Amele grabs a quick spinebuster for two and screams a lot at the kickout. Satomura’s DDT plants Amele and Scorpion Rising retains the title at 7:16.

Rating: C. This was a rather kicky match but you need to give Satomura a good, mostly dominant win like this to show that she can beat up a challenger. There was no real drama here but there didn’t need to be either. Satomura is going to get pretty far on reputation alone and she did well enough here.

After the press conference, Walter injured his hand in a backstage altercation with Ilja Dragunov, so the title match is off. More next week.

Heritage Cup: Mark Coffey vs. Tyler Bate

Coffey is challenging and Wolfgang/Trent Seven are the seconds. After the Big Match Intros, round one begins with Coffey driving him up against the ropes to start. Coffey works on the arm and Bate can’t even armdrag his way to freedom. Bate can however spin around into a wristlock of his own as they’re firmly in first gear so far. The arm work switches over to chain wrestling and no one gets anywhere as the round ends.

Round two begins with Bate having to get out of a hammerlock, only to be reversed back into a hammerlock. Coffey takes him down to the mat but Bate gets up and wheels him through the ropes. Back in and Coffey sweeps the legs but Bate flips him into a cradle for the first fall at 1:35 of the round (5:18 total).

Round three begins with Coffey grinding away on a headlock and countering a rebound lariat with a backdrop. Bate dives into a kick to the face and a running basement elbow ties it up at 1:43 of the round (7:32 total). Round four begins with Bate striking away and grabbing a rollup for two. A belly to back suplex gives Coffey two so Bate comes back with a crucifix.

An exploder suplex sends Coffey flying but Bate is favoring his back. He’s fine enough to bust out the airplane spin but the dizziness allows Coffey to grab a half nelson slam. Back up and they ram heads for a double knockdown to end the round. Round Five begins with Bate going for the legs but getting send into the post for two. Bate manages the rebound lariat though and the rolling Liger kick sets up the Tyler Driver 97 to retain at 0:58 of the round (16:47 total).

Rating: B-. These matches work well and it helps when you have someone like Coffey who can keep up with Bate. I’m not sure how long Bate is going to hold the title, but he is helping to make all of his opponents look good before moving on to something else. Bate is certainly a star around here and this is doing a nice job of reestablishing that.

Respect is shown and Bate holds up the cup to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Another pretty good show from the UK and I’m running out of ways to say that is normal. The opening segment was very good and I was disappointed by the title match being canceled. I’m sure we’ll get there eventually but dang it sounds like a lot of fun. The rest of the show was the usual nice stuff with the main event as the second highlight so as usual, I don’t have much to complain about.

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NXT UK
Date: July 8, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

I’m not entirely sure what to expect from this show and that is a nice feeling. Above all else, there are a lot of ways things could go, but first we have a grudge match between Trent Seven and Eddie Dennis. I like both guys a good bit so hopefully they can do something good here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Nathan Frazer vs. Kenny Williams

Williams works on the arm to start but gets flipped into the corner for his efforts. Frazer takes him down without much effort and they run the ropes until Williams gets taken down into an armbar. The stomping is on in the corner and Williams is sent outside for the dive. Back in and Frazer hits a running shoulder to the knee to take over and the cranking begins. The knee is fine enough for a sunset flip but Williams kicks him in the face for the same. There’s a running kick to the knee in the corner and Frazer is in trouble.

That doesn’t last long a Frazer kicks him away and starts the comeback with some forearms to the head. A top rope kick to the face (which Frazer probably shouldn’t be able to do) gets two but the leg gives out again. Williams hits a belly to back faceplant for two but Frazer is back up with an enziguri. The Nightmare on Helm Street plants Williams but he rolls to the apron before the frog splash can launch. There’s another kick to the ribs and the referee gets distracted, allowing Williams to pull him into the steel turnbuckle. Bad Luck finishes Frazer at 9:04.

Rating: C+. The ending surprised me as I wouldn’t have bet on seeing Frazer lose here. He is someone who seems to have all kinds of potential and it is odd to see him losing under almost any circumstances. That being said, they need some fresh names higher up on the card so letting Williams get a win is worth a chance giving how far he has come as of late.

We look at Jordan Devlin injuring A-Kid’s knee last week.

Joe Coffey and Rampage Brown have a chat in Sid Scala’s office.

Video on Meiko Satomura vs. Amele.

Mark Andrews vs. Lewis Howley

Sam Stoker is here too and if Andrews wins, Subculture gets a Tag Team Title shot. Howley drives him into the corner to start and cranks on the arm. That’s reversed into an armbar on Howley, followed by a Rey Mysterio sitout bulldog for two. Andrews sends him outside for the suicide dive but Howley sends him shoulder first into the post. Some quick posing sets up a legdrop for two on Andrews, who is right back with a spinning crossbody for two. Howley is sent outside but the baseball slid is countered with a ram into the barricade.

Back in and we hit the chinlock, which is broken up in short order. Andrews goes up to try a middle rope moonsault but gets pulled out of the air, only to snap off a tornado DDT. Howley doesn’t seem to like getting kicked in the face and a sunset flip gives Andrews two. Stoker pops up on the apron for a distraction so here is Subculture to take care of him. Andrews’ rollup gets two more but Howley loads up a suplex. That’s reversed into the Stundog Millionaire though and Fall To Pieces ends Howley at 9:18.

Rating: C+. There is something so goofy about Pretty Deadly that it is hard not to like them at least a bit. It helps that they can wrestle a decent enough match like this one, so there is actually a little substance there. You could all but guarantee Subculture getting the shot, though I’m not sure I can believe they’re winning the belts in one of Pretty Deadly’s first major defenses.

Jack Starz is disappointed after last week and Dave Mastiff comes in to say he did a good job last week, even if he is kind of the gatekeeper around here. Mastiff doesn’t care for this being filmed.

Tyler Bate doesn’t like Gallus trying to one up each other but he’s down to defend the Heritage Cup. Just ask.

Blair Davenport vs. Laura di Matteo

Davenport (more famous as Bea Priestley) cranks on the arm to start but gets blasted with a clothesline for her efforts. That doesn’t last long though as Davenport runs her over and hits a top rope double stomp for two. A neckbreaker gives Davenport two but Matteo is back with a short DDT for the same. Davenport hits a double springboard dropkick though and a hard knee finishes Matteo at 3:13.

Rating: C-. Not much time for this one and Matteo got in a lot of offense of her own. The good thing is that Davenport dominated in the end, as she should. Davenport is going to have to do a bit to get to the title picture around here, especially when her name is perfect for the stuck up 24 year old playing a rich high school girl in a CW drama series.

Post match Davenport says she is here to face everyone and you have never seen anyone who wrestles like her.

Jinny doesn’t like Aoife Valkyrie hiding in the shadows and promises to expose Valkyrie as a little girl playing dress up.

Teoman sits down with Rohan Raja, who says that he is forever loyal before they are family. Next week, they are facing Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter.

In two weeks: Ilja Dragunov vs. Walter II.

Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis

Seven unloads with chops in the corner to start but gets headlocked over. That earns Dennis a slam into a legdrop for two and Seven sends him outside. The suicide dive sends Dennis into the barricade but he takes Seven down on the floor. Back in and a swinging sitout Rock Bottom gives Dennis two, meaning it’s time to stomp away. Seven spins him around into a DDT though and they’re both down. Dennis blocks a German suplex and hits….kind of a Rock Bottom turned into a slam for two.

We hit the cravate (which you would expect to be more common around here) but Seven slips out and strikes away. The layout slam gives Seven two but he misses a top rope flip dive. Splash Mountain sets up the Severn Bridge, only to have Seven pop up and hit the half and half. Dennis nails a clothesline though and they’re both down again.

They slug it out from their knees and then their feet with Seven trying the Birminghammer. That’s broken up as well so Dennis kicks him in the face as Primate and Tyson T-Bone come out. Dennis says he has this and tries a superplex, which is reversed into a super sitout slam for a bunch of near falls. With nothing else working, the Birminghammer finishes Dennis at 11:34.

Rating: C+. Both guys looked good here and it is nice to see Seven winning more on his own. Tyler Bate would seem to be the big star of the team (as he should be) but Seven winning on his own is nice to see too. The match got some time and they went back pretty well, making this a solid TV main event.

Post match Primate and T-Bone come in for the beatdown but Tyler Bate runs in for the save. Bate even busts out some nunchucks to make it go faster to end the show. Really? Nunchucks? For these two?

Overall Rating: B-. That might be a bit high but I liked this one a good bit. They didn’t have anything major going on (though Walter vs. Dragunov II will be rocking) but everything was at least watchable if not quite good, continuing a trend with this show. It’s weird in that this show doesn’t really need a Takeover or any kind of a special on the horizon most of the time, though seeing what they could do at a high level would be nice. For now though, they can settle for being one of, if not the, best weekly wrestling show.

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Emilia McKenzie vs. Isla Dawn

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

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

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

Post match Dawn looks up and talks to someone.

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

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

Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate vs. Jack Starz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mila Smidt vs. Aoife Valkyrie

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

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

Post match, Valkyrie stars Jinny down.

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

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

Jordan Devlin vs. A-Kid

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

Emilia McKenzie b. Isla Dawn – Running knee

Tyler Bate b. Jack Starz 2-1

Aoife Valkyrie b. Mila Smidt – Top rope ax kick

Jordan Devlin b. A-Kid – Knee crank

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NXT UK
Date: June 24, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s time for a big fight as we have a triple threat main event between Ilja Dragunov, Rampage Brown and Joe Coffey. That alone should be worth seeing, and it would be hard to imagine that the winner is not in line for the next shot at Walter. It isn’t like there is anyone else available to challenge for the title at the moment. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Coffey vs. Sha Samuels

They go with the power lockup to start and fight over a headlock exchange. Coffey’s elbow to the face drops Samuels and it’s an armdrag into an armbar. Back up and Samuels hits a hard clothesline and then does it again to turn Coffey inside out. Coffey tries a comeback but runs into an even harder clothesline for two. The Butcher’s Hook is blocked though and Coffey suplexes him down. A middle rope bulldog gives Coffey two more and Samuels’ spinebuster gets the same. The Butcher’s Hook is countered again and this time it’s a running elbow to finish Samuels at 6:30.

Rating: C+. This was about two hard hitting power guys beating each other up and it worked well. These guys can work a physical style and they did so here, as Samuels continues to lose in almost any match that matters in the slightest. At the same time, I’m surprised that Coffey actually got a win, as that has not been his custom on his own.

Emilia McKenzie is happy to see Meiko Satomura win the Women’s Title. Isla Dawn comes in, complete with spooky lighting, and McKenzie leaves.

A woman named Mila is at the Performance Center but Aoife Valkyrie runs into the ring to start training. Jinny pops up to say it’s pitiful that Mila (whose last name is Schmidt) is just stuck watching. A match seems to be teased.

Subculture is proud of their win last week but Pretty Deadly pops in to seem unimpressed.

Stevie Turner vs. Laura di Matteo

Matteo is from Progress. Turner drives her into the corner to start and grinds away on a headlock. They fight over arm control until Turner sends her into the ropes. Some running shots to the head keep Matteo in trouble and a pump kick gives Turner two. The crossarm choke doesn’t last long as Matteo escapes and hits a dropkick. A missed charge cuts off the comeback though and a springboard Downward Spiral finishes Matteo at 4:15.

Rating: C-. Turner is certainly unique and it is nice to see someone with a different kind of gimmick out there. I’m not sure if she is exactly blowing away anyone in the ring but she is serviceable enough at what she does. Matteo being out there in little more than a jobber spot was weird as she is a big enough deal in Progress. Maybe she can stick around and get a bigger chance down the line though, which has been done before.

Gallus is happy with Mark Coffey’s win and are ready for the main event.

Kenny Williams interrupts Nathan Frazer at the Performance Center and a challenge seems to be accepted.

A woman opens a briefcase and signs a contract. Her name is Blair Davenport, and I would assume this is Bea Priestley.

Video on Tyler Bate vs. Jack Stars for the Heritage Cup. Starz talks about coming up on the summer camp circuit, just like William Regal. He is looking forward to fulfilling his dream and it starts next week.

Oliver Carter vs. Teoman

Carter is out for revenge for Teoman hurting his partner Ashton Smith. Carter starts fast by snapping off a headscissors and striking away, setting up some yelling in the corner. Teoman charges into a kick to the face to put him on the floor, where Carter sends him into the steps. That earns him an arm twist into the steps and it’s time to work on Carter’s arm back inside.

A running forearm to the back of the head cuts Carter down again and the Fujiwara armbar sends Carter to the ropes. Teoman misses a handspring elbow though and Carter hits a standing Lionsault for two. Carter’s superkick gets the same, followed by an ax kick for two more. Back up and Carter gets caught with a shot to the face, setting up Teoman’s middle rope DDT for two. With that not working, the Crossface makes Carter tap at 7:06.

Rating: C+. Teoman is starting to grow on me and there is always something to be said about someone working away at a limb until it is useless. Carter sold well here and you could buy that he was making a comeback. Surprisingly solid match here as Teoman gets to look better than usual here.

Post match the beatdown continues but Rohan Raja runs in….and turns on Carter. Teoman and Carter leave together.

Video on A-Kid vs. Jordan Devlin.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Joe Coffey vs. Rampage Brown

Time for a hoss fight and I’m trying to get my mind around Coffey’s weird green/white trunks. Brown drops Dragunov to start but gets suplexed by Coffey. It’s Dragunov getting back up to pull Brown to the mat for some elbows to the head. Coffey sends Dragunov outside before slugging it out with Brown. That means a Boston crab to Brown with Dragunov having to hammer away for a good while to break it up.

Brown is back up with a double clothesline to put the other two down, followed by a double suplex to send both of them flying. Coffey manages to backdrop Brown to the floor but Dragunov is back up with a bridging German suplex. Dragunov comes up holding his ribs as he goes up but has to fight Coffey off. That means Coffey goes crashing down, allowing Dragunov to jump over Brown into a backsplash for two.

Brown slams Dragunov onto Coffey for two but Dragunov gets back up to lose a slugout. A big lariat drops Brown though and Dragunov gets all insane again. Dragunov knocks Brown into the corner but Coffey hits his running tackle to send Dragunov into him. Coffey hits a big dive to take both of them out on the floor but Dragunov wins a slugout back inside. A second slugout goes to a draw to put them both down but Dragunov is up….and charges into a discus lariat. Brown knocks Coffey outside in a big crash but it’s Dragunov back up and striking away.

Some German suplexes rock Brown but he is fine enough to German suplex both Dragunov and the returning Coffey. An electric chair drop lets Coffey plant Brown and they all have to pull themselves up. They all collide for another knockdown but Brown is up first with a Doctor Bomb to Coffey. Dragunov makes the save and, after slipping out of another Doctor Bomb, hits a top rope Torpedo Moscow to finish Brown at 16:14.

Rating: B+. This was every single thing you would have expected from these three and that is a very good thing. They did nothing but hit each other really hard for a long time until one of them was left standing. Dragunov winning is the right call as he has the redemption story going so there isn’t even a complaint about the result. They had a hoss fight here and it was a very, very good one.

Post match here is Walter to hold up the title at Dragunov and then slap him down. Walter chokes him out and poses with the title to end the show. If they have a Takeover coming at any point in the next few months, they have the headliner right in front of them.

Overall Rating: B. Nothing on here was close to bad and the main event was a heck of a fight, with Walter showing up at the end to set the stages for the rematch making it even better. It was an awesome show from one of the best weekly series around today. Check out the main event if you have the time because it is one of the better fights I’ve seen from anything WWE related in a long time.

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NXT UK
Date: June 17, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things might be a bit slower this week as we are coming off a pretty awesome title change last week. Meiko Satomura is the new Women’s Champion, meaning we could be in for something a bit slower this time around. I’m not sure what that is going to mean for the show, but NXT UK is pretty awesome at the moment so they should be fine. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Meiko Satomura finally ending Kay Lee Ray’s record setting Women’s Title reign last week. That was a pretty cool moment.

Wolfgang vs. Sam Gradwell

Before the match, Gradwell makes Big Bad Wolf jokes but is very clear that his house is made of stone. Wolfgang shoulders him down without much trouble to start and grabs an armbar. Back up and Wolfgang’s big whip sends Gradwell into the corner as this is one sided so far.

Wolfgang heads up but gets knocked down to the floor, meaning it’s time to grab a shoulder. That doesn’t last long though as Wolfgang is right back up to slug away and run Gradwell over. A suplex gives Wolfgang two but Gradwell elbows his way out of a fireman’s carry. Wolfgang manages to snap Gradwell’s throat over the top though and a spear is enough for the pin at 6:13.

Rating: C. Wolfgang has never been the most interesting singles star so it was nice to see him getting a chance like this. The match wasn’t great or anything, but it gives Wolfgang some momentum. That being said, it would be nice to see Gradwell win something for a change. I don’t remember the last time that was the case and that’s not a good sign.

Kenny Williams is ready to prove himself.

Various wrestlers are excited about Meiko Satomura’s win. Well save for Amele, who wants the title.

Subculture and Jinny/Joseph Conners are about to come to blows but Pretty Deadly pops in to interrupt. They’ll be on commentary for the mixed tag.

Danny Jones vs. Kenny Williams

Jones takes him down in a hurry and grabs a headlock, followed by the armbar. Williams is sent outside and snaps Jones’ arm over the ropes to take over. Back in and Williams bends him around the ropes, setting up a running dropkick to the back. The armbar has Jones in more trouble but he fights up for an enziguri. Jones tosses him into the corner a few times and hits a running boot but Williams takes the leg out. Back up and Bad Luck finishes Jones at 4:11.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but Jones got to showcase himself more than I would have expected. What mattered here was having Williams pick up a win in the end as he is someone NXT seems interested in pushing. I’m not sure how far he is going to go, but they are trying something with him and that is how you start.

We get a sitdown interview with Rampage Brown, Ilja Dragunov and Joe Coffey with the three of them talking about how tough and violent they are. They all seem ready to fight, with Coffey and Brown taunting Dragunov about not being what he used to be. Their match is next week.

Mark Coffey annoys Sha Samuels and makes him run off in frustration.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions because this needs to keep going. This week’s guest is Jordan Devlin, with Noam Dar complimenting his fashion sense. Devlin likes Dar’s shoes too and Dar gives him the new Supernova Sessions shirt. After dominating America, Devlin is back here because America sucks. We hear about Devlin dropping the Cruiserweight Title to “Santa Claus” Escobar. Dar likes Devlin so he can have the big closing statement. Devlin says the franchise brand is back so come to the biggest dressing room and challenge him.

Video on Oliver Carter vs. Teoman next week, with Carter fighting to avenge his injured partner, Ashton Smith.

Dave Mastiff is training in the Performance Center but we cut over to Tyler Bate offering Jack Starz a Heritage Cup shot. Starz says he isn’t ready and Bate says the offer is there later. Bate leaves and Mastiff asks Starz what he is thinking.

Nathan Frazer vs. Rohan Raja

Frazer grabs a quick rollup for two so Raja grabs a headlock to slow him down. Back up and Frazer snaps off a Sling Blade but charges into a hard toss into the corner to give Raja his own two. The waistlock keeps Frazer in trouble until he reverses into a rollup for two of his own. Frazer runs him over with a forearm into a moonsault but Raja rolls away.

That’s fine with Frazer who lands on his feet and hits a standing moonsault for two instead. Raja is back up with a sitout Sky High for two but Frazer grabs a twisting suplex. A springboard moonsault into a Nightmare On Helm Street connects but Raja catches him on top. That just means a headbutt to put Raja down and the frog splash finishes for Frazer at 6:50.

Rating: C. There is something about Frazer that makes him fun to watch. His offense looks crisp and he has the charisma on top of it, which is more than you are going to get out of almost anyone else these days. It wasn’t a big match or even anything important, but I had fun here, as is the case with almost any Frazer match.

Post match an eye pops up on screen so Frazer looks at it but nothing happens.

Jordan Devlin comes in to his huge locker room and finds A-Kid. It seems we have a challenge.

Subculture vs. Jinny/Joseph Conners

That would be Flash Morgan Webster/Dani Luna for Subculture and Pretty Deadly is on commentary. The guys start things off with Webster grabbing a running armdrag to little avail. A knee to the ribs cuts Webster off so the women come in, with Jinny cranking on the arm. It’s back to Conners, with Luna backflipping Webster into a moonsault. Jinny gets in a cheap shot on Luna though and the stomping is on in the corner. A Black Widow has Luna in more trouble but she powers out for a fall away slam.

The hot tag brings in Webster to fire off the clotheslines to Conners to put him outside. Luna backdrops Webster into a flip dive, allowing her to snap suplex Jinny. Luna kicks an invading Conners in the face and sends him over the top but Conners comes back in for I believe Chuck Taylor’s Awful Waffle for two on Webster. Jinny gets in a cheap shot from the apron so Conners can grab a rollup for two more as the referee finally bothers to clear the ring a bit. The distraction lets Luna kick Conners down, setting up a 630 to give Webster the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C+. This was a fast paced match with Luna getting to look like a monster. You can probably pencil in Subculture as Pretty Deadly’s next challengers and that is not a bad thing. What matters here is Subculture getting a win to boost them up a bit, as the group is just getting off the ground. Besides, can Conners really fall that much further down?

Post match, Mark Andrews joins Webster in the ring for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They had a pretty balanced show here and that’s where NXT UK tends to shine. Nothing on here really got a ton of focus, which is fine when none of the matches is that much bigger than the rest. This show is just so easy to watch and that makes all the difference in the world these days. Rather nice show here and I’m not even surprised by that these days.

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NXT UK
Date: June 10, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s a title night as Meiko Satomura is challenging Kay Lee Ray for the Women’s Title. The two of them had quite the showdown back in March and it could be great to see what they could do again with the stakes at a high level again. Other than that, Walter is back and that means we could be in for an important appearance. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Walter for the first time in about two months to get things going. Walter talks about his title defenses in two days on two continents. Now he is the longest reigning champion of the modern era but his mission has never changed. His goal is to make this title prestigious and keep the ring sacred. And that’s it.

Subculture is ready for Jinny and Joseph Conners next week.

Jordan Devlin vs. Saxton Huxley

The bigger Huxley powers him into the corner to start and hits a knee to Devlin’s ribs. A headlock grinds Devlin down but he low bridges a charging Huxley outside. That doesn’t seem to bother Huxley, who drops Devlin throat first across the barricade. Commentary is stunned by the dominance as Huxley pulls him shoulder first into the post. Back in and a Thesz press drops Devlin again so it’s a rake to the eyes to cut Huxley off. Some kicks to the ribs keep Huxley down but he is right back up with a sitout chokebomb for two. Huxley puts him in a fireman’s carry but Devlin slips out and the Devlin Side finishes Huxley at 6:24.

Rating: C. This was a nice showcase for Huxley and there is no shame in coming up short against Devlin. I’m still convinced that Devlin could be the next challenger to Walter, if nothing else for the sake of mixing up the challengers. Devlin has been treated as being on a pretty high level, though Walter is on a level all of his own. Anyway, nice opener here.

Gallus is annoying Sid Scala when Sam Gradwell pops in. Then he pops out, leaving Gallus to be told they might get a match they want, possibly vs. Gradwell.

Symbiosis vs. Andy Wild/Dan Moloney

Eddie Dennis is here with Symbiosis (T-Bone/Primate) and Pretty Deadly is on commentary. Primate hammers on Moloney to start and cranks on the head. It’s off to Wild, who scares Primate into the corner for the tag to T-Bone. A snapmare into an elbow gets two on T-Bone, who is right back with a fall away slam. T-Bone holds up Moloney for a top rope ax handle to the back and a pair of stomps get two. Moloney finally gets in a few shots of his own and brings in Wild to clean house. That just earns him a belly to back suplex though and a spear drops Wild again. A powerslam into a top rope headbutt finishes Moloney at 6:10.

Rating: C-. Not quite a squash here but there wasn’t much drama about the result. Symbiosis are a good pair of brawlers and they looked good running over two game opponents. I’m not sure I can see the two of them getting the next title shot against Pretty Deadly, but I’ve heard worse ideas.

Teoman doesn’t like Oliver Carter getting in his way and wonders if Ashton Smith would even help him.

Next week: Sam Gradwell vs. Wolfgang and Joseph Conners/Jinny vs. Subculture.

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Kay Lee Ray

Ray is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. Satomura kicks at the leg to start and forearms away in the corner. Ray can’t hit an early Gory Bomb attempt and bails to the floor from a fireman’s carry attempt. Back in and Ray hits a superkick for two and the chinlock goes on. With that broken up, Ray chops her against the rope for two and a clothesline sets up the trash talking.

A gordbuster sets up the Koji Clutch but Satomura reverses into an STF. Ray makes the rope and scores with an elbow, followed by some neck cranking. Satomura has to slip out of the Gory Bomb and it’s a DDT to plant the champ again. Back up and Ray nails a Death Valley Driver, only to walk into the Gory Bomb to put them both down. They trade kicks to the face, with Satomura smiling before hammering away again.

Ray is back with a tornado DDT for two but Satomura pops back up. Two superkicks make her pop up again so there’s a third, which just fires Satomura up enough for a Death Valley Driver. Another superkick from Ray sets up the Gory Bomb which sets up a Swanton for a rather near fall. Ray teases walking out but walks into a Death Valley Driver on the floor.

That barely slows Ray down and she hits the Gory Bomb onto the apron. Back in and they head up with Satomura managing a sunset bomb for a rather close two. Satomura grabs a sleeper but Ray gets over to the rope. Ray’s attempt at a Koji Clutch doesn’t work so it’s Scorpion Rising to give Satomura the pin and the title at 18:27.

Rating: B. This is how you should want a major title change to go and they made it work. It made sense for Satomura to put everything she had into this as you cannot have her lose twice in a row in major matches. Satomura winning the title to end Ray’s reign fits well as Ray has gotten everything she can out of the title (and it has been a lot). This was the right call at the right time and a rubber match is not the worst idea.

A lot of replays and celebrating, including red and yellow streamers, end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event is the most important thing by far here and while Walter’s appearance was cool, he didn’t really say anything. This show did a nice job of making me want to see the title match though and that is what matters most. NXT UK has done a great job of making its champions feel important and they did it again here with Satomura’s title win. Good show here, with the main event feeling like the big match it should have been.

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

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