IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 19, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s title night as Kay Lee Ray is defending the Women’s Title against Piper Niven but this time it’s a Falls Count Anywhere match. Other than that we have some interesting things going on around here and hopefully some of that leads into some better stories as we move forward. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with both Ray and Niven promising to leave as champion. Short and to the point.

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Sam Gradwell

They fight over the lockup to start but the grappling doesn’t get either of them anywhere. Gradwell knees him in the ribs and tries to tie up the arm. Coffey is right back with a running dropkick to Gradwell’s braced knee, which is then wrapped around the rope. Gradwell tries to take him to the mat but gets hit in the knee again. A piledriver attempt is blocked so Coffey knocks him to the mat instead.

Coffey stands on Gradwell’s knees and slaps him in the face but Gradwell is right back to slug away. A Downward Spiral gives Gradwell two but Coffey (whose eye got busted open somewhere in there) slugs away to slow him down again. The running knee in the corner rocks Gradwell and All The Best For The Bells finishes him at 7:03.

Rating: C. These two beat each other up rather well and that’s where Coffey tends to shine. He can brawl with some of the best of them around here and it’s a smart move to keep him looking strong around here for a bigger match down the line. Then you have Gradwell, who needs to be completely rebuilt after not having much of a start in the first place. This was a good first step as he put up a solid fight.

Sid Scala is trying to announce a Cruiserweight Title match for next week but Jordan Devlin cuts him off, saying that Scala and Johnny Saint should be on their knees, thanking him for appearing. Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan come up to say they both want a shot. Devlin says figure out a challenger and come find him.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how he was going to have to be dragged out of the ring against Walter and it was going to be a war. That’s rather accurate and the highlights of the match show just how brutal it got.

Alexander Wolfe gets annoyed at Gallus celebrating Joe Coffey’s win so Coffey says he’s ready to fight in the ring or in the parking lot. Wolfe seems interested.

Pretty Deadly vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith

Carter and Smith have new gear and music. Smith works on Stoker’s arm to start but it’s off to Howley anyway. That’s fine with Smith as he works on Howley’s arm instead so it’s already back to Stoker, who gets in some arm cranking of his own. Smith powers him up and onto the corner, followed by a suplex for two. Carter comes in for something like Private Party’s Silly String into a splash for two more on Stoker.

Howley tries to sneak back in and is armdragged right down, followed by a crossbody to give Carter two more. The referee has to get Smith out of the ring though, allowing Stoker to trip Carter into the buckle for a nice double team. The chinlock goes on as commentary tries to figure out which movie stars Pretty Deadly most resemble. Stoker is back in for a running elbow to the face in the corner and the armbar goes on again.

Howley comes in to elbow Smith but Carter crawls over to him for the hot tag anyway. House is cleaned in a hurry and a Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Howley. Everything breaks down and a superkick drops Howley. Stoker puts the foot on the rope though and hits Smith with an uppercut, allowing Howley to grab a rollup with trunks for the pin at 8:29.

Rating: C+. Pretty Deadly is rapidly becoming a nice little heel team and that’s a good place for them to be. They’re not ready for the top of the card yet but I could very easily see them taking the Tag Team Titles one day. I still can’t remember which one is which, but even NXT UK made a joke out of that last week. The pretty boy heel gimmick might not be the most original gimmick, but it is one you see so often because it’s always going to work.

A ticked off Mark Andrews yells about Eddie Dennis costing him eight months of his career. Flash Morgan Webster says Eddie broke fifteen years of their friendship so now they’re breaking him.

Various wrestlers talk about Rampage Brown. They’re making him feel like a big deal in a hurry.

Levi Muir vs. Saxon Huxley

Huxley is rather aggressive to start and slaps on a quickly broken headlock. Muir gets knocked into the corner and there’s a face wash to make it worse. We hit the neck crank but here’s Jack Starz to cheer for Muir. That starts a comeback but Huxley punches him out of the air in a hurry. A hard running clothesline finishes Muir at 3:33.

Rating: C-. I’m still not much on Huxley but this was the best performance he’s had so far. Huxley has some angry charisma and looked like a monster here, though I’m going to need to see more of him to be convinced. Muir is in the same place, though his pretty good physique should be enough to keep him around for the time.

We look at A-Kid and Trent Seven making it to the Heritage Cup finals. They’re both ready to win to prove themselves.

Amir Jordan gets a Cruiserweight Title shot against Jordan Devlin next week.

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

Ray is defending and Falls Count Anywhere. They slug it out in the aisle before the bell with Niven getting the better of things. Niven takes her inside for the opening bell so Ray bails straight to the floor again. That doesn’t work well here as Niven runs her over and gets an early two. It’s time to bring out the weapons early on but Niven settles for whipping her into the barricade instead. A sunset flip over the barricade gets two on Niven but she gets in a chair shot to cut the champ off.

Ray is back with the bell which she pelts at Niven’s head. Since that might cause a bad case of death, Niven slips away and it’s a spare turnbuckle to the knee to take Ray down again. Ray kicks her way out of a leglock attempt and they head back inside, where the knee is fine enough for a superkick. The Gory Bomb doesn’t work though and Niven hits a headbutt to put them both down. Ray gets in some kendo stick shots before wrapping a chain around Niven’s face.

That earns her a spinebuster onto a trashcan for two and they head outside again. This time Ray sends her face first into the floor for two more but Niven is right back with a suplex to drop Ray again. Cue Jinny to jump Niven but she’s gone just as fast, leaving Niven to grab a backslide for two. They head backstage for a change with Niven blasting her over the head with a framed poster. Since it’s just a framed poster, Ray is back with a guitar shot for two more.

The Gory Bomb onto a chair is countered into a Piper Driver onto the chair for another two. You would think a finisher onto a chair and then onto concrete would be good for a pin here but they don’t work that way anymore. Niven whips out a pipe and blasts Ray’s knee again but Ray whips her into an anvil case. A backdrop sends Ray onto the cases though and Niven is ready to drive her through a table. Cue Jinny again to chair Niven through said table, with Ray landing on top to retain at 14:58.

Rating: C+. They had a good fight though Niven looks like the worst choker in all of WWE at the moment. Jinny interfering does help, but they lost me on that Piper Driver through the chair only getting two. If that’s not enough to finish Ray, what else was going to? Ray’s title reign is impressing me, and a showdown with Xia Brookside in a big underdog win could be a great thing to see. What we got here worked, but it did go on a little longer than needed.

Overall Rating: B-. NXT UK does something special by taking a bunch of people who aren’t that well known and turning them into a pretty nice roster all things considered. We got a good main event, some stuff set up for later and some teases for things that are going to be coming at some point. Solid show here as NXT UK is back to where it was before everything stopped.

Results

Joe Coffey b. Sam Gradwell – All The Best For The Bells

Pretty Deadly b. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith – Rollup with trunks to Smith

Saxon Huxley b. Levi Muir – Clothesline

Kay Lee Ray b. Piper Niven – Pin after Jinny knocked Niven through a table

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 5, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the week after the big showdown and I’m not sure where to go from here. At the end of the day, Ilja Dragunov and Walter beating the fire out of each other isn’t exactly easy to follow and I’m curious to see where it goes. The Heritage Cup is still running around as well so they have a few things to do. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s epic title match with Walter surviving Dragunov to retain. They were both banged up after the match.

Opening sequence.

Gallus vs. Pretty Deadly/Sam Gradwell

Mark Coffey throws Sam Stoker around to start so Wolfgang comes in to work on the arm. Stoker’s dropkick allows the tag off to Lewis Howley, who is taken down by the arm. Joe Coffey gets to come in and crank on the arm as well with Howley not even being able to nip his way up to freedom. Back up and Gradwell gets the tag so Joe slaps on a headlock in a hurry. Everything breaks down for a bit so Gallus clears the ring without much trouble. We settle down to Gradwell slapping Joe and diving over for the tag back to Howley.

Wolfgang comes in but gets caught in the wrong corner. He doesn’t seem to mind as house is cleaned in a hurry, allowing the tag back to Mark for a headlock to Stoker. Back up and Stoker grabs a DDT for two on Mark and it’s Howley coming in to work on the arm. Gradwell is back with a quickly broken chinlock but a little too much trash talk lets Mark get over for the hot tag to Joe. That means even more of the house can be cleaned as everything breaks down. All The Best For The Bells finishes Gradwell at 9:47.

Rating: C. This was the welcome home match for Gallus and that worked out just fine. It also seemed to be the trio being full on faces, which they were around the time of the hiatus but it’s nice to get a reminder. They are good as a trio and that is the kind of star power that you need around here. Good enough match here, though little more than a symbol.

We look at how A-Kid and Noam Dar advanced to the Heritage Cup Tournament semifinals.

We look back at the Hunt turning on Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster while aligning with Eddie Dennis.

Earlier today, Rampage Brown came to the NXT UK Performance Center and seemed impressed.

Jinny vs. Aleah James

Jinny shoves her into the corner to start so James shoves her right back. James’ armbar only lasts so long as Jinny takes her into the corner for a stomping. A dropkick works a bit better for James but another kick is blocked and Jinny puts on a straitjacket choke with her knees in the back. That’s broken up so Jinny hits a rolling Liger kick for the pin at 3:47.

Rating: D+. Another match designed to make Jinny look good and it worked well enough. I’m not sure how far she is going to go while Kay Lee Ray is Women’s Champion but it makes a lot of sense to build someone else up. The fashionista thing is little more than a nickname as she doesn’t do much with fashion, and that might be the best course for her.

Post match Jinny grabs the mic and says that’s the killer instinct she can have. People like Piper Niven need to learn that so here’s Niven to interrupt. Hold on though as Kay Lee Ray comes in and slides a chair inside. She wants to see the two of them fight so Niven headbutts Jinny down and Michinoku Drivers James. Jinny is planted onto the chair and it’s Niven chasing Ray to the back.

Eddie Dennis, with the Hunt, talks about Mark Andrews exploiting him for years. Flash Morgan Webster is no better and now it’s payback time. What an odd combination which seems to work.

During the break, Niven caught Ray and took the title from her. I could go for a more aggressive Niven getting the title shot.

In two weeks, Niven gets a title shot.

Video on Rampage Brown.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

We go over the Heritage Cup rules.

Heritage Cup Semifinals: Noam Dar vs. A-Kid

They start rather fast with the rolling grappling into a standoff. Dar gets him down with a wristlock on the mat but Kid is right back with a headlock takeover. Back up and Dar sends him outside as the first round ends. Round two begins with an exchange of snapmares until Kid takes him down by the wrist. Dar is back up with a shot to the leg before going right back to the arm. The very spinning backslide gives Dar two but Kid reverses into a Crossface until time expires.

Round three begins with Dar hitting the stall button to take away the momentum in a smart move. Dar takes him down with some more strikes though and nails a running forearm to the back of the head for two. Some more shots to the head set up an Oomaplata to make Kid tap at 2:04 of the third round (9:27 total).

Dar stays on the arm to start round four and it’s time to pick the Kid apart. Some kicks and knees have Kid down but Dar talks a little trash, allowing Kid to take him down and bridge into a rollup to tie the match at one fall each at 1:27 of the round (11:42 total). Kid strikes him down to start round five but gets sent to the floor so Dar can kick the leg out. Dar follows him to the floor for a kick to the chest but Kid kicks him down for nine. Back in and Kid hits a running kick to the chest for two so it’s a high crossbody for the same. They go with the rapid fire slugout until the round ends.

It’s an exchange of kicks to the head to start round six and then it’s another pinfall reversal sequence. Kid’s kick to the ribs is blocked though and it’s a discus elbow to the face. The Nova Roller doesn’t work though as Kid pulls him down into the Rings of Saturn with his legs to finish Dar at 2:12 of round six (18:08 total).

Rating: B. This was a different kind of match as they were almost carving each other up with the strikes and submissions. That made it more of a match where they were trying to survive and catch the other and that worked out well. Kid is starting to shine like a big deal and if he happens to win a title as a stepping stone, good for him.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event is certainly the best part but this was a pretty skippable show otherwise. It’s certainly a watchable show though and at less than an hour, it’s a completely easy sit. One place where NXT UK needs some work are the shows where they don’t have the heavy hitters included and that was the case again here. Pretty good, but nothing you need to see.

Results

Gallus b. Pretty Deadly/Sam Gradwell – All The Best For The Bells to Gradwell

Jinny b. Aleah James – Rolling Liger kick

A-Kid b. Noam Dar 2 to 1

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 29, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for one of the bigger matches that has ever taken place around here as Walter defends the United Kingdom Title against Ilja Dragunov. This was originally planned for sometime earlier this year but the Coronavirus changed the plans. The match has been built up incredibly well and if the payoff is anywhere in the ballpark, this is going to be a smash. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on Walter vs. Dragunov. They’ve made it feel special.

Opening sequence.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Dani Luna

Luna armdrags her down to start but Valkyrie is right back with a headscissors to escape. Back up and a knee to the ribs slows Valkyrie down but Valkyrie scores with a running dropkick to send her to the floor. Valkyrie gets dropped onto the apron though and we hit the armbar back inside. That’s broken up as well and Luna armdrags her down for a breather. Valkyrie gets in a Pele for two but Luna snaps off a German suplex. A regular version gets two but Valkyrie is back up with slaps to the face. Another German suplex is escaped and Valkyrie kicks her down again. The top rope ax kick finishes Luna at 6:05.

Rating: C-. Valkyrie being one of the next title challengers would not surprise me and that is a good spot for her. She comes off as a serious threat whenever she is in there and has a cool entrance to go with it. That might be a ways off in the future, but it might be something to look forward to.

Long video on the first round of the Heritage Cup and what it has meant to have the title around.

Rampage Brown is coming. Cool.

We look at Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews both being attacked by an unknown assailant.

Here are Webster and Andrews to search for some answers but here’s Eddie Dennis to cut them off in a hurry. Andrews doesn’t trust him but Dennis says Andrews is the most narcissistic person he has ever met. Webster doesn’t want to hear it, though Dennis keeps talking about Webster being taken out before his big singles match. Cue Pretty Deadly to surround Dennis but the Hunt comes in to even things up. Dennis laughs it off by saying keep your friends close and your enemies closer….and the Hunt jumps Andrews and Webster. Dennis approves of and directs the attack as we have a new partnership. Cool.

Piper Niven still wants Kay Lee Ray and threatens an injury, which lasts longer than a title reign.

Pretty Deadly comes up to Sid Scala and want a Tag Team Title match. Sam Gradwell pops in to say he’s back and then leaves, with Pretty Deadly going in their own direction. Gallus comes in to say Scala should do something about this and promises to be back to normal next week.

Another video on Walter vs. Dragunov, including Dragunov pinning Walter in a tag match after the return.

Jordan Devlin vs. Levi Muir

This is Devlin’s return and his Cruiserweight Title isn’t on the line. Devlin takes the well built Muir down by the arm to start and stomps away as the aggression flows early. An elbow to the face cuts off Muir’s early comeback attempt and the trash talk is on. A release Rock Bottom into the standing moonsault hits Muir but he grabs a rollup for two. Devlin swats away at a second attempt and hits an Alabama Slam. Muir tries a Samoan drop but gets crucifixed for two, followed by a kick to the head. The Devlinside into a Texas Cloverleaf makes Muir tap at 4:49.

Rating: C. This was all about making Devlin look like a star in his return and that worked fine. Devlin was on total fire before he was put on the sideline and I’m hoping he gets to come back and do the same thing over and over again. Good start to the comeback here though, and Muir was a nice looking opponent as well.

Next week: Pretty Deadly/Sam Gradwell vs. Gallus and more Heritage Cup Tournament.

We look at the Walter/Dragunov contract signing, which turned into another hot brawl.

United Kingdom Title: Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov

Walter is defending and Dragunov hits a running knee into the corner at the bell. They strike it out with Dragunov slipping out of a powerbomb and kneeing away. Dragunov knocks him off the top and hits the top rope backsplash, only to have to flip out of the sleeper. Walter gets in a slam and a kick to the back before sending him throat first into the bottom rope, causing Dragunov to come up holding his neck. Back in and Walter starts on the neck with a hard clothesline and the chinlock, followed by a knee drop to the head.

Some choking on the apron stays on the neck and Walter starts cranking away. There’s a stomp to the chest and a shot to the head gives Walter two. Dragunov’s comeback is cut off so Walter steps on his head. Walter knocks him back down again and then lays Dragunov across the top. Dragunov falls outside after Walter steps on his face to put Dragunov out on the floor.

Back up and Walter chokes on the rope but Dragunov reverses into something like Sheamus’ ten forearms to the chest. Some German suplexes drop Walter and there’s a third to really get the fire going. Back to back enziguris set up a dead lift German suplex for two on Walter. A bunch of stomps to the head have Walter in trouble but he forearms Dragunov in the back of the head. The sleeper is blocked but Walter pulls him down on the second attempt.

Dragunov backflips over for the escape and hits him in the back of the neck, setting up the 61Line for two on Walter. They’re both down, with Dragunov’s chest looking absolutely terrible. It’s Walter up first with more stomps to the head and chops to the chest, so Dragunov says do it harder. The huge clothesline into the powerbomb gives Walter two (that would have blown the roof off with a crowd) and the sleeper, with a bodyscissors, goes on. Walter switches to a dragon sleeper before kicking him in the back to set up the regular sleeper again.

Dragunov headbutts his way out, even if he damages his neck again in the process. Some knees to the face and a double chop have Walter out on his knees and it’s a missile dropkick for a great two. They’re both down again so Walter shouts at him and they chop it out even more. Dragunov manages a suplex for another two but the neck gives out on the Torpedo Moscow attempt.

Instead it’s…I think a running knee to the head (maybe a Blockbuster) for two more on Walter. Dragunov elbows him in the head so Walter rolls outside where it’s a sleeper suplex to drop Dragunov on his head. Walter hits the apron powerbomb and then a regular one back inside. The top rope splash…only gets two, and Walter isn’t pleased. He unloads with shots to the face and grabs the sleeper with a bodyscissors. Dragunov is bleeding from the mouth and out cold so the referee finally stops it at 25:10.

Rating: A. They built this up for months and then delivered in spades. This was outstanding and that’s all you can expect from a big time Walter match. No one brings the big fight collision like he does as every time it feels like his challengers are throwing the world at him, only to have Walter take everything they have and hit right back even harder.

Dragunov looked like a star here and he never gave up, which is one of the best ways imaginable to earn respect. That and beating the heck out of Walter of course. This was great and is well worth your time if you want the brutal fight style. Star making performance for Dragunov, and another star confirming performance for Walter.

Dragunov is out and even Walter looks concerned as referees get him to his feet to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. This show was built around one match and that was as good as you could have imagined. The rest of the show was just there and that’s all well and good because it was a one match show throughout. The bottom of the card needs some work but the top of NXT UK’s roster is outstanding and I’m really curious to see who is next for Walter. And Devlin for that matter, as we now have a second star in the making. Great show, with a phenomenal main event.

Results

Aoife Valkyrie b. Dani Luna – Top rope ax kick

Jordan Devlin b. Levi Muir – Texas Cloverleaf

Walter b. Ilja Dragunov via referee stoppage

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: September 24, 2020
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back to the second week of the restart and it’s time to fight over a title. In this case that would be the NXT UK Women’s Title as Kay Lee Ray defends against Piper Niven in a match several months in the making. Other than that, we get the brackets for the Heritage Cup. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap/preview.

Opening sequence.

Earlier today, the Heritage Cup participants almost came to blows in the back.

Andy runs down the card.

Walter vs. Saxon Huxley

Non-title and dang does that Walter silhouette still work. Huxley charges at him but has to fight out of an early sleeper. Some shots in the corner just annoy Walter so he sends Huxley outside early on. Huxley comes back in with right hands and a big boot, plus a powerslam. The top rope clothesline gives Huxley two as commentary is stunned at the offense. They head outside with Huxley hitting a Thesz press but making sure to break up the count.

Walter gets sent into the steps but Huxley breaks up the count again, even though he would have had the countout. Some chops cut Huxley off though and he gets dropped onto the barricade. The powerbomb onto the apron is good for a nine count before Huxley dives back in. Walter sleepers him into a German suplex into a butterfly superplex as Huxley is in big trouble. The powerbomb gives Walter the pin at 6:09.

Rating: C+. I’m not a Huxley fan whatsoever but he was looking awesome there for a bit. That being said, there was no reason to believe he was going to beat Walter and I didn’t come close to believing the upset was coming. What we got from Walter was good here though, as he absorbed all of that from Huxley and still won. It made him look like the monster that he is and that was exactly the point in a good opener.

Post break, Huxley runs into Jack Starz, who says he’ll get it next time. Huxley shouts NEXT TIME a lot.

We go over the Heritage Cup rules.

The seven Heritage Cup participants and Sid Scala are in the ring. Scala brings out Pete Dunne for the official drawing and we get a few words about how important the tournament is. It’s all about honoring those who paved the way, which Dunne has always tried to do. On to the matchups! We get the following:

Joseph Conners vs. Dave Mastiff

Wildcard vs. Trent Seven

Flash Morgan Webster vs. A Kid

Noam Dar vs. Alexander Wolfe

Dar runs his mouth so Dunne snaps his fingers as he is known to do. The tournament starts next week.

The Hunt vs. Pretty Deadly

Great I have to try and remember who is who on Pretty Deadly. Boar suplexes Howley down to start and it’s off to Primate to crank on the arm. Howley gets a knee up to stop a charging Primate but a hiptoss brings him back down. Boar gets taken into the corner to start the double teaming and we’re already off to the chinlock. A powerbomb doesn’t get Boar very far as Howley is right back in for a bunch of knee drops.

It’s time to crank on Boar’s arm and a running elbow cuts him off again. Stoker dives into a raised boot (as tends to be the case) and Boar rolls over for the hot tag to Primate. House is cleaned in a hurry and a running crossbody takes Howley to the floor. Boar’s top rope headbutt hits Stoker for two in a good near fall as Primate is sent into the barricade. Howley’s distraction means there is no count off a rollup so Stoker rolls Boar up for the pin at 8:02.

Rating: C-. I’m not sure what it is but there is something about Pretty Deadly that makes me want to like them. Maybe it’s the matching pants, but there is something so annoying about them, though it’s annoying in a charming way. It’s nice to see a new team being built up, even if I still can’t remember which is which.

Post match Eddie Dennis comes out for a chat with Pretty Deadly.

Post break the Hunt runs into Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews, who tell them to keep their chin up. The Hunt isn’t impressed.

Sid Scala can’t figure out how to keep things straight next week between Alexander Wolfe and Noam Dar. Pete Dunne volunteers to be guest referee.

Next week: a triple threat match to determine the Heritage Cup Wildcard.

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

Niven is challenging and shoves the champ outside without much effort to start. Back in and Ray starts in on the arm, including sending it into the corner. The armbar is broken up with more power and there’s a shoulder to drop Kay again. A headbutt keeps Ray in trouble and we hit a cobra clutch with a bodyscissors. That’s broken up so Ray finally wakes up and goes after the leg.

Something like an STF goes on for all of a few seconds before it’s time to just crank on the leg again. Niven fights up and sends her outside, where Ray gets in a superkick into a tornado DDT off the apron. Ray’s running knee hits the steps and they’re both in trouble. The referee checks on Ray and it’s time for the medics. Niven is frustrated at the turn of events and beats up the barricade as referees take Ray out.

Ray slaps Niven in the face so Niven throws it back inside and unloads with rights and lefts. A half crab sends Ray to the ropes but she’s back with a superkick into a Swanton for two more. Back up and Ray tries another superkick but the knee gives out again. Niven pulls her into the middle for the half crab, with Ray pulling the turnbuckle pad off in the process. The Niven Driver connects but Ray gets her foot on the rope. The Vader Bomb hits raised knees (not the smartest idea for Ray) and the Cannonball hits the exposed buckle, allowing Ray to get the pin to retain at 14:23.

Rating: C+. The leg work was a fine way to go and it was a bit of a twist to have it not be a fake injury for a change. Ray being willing to slap Niven in the face and be all aggressive while Niven hard a hart was a good plot as well. It wasn’t a classic and I can picture a rematch, but for now I’m a bit surprised by the result and a rematch seems likely.

Jinny is looking on to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Pretty good show overall, though the Pete Dunne cameo could have been cut without losing anything. What we had here worked out well enough though and it was smart to get a title defended. When nothing has happened for six months now, it makes sense to get the champion in there and have a title on the line. Throw in Walter having a pretty hard hitting match and it’s an easy enough watch.

Results

Walter b. Saxon Huxley – Powerbomb

Pretty Deadly b. The Hunt – Rollup to Wild Boar

Kay Lee Ray b. Piper Niven – Pin after a missed Cannonball into an exposed turnbuckle

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

Nikki Cross starts us off with this.

From NXT UK, March 5, 2020.

Aoife Valkyrie vs. Isla Dawn

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

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

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

William Regal gives us this.

From NXT UK, March 26, 2020.

A-Kid vs. Noam Dar

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

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

Post match, Dar brags some more.

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

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

From the United Kingdom Title Tournament Night One.

Semifinals: Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 12, 2020
Location: Coventry Skydome, Coventry, England
Commentators: Andy Williams, Nigel McGuinness

We’re on a fresh taping cycle and that means we’re on the way towards Dublin for the next Takeover. You can probably guarantee a Finn Balor vs. Walter United Kingdom Title match and that could be a heck of a showdown. The rest of the show is yet to be built but they still have time to get there. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s Balor to get things going. He’s not here because he wants to boost the ratings but because he wants Walter. Therefore, here’s Walter, but the rest of Imperium follows him out. They come in after him but Balor nails a Sling Blade and bails in a hurry for fear of being destroyed.

Viper got involved in the I Quit match because she couldn’t let Kay Lee Ray cripple Toni Storm. Ray is evil and Viper isn’t standing for that.

Video on Tyler Bate.

Pretty Deadly vs. Dereiss Gordon/Dan Moloney

Stoker and Howley throw their shirts at them to start and the beatdown is on in a hurry. Stoker takes Moloney into the corner to start so Howley can come in for a headlock. Moloney gets in a suplex and works on the arm before handing it off to Gordon for the same. A headscissors and leg lariat give Gordon a fast two but he gets taken into the corner as Nigel tries to figure out which movie characters Stoker and Howley look like.

Stoker gets two and it’s back to Howley for a running uppercut in the corner. A chinlock is broken up though and Howley gets shoved away, allowing the hot tag off to Moloney to start cleaning house. Everything breaks down though and Moloney gets caught in Deadly Pretty for the pin at 6:08.

Rating: D+. Pretty Deadly continues to be just kind of there, but establishing a new team with some wins is fine enough. It’s always hard to figure out what you have with a team when they keep beating jobbers so maybe we don’t know what they’ve got. They’re far from wasted or anything so just give them a bit more time.

Alexander demands and receives a match against Finn Balor tonight. He leaves so here is Jordan Devlin, who is told he will be defending the title in two weeks against Travis Banks.

Gallus and Dave Mastiff/Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews set up a six man for next week.

Ligero vs. Noam Dar

Dar grabs the arm to start and then PULLS THE HORN to annoy Ligero. A missed charge in the corner makes things worse for Ligero and Dar sends him outside for the big crash. Back in and Dar makes bullfighting jokes before stomping away even more. Ligero fights up and kicks him to the floor for the slingshot dive, followed by the reverse DDT for two back inside. The Lethal Injection is countered into a Fujiwara armbar though, meaning Ligero has to counter into a rollup for two. A missed charge lets Dar kick him in both legs and the Nova Roller is good for the pin at 6:13.

Rating: C-. Dar is someone else who keeps going up and down without doing much in the way of going forward. He’s a good choice to keep around though and that’s not the worst place to be. They need something for him to do, or at least a feud, but having him out there doing random matches is fine enough for now.

Travis Banks promises to win the title in two weeks.

Amele vs. Dani Luna

Feeling out process to start with Amele taking her down by the arm and controlling with a wristlock. Back up and Amele switches to a hammerlock but Luna lifts her up without much trouble. A suplex drops Amele but here’s Kay Lee Ray to jump Amele for the DQ at 1:59.

Post match Ray clears the ring and says there is no making a name for yourself around here. Luna tries to fight back but gets knocked down again.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie.

Alexander Wolfe vs. Finn Balor

Balor takes him down by the arm to start before rolling through a sunset flip into a basement dropkick. The chinlock has Wolfe in early trouble but he’s right back up, only to get stomped down in the corner. Running chops in the corner make it even worse so Wolfe kicks him in the ribs a few times. We hit the waistlock and here’s the rest of Imperium for the menacing stares.

The bearhug stays on Balor’s ribs until he forearms his way to freedom, followed by running forearms to keep up the trend. Balor stomps away while glaring down at Walter, meaning it’s time for Imperium to try and interfere. That’s broken up and we get an ejection but Wolfe scores with a running clothesline. A powerbomb is broken up and Balor hits a double stomp, followed by an Eye of the Hurricane. The shotgun dropkick sets up the Coup de Grace and 1916 finishes Wolfe at 8:21.

Rating: C+. This was just a step below a squash for Balor, who ran through Wolfe like he wasn’t even there. That’s what they should be doing with him though as Balor is likely getting the big showdown title shot against Walter and it makes sense to have him run through Imperium to get there. It’s not like losing to a former World Champion is a downgrade so everything is fine.

Overall Rating: D+. Pretty nothing show this time around with only the main event meaning anything, and even then it wasn’t that much. The weak first night of a taping seems to be the norm around here though and hopefully that is the case this time around too. This wasn’t a good show for the most part and while we are kind of starved for sporting events at the moment, it didn’t make things that much better.

Results

Pretty Deadly b. Dereiss Gordon/Dan Moloney – Deadly Pretty to Moloney

Noam Dar b. Ligero – Nova Roller

Amele b. Dani Luna via DQ when Kay Lee Ray interfered

Finn Balor b. Alexander Wolfe – 1916

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: February 6, 2020
Location: York Barbican, York, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Aiden English

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

Opening sequence.

Piper Niven vs. Dani Luna

Piper drives her into the corner to start but Luna drives her right back thanks to a powerlifting background. That earns her a cobra clutch but Luna is out with a kick to the face. Luna can’t slam her though, allowing Piper to slam her down instead. A seated crossbody sets up a chinlock but Luna fights up and dropkicks the knee. The real power display sees Luna get her up in a fireman’s carry but can’t do anything with it. Instead, Niven slips out and grabs the Michinoku driver for the pin at 4:33.

Rating: C-. Luna is a newcomer and got to show off with the power game, which is what you can do with a monster like Niven. It wasn’t a great match or even a very good one, but Luna made an impression and Niven got the win to get her back on track. The power displays were what mattered here though and they worked out as they were supposed to.

Gallus is ready for Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan.

Jordan Devlin is very proud with his new title and now he’s proven his greatness.

A-Kid vs. Tyler Bate

Mentee vs. mentor. The fans start singing to Tyler as A-Kid takes him down with a waistlock. That’s broken up in a hurry and we have an early standoff. Bate headlocks him down but A-Kid reverses into a headlock. Back up and A-Kid scores with a northern lights suplex but Bate is right back with a suplex of his own. The running shooting star press is countered into a triangle choke so Bate muscles him up into the airplane spin. That’s broken up as well and A-Kid throws him to the floor for a moonsault from the top. Back in and Bate hits the rebound clothesline and the Tyler Driver 97 for the quick pin at 5:52.

Post match respect is shown but here’s Joseph Conners to say Bate can come find him when he wants to fight a man instead of a boy. If Bate can’t make him interesting, no one can.

We look back at last week’s main event, capped off by Dave Mastiff and Walter staring each other down.

After last week’s show, Mastiff went Walter hunting to no avail.

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Pretty Deadly

Smith shoulders Howley down to start and gets two off a stalling suplex. Carter sunset flips in for two and it’s off to Stoker, who gets beaten up as well. It’s already back to Smith, who beats up both of them at once, including a backdrop to Howley. Stoker offers a distraction though and Howley gets in a cheap shot to take over on Smith.

That means the heels can start the tandem offense, setting up a seated abdominal stretch to keep Smith in trouble. A backdrop puts Howley on the floor again and the hot tag brings in Carter to clean house. Stoker intentionally low bridges Howley to the floor to get him out of trouble but Carter beats them both up again. A One Winged Angel into a backbreaker finishes Stoker at 5:45.

Rating: C. Just a match here but what matters here is adding in some new teams. There are only so many teams around here and it’s a good idea to add in some new ones where you can. Carter and Smith can be fine as the plucky team who can go somewhere in the future, while Pretty Deadly is likely to get a bit better when they’re given some time to do some promos or vignette.

Post match Pretty Deadly jumps Smith so Carter can make a save.

Ilja Dragunov beat up a tire earlier this week but makes it clear that he’s ready for Joe Coffey.

Here’s Kay Lee Ray for a chat. She says she’s never giving this title up but we pause for a Toni Storm chant. Ray talks about how she has all of the power and respect and there is nothing Storm can do about it. Cue Storm to say Ray stole the win at Takeover and the title belongs to her. Ray issues another challenge: they can have an I Quit match, but when Storm loses, she’s done getting title shots. Storm can think about it.

Aoife Valkyrie debuts next week.

Eddie Dennis vs. Trent Seven

There are no turnbuckle pads and anything goes. Seven jumps him to start and takes it to the floor for a whip into the barricade. Eddie is back with a whip into the steps though and it’s time to throw the top half of the steps away. A forearm puts Seven down again but the Severn Bridge into the crowd is broken up. Instead, Seven grabs a DDT onto the steps and they fight into the crowd for a change.

Another whip into the barricade has Seven in trouble and now the Severn Bridge over the barricade and onto the steps gets two. That’s only good for two so Seven tries to whip him into the corner, but Eddie is smart enough to drop to the floor and avoid the steal. They go back into the crowd with Seven being sent over to the commentary area.

The Severn Bridge is broken up again and it’s a Birminghammer off the announcers’ table onto another table and they’re both rather down (with Dennis apparently injuring his shoulder in the process). They would have been better off having this as a falls count anywhere match so that could have been the finish.

Dennis is sent back to ringside but Trent misses a corkscrew dive off the barricade. They pull themselves to the apron and it’s Seven going into the buckle first. The Next Stop Driver is blocked and Eddie is whipped into the corner, setting up the second Birminghammer for the pin at 11:25.

Rating: B-. Injury aside, this could have been really good if they had let it be a regular street fight and given it a bit more time. The problem is they barely went near the buckles until the end as the rest was spent on the (good) brawling in the crowd. I liked the intensity though and the match felt like a main event, but it could have been something even better but as such we only got something good.

Overall Rating: B. The main event is the best thing on the show but what mattered here was how much they seemed to get in despite not even being on the air for an hour. This felt very similar to one of the great NXT formula shows and that’s some of the best praise I can give it. A bunch of stories were advanced or at least mentioned and the show never felt like it had too much going on. I liked this a lot and this show is rapidly becoming a favorite.

Results

Piper Niven b. Dani Luna – Michinoku Driver

Tyler Bate b. A-Kid – Tyler Driver 97

Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith b. Pretty Deadly – Electric chair backbreaker to Stoker

Trent Seven b. Eddie Dennis – Birminghammer

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams vs. Pretty Deadly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amale vs. Jinny

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

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

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

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

Noam Dar vs. Tyler Bate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

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

Jinny b. Amale – Makeover

Tyler Bate b. Noam Dar – Tyler Driver 97

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 10, 2019
Location: Brentwood Centre, Essex, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

We’re finally on a fresh taping cycle and that might be best for everyone involved. Hopefully we can get to something a little more interesting now and in this case we have Piper Niven vs. Jazzy Gabert, which has some hossette battle potential. Other than that, it’s hard to say where we could be going so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Next week: Gallus vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews for the Tag Team Titles.

The Hunt vs. Pretty Deadly

Nigel is rather intrigued by Howley and Stoker (Pretty Deadly) as Boar works on Howley’s arm to start. A clothesline seems to be more Boar’s speed and the running shoulder to the ribs in the corner keeps him down. Howley gets over to the corner for the tag off to Stoker, who actually cleans house for a bit. It’s already back to Howley, who spends a bit too much time talking trash, allowing Boar to get in a German suplex. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Primate for his own suplex. A spear sets up the double top rope headbutts for the pin at 4:28.

Rating: C-. This was a good way to get the Hunt back on track. They have gone from a pretty basic team to a fun enough act that they can go out there and lose a few times without being taken down in any major way. The match wasn’t even a squash so it’s not that bad, even it if didn’t have a lot of time.

Post match Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel come out to talk trash so the Hunt goes after them. The beating is on until Alexander Wolfe comes out to take care of the Hunt. I smell a six man.

Video on Ilja Dragunov.

Jack Starz vs. Jordan Devlin

They fight over arm control to start with Starz managing a backdrop to offer some early frustration. Starz is fired up for a change but misses a charge into the post to cut him right back down. A gorilla press plants Devlin though but he’s smart enough to grab a shoulder breaker and work on the injured arm.

Devlin gets in a release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault for two as the natural order is restored. A belly to back kneeling backbreaker sets up an armbar to mix things up a bit (not the best thing in this case) but Starz fights back again. The missed charge lets Devlin hit a slingshot cutter and it’s the pulled up Saito suplex for the pin at 4:26.

Rating: C. Who in the world would have guessed that Starz was able to get something out of this one? Starz isn’t someone who has any reason to be a big deal and while I wasn’t buying him as a serious threat, he managed to make me think that we could have gotten a big surprise upset. That takes talent to pull off and they did it here. Nice little surprise.

Post match Devlin rants about how he is sick of having to beat up all these people and not being treated as a big star. Cue Dave Mastiff to chase Devlin off and offer to get a match set up between the two of them. Devlin doesn’t seem sure on that one.

Kenny Williams vs. Dave Mastiff

Mastiff tells him to lock up and then launches Williams into the corner. A whip isn’t even a possibility here so Williams tries running the ropes and manages a crucifix for two. An elbow to the face staggers Mastiff so he backdrops Williams over the corner to the floor. That means a limp from Williams and the springboard isn’t happening at the moment.

Mastiff runs him over and hits Williams in the back as the slow torment continues. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Mastiff misses the backsplash. The ankle gives out on what looked like a springboard Stunner attempt so Williams grabs a Sling Blade for two instead. Mastiff launches him off what looked like a bulldog and it’s Into The Void to finish Williams at 5:16.

Rating: C. This was similar to the previous match as it was hard to imagine the upset taking place but they were trying to do something with Williams. The guy clearly has talent and can sever them well as a jobber to the stars. Mastiff is getting WAY more mileage than I would have bet on so nicely done on the surprise success.

Post match Mastiff offers some respect.

Xia Brookside is back with an update but Nina Samuels comes in to mock her. A match is teased for the future. This is the kind of thing that feels so forced and scripted and didn’t need to be there to set up a match. It was about fifteen seconds long and just felt fake.

Here are Webster and Andrews for a chat. They need the energy from the fans to defend their titles next week and they wouldn’t have the titles in the first place without them. Webster wants any challengers so here are Gallus to interrupt at the announcers’ table. They would be impressed with the champs if the champs weren’t such an embarrassment. Violence is promised next week.

Noam Dar and Trent Seven have to be held apart in the back so Sid Scala makes a match between them in two weeks.

We look back at Jazzy Gabert attacking Piper Niven, thanks to a Jinny distraction.

The Grizzled Young Veterans interrupt Webster and Andrews, promising to take the titles from whoever has them after last week.

Piper Niven vs. Jazzy Gabert

Jinny is here with Jazzy. Piper is invited to come to the center of the ring to start so it’s time for the power lockup. Niven powers her out to the floor and it’s time for a pep talk from Jinny. The distraction lets Jazzy drive Piper into the corner for some punches to the ribs and Jazzy slams her for two. A boot in the back with a double arm pull has Piper in more trouble but she eventually gets to the corner. Piper headbutts and crossbodies Jazzy to the floor so Jinny comes in. That earns her a headbutt of her own, allowing Rhea Ripley to come out and deck Jazzy, setting up Piper’s backsplash for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: D+. That was a lot of stuff outside the ring for a four minute match and that didn’t leave a lot of time for the match itself. It felt like they didn’t want to do anything of note here and that made for a pretty dull match. Not the worst, but I was hoping for a lot more fun than what we got here.

Piper isn’t sure what happened to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. Oh what was that? I don’t know if it was the show being the first of a taping cycle but this felt more like an episode of AEW Dark than the important weekly show around here. What were they going for here? It set some stuff up for the future but you have to have something interesting now instead of waiting for later and I don’t think they got that here. Completely skippable show with nothing worth your time.

Results

The Hunt b. Pretty Deadly – Double top rope headbutts to Howley

Jordan Devlin b. Jack Starz – Pulling Saito suplex

Dave Mastiff b. Kenny Williams – Into The Void

Piper Niven b. Jazzy Gabert – Backsplash

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

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

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

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