NXT UK
Date: July 14, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We are in for a big time title match this week as the Heritage Cup is on the line. Noam Dar has dominated the division for such a long time that he is starting to repeat challenges, which will be the case this week as Mark Coffey gets another shot. Other than that, we have the continuing adventures of just about everyone else around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oliver Carter vs. Teoman

The rest of Die Familie is here with Teoman. They go technical to start until Teoman elbows him in the face. It’s too early for a wristlock though (if that’s possible) and Carter takes over on the arm instead. That’s broken up as well and Teoman hits a neckbreaker onto the knee for two.

We hit the chinlock for a bit, followed by some slow stomping to keep Carter down. Carter fights up and hits a quick springboard moonsault to start the comeback, including an elbow to the face. Another neckbreaker cuts Carter down for two, only to have him kick Teoman in the face for a breather of his own. That means it’s time for Carter to cut off Die Familie’s interference, setting up the springboard missile dropkick. A running spinwheel kick in the corner gives Carter the pin at 7:27.

Rating: C. Carter is someone who could do something interesting on his own but odds are that is not going to be done for whenever Ashton Smith comes back. The good thing is that NXT UK has turned Carter and Smith from little more than a jobber team to stars and a team that means something. That is something WWE and NXT have struggled to do for a long time but they pulled it off here, so well done.

Post match Die Familie comes in and beats Carter down.

Trent Seven jumped Sam Gradwell at the Performance Center.

Fallon Henley is at the Performance Center when Isla Dawn comes up to freak her out. Well at least she tries to, as Henley doesn’t seem impressed.

Dave Mastiff congratulates Josh Morrell on his win last week but says next week won’t go so well when they meet. Morrell says he’ll give it everything he has.

Wolfgang is kicking a soccer ball around and has heard that Ilja Dragunov respects him. That means something, but there is no animal more dangerous than Wolfgang. Why can’t he take the United Kingdom Title?

Stevie Turner vs. Amale

Blair Davenport is on commentary. Turner grabs a headlock to start and runs Amale over, setting up the pose as Davenport brags about her own awesomeness. Amale is back with a running neckbreaker into a running basement dropkick. That’s too early for a comeback (assuming she was in enough trouble to count it as a comeback) though and Turner kicks her down again. A running boot to the face and a running knee lift get two on Amale as Davenport doesn’t approve. Amale starts screaming a lot and hits a running bulldog for two, followed by the Hope Breaker for the pin at 4:16.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here, but the interesting thing is the fact that there are a few things going on in the women’s division. This is impressive not just because things are going well, but also because there are enough people and stories to make an actual division for a change. It might not have been a great match but I’d kind of like to see where things go, and that is an improvement.

Sha Samuels can’t accompany Noam Dar to the ring tonight.

Meiko Satomura and Sarray are happy with their win, but Satomura wants a match with her next week. Satomura doesn’t say anything but leaves with Sarray. Emilia McKenzie isn’t happy but is less thrilled with Nina Samuels coming up to ask how that makes her feel. McKenzie leaves as well, with Samuels finding this intriguing.

Mark Andrews and Wild Boar would like a Tag Team Title shot.

Sid Scala announces Ilja Dragunov vs. Wolfgang for the United Kingdom Title in two weeks.

Heritage Cup: Mark Coffey vs. Noam Dar

Dar is defending and has no Sha Samuels, who has put Coffey as a 100-1 underdog. Round One begins with a bit of a slow pace as they go for some grappling. The threat of an armbar sends Dar into the ropes, where he compliments Coffey on his intelligence. Coffey takes him to the mat before letting him back up for a running shoulder. The armbar has Dar in more trouble as the round ends, with Dar seeming to sucker Coffey into an illegal cheap shot (the referee isn’t pleased).

Round Two begins with the Nova Roller missing and Coffey grabbing the Gator Lock (kind of a Tazmission but with Coffey on the mat like he would be for a crossface) for a tap and a 1-0 lead at 16 seconds of the round and 3:56 overall. Round Three begins with Coffey going for an early rollup, followed by a quick middle rope bulldog. Dar is sent to the apron and manages to get up a kick to the face.

Another shot the face gives Dar two and it’s time to start stomping on the arm. Coffey tries to fire up but gets kicked down for two more. A suplex is blocked but Dar can’t hit the Nova Roller before the time runs out (leaving Samuels panicking even more in the back). Round Four begins with Coffey grabbing another rollup but getting kicked in the face for his efforts. The kneebar makes Coffey tap to tie it up at 40 seconds of the round and 9:01 overall.

Round Five begins with Dar hitting a running corner dropkick for two. Another kneebar is countered so Coffey can boot him in the face. Dar is back up with a guillotine choke, which is countered into a suplex for a double knockdown. They fight up against the ropes until Dar kicks the knee out. Dar goes up top but gets caught, setting up a superplex as time expires.

Round Six begins with another kneebar being blocked so Dar kicks him in the face. The Gator Lock goes on again, with Dark making it over to the rope in a hurry. They head outside with Dar taking him out but Coffey just beats the count. An elbow to the face gives Dar two but Coffey is back with a running clothesline. The sliding forearm gives Coffey the pin and the title at 2:58 of the round and 18:35.

Rating: B. These two beat each other up rather well and I was wanting to see just how much one of them could take before they gave out. Coffey got the big win that he has been waiting on for a long time now and that opens up a bunch of doors going forward. If nothing else, Joe Coffey coming back could set up a heck of a showdown if that’s where they go. Good main event here, and Dar should be in line for a shot at the United Kingdom Title after a run like this one.

Post match Samuels comes out, tears up his betting slips, and cries a lot as Dar comes over to him. A lot of the locker room comes out to celebrate with Coffey….and to get their money. With everyone else gone, Joe Coffey comes to the ring and celebrates with Mark to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event carried the show and they did a nice job of not having the NXT stars take over the show again. This felt like the old school NXT UK show and it was nice to have something like that around again. At its best, NXT UK can be a lot of fun and that is what they made work here. I don’t quite believe the show will be back to where it was before, but I’ll take it for a start.

Results
Oliver Carter b. Teoman – Running spinwheel kick in the corner
Amale b. Stevie Turner – Hope Breaker
Mark Coffey b. Noam Dar 2-1

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NXT UK
Date: July 7, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

Things need to pick up a bit around here and unfortunately that has been the case for a little while now. Between the influx of NXT stars and nothing major happening for a few weeks now, it hasn’t been the most exciting place. Maybe that can be changed this week as Kenny Williams faces Tiger Turan. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Kenny Williams vs. Tiger Turan

Williams charges at him before the bell but settles for a lockup once we get going. That earns him an armbar from Turan without much effort, followed by a running shoulder for the knockdown. Turan goes back to the arm before dropkicking a frustrated Williams out to the floor. Back in and Turan does a headstand in the corner to avoid another charge before kicking Williams down again.

Williams finally gets smart by taking out the leg and a boot scrape across the eyes makes it worse. The neck crank doesn’t do much for Williams as Turan is back with a sunset flip for two. A tilt-a-whirl faceplant plants Williams but the Swanton hits raised knees. That lets Williams talk a bunch of trash (Williams: “I KNOW IT’S YOU!”) but the distraction lets Turan grab a small package for the pin at 6:35.

Rating: C. This was a grudge match and the story is likely to continue. I’m not sure where it is going, though Amir Jordan being acknowledged last week has me curious. Why would you have name drop the person’s name if he is supposed to be a surprise? Anyway, this story is interesting me more than I would have bet on so well done with the success.

Post match Williams goes after Turan and takes the mask off, revealing….a second mask. Referees have to drag Williams away from the ring. Nigel mentioned Amir Jordan as Turan’s likely identity during the melee.

Video on Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen winning the Tag Team Titles and being targeted by Pretty Deadly.

Trent Seven was held back by security when Sam Gradwell came in. Even Gradwell thinks what Seven did was low, but Seven storms off anyway.

Die Familie again wants Oliver Carter to join the team but he doesn’t like Ashton Smith’s name being invoked. The result is Carter vs. Teoman at some point in the future.

Josh Morrell vs. Primate

Primate drives him into the corner for some yelling to start but Morrell gets in a shove of his own to start the frustration. The test of strength actually puts Primate down but Morrell can’t break his bridge. With that not working, Morrell goes up to the corner and gets German suplexed right back down for the big crash. A backdrop gives Primate two but Morrell low bridges him to the floor. Back in and Primate runs him over again, setting up a clothesline to the apron. That’s fine with Morrell, who grabs a sunset flip for the completely clean pin at 4:06.

Rating: C. This was an interesting way to go as Morrell got the clean win so he gets a boost, but the match felt more like Primate having trouble after dropping Eddie Dennis. That story can be advanced, but at the same time, Morrell finally gets a win that could move him up the ladder. Maybe it means nothing, but at least he is getting a start.

Blair Davenport is back and gets interrupted by Amale. Last week Davenport talked about crushing hope, which COULDN’T have been about her. Davenport laughs it off, but does threaten Amale if she ever tries anything else. With Davenport gone, Stevie Turner comes in and gets a match with Amale as a result.

Video on Ilja Dragunov and all of the people he has beaten. The big takeaway here: what happened to Rampage Brown? As for now though, Dragunov sees a lion called Wolfgang and is ready to face that lion.

Tate Mayfairs vs. Trent Seven

Seven chops him down to start and hits more chops to make it even worse. A DDT plants Mayfairs and another chop gets two. The trash talk takes a bit too long though and Mayfairs strikes away, only to get chopped back down. The Seven Star Lariat finishes Mayfairs at 4:07.

Rating: C-. I get the idea they’re going for here, but at the end of the day, it is a little hard to get behind the idea of Seven as a huge threat. He is doing things right and feels like a villain, but Seven has never felt like some top star in the ring. It’s hard to buy the idea of him being a threat to any top name other than Tyler Bate so this might be a one feud push. It still works, but I’m seeing a pretty firm ceiling.

Post match Seven grabs a leglock, drawing out Sam Gradwell for the save.

Noam Dar calls himself a victim of his own success because he has cleared out the entire Heritage Cup division. That’s why Mark Coffey is getting another shot, because Mark is a lucky lucky boy. The fact that there is a ton of money on the line doesn’t make it any harder.

Meiko Satomura/Sarray vs. Xia Brookside/Eliza Alexander

Brookside pulls Sarray’s hair to start so Sarray cranks on the arm. That’s reversed into some arm cranking from Brookside, which is reversed into some arm cranking from Sarray. Brookside has to headstand her way out of a headscissors and it’s Alexander coming in for a shot to the ribs. Sarray bridges out of a near fall and hits a basement dropkick, allowing the tag off to Satomura.

House is quickly cleaned and it’s already back to Sarray, who is clotheslined down in a hurry. Alexander hits a basement forearm for two and we hit the camel clutch. With that broken up, Sarray rolls her up and hits a double stomp to the chest for two. The real hot tag brings in Satomura to clean house, including a DDT and a frog splash for two on Alexander. Everything breaks down and Alexander pulls Brookside out of the way of a charging Sarray. Satomura is back up and Brookside gets knocked into the ropes for that SCARY running dropkick from Sarray. Scorpio Rising finishes Brookside at 9:28.

Rating: C+. The people involved alone here are going to make the match work but there is only so much that can be done when Satomura is going to come in and clean house like she did here. I’m sure we’re coming up on Blair Davenport getting the title shot soon enough, so having Brookside and Alexander get beaten up is not that interesting. Best match on the show though, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

Celebrating ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. I’m not sure what to think of this show. For one thing, they did have far less of a focus on the regular NXT stars, but what we got wasn’t all that interesting. Things have cooled down a lot around here as of late, with the Turan vs. Williams stuff probably being the best story going. I’m not sure what is going on around here, but they need something to pick up the pace because this show has dropped in interest quite a bit.

Results
Tiger Turan b. Kenny Williams – Small package
Josh Morrell b. Primate – Sunset flip
Trent Seven b. Tate Mayfairs – Seven Star Lariat
Meiko Satomura/Sarray b. Xia Brookside/Eliza Alexander – Scorpio Rising to Brookside

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NXT UK
Date: June 30, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re back in England and the big story this week is the explanation from Trent Seven, even if it might seem pretty obvious why he turned on Tyler Bate. Other than that, we have Fallon Henley vs. Emilia McKenzie, as the NXT invasion continues. I’m sure this won’t be anything that annoys long term NXT UK viewers so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter vacating the NXT UK Tag Team Titles last week, with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen winning them in the show’s main event.

Opening sequence.

Blair Davenport vs. Angel Hayze

This is Davenport’s first match since injuring her ankle in November. Davenport throws her down to start but Hayze grabs a front facelock. That doesn’t last long as Davenport hits a basement dropkick and we hit the chinlock. Some running knees give Davenport two as Nigel gets in a Chamber of Secrets reference. Hayze comes back with a running faceplant, only to get blasted with a middle rope dropkick. The Falcon Arrow is countered into a guillotine choke but the second attempt plants Hayze for the pin at 5:34.

Rating: C. Just a quick match here to get Davenport back in the swing of things. Davenport is likely going to be taken right back to the title picture, as it seems that they are going to have Davenport vs. Meiko Satomura again. That isn’t the worst idea, but five months is quite the hiatus before going straight back into the title picture.

Post match Davenport says she is here to crush our hope.

Kenny Williams is in Sid Scala’s office (without permission) and thinks Tiger Turan is after him. Turan comes in and Williams wants the mask off before leaving. Of note: a paper Williams put on the wall says AMIR.

Noam Dar and Sha Samuels interrupt Mark Coffey’s training session. They talk about the upcoming Heritage Cup title match, with Samuels offering 100-1 odds on Mark. Other wrestlers run in and can’t wait to bet on it. Dar isn’t pleased.

Emilia McKenzie vs. Fallon Henley

McKenzie takes her down by the arm to start but Henley is right back up with an armbar of her own. Back up and we get a handshake before they trade rollups for two each. Henley knocks her into the corner and gives a tip of her non-existent hat. A neckbreaker drops Henley for two more though and the chinlock goes on.

Some rollups annoy McKenzie so she elbows Henley down and grabs the cobra clutch. Henley fights up and hits some forearms but a faceplant cuts her right back down. A jump out of the corner jams Henley’s knee though and McKenzie spears the leg out for some extra aggression. That’s fine with Henley, who is back with a sunset flip for the pin at 8:33.

Rating: C-. Again, the match was passable, but this was the latest example of a match that felt designed to get the NXT star over and if the NXT UK star is taken out in the process, so be it. I’m sure that isn’t going to make a difference in the long run, but hopefully the NXT stars get out of here soon enough because it’s frustrating to see this treated as some divine group coming to the UK rather than more stars who are just ok at best.

Oliver Carter misses Ashton Smith but here is Die Familie to offer him a spot on the team. Carter doesn’t say no.

Sarray is training but Xia Brookside and Eliza Alexander come up to mock her. Meiko Satomura comes in to not have any of this.

Sha Samuels vs. Wolfgang

Noam Dar is here with Samuels. Wolfgang throws Samuels out of the corner to start and we’re already in the armbar. The lifting armbar cranks on the arm again and we’re back to the armbar as commentary wonders about Samuels’ gambling issues. Back up and the spear only hits buckle, allowing Samuels to take him down by the arm. Dar’s distraction makes things even worse and Samuels snaps the arm across the top.

A middle rope elbow gives Samuels two but Wolfgang is back with a knee to the ribs. Some chops in the corner rock Samuels but he counters a top rope ax handle into a spinebuster. Wolfgang hits a quick spear for a double knockdown though and they get a breather. Back up and the arm is snapped across the top again, leaving Wolfgang crashing down. Samuels’ top rope splash crazes Wolfgang’s feet, setting up a buckshot spear for the pin on Samuels at 10:21.

Rating: C. This was a bit lengthy for something as simple as working on the arm, but wouldn’t it make more sense to have this be Mark Coffey to set up his Heritage Cup Title match? Wolfgang can have a decent enough match, but he might want something other than that not great spear. Somehow this is the main event, and that’s not a great way to go.

Here is Trent Seven for his big explanation. Since two weeks ago, the question has been WHY TRENT WHY. We look at a still of Seven hitting Tyler Bate low to officially turn on him, which is the most important moment in British sports. The thing is, Seven did it for NXT UK. This place was dead and look at hoe energetic everyone is now!

Seven talks about how great Moustache Mountain and British Strong Style was, but then Bate was the one who changed. Now Bate is some tree hugging hippie and everyone knows that he isn’t going to come back and fight Seven. That’s because Seven IS British Strong Style and Moustache Mountain. Seven goes to leave but yells at a fan, who jumps the barricade and gets kicked low to end the show. Heel Seven is not a bad idea and he’s laying into the character, but it’s a bit hard to buy him as a threat to someone like Bate.

Overall Rating: D+. This show felt like another punt to next week, which has been the case too often lately. What was the big deal here? Seven explaining his attack on bate? That’s an explanation we needed in the first place? Other than that, you had three matches that were about the definition of meh and almost nothing happened. NXT UK has slowed down a lot and that seems to tie into the debut of all of the regular NXT stars. I’m not surprised by that for the most part, but could they at least pretend like NXT UK matters even a little bit?

Results
Blair Davenport b. Angel Hayze – Falcon Arrow
Fallon Henley b. Emilia McKenzie – Sunset flip
Wolfgang b. Sha Samuels – Spear

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NXT UK
Date: June 16, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s a fallout show, as the big story is finding out what is up with Treat Seven walking out on Tyler Bate and Moustache Mountain. That should be a heck of a promo as we get closer to what could be a heck of a showdown. Hopefully the rest of the show can live up to the hype so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tiger Turan vs. Josh Morrell

Turan takes him down with a hammerlock to start and grabs a wristlock. Morrell can’t flip out so Turan puts on an armbar to keep Morrell in trouble. That’s reversed into a wristlock but Turan flips him right back for a standoff. There’s a suplex to send Morrell down and a high crossbody gives Turan two….but Morrell is hurt and we’re going to stop it at 3:04. I’ll skip a rating as a good chunk of that was checking on Morrell and it was mainly a squash for Turan before the stoppage.

Blair Davenport is coming back from injury.

Myla Grace vs. Lash Legend

Grace hammers away to start and Legend charges into the general vicinity of Grace’s foot in the corner, then kind of rams her face into it. Legend drops her ribs first onto the top rope before ramming Grace’s head up and down between the top and middle rope. A gorilla press…does nothing as Legend puts Grace back down on her feet and then hits a forearm to the face.

Grace’s back is bent over Legend’s knee but she’s up with a hurricanrana. Not that it matters as Legend literally staggers forward instead of flipping, so Grace hits a tornado DDT for two more. With the match not really able to get worse, Legend kicks her in the face for the pin at 4:36.

Rating: F. I haven’t seen someone as bad as Legend in such a long time. She looks completely unnatural in the ring and like she has no idea what she can do. I know she has the size and the look but WOW she is terrible on another level. How can you screw up running into a boot in the corner? Put your face on the bottom of the shoe! Awful stuff, but it must continue because LASH LEGEND WILL BE A THING AND YOU WILL CARE!

Sarray is coming next week as NXT UK continues to turn into a storage closet.

Brooks Jensen, Josh Briggs and Fallon Henley will be here next week. The guys are getting a Tag Team Title shot next week.

Wolfgang/Damon Kemp vs. Sha Samuels/Noam Dar

Kemp takes Samuels down with no trouble to start so Dar comes in to try his luck. Dar gets taken down as well, setting up the rotating gutwrench suplex. Wolfgang goes after Samuels’ arm before handing it back to Kemp to roll Samuels on the arm. Dar finally manages to take Kemp into the corner, setting up a headlock. Some elbows to the chest let Samuels go after the leg, followed by Dar working on the arm.

Kemp gets double suplexed but comes back with a single suplex….only to have Wolfgang pulled off the apron. As expected, the tag goes through to Wolfgang a few seconds later. House is cleaned so Wolfgang and Kemp can pose together, leaving Wolfgang to spear Samuels for two.

Dar comes back in for a bunch of running kicks to the face until it’s Wolfgang in trouble. Everything breaks down and Kemp gets thumbed in the eye, only to have Wolfgang offer a distraction with a scarf. Kemp uses said distraction to grab a powerslam for the pin at 12:42.

Rating: C. Not much to see here, though it was nice to see Kemp getting a chance to showcase himself here. Kemp is clearly someone that NXT wants to do something with and having him get in more reps around here is a good thing. Seeing him win the Heritage Cup isn’t a bad idea, though it might already be time for him to head back to the regular NXT.

Post match Samuels tries to go after Kemp and Wolfgang, who take him down without much trouble.

Here is Trent Seven for his big explanation. Seven talks about how he had to sit at home and then he didn’t know what he was going to do. Then he and Tyler Bate won the Tag Team Titles and now he doesn’t feel the same way he used to. Seven invites Bate to the ring and sounds rather sad about what he did.

We get some reminiscing about their time in America and here in England, which Seven says will be memories for the rest of his life. It seems like Seven is done so we get the big hug…and Seven hits him low. Seven says he never needed Bate, slaps him, and hits the Birminghammer. Bate is down so Seven steps on him and does the Moustache Mountain pose before looking relieved to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. This was a pretty terrible show and again, a lot of that comes down to the use of the NXT guest stars. Having to watch Lash Legend and then seeing that schoolgirl Sarray is coming doesn’t make me want to watch this show. All it did was make me glad that this show was shorter than the usual episode, because other than the main event segment, there was absolutely nothing worth seeing here.

Results
Tiger Turan b. Josh Morrell via referee stoppage
Lash Legend b. Myla Grace – Big boot
Damon Kemp/Wolfgang b. Sha Samuels/Noam Dar – Powerslam to Samuels

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NXT UK
Date: March 31, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

Last week saw a title match as Meiko Satomura successfully defended the Women’s Title against Isla Dawn, only to have Dawn steal the title belt after the match was over. Odds are that is going to be continuing in some way, but we also need to get closer to Roderick Strong challenging Ilja Dragunov for the United Kingdom Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Amale vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside gets punchy to start but Amale counters her crossbody with a slam. A fall away slam gets two but Brookside kicks her down out of the corner. Some rather bratty stomping on Amale’s back keeps her in trouble and Brookside fires off the shoulders to the back in the corner. The running knees to the back give Brookside a slow two and we hit the camel clutch.

Amale escapes and starts striking away, setting up a northern lights suplex for two. The Hopebreaker is blocked but so is Brookside’s Boston crab attempt. Instead Brookside bails to the floor so Amale can hit a running boot against the barricade. With Brookside thrown back in, a mystery blonde clotheslines Amale on the floor, leaving Brookside to hit the Broken Wings for the pin at 5:57.

Rating: C. Brookside cheating to win makes sense, though it’s almost weird to see Amale lose. She has cooled off a bit but it is clear that she has moved up the ladder more than a few steps. This is probably going to be the start of a longer story between them and Brookside having some muscle behind her makes it even more interesting.

Post match the blonde gets in the ring to pose and then leave with Brookside.

We get a creepy video with Isla Dawn singing about how she has something that belongs to Meiko Satomura. The bond between Meiko and her title is quite strong, but Dawn wants something from her. Either do what she asks….or else.

Video on Roderick Strong vs. Ilja Dragunov, with various wrestlers talking about how great it should be. A lot of them want a shot at the winner.

Trent Seven vs. Ashton Smith

Tyler Bate and Oliver Carter are here too. They fight over the lockup to start with Smith driving him up against the wall. Smith sends him into the ropes but gets crossbodied down. A hiptoss into a legdrop gives Seven two and a suplex gets the same. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Smith is back up with a face first drop on the country and a running shoulder. Smith starts in on the arm before loading up a superplex.

That’s broken up with some shots to the ribs so Seven tries a high crossbody, which is pulled out of the air in a nice power display. Seven is muscled up into a suplex for two but is fine enough to catch Smith on top. That means Seven can hit a superplex for two of his own and it’s time to slug it out.

The referee tries to break it up so Seven gets in a cheap shot, setting up a dragon suplex (Smith bounced off that thing). The suplex slam gets two but Smith goes after the arm to break up the Seven Star Lariat. Smith hits his own Seven Star for two and frustration is setting in. They go to the pinfall reversal sequence and Seven grabs the trunks for the pin at 8:52. Bate sees the cheating and is absolutely NOT cool with it.

Rating: C+. What matters here is they have me wanting to see what they are going to do with the title match. Seven is almost full on evil and that is going to either cause Bate to come with him or the two of them to lose the titles. It’s giving me Sting/Lex Luger from the Nitro era vibes and that means there are more than a few directions this thing could go. Nice match too, which is almost a bonus at this point.

Post match Bate applauds Seven but still looks annoyed. Smith and Carter aren’t happy either.

A-Kid is back and this place will always be special to him. He isn’t letting Teoman get away with what he has been doing lately.

Wild Boar, looking a bit crazy, is carrying a crutch and promises that he can handle anything that Eddie Dennis throws at him. Then he throws a bunch of stuff.

Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith aren’t happy with the cheating. Moustache Mountain comes in, with Trent Seven saying that was a win. The argument is on until Sid Scala comes in to say they’re going to figure this out in his office….next week. Seven tells Tyler Bate that a win is a win.

Tate Mayfairs vs. Kenny Williams

Williams stomps him into the corner to start and rakes a boot across the eyes. Mayfairs fights back but Williams takes his leg out without much effort. A rake to the back lefts Williams get two, complete with a knee on Mayfairs’ face. The double arm crank goes on, with Williams sitting on his back for some extra….I guess pain?

Mayfairs fights out and starts striking away, including a kind of step up right hand. Williams knocks him outside but doesn’t want a countout, instead throwing Mayfairs back inside for Bad Luck. That’s good for two, with Williams pulling him up instead of getting the pin (oh dear). Mayfairs is sent outside for a crawl underneath the ring, but Sam Gradwell pops out. Gradwell scares Williams off and throws Mayfairs inside for the countout win at 5:45.

Rating: C. I’m kind of over the slip on a banana peel finish to these squash matches but that is what we got here again. Gradwell wanting to dismantle Williams makes sense and it should make for a good fight, though this was a long way to get to an annoying loss for Williams. Mayfairs doesn’t seem like someone they are pushing, as he is another guy in trunks who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Wolfgang is ready for Mark Coffey to win the Heritage Cup. Die Familie comes in and asks why Gallus always gets to represent heritage. Mark vs. Charlie Dempsey seems to be set up.

We get a face to face showdown between Ilja Dragunov and Roderick Strong. Dragunov knows of Strong’s reputation and says he feels the same way about wanting to push things to the next level. Strong sees a lot of himself in Dragunov for the same reasons. He knows Dragunov is the next real challenge and wants to add the title to his resume.

Dragunov accused Strong of not respecting him and says he became a new man when he won the title. Strong says Dragunov is living in the moment and doesn’t know what it feels like to lose. Nothing hurts Strong more than saying “I was” and Dragunov will feel that after their title match. They get in each others’ faces and Dragunov promises to stand his ground. Intense stuff here, which is where Dragunov excels.

Heritage Cup Title: Noam Dar vs. Mark Coffey

Dar is defending and has Sha Samuels in his corner, with Joe Coffey in Mark’s corner. Round one begins with the two of them taking their time before exchanging some wristlocks. Dar takes him down with a headlock before having to duck a right hand. Hold on though as Samuels gives Dar a shot from his flask, with the contents then being thrown into Joe’s face. Dar trips the frustrated Mark and gets in some laughs from the corner.

With that not having much staying power, Dar ties him up with something like the Tequila Sunrise. Some arm cranking wraps up round one, with Nigel being VERY pleased. Round two begins with Dar going right back to the arm, including countering a chinlock attempt into an arm crank. With the technical stuff not working, Coffey hits him in the face, only to charge into a small package to give Dar the first fall at 1:10 of the round and 4:41 overall.

Round three begins with Coffey hitting him in the face again for an early two and muscling Dar up for a backdrop. A German suplex gets two more so Samuels pulls Dar outside, only to get dropped by Mark. Back in and an enziguri ties us up at a fall apiece at 1:34 of the round and 6:44 overall.

Round four begins with Samuels begging the referee to give Dar more time, allowing Dar to kick Mark in the head for two. Some more kicks rock Mark but he manages a belly to back suplex out of the corner for a breather. Dar catches him on top and hits a running kick to the face, only to get knocked down hard for his efforts. They slug it out with Mark getting the better of things until he misses a jumping kick and hurts his leg again. Dar grabs the kneebar but time runs out to save Mark.

After the corner men nearly get into it (papers are torn up and thrown), round five begins with another forearm off. Dar hits a spinning elbow to the face but gets rolled up for a fast two. Something like a Tazmission crossface has Dar in a lot of trouble but Mark has to drag him away from Samuel’s attempted interference. Samuels offers another distraction so Mark lets go and Joe gets in the ring to glare. The distraction lets Dar hit the Nova Roller for the retaining pin at 1:47 of the round and 12:44.

Rating: B-. Dar cheating to retain has become a Bingo card entry as it seems almost like a guarantee whenever he puts the title on the line. Now he has run through all of Gallus and I’m not sure who is next, but I could see him holding the title for awhile to come. The fans still don’t like him, but it would be nice to see him do something a bit different, just to shake things up a bit.

Gallus shakes their heads to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. There wasn’t anything great on this show, but they did a good job of making me want to see where some of the stories were going. That is one of the things that NXT UK does as well as anyone else these days, especially when a lot of the star power wasn’t here this week. Pretty good show here, though far from a classic.

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Rampage Brown vs. Flash Morgan Webster

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

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

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

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

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

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

Angel Haze vs. Isla Dawn

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

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

Video on A-Kid.

Sam Gradwell isn’t impressed with A-Kid.

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

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

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

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

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

Women’s Title: Jinny vs. Meiko Satomura

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Coffey vs. Rohan Raja

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

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

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

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

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

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

Myla Grace vs. Amele

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

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

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

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

Charlie Dempsey vs. Danny Jones

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

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

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

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

Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate vs. Noam Dar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Aleah James

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

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

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

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

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

Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff vs. Symbiosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jordan Devlin vs. Joe Coffey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Memory Of Paul Orndorff.

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

Ashton Carter/Oliver Smith vs. Teoman/Rohan Raja

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

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

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

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

Video on Aoife Valkyrie.

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

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Amele

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

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

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

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

Heritage Cup: Mark Coffey vs. Tyler Bate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Nathan Frazer vs. Kenny Williams

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

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

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

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

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

Video on Meiko Satomura vs. Amele.

Mark Andrews vs. Lewis Howley

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

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

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

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

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

Blair Davenport vs. Laura di Matteo

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

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

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

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

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

In two weeks: Ilja Dragunov vs. Walter II.

Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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