IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 23, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

It’s another special show this week and that is going to likely be the case for a long time. As usual, there is a theme to this one and this time around it’s all about Walter vs. Tyler Bate. They had my Match of the Year in 2019 so watching the whole thing again sounds like quite a good idea. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Shepard welcomes us to the show and hypes up the match a bit.

We get a long video on Tyler Bate. His mom talks about how he grew up as a huge fan and they had to go to every wrestling show. Trent Seven met him at a training seminar when Bate was very young but he knew what he had. Bate signed with WWE when he was 19 and he shocked the world by winning the United Kingdom Title (he looks about fifteen there). Bate has been here for three years and is still trying to figure out who he is as a wrestler and as a person. Bate and Seven don’t think much of Imperium and are ready for a fight.

We see Walter training in Germany where he talks about how true he is to himself, which makes him different. What has Tyler Bate done since he won the title? He looks like a boy and that’s how Walter is going to treat him.

We see Walter at the WXW training school where he trains wrestlers to take everything seriously.

Now we get to the big angle to set up the match, with Imperium costing Moustache Mountain their Tag Team Title shot and destroying Bate. Walter talks about how Bate was trained the wrong way and couldn’t handle it. Seven went to war with Walter to avenge his friend but got beaten down as well. Now it’s time for Bate to fight the giant, who stands for greed and everything he and Trent don’t agree with. Walter came in here and took over everything Moustache Mountain built.

From Takeover: Cardiff.

United Kingdom Title: Tyler Bate vs. Walter

Walter is defending and there are no seconds here. Bate ducks an early shot and starts going after the knee as the fans sing a lot. A test of strength goes to Walter but Bate powers up to send him into the ropes. Walter’s headlock grinds Bate down a bit as the songs are now rather anti-Walter. Bate is right back up with a delayed slam though and Walter needs a breather on the floor. The suicide dive is blocked though and Walter’s big chop sets up an apron bomb.

A big boot rocks Bate hard and a toss powerbomb….is left short, sending the back of Bate’s head into the post. After a check from a trainer, Bate is back in to get beaten up more as his back is giving out. As the fans chant some rather mean things about Walter, Bate collapses while trying a fireman’s carry. Walter pulls on the arms and puts a boot in the back as the slow grinding down continues.

A running seated splash gets two on Bate and the big chops knock him into the corner. Bate looks a little dead but manages to pull himself up, only to get laid on the top turnbuckle. Walter knocks him to the apron but Bate gets him up for a fall away slam to the floor in an impressive toss. Back in and Bate’s middle rope uppercut is chopped out of the air, setting up the big Boston crab. Make that a Liontamer into a Crossface, with Walter pulling backwards for a change of pace.

Bate finally makes the rope and somehow manages to block a suplex, setting up one of his own to bring the fans back into it. A bunch of clotheslines don’t put Walter down but a rolling Liger kick staggers him into an exploder suplex. Bate nips up and Nigel can’t believe what he’s seeing as a standing shooting star press gets two. The Tyler Driver 97 is blocked a few times and a running dropkick sends Bate into the corner.

Bate manages to counter the powerbomb into a sunset flip for two more. They get to the top with Bate loading up a superplex….and looking down at the floor. Walter isn’t having that and chops him down but Bate is back up with a finger snap. That means an exploder superplex for two as the fans are dying on these near falls. The slugout goes to Walter but he charges into Bang and falls onto Bate…..who is face down on the mat so there is no cover.

Walter is back up with an exploder suplex of his own but Bate manages the airplane spin until Walter makes the rope. That’s fine with Bate, who puts him into a torture rack for the Burning Hammer. Bate can’t cover so Walter rolls outside, meaning it’s a suicide dive from behind. The no hands dive drops Walter again and Bate manages a bridging German suplex for two. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a backdrop for two but Bate bridges up into the Tyler Driver 97 for two, sending Nigel over the moon in shock.

Spiral Tap gets two more so Bate unloads with rights and lefts, sending Walter into the corner to cover up. A chop cuts him off and a big boot knocks Bate silly, setting up the sleeper. Bate stands up with Walter on his back (because he just can) and drops back but Walter puts the hold right back on.

Bate gets up AGAIN and gets to the apron where he pulls Walter over the top and elbows his way out. Walter grabs him right back for a sleeper suplex onto the apron to kill Bate dead. The top rope splash….gets two and the fans are alive again. Another sleeper suplex gets another two and Walter powerbombs him….for one. Walter chops him down and hits a heck of a lariat to FINALLY finish Bate at 42:11.

Rating: A+. And that’s your match of the weekend with Bate looking like he could somehow survive out there until finally coming up short. This felt like it was half as long as it was and even though I didn’t buy Bate as having a chance coming in, I was buying that he might hang on and survive in the end. It’s going to take something special to take Walter down and as special as this was, I’m not sure who is going to do that. This was an incredible story that made you believe the impossible could happen, which is as hard of a thing to do as you can get. Watch this and have some fun.

Imperium comes out to pose and leaves Bate to get the big hero’s ending with Seven and Dunne coming out to help him up.

Walter calls it a successful mission.

Bate says sometimes things don’t work out but there will be a next time.

Overall Rating: A+. Well that still works. It’s one of the best matches WWE has had in years and I had a blast watching the whole thing. Despite being one of the strongest guys in WWE, Bate is still a great underdog against a monster like Walter. Throw in the segments at the beginning and you have a great hour long package here. Check this match out if you haven’t before and see if you don’t get sucked into it a good bit.

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: April 9, 2020
Commentator: Andy Shepherd

Wrestling has entered a new stage of the Coronavirus pandemic as a WWE show has officially run out of new material. For the foreseeable future, NXT UK is going to be nothing but Best Of shows. This could be interesting, but I’m not sure how long this is going to work given the promotion’s limited history. They’ve surprised me before though so let’s get to it.

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

We open with the introduction of NXT UK with HHH and William Regal being very happy.

Shepherd gives us a quick welcome and we’re ready to go.

From the NXT UK Championship Tournament Day One (January 15, 2017).

Quarterfinals: Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate

We look at Bate winning the tournament.

From the UK Title Tournament (June 25, 2018).

United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Jack Gallagher vs. Zack Gibson

Gibson, a bald guy with a beard, is loathed by the crowd. They go straight for the wrist battle and Gallagher bounces out of a headscissors. The fans sing a song that I can’t understand and Gallagher turns into a conductor before being taken down by the arm. That goes nowhere so Gallagher spins him down into a rollup for two, much to the fans’ amusement. Gibson gets serious with a hard clothesline as the chants continue.

We hit a cobra clutch for a bit before Gibson goes with right hands to the face instead. A crossface chickenwing keeps Gibson in control until Gallagher fights up and actually wins a slugout against the much bigger Gibson. Gallagher’s suplex and knee shot get two but he gets caught on the ropes, setting up a middle rope Codebreaker for two. Gibson counters the running corner dropkick into a powerbomb but gets pulled into a triangle choke.

That’s broken up with a toss to the floor so Gallagher slingshots back in, landing with a sleeper on Gibson in a sweet sequence. Gibson makes a rope so Gallagher goes with the running corner dropkick for two more. That’s not cool with Gibson, who sends him shoulder first into the post to cut him down again. Gallagher hits another dropkick but a Swan Dive hits the shoulder, setting up a seated armbar (Shankly Gates) to make Gallagher tap at 13:28.

Rating: B. They were starting to roll with Gallagher as the scrappy face (a role he could use again back in 205 Live) against the rather nasty Gibson with all of the submissions. Gibson won clean here too, which is a smart way to put him over as a big threat around here. That’s the point of putting main roster people in there and it worked quite well.

Gibson would go on to win the tournament.

Then NXT UK expanded with different divisions.

From the NXT UK TV debut (October 17, 2018).

Mark Andrews vs. Joe Coffey

Coffey is a big guy who has his brother Mark in his corner. The brothers were rather violent back at the UK Title Tournament shows back in June so they’re certainly villains. Coffey powers him to the mat to start and gets two off a test of strength grip. The much smaller Andrews gets in a shot to the face and a springboard hurricanrana has the fans right back into things.

Coffey is right back up with some hard shots to the face and just plows through Andrews with a shoulder. A swinging butterfly suplex gets two and we hit a cross arm choke to keep Andrews in trouble. Mark Coffey is about to get in a cheap shot but gets caught, leaving Joe to run Andrews over instead. Back in and Andrews slugs away for all he’s got, capped off by an enziguri to put Coffey down.

A double stomp to the ribs sets up a standing corkscrew moonsault for two and Andrews is running out of steam. Coffey has had it with Andrews and hits a pop up powerslam for two of his own but the Stundog Millionaire gets Andrews out of trouble for the moment. Mark Coffey saves Joe from the shooting star so Andrews dives onto both of them for the big crash. Back in and Mark Coffey offers another distraction, allowing Joe to hit a hard belly to belly into a discus lariat for the pin at 7:37.

Rating: C+. Good choice for an opener here as you need something entertaining to get the fans into the feel of the show. The Coffey Brothers are going to be solid heels as they’re bigger than most of the people on the show and work well together. On the other hand you have a high flier like Andrews, who is always going to be worth a look. Nice match here and it even sets up some stuff going forward. Not bad at all and a smart move to put Joe over someone who has been on the main roster.

Post match the double beatdown is on but Flash Morgan Webster makes the save with his helmet as payback for the brothers beating him down back in June.

From the UK Championship Special (May 19, 2017).

Trent Seven vs. Pete Dunne

The arm is good enough for a dragon suplex onto the apron and both guys are left in a heap on the floor. They both dive in at nine and Dunne manages to flip out of a dragon superplex, only to eat a huge lariat for a very delayed two. The Seven Star Lariat is broken up though and we hit another double wristlock. Trent slips out again but walks into the Bitter End to send Pete to Chicago at 14:47.

Video on Pete Dunne’s UK Title reign, capped off by Walter’s debut and the WHOA moment.

Overall Rating: A-. I never know what to say for something like this as they can pick and choose their better stuff here. What we got was certainly good and it was an entertaining selection of choices, but it wasn’t like there was any real flow to it, with matches kind of jumping all over the place instead of being in chronological order. Either way though, it was a fun hour and twelve minutes so what more can you want?

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

Opening sequence.

Piper Niven vs. Dani Luna

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

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

Gallus is ready for Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan.

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

A-Kid vs. Tyler Bate

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

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

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

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

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Pretty Deadly

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aoife Valkyrie debuts next week.

Eddie Dennis vs. Trent Seven

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

Piper Niven b. Dani Luna – Michinoku Driver

Tyler Bate b. A-Kid – Tyler Driver 97

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

Trent Seven b. Eddie Dennis – Birminghammer

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: January 29, 2020
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Beth Phoenix, Mauro Ranallo

It’s a big night around here as Worlds Collide is behind us. That means it is time to move forward towards Takeover: Portland and that means we need to finalize the card for the big show. We do a lot of that this week with the Dusty Classic wrapping up to set up the Tag Team Title match, plus finding out who will challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Title. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Worlds Collide and the setup for tonight’s tournament final.

Beth Phoenix is very upset after what happened to Edge on Monday but he told her to come to work so let’s do this.

Finn Balor vs. Trent Seven

Fallout from Balor attacking Seven in the parking lot last night (injuring Seven’s throat in the process), which was aired on the YouTube channel (due to Moustache Mountain stopping Balor from attacking Johnny Gargano at Worlds Collide). Balor dropkicks him off the apron (serves Seven right for spending so much time posing) and kicks away on the floor before the bell. Seven is ready to go anyway so Balor stomps him down without much effort. Chops against the barricade sets up a chinlock inside, followed by a running elbow for two.

Balor steps on the face and we take a break. Back with Seven fighting out of a chinlock and striking away, setting up a DDT to really rock Balor. Seven snaps off a half nelson suplex and the Seven Star lariat gets two. Balor gets knocked off the barricade but the bad throat won’t let Seven get much air. The delay lets Balor knock him off the top and Seven gets sent hard into the middle buckle. The John Woo dropkick sets up the Coup de Grace into 1916 for the pin at 10:09.

Rating: C. This was storyline based as Seven wasn’t able to get much going due to the throat. That’s a fine way to go as it shows how evil and aggressive Balor can be, which sets him up even more for the Gargano match. If they can do something special in the build, we could be in for something great with what should be an awesome performance from both. Beating Seven this badly helps Balor a lot and that’s what they were going for.

The Broserweights are ready to win the tournament. If Dunne has to break some fingers, so be it. Riddle likes that wild man potential and promises to show why Dunne is the life of the party after they win. Dunne’s side glance at him is great.

Quick video on Tegan Nox vs. Dakota Kai.

We see three circles with 5, 20 and 2 in them. 2/5/20 perhaps?

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Shotzi now rides to the stage in a mini tank for one of the more unique entrances around here. Purrazzo goes straight for the arm to start (as is her custom) but she gets sent into the ropes. A springboard armdrag is countered into a DDT though and Blackheart is right back in trouble. That lasts all of a few seconds as Blackheart is back up with a reverse Sling Blade and a Question Mark kick for two. The top rope backsplash finishes Purrazzo at 3:27.

Rating: C-. Just a quick match here and it’s a good sign for Blackheart’s future that she got a win here. She has had some good efforts but at some point you need to actually win a match to make the impact work. Blackheart is unique enough to go somewhere eventually and the tank alone makes it seem like they have some plans for her.

We look back at Keith Lee winning the North American Title.

Video on Worlds Collide.

Here’s Keith Lee for a chat. A few weeks ago he was wondering which title he should take first and now he is your limitless champion. Cue Damian Priest to say he wants the title. Dominick Dijakovic does the same (because “bootleg Marilyn Manson” isn’t getting the first title shot) so it’s hoss fight time.

Dominick Dijakovic vs. Damian Priest

Priest starts fast and knocks Dijakovic to the apron. That means a big crucifix bomb on the outside and we take a break. Back with Dijakovic slugging away but walking into a Flatliner for two. Dijakovic is fine enough to hit a sitout chokeslam for two, sending Priest outside. That’s fine with Dijakovic, who hits an Asai moonsault just to show off a bit.

Back in and they both hit spinning boots to the head for a double knockdown. Priest goes up but Dijakovic catches him for a fireman’s carry, only to get pulled down in a super reverse hurricanrana for two. The Reckoning is broken up as well and Feast Your Eyes finishes Priest at 8:37.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have the time to go as far as some of their other matches but what we got was good enough. Sometimes you just need to let athletic guys go out there and do crazy stuff to each other, which is what got these two plus Lee over. They can do incredible stuff to each other and that makes these matches as good of a set of popcorn matches as you’ll get these days.

We look at how the Grizzled Young Veterans made the finals.

Tommaso Ciampa is ready to become the new #1 contender and has a pipe to help him, because Goldie is coming home.

Post break, the Undisputed Era (minus Adam Cole) has been laid out and Ciampa walks by, dropping the pipe next to them. Ciampa keeps talking and carries a table into the arena. Cole shows up in the back and wants to know who did this before storming to the ring. Ciampa says he’s going to beat Cole up, powerbomb him through the table and then sign a contract so he can get Goldie back in Portland.

Cue William Regal to say Cole has already signed the contract and doesn’t care who he is facing. Cole says he has this and takes the contract while walking to the ring. He gets on the apron and catches a charging Ciampa with a microphone shot to the head. Ciampa cuts off a belt shot though and powerbombs him through a table. The contract is signed and since Ciampa is a bit busted open, he adds in some blood for good measure. Good segment to set up the logical title match.

Video on Bianca Belair’s dominant performance in the Royal Rumble.

Tegan Nox vs. Dakota Kai

Nox has to watch Kai’s entrance video, which is Kai destroying Nox’s knee at Takeover: WarGames. That’s so awesome. Nox isn’t happy though and throws her knee brace at Kai to start and they trade shots in the corner. Kai gets the better of it and hits her running kick tot he face, only to get caught with a running reverse Cannonball. They head outside with Kai kicking her in the face again and sending it into the crowd to keep up the beating.

Back to ringside they go and it’s Kai kicking her in the face again. Kai grabs a chair but it gets kicked away, allowing Nox to post her. Back in and Kai loads up the brace but gets German suplexed for her efforts. The chair is almost brought in again but here’s Candice LeRae to grab it from Kai. That lets Nox hit Kai with the brace and the Shiniest Wizard is good for the pin at 3:16.

Rating: C+. This was short but dang they packed in a lot. These two felt like they wanted to hurt each other and the ending worked very well with the brace into the finish. I could go for more of this and it wouldn’t shock me to see Kai come back for more in the future. Rather entertaining brawl, especially given the time.

Here’s how the Broserweights made the finals.

Chelsea Green b. Kayden Carter

Carter hits a running dropkick to start but gets in a kick to the face to drop Carter. A running dropkick gives Green two more and she whips Carter hard into the corner. The chinlock goes on but Carter is right back out with some rollups for two each. A superkick sets up a low superkick for two more but green kicks her down again. The bragging takes too long though and Carter grabs a small package for the pin at 3:11.

Rating: D+. I had heard some rumors about Robert Stone being a parody of/inspired by Tony Khan and this is the first time I’ve bought into it. WWE is the kind of company that would create a character just so they could be turned into a loser so they could mock someone from another company. I hope that’s not the case and I’m not that it is, but this gave me a reason to think about it.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Broserweights vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

The winners get a Tag Team Title shot at Takeover. Dunne chops away at Drake to start and it’s Riddle coming in for a double stomp to the shoulders. Riddle grabs the ankle lock but Drake is right next to the ropes. Gibson comes in off a blind tag and kicks Riddle in the chest as the fans are all over him. That’s reversed and Riddle kicks away, allowing the double tag to bring in Dunne to beat up Graves.

Riddle has to be held back though and what looked like a slingshot shoulder breaker (or Tombstone) to the floor has Dunne holding his arm. The arm gets posted and we take an early break. Back with Riddle coming back in to kick away at both Veterans, earning a “RIDDLE’S GONNA SMOKE YOU” chant. A bridging German suplex gets two on Gibson (Beth: “Riddle delivering the blunt force trauma.”) and it’s a spear to Drake for good measure.

The Brohammer plants Gibson and it’s already back to Dunne as they’re going fast here. A powerbomb into Riddle’s jumping knee gets two on Drake but Dunne is sent to the floor. That leaves Riddle to take a powerbomb/neckbreaker combination for two as the Veterans take over again. Fans: “YOU STILL SUCK!” Dunne is knocked off the apron but Riddle blocks a neckbreaker/superkick combination. That lets Dunne come back in for some kicks to the head and the Final Flash gets two on Drake.

A pair of Brotons to Drake’s back doesn’t do much as Drake is right back with a DDT. The double tag brings in Dunne to slug it out with Gibson but everything breaks down again. The Veterans are caught in stereo ankle locks but they both kick away as we take a break. Back with Dunne breaking up a Doomsday Device so Gibson throws Riddle over the top onto Riddle. Ticket to Ride gets two on Dunne and Gibson busts out the Shankley Gates to put Dunne in more trouble.

Riddle, with Drake on his back, comes in with a spear to break that up and everyone is down again. Drake gets powerbombed onto Gibson’s back and it’s the Bitter End into the Final Flash for a close two. Gibson is back and it’s a Doomsday Device through the ropes to drop Dunne on the floor. Back in and Riddle gets driven into the corner for a running dropkick. Drake’s 450 gets two but Dunne is back in for stereo Bro Dereks. Dunne moonsaults to the floor onto Gibson as Drake takes the Floating Bro. The BTS into the enziguri gives Dunne the pin at 21:25.

Rating: B. Best thing on the show by far and while you could argue that the wrong team won, it’s certainly going to set up an interesting title match. Riddle has been waiting on that first big win and while this isn’t the whole thing, it’s a big step in the right direction for him. Dunne is in the same boat and now hopefully he can move forward doing something else.

The trophy is presented and confetti falls to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event helped it a lot because this wasn’t one of their better shows. I’m assuming it’s the extra hour but NXT has not been the same for the last few months. The Survivor Series stuff was good but the show doesn’t feel as special as it did before. It’s still good, though not as good and that’s a shame. Maybe they can get back on track with a Takeover build, but they’ve got some work to do for a change.

Results

Finn Balor b. Trent Seven – 1916

Shotzi Blackheart b. Deonna Purrazzo – Top rope backsplash

Dominick Dijakovic b. Damian Priest – Feast Your Eyes

Tegan Nox b. Dakota Kai – Shiniest Wizard

Kayden Carter b. Chelsea Green – Small package

Broserweights b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Bro To Sleep/enziguri combination to Drake

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

Takeover: Blackpool II
Date: January 12, 2020
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

It’s almost weird how infrequently these things take place as this is only the third edition ever. The good thing is they have followed the regular NXT formula and the show, with its five match card, looks rather good. They might not have the trickiest card to predict but that doesn’t mean it is going to be boring. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks back at last year’s Takeover: Blackpool with everyone talking about why they do this. It’s their kingdom.

Eddie Dennis vs. Trent Seven

Dennis has what looks like a dragon’s helmet on during his entrance. Eddie charges at Trent in the corner but walks into a powerbomb for an early two. Trent chops away but gets caught with a toss Razor’s Edge out of the corner instead. The cravate goes on and Dennis hammers away at the head for his own two. A DDT is blocked though and they head outside with Trent hitting a suicide dive.

Back in and Trent misses a dive off the top, allowing Dennis to hit a swinging Side Effect for two more. Another Razor’s Edge is countered but Dennis ducks the Seven Star Lariat. The Birminghammer is blocked with a grab of the rope so Dennis goes for the turnbuckle pad. That takes too long as well and Trent hits a top rope superplex for another near fall. Seven shoves him into the exposed buckle and it’s a toss Razor’s Edge over the top onto a well placed production worker. That’s only good for two so Eddie hits the Next Stop Driver for the pin at 8:03.

Rating: B-. They didn’t waste time here but it made Dennis look like a killer, which was exactly the point. Seven getting sent into the buckle leaves them an opening for a rematch if they want to go there and odds are they will. What mattered here though was Dennis and he looked a lot better than he did before the injury. Good match and a solid opener that served a purpose.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Kay Lee Ray defeated Toni Storm to win the title at Takeover: Cardiff but Storm has gotten a lot more focused. At the same time, Piper Niven is hunting for the title, setting off some issues between the challengers.

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

Ray is defending and Niven jumps her during the Big Match Intros. Niven sends Ray outside for the suicide dive and then Cannonballs both of them in a row. That earns her a whip into the steps so Toni and Ray can fight, only to have Niven drop a backsplash onto both of them. Ray superkicks Niven and chokes Toni, who is right back with a release German suplex.

Storm suplexes Niven as well but gets planted by Ray, who is suplexed by Niven to put all three down at once. It’s Toni and Piper slugging it out but Ray shoves them together in what might not have been the smartest move. Ray grabs a chair and wraps it around Storm’s neck but Niven breaks up the Pillmanizing (and near death). Storm picks up the chair and Niven says hit her, only to have them both go after Ray instead.

With Ray and Storm on the floor, Niven hits a Cannonball off the apron to crush the champ. Back in and Niven breaks up the superplex by powerbombing Storm but Niven breaks it up with a top rope Swanton. Niven’s Michinoku Driver gets two on Ray, who somehow gets Niven up for the Gory Bomb and the same near fall.

Niven busts out a Canadian Destroyer on Ray (because she can) but Storm breaks up the cover and hits Storm Zero for two more on Ray with Niven making the save this time. Storm Zero doesn’t work on Niven so Toni settles for something like a Pedigree instead. A frog splash hits Niven but Ray steals the pin to retain at 13:24.

Rating: B. They didn’t really stop moving here for the most part and Ray winning that way makes sense. I’m a little surprised they pinned Niven, but it makes a little sense given that Storm is coming up on the big match with Rhea Ripley at When Worlds Collide. All three worked hard here though and it was good stuff with the logical ending.

Travis Banks is here.

We recap Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin. Bate beat him in the first United Kingdom Title Tournament and Devlin has wanted a chance for revenge ever since. Devlin has said he’s better than the big star in Bate and tonight is his chance to prove it.

Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin

They circle each other to start as the fans are almost all behind Bate. Devlin wins an early battle over wrist control until Bate flips around and grabs his own wristlock. A battle over a rollup goes nowhere and Devlin is ready for Bop and Bang. There’s a backdrop to Devlin and a gorilla press makes it even worse. Devlin is sent to the floor but catches a charging Bate with a release Rock Bottom.

The Arabian press gets two and we have a split crowd for a change. A butterfly suplex lets Devlin mock the Moustache Mountain pose but the Devil Inside is blocked. Devlin drops him on the arm/back and stands on Bate’s neck to make it worse. The surfboard works on almost all of Bate, with Devlin pulling back on the head to add a little extra pain. Since that can’t last long, they’re both up and stereo crossbodies give us a double knockdown.

Back up and Bate catches a charge in the corner to slam Devlin. A running kick to the head sets up the standing shooting star press for two. Devlin gets up an elbow in the corner but the slingshot cutter is countered into a ridiculously long airplane spin. Even Bate is dizzy off of that one but manages a brainbuster for two. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a rollup for two before Devlin hits a half and half suplex for his own near fall.

Now the slingshot cutter connects, only to send Bate out to the apron. Another slingshot cutter onto the apron drops both of them on the floor and Devlin’s kick to the chest makes Bate dive back in to beat the count. They slug it out with Devlin getting the better of it until the rolling Liger Kick gives Bate a breather. The Devil Inside is blocked but Bate’s handspring clothesline is countered into a Spanish Fly for another double knockdown.

Bate crotches him on top but a super Spanish Fly into the Devil Inside connects for a VERY close two. Devlin punches him in the face and loads up his own Tyler Driver 97, only to get reversed into a headbutt. Bate hits a springboard tornado DDT into the Tyler Driver 97 for two, but Bate is right back up top with a Spiral Tap for the pin at 22:41.

Rating: A-. Yeah this was great stuff with both guys beating the heck out of each other. Devlin knew a lot of what Bate was going to do but got just a bit too cocky and slipped up in the end, allowing the better Bate to win. That being said, I’m not sure how much sense this makes as Devlin needed the win a lot more than Bate. Either way, this was the blow away match the show was looking for and it’s excellent.

Post match Bate gets a standing ovation, including from HHH, William Regal and Johnny Saint.

We recap the Tag Team Title match. Gallus, the champions, were defending against Imperium when the Grizzled Young Veterans interfered to steal the titles. Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews cut them off so there was only one solution: a ladder match.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Imperium vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Gallus, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang, are defending and it’s Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel for Imperium in a ladder match. There’s something about the referee ringing the bell and getting out of the way that makes this seem a lot more violent. It’s a brawl to start with Gallus and Imperium heading outside, leaving the Veterans to take over on Webster and Andrews.

Coffey and Imperium take their places in the ring but Webster and Andrews come back in to pick up the pace. The Veterans pulls them down by the arms though and some chair shots make it worse. Gallus ties Drake in the Tree of Woe but Imperium saves him from having his face crushed. Imperium tries to grab a ladder but Webster and Andrews hit big flip dives to knock it away. Imperium brings the ladders in and clean house, making sure to stop to pose.

The Veterans clear them out and tie Andrews in the corner for a running dropkick. Gallus is back in for a slingshot Samoan drop to put Drake onto a ladder but Imperium breaks up a climb attempt. Webster DDTs Wolfgang and Andrews goes up, only to dive onto Coffey instead of grabbing the titles. Andrews is laid over a ladder and it’s Aichner hitting a springboard moonsault onto Andrews onto the ladder for the big crash.

The Veterans are back in with the big ladder and set it up next to two regular ladders, only to have Webster bridge a ladder into one of them. Another, unopened ladder, is pressed against Gibson’s back but everyone gets knocked down before we get the big disaster. Drake is up there alone but hits a 450 on Andrews instead of grabbing the titles. Gibson helps Drake up so Aichner makes his own save.

The European Bomb hits Drake and Imperium is smart enough to get rid of the rest of the ladders, leaving just one to climb. Gallus grabs some more ladders and make the save, setting up a powerslam/enziguri combination to Drake. Webster and Andrews pull the ladder away from Gallus and drop them with a double Stundog Millionaire. The really big ladder is set up at ringside and we get some tables for the bonus (maybe it can shut the fans up for a bit).

One table collapses under Coffey’s weight, leaving Wolfgang on the other table. That doesn’t last long either as Andrews and Webster go up the same ladder at the same time for a double Swanton to crush Wolfgang in a hurry (cool spot, but not the brightest move). Andrews and Webster go up but the Veterans make the save this time.

The Veterans climb but Andrews busts out a kendo stick and destroys Drake. Imperium makes the save and climb as well, only to have Coffey make the save. Wolfgang spears Aichner through a ladder and Barthel gets shoved off the top onto a pile at ringside, leaving Gallus to retain the titles at 22:54.

Rating: A-. This was a blast and somehow managed to not get too jumbled with everyone and all of the ladders involved. They had some big spots and kept things moving, with a few unique spots to make things all the better. I liked this way more than I was expecting to and it was pretty well structured throughout. Heck of a match here and one of the better ladder matches I’ve seen in a good while.

Ridge Holland is here.

We recap Joe Coffey vs. Walter. After winning the title last April, Walter needs some competition so Coffey said this is his kingdom. This stems from last year’s Takeover: Blackpool where Walter debuted and laid out Coffey after his long match with Pete Dunne. It has turned into Gallus vs. Imperium and it should be a heck of a hoss fight.

United Kingdom Title: Joe Coffey vs. Walter

Walter is defending and tries a big boot at the bell in a flashback to last year’s Blackpool. The early sleeper is countered into a spinning belly to back suplex so Walter gets a breather on the floor. Coffey follows and hits a big diving shoulder over the barricade as Walter can’t get going so far. Back in and Coffey stomps away, setting up a belly to belly for two. There’s a tornado DDT for two more and it’s time for the slugout, with Coffey seemingly rather pleased. A stalling suplex gives Coffey two more but they chop it out, and that’s just a bad idea against Walter.

The sleeper is broken up with a drop backwards and they’re both down. That doesn’t last long as Coffey spears Walter in the back to set up a German suplex for two. Walter is right back up with a powerbomb for his own near fall but the ref gets knocked VERY silly (and sells it like he fell out of a building).

All The Best For The Bells connects for no count so here’s Alexander Wolfe to go after Coffey. Ilja Dragunov makes the save but knocks Wolfe into Coffey’s leg. Walter clotheslines Dragunov to the floor and kicks him down before sending Coffey into the steps. We have another referee as Dragunov and Wolfe fight to the back. Coffey catches him on top and manages a belly to belly superplex to put them both down again.

Walter is up first for his awesome top rope splash and another near fall. The powerbomb is escaped and All The Best For The Bells connects (after the first one grazed the top of Walter’s head) for two so Walter slaps on a sleeper. The sleeper suplex drops Coffey on his head and there’s the powerbomb. Walter hits another powerbomb and puts on the Crossface to make Coffey tap at 27:40.

Rating: A. It’s the second best NXT UK Takeover main event ever and that’s not bad at all. This was exactly what it should have been with both guys beating the heck out of each other as only a pair of monsters can do. I had fun watching them hit each other really hard and that’s how it should have gone. Heck of a fight here and Coffey continues to have a great role around here. It’s going to take something special to beat Walter and you can probably pencil in Dragunov for the next shot, which could be fascinating.

Post match Imperium comes out to pose but it’s the Undisputed Era running in to lay them out, including a four on one beatdown of Walter. A High/Low and the Last Shot leave Walter laying and the Era poses to end the show. This was really well done and got a huge reaction. They’re making When Worlds Collide seem like a huge deal and I want to see how things go.

Overall Rating: A-. This felt like a Takeover is supposed to feel: one awesome match after another with even the worst being rather good. The main event was great and the big angle at the end was nearly perfect. NXT UK has figured it out in recent months and I’ve liked it more and more as the weeks go on. Another awesome show here and while it didn’t have the incredible match like Takeover: Cardiff, I never once got bored or wanted the show to speed up, leaving this one as a better overall experience. Heck of a show.

Results

Eddie Dennis b. Trent Seven – Next Stop Driver

Kay Lee Ray b. Piper Niven and Toni Storm – Frog splash to Niven

Tyler Bate b. Jordan Devlin – Spiral Tap

Gallus won a ladder match

Walter b. Joe Coffey – Crossface

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

It’s still kind of strange that these shows happen so infrequently. If there is one thing that WWE is not known for, it’s taking their time and letting a show be built up over time. That’s what they’ve done with the NXT UK Takeovers though and given how the main event of the most recent one went, we might be in for a special treat here. I’m looking forward to the show so let’s get to it.

Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin

We’ll start with what should be a heck of a match here as these two are capable of tearing the house down. That being said, Bate has built up his reputation so well that it might be difficult for him to pull it off again. Devlin should be more than up to the challenge though and the last big match I saw him again (against Walter at an OTT show) was outstanding. Hopefully they can live up to the considerable hype here.

I’ll take Devlin to win as Bate is as over as you can get in NXT UK without winning the United Kingdom Title (again). It’s not like he’s going to lose anything by being pinned so let Devlin overcome the odds and get the big win that he needs to move himself up the ladder. The promotion needs some fresh names in the main event and Devlin has been ready to move there for what seems like ever now.

Women’s Title: Kay Lee Ray(c) vs. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven

This is one of the places where NXT (both American and UK) shine. There wasn’t much of a reason to believe that Storm was going to get the title back here as she’s already had it once and the bigger story seems to be between her and Niven rather than her and Ray. Then we had this week’s NXT, where Storm vs. Rhea Ripley was set up and Storm mentioned a title vs. title match. That is something that could happen and gives you a reason to believe something might go down here. It’s such a nice addition and helps the match out a lot.

That being said, I’ll still take Ray to retain here. Niven winning the title by defeating Ray one on one makes more sense and you can build that up in a few weeks. Have Niven ready to win the title and then Ray steals it (yeah it’s cliched but it makes sense here) to set up their singles match later where the title change can take place. It’s been a well set up feud though and that’s always a plus.

Eddie Dennis vs. Trent Seven

This one kind of came out of nowhere and that’s ok for what they’re doing. Dennis is back after a long absence and he is mysterious enough that he doesn’t have to say much to get his point across. Going after Seven is an easy way to get back into things as he’s over enough to be a big deal and can pull off the surprise win at times. I’m not sure he will here, but Seven is dangerous enough to make you believe something could happen.

I’ll go with Dennis though, as there isn’t much of a reason for Seven to win. Dennis is someone who seems like he would be an interesting player so he needs a win to get him back in the running. Much like Bate, Seven doesn’t need to win a match due to how over he already is, so give Dennis the win and see what you have with him. Seven can make him look good too so it should be a nice result all around.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus(c) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Imperium

It’s a ladder match because….well you have to have an annual ladder match quota in modern wrestling. Gallus haven’t been the most interesting champions and I had almost forgotten that they had the titles when they came out this week on NXT. It also doesn’t help that they lost to the Undisputed Era in the first round of the Dusty Classic as that wasn’t their best sign for the future. That being said, who is the most likely pick for the titles?

Of course it’s Imperium, as the Veterans have taken a bit of a step back and Webster/Andrews seemed to win the titles because the title match was taking place in Wales. Imperium seems to be the big thing in NXT UK at the moment and giving them the Tag Team Titles to go with the United Kingdom Title makes the most sense. Just do what you should do here and don’t try to overthink things, as this is the most logical choice they have.

United Kingdom Title: Walter(c) vs. Joe Coffey

This is an idea that anyone can get, even if they’re not a wrestling fan: both of them run their own faction and they’re both big and strong. Let them hit each other really, really hard until the other one can’t get up, likely after interference from their cohorts, and see who winds up winning the thing. That’s as good of an idea as you can have here and it should be fun.

However, it’s not like there is any serious doubt here as Walter should win and win handily. It’s going to take something special to get the title off of him and while Coffey will give him one heck of a fight, I don’t think he’s going to be able to make it work. This should be very entertaining and they’ll have one of the best hoss fights in a long time, but Walter leaves as champion to give Imperium all of the belts.

Overall Thoughts

If there is one thing that NXT UK knows how to do, it is get something out of a card that does not seem the greatest on paper. This seems like a show that should have some rather obvious results but that doesn’t mean the show will be boring. The crowd response and the energy from everyone involved should make things work and we could be in for a heck of an afternoon.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams vs. Pretty Deadly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amale vs. Jinny

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

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

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

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

Noam Dar vs. Tyler Bate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

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

Jinny b. Amale – Makeover

Tyler Bate b. Noam Dar – Tyler Driver 97

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 12, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

The roll towards Blackpool continues as we are getting ready for one of the biggest shows that NXT UK has ever had. The show is going to be built around Gallus vs. Imperium in what should be a rather hard hitting feud. That feud will be continuing this week with Gallus defending the Tag Team Titles against Imperium in a main event set up last week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Isla Dawn vs. Kay Lee Ray

Non-title. The fans seem split but the pro-Dawn chants are a bit louder. Dawn gets in a quick crossbody for two and la majistral is good for the same. It’s way too early for the Gory Bomb from Ray as Dawn reverses into a sunset flip for two instead. Ray blocks a rollup attempt and a faceplant giver her two of her own. Dawn’s leg is wrapped around the middle rope but Ray misses a charge into the corner. A running knee in the corner corner hits Ray but bangs up the knee again. Back in and a Meteora gives Dawn two, only to have the knee go out again. Some superkicks set up the Gory Bomb to finish Dawn at 4:27.

Rating: C. Just a match here as Ray had to sweat a little bit before winning in the end. The fans responded well to Dawn and maybe a face run for her could go somewhere. You don’t exactly expect that out of someone called the White Witch but stranger things have worked. Ray is becoming a bigger deal though and winning like this will get her higher up the all time ranks.

Post match Ray says she doesn’t care who she faces next and mentions both Toni Storm and Piper Niven. Cue Piper with a shake of her head but Storm charges past her to go after Ray. The fight is on but Storm is knocked into Piper, who isn’t happy at being dropped. They argue as Ray leaves, only to have Sid Scala come out and announce a triple threat for the title at Takeover.

Jordan Devlin is here to show some highlights of the rest of the NXT UK roster. We start with the Grizzled Young Veterans defeating Moustache Mountain to become the first Tag Team Champions. Then Tyler Bate got beaten up at the Download Festival. Finally, Bate lost to Walter at Takeover: Cardiff while Devlin was sat on the sidelines. Shame really. Good stuff from Devlin here.

Joe Coffey says Takeover is the biggest night of his career. Last time they were in Blackpool, Walter kicked him in the face so this time it’s time to show that Gallus is the best.

Michael May vs. Trent Seven

Or not as Eddie Dennis comes out and jumps May, telling Seven that it was a gift. No match of course.

Noam Dar wants to fight at Takeover but Johnny Saint gives him a match with Tyler Bate next week instead.

Ridge Holland vs. Jack Starz

Holland throws him around like a toy to start, including a hard head and arms suplex. A knee to the ribs cuts off the comeback cold and there’s a double underhook overhead belly to belly. Starz avoids a charge in the corner and grabs a headlock, which I don’t see going well. Holland pounce the heck out of him though and finishes with Northern Grit at 2:39. Another dominant and impressive performance.

Post match Holland is nice enough to give Starz a tip of the cap.

A healthy Amir Jordan surprises Kenny Williams at the gym. They’re teaming, and dancing, again next week.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Imperium

Gallus is defending against Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner. They start fighting before the Big Match Intros are done and it’s Mark forearming Aichner to start. A headlock takeover puts Coffey down so it’s off to Barthel for an armbar. Aichner slaps on one of his own but Coffey pops up with a jumping shoulder. It’s off to Wolfgang, with Phillips trying to compare him to British Strong Style as the fathers of NXT UK. Other than being in the same place, I’m not exactly seeing the resemblance.

Everything breaks down for a bit and Barthel gets flipped into the corner. He rakes the eyes to get out of a fireman’s carry and some stereo dropkicks in the corner have Coffey in trouble. Barthel gets rather cocky and yells in the corner as a trainer comes out to check on Coffey. He’s fine enough to slap Barthel in the face so it’s more stomping in the corner. Aichner hits a hard clothesline but gets backdropped over the top to give Coffey an opening.

Another backdrop allows the tag off to Wolfgang so house can be cleaned. A swinging neckbreaker gets two on Aichner and it’s back to Coffey in a hurry. Now the catapult into the Samoan drop can connect for two and everything breaks down again. With Coffey down on the floor, an assisted spinebuster gets two on Wolfgang.

Coffey is back up to block the European Bomb and it’s time for the slugout. Coffey wins a slugout with Aichner and forearms Barthel out of the air. Aichner drops Coffey but walks into a spear from Wolfgang to put everyone down. Cue the Grizzled Young Veterans to steal the titles but Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster cut them off. They all get in and the match is thrown out at 11:58.

Rating: B. This was getting good by the end but the interference was necessary to get us to the match that really matters. Gallus vs. Imperium could go on for a long time now and if this is the kind of match that we are going to get, we should be just fine for the next several weeks. Or we can just have a big mess of a match at Takeover, which should be fine too.

Post match the big brawl is on until Johnny Saint and Sid Scala come out to announce a four team ladder match for the titles at Takeover. That seems like quite the harsh decision, unfair to the champs and rather overly fair to the Veterans.

Overall Rating: C+. Pretty nice show overall with Takeover coming together (albeit in matches that weren’t really surprising, which isn’t a bad thing) and a solid main event. Things are starting to look good around here and with the shadow of Walter lurking, we could be in for a lot of good stuff for the near and even somewhat far future.

Results

Kay Lee Ray b. Isla Dawn – Gory Bomb

Ridge Holland b. Jack Starz – Northern Grit

Gallus vs. Imperium went to a no contest when the Grizzled Young Veterans, Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster interfered

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 21, 2019
Location: Bonus Arena, Hull, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

Things are picking up around here with the suddenly united forces of Gallus and Ilja Dragunov vs. Imperium. For the first time since the promotion started, it feels like something other than British Strong Style is at the forefront and that is a very good feeling as you can only ride those (great and incredibly talented) guys for so long. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Trent Seven vs. Kona Reeves

Dang it why couldn’t Reeves get held up at customs? During his entrance, Reeves talks about how he is here to teach the UK fans something because it is NXT’s crooked tooth cousin. Reeves rants about how Seven is out of date and not a superstar, even with his moustache. Seven backdrops him at the bell and starts in with the chops.

A trip to the floor lets Reeves tie him in the ring skirt though and forearms to the back have Seven in trouble. Some quick suplexes get Seven out of trouble and it’s the suicide dive to take Reeves down again. The corkscrew Swanton misses though but the Seven Star Lariat connects….for two. That’s enough for Seven who goes big with the Birminghammer for the pin at 3:25.

Rating: C-. Seven has grown on me a lot as he has his own style instead of being Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate’s old friend. If nothing else, anyone who calls a move the Birminghammer has to be worth something. Reeves on the other hand….I just can’t get into him whatsoever, but WWE seems to have caught onto the problem and keeping him as a jobber like this is acceptable.

Post match Seven goes to celebrate with the fans but runs into the returning Eddie Dennis, which seems to shake Seven a bit.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how Alexander Wolfe trained him in Germany but Wolfe made all of the decisions. Now he is trying to do the same thing here by making Dragunov feel like nothing. Tonight, it’s time to show him who is in charge of Dragunov’s future.

Takeover: Blackpool II is on January 12 and it’s already sold out.

Jack Starz vs. A-Kid

Feeling out process to start with Starz rolling his way out of an early wristlock. Kid snapmares him down and gets an early two so Starz has to slip out of a headlock. That’s fine with Kid, who flips back into a leglock before cranking on both arms at the same time. Starz grabs the leg and spins into some cranking as they stay pretty close to the mat. A triangle choke has Starz in more trouble until a powerbomb gets him loose. Kid tries a backslide for two but pulls Starz down into the Rings of Saturn for the tap at 4:07.

Rating: C. Starz is a good choice for a jobber to the stars as he’s getting in a little more offense than he has before. You can’t just have people lose over and over again and expect it to mean anything so a match like this is a good idea. A-Kid had to sweat a bit here and that is better than running through Starz like he’s not even there.

Jinny says Rhea Ripley ran away to America rather than face her. Now it’s Piper Niven as the Superstar of the Month and she actually thinks she is championship material. Jinny really is championship material and Piper can try to overthrow the queen.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans for a chat and the shoes are off before their music ends. They would be the NXT Tag Team Champions if not for a horrible decision, but like other great tag team, they can bounce back. Not too long ago they had Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews beaten but Gallus and Imperium messed everything up.

So what is going to happen to those teams? Absolutely nothing of course and every day that they don’t hold the NXT UK Tag Team Titles, the titles depreciate in value. Gibson talks about a stadium and gets shouted at by the fans. There is a statue of a man at that stadium which says “he made the people happy”. Well NXT UK needs to make the people happy by letting them have another title shot at Takeover: Blackpool II.

Jordan Devlin shows us a highlight reel of himself and how inspirational he is. Then there is A Kid who is endorsed by Tyler Bate. That won’t be enough, so maybe the kid should face Devlin next week.

Oliver Carter vs. Ridge Holland

Holland is the former rugby player who wrestled under his name Luke Menzies. The much bigger Menzies throws him around to start with a hiptoss sending Carter to the apron. Carter is right back with a running hip attack to the back of the head but a crossbody is countered into an overhead belly to belly. Another suplex makes it even worse and there’s a cobra clutch so Holland can swing him around a bit. Carter tries a comeback but gets Pounced down. A headbutt sets up something like a scoop brainbuster (Northern Grit) for the pin on Carter at 4:04.

Rating: C-. Carter was trying here but Holland looked rather impressive here with a lot of power on display. The rugby background gives him enough of a moveset for a good foundation and the rest of it should go well for him. I could go for more of his stuff and that’s an encouraging sign.

Post match Ashton Smith comes out to check on Carter and glare at Holland.

We look at Joseph Conners costing Ligero a loss to Travis Banks last week.

Banks didn’t like it, Ligero didn’t like it, Conners is glad he left a good impression. Someone please explain Conners to me. Anything positive anywhere?

Smith tries to encourage Carter when Noam Dar comes up to mock them. Dar vs. Smith is set up for next week.

Next week: Piper Niven vs. Jinny.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Alexander Wolfe

They go to the mat grappling to start and get up to do it some more without so much as a quick break. The referee breaks it up and the threat of a left hand has Wolfe backing off. Dragunov says bring it on before hitting a crossbody and falling out side off the kickout. Wolfe sends him into the barricade but takes too much time going after a camera cord, allowing Dragunov to miss a 619.

Back in and the kick to the ropes sets up the low blow puts Dragunov down for a bit longer this time. He fights out of a neck crank so Wolfe knees him in the face to really rock Dragunov this time. Some shots to the face put Dragunov outside, where Wolfe can throw a chair down. The chinlock goes on again but Dragunov fights up and drives him into the corner.

They slug it out with Dragunov chopping away at the neck and nailing a jumping enziguri. Dragunov goes up and knees off a superplex attempt, setting up a middle rope knee for two more. A running knee has Wolfe in more trouble and he gets bridged into a German suplex. Wolfe rolls away before Dragunov can come off the top so it’s Coast to Coast into the leg. Wolfe’s knee is fine enough to hit a suplex of his own, plus a top rope superplex for a bonus.

The kickout frustrates Wolfe again so he slaps Dragunov in the face while saying he had a chance. They slap it out until it’s a slugout. Dragunov gets the better of it and hits the 61Line to knock Wolfe silly. He has to deal with the invading Imperium though and Torpedo Moscow is countered into a DDT. That and a sitout powerbomb are enough to finish Dragunov at 16:45.

Rating: B. The more I see of Dragunov the more I like him. He has that warrior presence and you could picture him getting to the top of the card in a hurry. Wolfe was a good choice for an opponent here and the ending protected Dragunov thanks to the interference. Pretty sweet match, with Dragunov looking like a star.

Post match the group beatdown is on until Gallus makes the save. Joe Coffey grabs at Walter’s title as the teams glare at each other to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The main event helped a good bit but it wasn’t enough to bring up the rest of the show. Everything else was fine enough, but there was nothing that you really needed to see. That made the main event angle better due to feeling more important, though the show being a little longer didn’t help things. Not a bad show, but the main event is the only thing that has much value.

Results

Trent Seven b. Kona Reeves – Birminghammer

A-Kid b. Jack Starz – Rings of Saturn

Ridge Holland b. Oliver Carter – Northern Grit

Alexander Wolfe b. Ilja Dragunov – Sitout powerbomb

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 24, 2019
Location: Brentwood Centre, Essex, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a grudge match week around here with Trent Seven vs. Noam Dar in the main event. That’s the kind of match that may not sound like much on paper but hopefully they can pull off something good around here. There are good parts to the show and under the right circumstances we could be in for a solid night. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s Imperium in full to get things going. Marcel Barthel talks about how they are the most dominant force on the brand, including the most dominant champion who wishes to address his kingdom. Walter says no one can compete with Imperium….so here’s Gallus to interrupt. Joe Coffey makes fun of the track suits and says Imperium isn’t even on the top level of NXT UK. Every since big Jolly Wally came around here, it has been Gallus’ kingdom and Imperium is just living in it. You’re either Gallus or you’re against us. These teams had to fight at some point so this makes sense.

Xia Brookside talks about beating Nina Samuels last week before talking about Kay Lee Ray denying her a shot at the Women’s Title. One day Xia will get the shot and it will be the ultimate revenge.

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Smith and Drake start things off with the feeling out process as neither can get anywhere on the arm. A dropkick puts Drake down and a suplex gives Smith two, allowing the tag off to Carter. That means a kick to the head into a fireman’s carry backbreaker but Gibson offers himself as a shield before a kick to the head can connect in the corner. Gibson is even smart enough to take Drake over to the corner so he can make an easier tag. Carter can’t stay on Gibson’s arm so Drake tags himself in and takes over.

It’s Carter being put on the floor for a slingshot elbow/backbreaker combination, followed by the chinlock back inside. Drake comes back in but Carter hits a quick middle rope moonsault, allowing the hot tag to Smith. House is cleaned in a hurry, including the double dive to the floor onto the Veterans. Back in and a very spinning Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Drake but Gibson comes back in. A cheap shot knocks Carter off the apron and it’s a surprise clothesline to the back of Smith’s head. Ticket To Mayhem finishes Smith at 7:55.

Rating: C. The Veterans win a fine enough match here with Carter continuing to be someone with hype but without any success. Smith on the other hand looks very athletic and like the kind of performer who you can beat a lot while still having some impact because he looks good enough in the ring. The Veterans will be doing something in the future I’m sure, so going with the easy win here made sense.

Post match the Veterans beat down Smith until Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews make the save.

Tyler Bate says he is just doing his thing in NXT UK and that includes going after Jordan Devlin.

The Veterans say they’re coming for the titles. Gallus comes in to say bring it.

Ligero vs. Travis Banks

They trade rollups into one counts each to start and that means the early standoff. The fight over a test of strength doesn’t go to either of them so Ligero armdrags him down into a headlock. That’s broken up and it’s another trade of rollups for two each into another standoff. Banks’ armbar has Ligero going over to the ropes to flip out, only to get armdragged down. Ligero’s suplex attempt is countered into a small package for two more as neither can get an advantage.

Banks finally gets smart by hitting some running knees and Ligero is in trouble for the first time. Some chops connect but Ligero tells him to bring it on. That means a slugout, which goes to Banks until Ligero kicks him in the head for a double knockdown. Banks is up first but misses the Slice of Heaven, allowing Ligero to twist into another rollup for two. An exchange of backslides gets two each so they fight over another until they both wind up on their shoulders for a double pin at 7:49. The fans chant for a replay as the referee explains the draw.

Rating: C+. I liked this more than I expected to with neither being able to get the advantage and one rollup after another getting two each. I’m surprised at the booking though as Banks comes up short again while Ligero seems to completely overachieve. He seems to be someone who should just be a mask and little more but they’re treating him like someone who matters. It’s not like it’s completely out of left field so I’ll call this one a positive surprise.

Video on Dave Mastiff vs. Jordan Devlin.

Next week: NXT UK is on at 11am because of Crown Jewel. That show continues to be more and more annoying for fans every day. Next week’s show will include A-Kid’s debut and Mastiff vs. Devlin.

Noam Dar vs. Trent Seven

They’ve been annoying each other for weeks. Dar’s towel says RIP STRONG STYLE. Dar jumps him on the floor during Seven’s long entrance and uses the towel to tie Seven to the post. That means a dropkick to drive the arm into the post as we’re still waiting on the opening bell. Seven gets in and insists that he can go so Dar charges at him, right into a hard lariat for two. A legdrop gives Seven two but Dar slips out of a Burning Hammer and snaps Seven’s bad arm across the top rope.

The arm is fine enough to snap off a Rock Bottom out of the corner but Dar kicks him off the top. The crash makes Seven scream in pain and a fisherman’s suplex gives Dar two. A snapmare into the ropes gives Dar two and it’s time to start stomping at the leg. With the fans chanting something about Alicia Fox, Dar grabs something like an STF with a bend of the fingers and a shout about how much he loves Pete Dunne.

Back up and Seven blocks a Tyler Driver 97 but gets his leg kicked out again. Something close to a snap dragon suplex sends Dar outside for a change and Seven nails the suicide dive. The spinning moonsault misses though (partially due to the knee being banged up) but Seven’s Michinoku Driver gets two instead. Dar is right back with the ankle lock, sending Seven rolling over to the rope.

They fight to the apron with Seven getting in a DDT to drop Dar on his head. That’s only good for two as well so Seven dedicates this one to Tyler, setting up the Seven Star Lariat for two more. Seven is fired up but Dar kicks the knee out and hits a top rope double stomp to the leg.

The ankle lock with the grapevine goes on so Seven has to flail a lot, eventually making it over to the rope. Dar grabs the towel before kicking Seven in the head, ala Pete Dunne, for two more. The trash talk goes on so Seven bends the finger back, gets in the punch to the face and hits the Birminghammer (if that’s not what Tom said, it should be) for the pin at 13:10.

Rating: B. Yeah that worked. This is the kind of match that Seven hasn’t had very often so giving him the fighting from behind win, which also tying in the stuff with the rest of British Strong Style, worked very well. Dar is very easy to dislike and it’s even better watching Seven literally hit him in the face and drop him on his head for the win. This felt like a definitive win and a statement win for Trent, which was exactly what he needed to do.

Overall Rating: B-. The opening segment and the main event were both good but the stuff in the middle felt like you could skip it entirely. NXT has some trouble making their stuff feel important but they did it well here at least half of the time. I enjoyed the show well enough and it certainly wasn’t bad, but it rarely feels like a show you need to watch most of the time. The main event told a good story, though it still feels like a show you can miss.

Results

Grizzled Young Veterans b. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter – Ticket To Mayhem to Smith

Ligero vs. Travis Banks went to a double pin

Trent Seven b. Noam Dar – Birminghammer

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

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

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

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