IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: August 21, 2019
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’ve got less than two weeks to go before Takeover: Cardiff and that means things are going to be hitting the high gear around here. This week that will a showdown between Walter and Tyler Bate, which has the potential to be one of the best matches we’ve ever seen around here. Other than that….oh who cares as Walter and Bate are in the same ring. Let’s get to it.

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

Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel vs. The Hunt

No opening sequence this week. Aichner and Primate start things off and it’s a battle over a lockup to get us going. A knee to the ribs takes Primate down and it’s off to the armbar. Primate goes animal and bites the ear so it can be off to Boar vs. Barthel. The latter takes him down into an armbar, which seems to be the Imperium way. Barthel starts headbutting away in the corner as the fans chant what sounds like “WALTER’S B******!”. Aichner comes in for some backbreakers on Boar and it’s a spinebuster into a kick to the chest (looked like Barthel was setting for a Hart Attack but had to pull back).

The chinlock goes on and is broken up just as quickly, meaning it’s back to Primate to clean house. Barthel knocked outside but Aichner shoves the Hunt into each other. Primate backdrops Barthel outside and hits a Cannonball on Aichner but misses a charge into the corner. Stereo dropkicks in the corner take care of Primate and it’s a spinebuster to Boar (Nigel: “SQUEAL PIGGY SQUEAL!”) on the apron. The powerbomb/European uppercut combination finishes Primate at 7:43.

Rating: C. There was a story here with the Hunt taking over with the wild offense but Barthel and Aichner took over with better technique and teamwork, which is exactly the point of the team. This is the kind of win that makes the team look extra good as the team can back it up in the ring. That sets them up as bigger threats to stronger opponents, meaning things are going well so far.

Sid Scala announces Noam Dar vs. Travis Banks for Takeover.

Aichner and Barthel aren’t interested in an interview. They go into their locker room and a fight is heard as the cameraman is knocked down. Barthel is down and someone in white socks (likely Bate) walks away.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Shax

Shax isn’t very tall and carries a walking stick. Ray powers her into the corner to start as the fans aren’t sure what to do here. A beating in the corner puts Shax down and the fans boo, though they shift to a WE WANT TONI chant. Shax blocks a suplex but gets clotheslined down as the slow beating continues. For some reason Shax tries to go up and dives straight into a superkick. The Gory Bomb completes the squash at 3:31.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here as Ray wins with the fans not interested in Shax. I do like them bringing in people for a one off appearance like this though as it’s better than beating the same people over and over again. You can’t do it forever, but for something like this it’s better than the alternative. Maybe you even find a hidden gem in there.

Post match Ray says we’re almost to Cardiff but has to pause for the TONI chants. Ray knows what kind of weak and fragile kind of person that Toni can be and she’s taking the title at Takeover. Cue Toni but Ray says she knows why Toni doesn’t like to go home. Ray goes home to friends and family, but Toni goes home to nothing and no one. The only thing she has is the title and that’s not lasting.

Ray was her friend for years and has heard about everyone leaving Toni. Has she ever thought that it’s her? Toni is the reason they don’t talk anymore and that all of her boyfriends moved on. She’s also the reason her dad walked out on the family and that’s a right hand to the face. Good promo here, as the personal issues can make a not very interesting title match a lot better.

Video on Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey in a Last Man Standing match at Takeover. Johnny Saint announcing the match is almost sad as he just reads the line off a card and seems to have no idea what is going on with the story. Both guys count to ten and promise to win the big rematch.

Oliver Carter is here next week.

Jordan Devlin wants to know why he isn’t on the Takeover card. Kenny Williams comes up to challenge him for next week.

The two of them leave and we pan over to Walter yelling at Alexander Wolfe. Walter isn’t happy with what happened because there is no order or structure. He’ll meet Bate in the ring tonight anyway.

Mark Andrews vs. James Drake

If Andrews wins, he and Webster are added to the Tag Team Title match at Takeover. Flash Morgan Webster and Zack Gibson are the respective seconds. Drake says Andrews isn’t going to Takeover as the fans sing about Gibson. It’s time to work on Mark’s arm and that means the flipping escape with Andrews getting in some armdrags of his own. The double arm trap rollup gives Andrews two and Drake needs a breather in the corner.

The fans stand up in their hatred of Gibson, earning a facepalm from the man himself. Andrews doesn’t waste time in hitting a standing moonsault for two as the fans are still anti-Grizzled Young Veterans. Drake sends him into the corner to mess with Andrews’ back and a snap suplex makes it worse. Andrews is placed on top and pulled down, sending him back first onto the buckle. The logical backbreaker gets two and it’s off to a chinlock. As the fans stand up and then sit back down to confirm their hatred of Gibson, Andrews slips out and hits Stomp 182 for a breather.

An enziguri sends Drake outside for the suicide dive and it’s a heck of a tornado DDT for two back inside. The sitout bulldog looks to set up Fall to Pieces but a distraction from Gibson lets Drake break it up. Andrews is fine enough for a reverse hurricanrana but here’s Gallus to jump Webster. Gibson yells at them as Andrews grabs Stundog Millionaire for the fast pin at 11:13 to send he and Webster to Takeover.

Rating: C. I can’t help but think that Gibson can be the heel of all heels (and eventually the face of all faces) if and when he breaks away from Drake. The fans reacting to him like that is the hardest thing for anyone and Gibson just gets people to care about him, even if it is this negative. The match wasn’t the point here but the fans reacting to Gibson was great to watch.

Here’s the returning Trent Seven through the crowd with the announcers thinking he attacked Imperium. Walter and Wolfe come out but Bate chairs them down. Seven and Wolfe fight on the stage as Walter kicks the chair away but Bate gets in another shot. The Tyler Driver 97 plants Walter(the roof is coming off if he hits that in Cardiff) and Bate poses with the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The Takeover card is now set and this was the show that hammered home most of the stories. We had one match added and another (likely) finalized and that made for a good evening. The wrestling wasn’t the point here and that’s the kind of show where NXT UK (or almost any promotion) can excel. I’m more interested in seeing Takeover than I was coming in and that’s a positive sign.

Results

Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner b. The Hunt – Powerbomb/European uppercut combination to Primate

Kay Lee Ray b. Shax – Gory Bomb

Mark Andrews b. James Drake – Stundog Millionaire

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

NXT UK
Date: July 31, 2019
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

We’re a month away from Takeover: Cardiff and that means a lot of the card is already set. This has been one of the better shows around as of late and I’m hoping we get even more of what they’ve been doing. Takeover: Cardiff is actually looking a bit more interesting than Takeover: Toronto at the moment and as strange as that is, it’s nice to have something different for a change. Tonight is the start of a fresh taping cycle as well so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sid Scala and Johnny Saint (hey he’s alive) are in the ring to open the show with Sid introducing Johnny and whispering something in his ear. Saint talks about taking over on August 31, which has been announced for quite a while now. Cue Imperium to say that Saint and Scala are no longer in charge. The ring is sacred to them and they are the #1 force in NXT UK.

Walter wants to know who is next to challenge for the title and Tyler Bate’s music plays. Imperium runs to the stage to jump Bate, who comes in through the crowd to fight Walter. The rest of Imperium is held back and Bate slugs away until security breaks it up. Scala makes the match as Saint tries to hold Bate back. That’s the only match they could have picked and if it’s anything like their match in Progress, they’ll blow the roof off the place.

Mark Coffey/Wolfgang vs. Pretty Deadly

That would be Sam Stoker and Lewis Howley. Wolfgang jumps Howley in the corner to start and hits a knee to the ribs. Stoker comes in and gets planted with a release flapjack. The chinlock goes on and Stoker is double monkey flipped across the ring to keep him in trouble. Stoker is allowed to go over for the tag to Howley, who is quickly planted with the kick to the head/powerslam combination for the pin at 3:14.

Rating: D. What else were you expecting here? You can imagine Gallus gets a Tag Team Title shot in the future so having them win a squash like this is a good way to keep them warm. I’m still trying to get my mind around the idea of the Coffeys not being the team but it’s not like Wolfgang would work as a singles guy.

Post match Gallus says that they want a shot at the Grizzled Young Veterans. They set it up and then went with what makes sense. Nothing wrong with that.

Jordan Devlin asks Sid Scala about why he isn’t getting a title shot. Scala gives him Alexander Wolfe tonight instead.

Dave Mastiff is ready to fight Joe Coffey next week.

Dani Luna vs. Rhea Ripley

Ripley kicks her in the face at the bell and a bunch of forearms keep Luna down. Some right hands to the face keep Luna in trouble and a dropkick makes it even worse. Luna gets in a single right hand, sending Ripley over the edge so Riptide can give Rhea the pin at 1:59.

We get a closer look at Toni Storm vs. Kay Lee Ray. They’ve known each other for a long time and have wrestled together around the world, but Kay has changed since they’ve gotten here. They’ll fight in Cardiff and Toni is a bit nervous because Kay know her so well.

Video on Eddie Dennis getting hurt and having surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. Dennis blames every single selfish wrestler and doesn’t like fans booing people even though he’s done nothing wrong.

Jordan Devlin vs. Alexander Wolfe

Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far. Devlin hits him in the face though and the glare sends Devlin outside for a quick run. Back in and Wolfe staggers him with a single forearm, followed by an elbow to the face. Devlin is right back with some running knees to the chest as the fans are getting behind him early on. A Rock Bottom is broken up with an elbow to Devlin’s jaw and a knee to the ribs takes Devlin down again.

The abdominal stretch with knuckles to the ribs has Devlin screaming a bit but he hiptosses his way to freedom. Wolfe isn’t going to let that bother him as he drops Devlin ribs first onto the top rope to stay on the ribs. Devlin manages a victory roll into a double stomp to the ribs, followed by a standing moonsault. The ribs are banged up again but Devlin is fine enough to hit a slingshot cutter for two.

They slap it out with Devlin getting the better of things until Wolfe kicks him in the face. Devlin scores with a headbutt to rock both of them but the ribs are too banged up to pull him up for the snap Saito suplex. Instead he stomps at Wolfe’s head and gets two off a Spanish Fly. Wolfe’s bridging German suplex gets two and he nails a bicycle kick. The sitout powerbomb finishes Devlin at 11:30.

Rating: C+. These two worked well together for a hard hitting match. What matters most here was having Imperium stay strong as someone other than Walter gets to have a strong win. Devlin has lost a little bit of steam in the last few months but at least he’s still being featured and is going to be fine in the future because of talent alone.

Tyler Bate says he’s coming for the title at Takeover.

Overall Rating: C. It was still a good show but this was definitely a step down from previous weeks. What mattered most though was having the big Cardiff title match set up as Bate vs. Walter could be one of the best matches this promotion has ever had. It’s still a good show, though this was more about the vignettes and videos than the wrestling itself. You can do that once in a while, but hopefully we’re back to some bigger matches next week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 24, 2019
Location: Download Festival, Leicestershire, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

The build towards Takeover: Cardiff continues as we now have some challengers coming up for Walter. First up is Trent Seven, who is fighting for the injured Tyler Bate, taken out at Walter’s hands. Odds are Bate gets the shot at Cardiff, but that doesn’t mean this is a nothing match. Seven has been awesome as of late and this could be quite good. Let’s get to it.

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

Trent Seven arrives and is ready to knock Walter’s head off.

Opening sequence.

Kenny Williams vs. Noam Dar

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

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

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

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

The Grizzled Young Veterans don’t want to talk. Everyone has come after them and they have won every time because they’re locker room leaders. So what could anyone ask them about?

We look back at Kay Lee Ray surprising Xia Brookside to win the #1 contenders battle royal. She’s getting the title shot on August 31 at Takeover: Cardiff.

Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert/Kay Lee Ray vs. Xia Brookside/Toni Storm/Piper Niven

Ray hides from Storm to start so it’s Jinny taking over to start until Toni shoves her away. It’s off to Jazzy vs. Piper with Jazzy managing to knock her down. Since Jinny is willing to come in and take over, Niven runs her over instead. Xia comes in for a dropkick to Ray but walks into a gordbuster. Jazzy adds a big slam as the fans are staying with this one. That’s enough to bring Kay back in for the choking as Xia is a rather good choice to take a beating like this.

A good looking tornado DDT takes Ray down though and it’s back to Toni. Ray runs off again so Toni settles for a German suplex on Jinny. Everything breaks down and Toni hits a dive onto all three. Niven cannonballs off the apron onto them and Xia hits her own big dive from the top. Back in and Piper crossbodies Jazzy (nearly crushing Toni in the process) but Jazzy is fine enough to catch Xia on top. The middle rope X Factor gives Jinny the pin on Brookside at 7:36.

Rating: C. I can always go for a good six person tag and that’s what we got here. They had enough of the feuds going together at once and Xia has another reason to come after Jinny in the future. Jazzy vs. Piper could be a heck of a hoss fight in the future and Toni vs. Ray is already set. Not bad for less than eight minutes.

Trent Seven vs. Walter

Non-title. Trent dives on him to start and sends Walter into the barricade before the bell. They get inside for the first time to officially start but Trent sends him right back out for a baseball slide. Walter is back up and tries the powerbomb but gets backdropped on the floor instead.

Back in and Seven hammers away until Walter snaps off a German suplex. Seven’s chop to the chest just annoys Walter, who slams Seven right back down. The half crab sends Seven bailing to the rope as Walter is looking disgusted at him for not quitting. A missed big boot in the corner lets Seven chop him in the back of the neck, followed by a heck of a clothesline.

More chops annoy Walter, so he knocks Seven down again. Seven is all but out on his feet but manages a backfist to the face to put Walter on the floor. Walter tries to come back in on the top so Seven chops him even more, setting up a top rope superplex for two. They head outside again with Walter hitting a big boot and this time the apron powerbomb connects.

Seven is done so Walter powerbombs him again for no cover. There’s another powerbomb and cue the rest of Imperium to stare at the stage. Walter hits yet another powerbomb and the referee tells him to finish the match. The fourth and fifth powerbombs connect until the referee FINALLY stops it at 14:14.

Rating: B. This was a rather good storytelling device along with a hard hitting fight. They’re setting up Bate as the last hope to fight Walter and that’s going to be an incredible match, especially when he hits the Tyler Driver. Seven made Walter look like an absolute monster here and it was a rather good piece of business. As usual, Seven is a valuable asset and I’m sure he’ll be back.

Overall Rating: B+. This show hit on all three matches with the midcard feud, the women’s feuds and the big emotional main event stuff all working well. They’re really starting to click around here and Takeover could be an outstanding show given what else is going to be set up for the show. For once I have nearly full confidence in them to not mess this up, and that’s some rare air to be in.

Results

Noam Dar b. Kenny Williams – Nova Roller

Kay Lee Ray/Jinny/Jazzy Gabbert b. Toni Storm/Xia Brookside/Piper Niven – X Factor to Brookside

Walter b. Trent Seven via referee stoppage

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 26, 2019
Location: Download Festival, Leicestershire, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

We’re still at the Download Festival and that means we’re still in for a cool venue. The big story coming out of last week saw Kay Lee Ray becoming the new #1 contender to the Women’s Title, though you might not be seeing the title match for a little while. What we get tonight though is Walter defending the United Kingdom Title against Travis Banks, which could be rather interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Travis Banks says he’s ready.

Opening sequence.

Mark Andrews vs. Joseph Conners

Andrews rolls out of a wristlock to start and takes him down with an armdrag. The fans are VERY appreciative of an armbar but Conners cuts them off by bending Andrews’ neck around the ropes. A running clothesline gets two and a suplex is good for the same as they’re keeping the offense simple so far. Some choking on the apron and a neck snap across the rope somehow wake Andrews up so he can slug away.

The knee slide into the enziguri sets up a suicide dive to the floor to rock Conners again. He’s right back with a sunset bomb into the corner though and a belly to back faceplant gets two. The fans are all over Conners, showing that the Download Festival has bad taste in heels. Andrews can’t get a backslide but can get a Stundog Millionaire. Fall To Pieces finishes Conners at 6:09.

Rating: C-. Just a match here and nothing that hasn’t been done better before. What makes me feel better though is that it seems Conners is falling down the card, which means we don’t have to listen to him anymore. Andrews is still easy to cheer for and that’s a good piece to have around on any show.

The Hunt is angry but Dave Mastiff comes up to suggest he’s on their side against Gallus.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans, with trash bags around their feet, for a chat. They’re not happy about having to defend their Tag Team Titles in front of a bunch of dirty fans out here. The fans clap so Gibson has to tell them that’s not something to cheer about. This is supposed to be a music festival but Gibson hasn’t heard a single instrument. They’ll defend their titles against Moustache Mountain and then they can go anywhere but here. Good stuff as usual, but the fans didn’t hate Gibson as much as they tend to do.

Video on Piper Niven vs. Rhea Ripley, with Niven standing up against Ripley for thinking she is the most dominant female in NXT UK. They meet next week.

In two weeks: Gallus vs. The Hunt/Dave Mastiff.

Killer Kelly vs. Xia Brookside

Xia is aggressive to start and forearms her in the back, but it’s not the best strategy against Kelly. A wheelbarrow suplex gives Kelly two and it’s time and it’s time for a double arm crank. With that going nowhere, Kelly hits a pump kick to put Xia in the ropes for some covering up. She’s fine enough to come back with a headscissors as Jazzy Gabbert and Jinny come out to watch. Kelly gets in a shot from behind as the two of them leave but Xia is fine enough to hit the Codebreaker for the pin at 3:16.

Rating: D+. Just a match here with Xia getting a win to get back some momentum after coming up just short in the battle royal last week. Kelly continues to show a lot of potential, though she almost never (if ever) actually wins a match. They keep her strong enough so that a win wouldn’t come out of nowhere though and that’s a smart way of doing things.

Toni Storm is happy that Kay Lee Ray won the battle royal but would love to know when Ray wants her shot. Toni is ready anytime and she’ll be in action in two weeks.

Noam Dar vs. Ligero

Dar holds his jacket out in an attempt to get Ligero to charge for a funny moment. The bell rings and Dar messes with Ligero’s horns before bailing out to the floor. Back in and Dar avoids an armdrag before knocking Ligero down for some more mocking. Dar can’t get a rollup so he hides in the corner as the stalling continues. A headlock works a bit better as Kenny Williams comes out with a chair to watch at ringside.

Dar is fine enough to work on Ligero’s knee, which is rammed into Dar’s head to break up a suplex. A Widowmaker and kick to the back give Ligero two but Dar kicks the leg out. Dar grabs a fisherman’s buster for two but the Nova Roller is broken up. Ligero’s enziguri puts Dar down for a bit, only to have Dar get back up and get a knockdown of his own. Dar misses a top rope double stomp and injures his knee but really it’s just a ruse to get Williams to give him the chair. Williams hands it to him but doesn’t let go, allowing Ligero to grab a rollup for the pin at 8:59.

Rating: C-. I don’t know what it is about Dar. For the life of me I can’t remember the last time that I went back and forth on someone so many times but I go from liking Dar to rolling my eyes about having to see him again. He’s not someone I want gone, but he’s someone who needs to figure out how he should be presented because it hasn’t happened yet.

We look back at Banks coming out to say he’s ready for Walter last week.

United Kingdom Title: Travis Banks vs. Walter

Walter is defending. Banks tries to circle the monster to start but gets taken into the corner. The big chops miss but a crossbody is pulled out of the air so Walter can lay him on the top rope. Walter’s chop puts Banks on the floor and a big boot to the face knocks Banks silly. Walter goes to the test of strength to keep Banks down but he manages to power up and kick at the leg. A big kick knocks Walter down and a Shining Wizard rocks the champ again.

The shotgun dropkick sets up a top rope double stomp for two on Walter and you can feel the energy going out of the crowd. The Slice of Heaven is countered into a Boston crab to crank on Banks’ back. A rope is grabbed so Walter throws him into the corner. Only to get caught with the Slice of Heaven. Walter bails to the apron and gets dropkicked to the floor, setting up a suicide dive. Banks stays outside for too long though and gets powerbombed onto the apron. Back in and a regular powerbomb retains the title at 8:49.

Rating: B. Banks wasn’t going to win here but he was trying as hard as he could. That’s not enough to overcome the situation though and it was pretty clear that the title wasn’t changing hands. Walter is likely to have a very long reign and that means he isn’t going to lose the title in his first defense. Banks was game here and they had something going near the end but it wound up being what was expected, which was fine.

Overall Rating: B-. This is an instance where they have to get through a bunch of stuff before we can get to the build to Takeover. Next week the Tag Team Titles are on the line and then we probably get the Women’s Title match soon after that. With those out of the way, we can move on to the Takeover stuff and that’s where it should get really good. This worked well enough, though you could feel it wasn’t as important.

Results

Mark Andrews b. Joseph Conners – Fall To Pieces

Xia Brookside b. Killer Kelly – Codebreaker

Ligero b. Noam Dar – Rollup

Walter b. Travis Banks – Powerbomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: May 22, 2019
Location: Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for a big one as we have Pete Dunne vs. Walter II for the United Kingdom Title. The first match was the biggest match in the history of NXT UK and now Dunne wants his chance to get the title back. That’s all but a guarantee for some shenanigans but the question is what kind. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Travis Banks vs. Joseph Conners

Banks takes him down by the arm to start before heading outside early on. Conners sends him into the steps so the fans get behind Banks with the KIWI BUZZSAW chants. The chinlock cuts those off as the energy isn’t exactly here yet. Banks fights up and sends Conners to the floor again, this time for a heck of a suicide dive.

The Slice of Heaven misses back inside though and a running sunset buckle bomb (nice) gives Conners two, plus some polite applause. We hit the pinfall reversal sequence into a standoff as the fans get behind Banks all over again. Back up and Conners sends him into the corner but Banks comes out with the Slice of Heaven. The Kiwi Crusher finishes Conners at 8:27.

Post match Banks promises to run through Dave Mastiff, Jordan Devlin and Joe Coffey to becoming #1 contender. The match is in two weeks.

Nina Samuels is proud of how she manipulated Toni Storm into the title match. Now it’s time for her masterpiece next week when she wins the title in her series finale.

We recap Mark Andrews vs. Noam Dar from two months ago when they beat the heck out of each other and were too injured to finish.

Noam Dar vs. Mark Andrews

Of course Dar gets the big home country reception. Feeling out process to start with Andrews missing a kick to the head for a standoff. Andrews takes him down again though and a standing moonsault gets two. Dar grabs a very spinning backslide for two and it’s off to the quickly broken ankle lock. Instead Dar hits a bicycle kick for two but Andrews is right back up with a jumping enziguri. Stundog Millionaire sends Dar outside for the running flip dive with Dar’s knee giving out. That would be goldbricking though and Dar hits a quick Nova Roller for the pin at 5:50.

Rating: C-. Well that was a little shorter for the sake of the heel turn at the end, which isn’t the most interesting thing in the world. Their first match was quite entertaining and this one was more of an angle than anything else, which doesn’t do much for me. At least we got something out of it though and they didn’t waste time until getting to the ending.

The Grizzled Young Veterans don’t care about Moustache Mountain calling them out for a title shot because the champs decide when they defend their titles.

Here’s Rhea Ripley for a chat. She knows how much people want to see her wrestle tonight but it’s just not going to happen. Rhea has been told that Piper Niven is something of a big deal here in Scotland but she sees Piper as a wannabe superstar who reeks of fear. All Piper can do is talk about her and as soon as Piper steps in the ring with her, nightmares become reality. Short and to the point here.

Kassius Ohno is rather happy that he gets his update from Sid Scala and Johnny Saint this week. Since Saint isn’t here, Scala gives him Jack Gallagher for next week, which seems to work for Ohno.

Next week: Nina Samuels vs. Toni Storm for the Women’s Title.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Walter

Pete is challenging and gets powered into the corner to start. That’s reversed into a series of rolls on the mat into a standoff. Dunne takes him to the mat this time and tries for the arm stomp but has to duck the chop. Back up and Pete grabs a headlock, which is reversed into one from the champ as they’re firmly in first gear. The sleeper is blocked and Dunne grabs the leg to send Walter outside.

Dunne follows though and this time it’s the big chop to give Walter his first real advantage. A kick to the arm doesn’t do much for Dunne as Walter kicks him in the face to take over again. There’s a whip into the barricade and Walter stomps him on the steps. Back in and Dunne is in trouble but he sneers up at the champ anyway. That just earns him some hard stomps and a reverse chinlock as things stay rather slow.

Dunne fights up and drops Walter with a single forearm as the fans are behind Pete (or Peter actually). A middle rope dropkick to the knee takes Walter down again and it’s off to a kneebar. Dunne can’t get it in all the way so he kicks Walter in the arm instead and hooks something like an Octopus hold while pulling on the finger. A crucifix bomb gives Dunne two and annoys Walter so much that he hits a rather hard clothesline.

The Boston crab stays on Dunne’s back but Dunne gets out again. Some stomps to the head have Walter in trouble this time and a double arm crank is broken up as well. Walter’s fingers are tied in the buckle and Dunne dropkicks the hand for a bonus. Dunne’s super hurricanrana brings Walter back down for two but he’s back up with a chop between the shoulder blades.

A German suplex rocks Walter, who is fine enough to explode into a clothesline for two on Dunne. The top rope splash is punched out of the air and Dunne grabs the Bitter End. The fingers are bent back….and here’s Fabian Aichner to push the rope toward Walter. With the referee on the floor with Aichner, Marcel Barthel runs in to hit Dunne with the belt. Walter’s powerbomb retains the title at 16:33.

Rating: B+. It’s good and a hard hitting brawl but it was a far cry from what they did in New York. The problem here was they went from the slow start to beating the tar out of each other in the span of a few seconds and it didn’t have the smoothest transition. The ending is a good way to move things forward while also keeping Dunne strong for the future. It’s a very good TV match, but not a great, classic one.

Walter, Aichner and Barthel post to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. They weren’t messing around here with a huge main event, a match to set up the #1 contenders match and a heel turn in the middle. They’re setting things up for the future and when you add that to the good stuff this week, it’s a heck of a show. This place is officially on a roll and the new villains vs. British Strong Style will work just fine for the time being.

Results

Travis Banks b. Joseph Conners – Kiwi Crusher

Noam Dar b. Mark Andrews – Nova Roller

Walter b. Pete Dunne – Powerbomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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: May 1, 2019
Location: Pier 12, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re still in New York and that means it’s hard to say what we’re getting this week. There is however one very big match set up with United Kingdom Champion Walter facing Jordan Devlin in a non-title match. I’ve seen them have a heck of a match elsewhere so I have some high hopes for this one. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Travis Banks vs. Mansoor

Busy day for Mansoor as he was on the regular NXT as well. Banks takes him to the mat and Mansoor demands that the referee get him off as soon as the rope is reached. Mansoor flips out of a wristlock so Banks is right back with a running knee to the face. A trip to the top doesn’t go well for Banks as Mansoor shoves him off the top and possibly bangs up the previously injured shoulder.

Back in and we hit the arm trap chinlock to stay on the arm (showing some intelligence rather than going with the regular chinlock) but Banks is up in a hurry. The running dropkick hits Mansoor in the corner to put him on the floor, setting up a hard suicide dive. Slice of Heaven is broken up though and Mansoor hits a reverse spinning suplex for two. Banks has had it with him though and it’s the Slice of Heaven into the Kiwi Crusher for the pin at 5:57.

Rating: C+. Banks is someone who seems ready to break out at any given time and now he seems to be getting ready to move forward. This place needs some fresh blood on top and people like Banks and Devlin could fill those roles very well. Mansoor is someone else who is showing their potential and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him today.

Video on Xia Brookside, who is ready to keep fighting after Rhea Ripley beat her up. The bubbly personality continues.

Ilja Draganov is coming. Cool.

Nia Samuels is ready for her revival. I’m not sure if I am.

Piper Niven vs. Reina Gonzalez

They fight over the power game to start with Reina actually driving the bigger Piper into the corner. Piper’s waistlock is broken up by a ram into the corner and Reina kicks her in the back. The chinlock is broken up so Reina goes with more kicks to take her back down. Niven gets smart by sending her outside for a breather and now it’s time for the slugout. Piper gets the better of this one with an ax handle to the chest, setting up a running crossbody. The backsplash gets two and it’s the Michinoku Driver to finish Reina at 5:00.

Rating: C. This was fun with the two of them hitting each other really hard until Niven had to take it up a notch to beat her. Reina looked good again, just like she did in the tournament. The Texan thing works well for her and the gear gives her a unique look that makes her feel like someone different. Fun hoss fight here, which is exactly what they were shooting for.

Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan want a Tag Team Title shot. They don’t get how the Grizzled Young Veterans can’t lead a locker room they know nothing about. That title shot needs to come in Glasgow.

Gallus can’t wait to come home next week.

Next week in Glasgow: Jordan/Williams get their title shot.

Jordan Devlin vs. Walter

Non-title. Walter throws him down with ease to start and Jordan isn’t sure what to do here. Back in and a few shots have no effect and Walter sends Devlin outside again. Back in again and Devlin blocks the sleeper so Walter kicks him in the face. It’s time to start in on the arm with a hammerlock and then a Crossface as it’s all Walter so far.

A suplex sends Devlin outside for the third time but this time he’s able to get a few shots to the knee. Devlin dragon screw legwhips him around the rope and puts on the half crab. Walter powers out and avoids a dropkick to the knee, setting up a seated senton but the knee gets banged up again. The knee is fine enough for a backdrop and a release German suplex gives Walter two.

The powerbomb is countered into a rollup to give Devlin his own two and they’re both down. Devlin strikes away but gets pulled into a hard Saito suplex for two (the referee telling him to kickout probably helped). Walter goes up top so Devlin tries to pull him down into the Saito, which only kind of connects. That’s enough for Walter, who hits the powerbomb for the pin at 12:37.

Rating: B. This worked very well in a Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles formula, with Walter dominating until Devlin got in a few shots to slow the monster down and even things up. Devlin has become one of the better names on the roster and I could see him getting a major push down the line, especially if they ever do a taping in Ireland, which is almost a guarantee.

Post match here’s Pete Dunne to demand his rematch. Walter nods to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. These shows are getting more and more interesting as the top starts make for good shows, but so do the lower level names. That’s what works for NXT and it’s working here too because it’s how wrestling should be done. This show felt important, but so did what they did last week. Next week will be the same, and it makes the show something I want to watch. It’s another good show

Results

Travis Banks b. Mansoor – Kiwi Crusher

Piper Niven b. Reina Gonzalez – Michinoku Driver

Walter b. Jordan Devlin – Powerbomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: OTT Wrestling

Scrappermania V
Date: March 16, 2019
Location: National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Commentators: Aonghus og McAnally, Tony Kelly

This is Over the Top Wrestling, which is an Irish company as you can probably tell. I’ve been on a bit of an independent kick lately and I’ve heard great things about this place so it’s worth a try. That and someone asked me to do it and since I have a real issue saying no, here we are. Let’s get to it.

I have never seen ANYTHING from this company so I’m coming in completely blind. Therefore, please excuse any storylines or character points that I miss as I’m relying on the commentary only.

Opening sequence. Standard, but promising enough.

An unnamed man welcomes us to the show and we go into the opening video, which certainly makes this feel like a big deal.

Someone who looks like a boss comes to the stage and….leads out some more people, who may be the commentary team. He talks about how big of a show this is going to be and hands it off to a heel announcer, who isn’t very well received. The booed one is rather proud of his shiny jacket and insults the Irish rugby team. Unlike the team who couldn’t get the job done, Jordan Devlin will get the job done tonight. That’s certainly popular and the original announcer talks about tonight being Ireland vs. the World. He runs down the big names on the show, many of which are from the World rather than Ireland.

Aussie Open vs. Angelico/Rey Horus vs. Club Tropicana vs. Besties In The World

The Aussies are Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis, Club Tropicana is Aiden Epic and Captain Sexsea and the Besties are Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett. The Besties come out to Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden, which actually makes for a pretty awesome entrance. Tropicana seems to be….comedic sailors I think and the fans sing them to the ring. Sexsea is rather popular and gets dragged into the Aussie corner to start.

The Besties tag themselves in though and hit a standing moonsault on Davis before it’s Horus and Angelico coming in for a Koji Clutch/Black Widow on the Aussies. Tropicana makes the save with an oar and the broken pieces are used for some spanking. Everyone but Angelico goes to the floor and that means the big flip dive for the crash. Back in and the abuse of Davis continues, as do the rapid fire tags. The Besties hit stereo enziguris on the Aussies, setting up a toss cutter for two on Fletcher.

Tropicana comes back in for a quick distraction into a double DDT on the Besties. Everyone but Tropicana gets piled up in the corner and it’s a sliding headbutt between Angelico’s legs to….hit all of them low at once? Huh? A Blockbuster/Russian legsweep combination gets two on Davis, followed by stereo superkicks to Angelico. More superkicks abound until Davis backdrops Horus onto the pile at ringside. Back in and Sexsea chops away at the Aussies until a low blow from Davis sets up the Fidget Spinner (kind of a lifting double AA) to give Fletcher the pin at 8:52.

Rating: C+. I liked this more than I was expecting. The announcers went out of their way to give us a bit of an explanation of who the teams were and why they were different, which is the best thing that they could have done. So often these matches are just a bunch of people doing stuff but here the teams looked different enough and were treated as different acts that it worked well. The Aussies continue to tear it up every time they’re in the ring and a WWE run down the line seems inevitable.

Post match Tropicana gets a standing ovation. I’m not sure they deserve it more than any other team.

More Than Hype vs. The Rapture

That would be Darren Kearney/LJ Cleary/Nathan Martin vs. Charlie Sterling/Zack Gibson/Sha Samuels. Before the match, Gibson gets to cut a promo and I actually cannon understand him over the booing. That’s the standard that is often set for heel heat but you almost never see it actually happen. Gibson rants and I have no idea what he’s saying, which is as strong of a compliment as I can give him. He says no one cares about Dublin and demands that the fans are silent as the British National Anthem is played.

This goes as well as you would expect until the other trio comes out. A triple dive gets us started in a hurry and I believe Nathan goes after Sterling but winds up staring down all three villains. That’s fine with him as he fights them off at the same time but the numbers game takes him down. Gibson grabs a chinlock and the fans are right back into it with a NO DEAL BREXIT chant.

The villains take turns with chinlocks on Nathan but Gibson still won’t shut up, grabbing a microphone and yelling about more stuff I can’t hear over the booing. Samuels and Gibson take too long tagging and Nathan gets in a jawbreaker, allowing the hot tag to Cleary. A springboard spinning crossbody gets two on Samuels and it’s off to Kearney to clean house with a series of kicks.

The running shooting star gets two on Sterling, who is hurricanranaed into Gibson for a rather positive reaction. Nathan adds a frog splash onto both of them and a triple superkick gets two on Sterling. Kearney and Nathan get caught in a double Doomsday Device and a super powerbomb gets two on Cleary. Gibson and Sterling are sent outside though and it’s an assisted Canadian Destroyer to give Nathan the pin on Samuels at 9:29. Commentary lets us know that this is the end of a huge losing streak, which makes things even better.

Rating: C+. I don’t remember the last time I heard a crowd reaction like that and it carried the match a lot further than it would have gotten on its own. The fans absolutely HATED Gibson here and it makes the reactions he gets in NXT UK seem all the less impressive. That man needs a rocket strapped to his back at this point and WWE is crazy to not run with him for the reactions alone.

We go to the back where a man named Joe Cabray is chained to a chair. They SHOOT HIM IN THE HEAD but the room fills with smoke. The guys smell it and pass out, waking up tied to chairs of their own. A large man appears, flanked by a mini guy named Mini Mo, who identifies the two in the chair as the Angel Cruzers and promises to blow up the arena (Irish Cheatum?).

The big man throws one of them against a wall but the one left in the chair whistles, which summons a dog a dog to bite through the ropes. That earns the dog a kick in the head so the man gets out of the chair and hits the big man (and dog kicker) in the head with a brick. A stomp to the big man’s head crushes his skull (with blood going everywhere) and we cut to Mini Mo running to the arena to blow it up.

Before he can press the button, one of the Cruzers runs up and puts a garbage bag over his head. That’s not enough though as he throws Mo at a passing car….and runs away. The car is run by the other Cruzer, who runs Mo over, tearing off all of his limbs….and we go to the arena where the Cruzers’ entrance video is a singalong talking about what a lucky crowd this is and saying don’t ask for autographs. Despite being MURDERERS, the team is rather well received, made even better with their partner’s entrance.

Before we get to the match, permit me one question:

WHAT IN THE NAME OF JIM HERD AND VINCE RUSSO’S MANIC FEVER DREAMS DID I JUST WATCH??????

And now, on with the show.

Justy/Sammy D/Team Prick vs. Hurricane Helms/Angel Cruzers

Angel spears him down and chokes on the mat until Cool comes in to choke as well. Everything breaks down and it’s a quadruple chokeslam to put the four on the outside. The Cruzers hit stereo flip dives but Sammy breaks up Hurricane’s version. Back in and Justy’s high crossbody misses Cool, who starts in with the snap jabs. Team Prick breaks up a brainbuster attempt but Hurricane does the same to a TripleBomb attempt.

Angel steals a weightlifting belt and ties Rick to the post to even things up a bit. A low blow breaks up the whipping and it’s Rick and Angel fighting to the back. As Hurricane and Sammy fight in the ring, Angel comes back with a lawnmower (a must have at any wrestling event) to RUN OVER RICK’S HAND. Hurricane gives Peter the Eye of the Hurricane, leaving Justy to take the brainbuster into a Swanton from Cool for the pin at 9:28.

Rating: C. This is another match where the backstory would help a lot as it seems that there is a heck of a history between these teams. The announcers haven’t exactly been giving us a lot of details on most of this stuff and that was the case again here. Then again, a match with a lawnmower cutting off someone’s hand doesn’t need a lot of explanation.

Dan Barry vs. David Starr

We probably shouldn’t be an hour and fifteen minutes into a show before the first singles match. As you might guess, Starr is the mega heel here while Barry is announced as one of the most popular around the company. Barry dodges away a few times to start before grabbing a hard to break wristlock. Starr gets taken down and it’s an early standoff with the fans getting on Starr’s nerves. A hammerlock is broken up in the same manner I’ve seen Tyler Bate use as the counters continue to annoy Starr.

The fans let Starr know that he’ll never beat Walter (a story spread around a variety of promotions) and it’s time for some tumbling into a headlock takeover from Barry. A dropkick puts Starr on the apron but he’s fine enough to hit a clothesline and head up to the stage for a breather. The suicide dive sends Barry into the chairs, followed by a rolling kick to the face for two back inside. Barry wins the slugout and kicks Starr in the face, setting up White Noise for two more.

Starr gets sent to the apron for a superkick through the ropes but Barry catches him on top. The super hurricanrana sends Starr rolling underneath the ropes so Barry dives out onto him for the big crash. Back in and Barry’s frog splash gets two and he forearms Starr to the apron. That means another dive is blocked with a forearm, allowing Starr to DDT him onto the apron. Another superkick sets up the brainbuster onto Starr’s knee for two. The Crossface doesn’t last long so Starr blasts him with another clothesline, setting up a powerbomb backbreaker for the pin at 18:01.

Rating: B. Even though the backstory wasn’t exactly present, the story here made sense from what they were doing in the ring. Barry wasn’t the most polished wrestler in the world but he seemed to be a cult favorite who was trying as hard as he could, only to fall short to the more well rounded Starr in the end. They had to have a heel win at some point on this show and Starr is as good of a choice as it could have been.

Post match the fans want Barry to come back and declare him one of them.

We look at a woman being upset that she lost in a cage match and being the one of her friends who hasn’t been signed elsewhere. She’s ready to face Meiko Satomura and is ready to prove herself and become someone worth respecting.

Meiko Satomura vs. Martina

Martina is rather popular and dances with a flag on the way to the ring. Satomura on the other hand gets the expected legend’s pop. They lockup to start with Martina taking her to the ropes to show some power. That earns her a kick to the face and a headlock takeover to the mat. That’s reversed into a Fujiwara armbar so Satomura goes straight for the ropes. Back up and Meiko kicks at the leg and slaps on a quickly broken leglock. Martina’s leg is fine enough for some running clotheslines in the corner and a boot to the face for two.

A spinwheel kick to the face drops Martina again, only to have her pop up and send Meiko to the floor. The required dive takes out both Meiko and some fans, meaning lawsuits are likely coming soon. Back in and Meiko slaps on a nasty looking arm crank, which is quickly reversed into a Crossface from Martina.

That means another rope break and Meiko is right back up with a cartwheel double knees into the back. The slugout goes to Meiko off a kick to the head but Martina grabs a neckbreaker for two. With the strikes not working, Martina takes her to the top for a superplex and rolls through into a regular suplex for another near fall. Meiko bounces up again and kicks Martina in the head for the pin at 13:03.

Rating: B. They were trying to make Martina look like someone who could hold up with a legend and she did that well enough, though the ending came out of nowhere. You could tell that Meiko was winning when she kicked out of one big spot after another, but it’s understandable to have someone of Meiko’s stature.

Post match Martina dances again and breaks out some beers to share.

Tag Team Titles: British Strong Style vs. Kings of the North

The Kings (Bonesaw/Damien Corvin/Dunkan Disorderly and yes that’s really his name) are defending and this is also loser leaves town. Oddly enough the Brits are very popular for this one. The Kings are in their third reign of over nine months so to say they dominate the titles is an understatement. The fight is on with the champs jumping them before the bell but Seven avoids a charge in the corner.

Disorderly gets clotheslined to the floor for a suicide dive, leaving Bate to slug it out with Bonesaw. Bate’s big dive takes everyone out and it’s Dunne clotheslining Corvin to the floor, setting up the moonsault to take everyone out again. They fight into the crowd and Seven dives out of the balcony for another wipeout. Back to ringside with the champs taking over and hitting some running strikes to crush Seven in the corner.

We settle down to a regular match with Seven in trouble until he comes back with a quick Falcon Arrow. That’s not enough for the hot tag though as Seven has to powerbomb Bonesaw and Corvin out of the corner. Now the tag brings in Dunne to clean house, including a series of stomps to Corvin’s face. Bonesaw gets pulled on top for even more stomping but Bonesaw is fine enough to kick Dunne in the face.

Bate comes back in for a kick to Corvin’s face and the German suplex into the shooting star for two. The airplane spin keeps Corvin in trouble….and let’s just add Disorderly on top for a double spin. Everyone comes in for the slugout with the Kings posing, only to get punched in the face for their efforts. A grab of the referee lets the champs get in a triple low blow though and the Brits are in trouble again.

Seven gets caught in a fireman’s carry faceplant/running boot to the face combination, setting up a frog splash for a very near fall. The champs head up top but Bate and Dunne are right there for a double finger snap. A piledriver into the Tyler Driver 97 into the Bitter End….gets two? Seriously? The fans don’t even react because they’re kind of in shock over the lack of a pin. Bate adds Spinal Tap and the Burning Hammer/top rope knee combination gives us new champions at 12:28.

Rating: B. It was a fun match, though the Bitter End should have been the pin and I think they knew that was the case. The Brits winning is a good move as you can’t have the champs holding on that long, especially against a trio as big as British Strong Style is right now. Good match, as the show continues to be on fire.

Post match the champs celebrate and do a triple HHH water spit.

Women’s Title: Raven Creed vs. Debbie Keitel

Debbie is challenging and has Valkyrie (not Taya) in her corner. An early distraction lets Debbie hit a forearm and a t-bone suplex for two. She even spits in the champ’s face so Raven kicks her low and hits a double stomp to the back. Debbie is fine enough to hit a hot shot and Valkyrie gets in some choking for two. The cobra clutch keeps Raven in trouble (there haven’t been many rest holds on this show) and another suplex gets another two.

The clutch goes on again but Raven is back up with a forearm. Valkyrie checks on Debbie and has to catch her when Raven hits a forearm off the apron. That earns Valkyrie a posting but the distraction lets Debbie get a rollup for two with feet on the ropes. Raven has had it and headbutts Valkyrie, setting up a Backstabber to finish Debbie at 6:22.

Rating: D. And so much for the good match streak. This was short, not interesting, and felt more like a match between Raven and Valkyrie than Raven and Debbie. Raven ran through both of them without breaking a sweat, making this a match that offered very little and only had a single positive: it was the shortest match on the show.

Scotty Davis vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

Well there’s a legend for you. Scotty, 18 years old, seems to be a big fan favorite as he takes most of a lap around the arena before coming to the ring through the crowd. Davis is a little overwhelmed by the streamers and even falls down in them. Feeling out process to start with Liger taking him to the mat for a quickly broken headscissors.

Instead it’s the Surfboard to put Davis in trouble but Liger lets it go for another standoff. They switch it up to a fight over arm control and that means another standoff. Davis rolls around and gets a gutwrench suplex, apparently a side effect of being a suplex machine. Liger gets sent outside for a suicide dive but he’s right back with a running flip dive off the apron. A brainbuster on the concrete should kill Davis but instead it’s only a near countout.

Back in and the Surfboard with a Dragon Sleeper goes on to put Davis in real trouble. Liger’s brainbuster is countered into a fisherman’s buster, followed by Davis spinning around the ropes for a German suplex. That’s another two as Davis can’t understand how Liger keeps kicking out. Liger reverses a powerbomb into a Liger Bomb for two of his own and now frustration sets in on the other end. Davis kicks him in the head and Rolls the Dice for the huge upset at 10:05.

Rating: C+. What does it mean to have Liger putting someone over who was born after Liger had been wrestling for seventeen years? Then again that’s kind of the point of having Liger on his big retirement tour. The match was fine with Liger going with the greatest hits and then losing in the end, which I’m still not sure on.

Post match Liger gets the big legend reception and sendoff, as he should.

We recap the main event, with Jordan Devlin challenging Walter for the World Title. Walter is considered unbeatable and Jordan is the hometown boy, basically making this the same match as the main event of Progress at Wembley. It’s also a rematch of Walter taking the title from Devlin in August.

OTT World Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Walter

Devlin is challenging and doesn’t get nearly the hero pop you would expect. The fans are into him, but British Strong Style’s title win got a far stronger reaction. They do the Big Match Intros and NOW the reaction comes in. That’s better. Just to make it clear that Walter is the heel, he throws the title on the mat and stomps on it. Devlin slugs away to start and tries a package piledriver, which is broken up through pure power.

That’s fine with Devlin, who knocks him to the floor and keeps hammering away. An apron dropkick keeps Walter rocked until he comes back with a chop. Devlin gets posted and Walter starts in on the arm and hand. Back in and Walter ties up the arm and slaps Devlin in the back of the head. More right hands have Devlin in trouble and Walter throws the Irish flag on top of him for more stomping. The sleeper doesn’t work on Devlin though as he reverses into one of his own.

Walter goes down in the middle of the ring but stands up again and climbs the middle rope to fall back for the break. That only lasts a few seconds though as Devlin slaps it on again. This time Walter muscles him up for a Tombstone of all things for the break and another near fall. Walter goes up top but gets kicked in the head, setting up a slingshot cutter to give Devlin two of his own. The knee to the face sets up a package piledriver but Walter rolls to the floor before the cover.

Back in and Devlin punches away with the bad hand and actually manages to knock him down. The 450 hits knees and Walter’s bridging German suplex gets two. Walter hits some Sheamus forearms to the chest but gets his fingers snapped. Now it’s Devlin with his own German suplex into a Backstabber to send Walter outside again. That means a moonsault to the floor and the 450 connects for two more.

Walter’s hard powerbomb gets the same and a second gets two more. The sleeper goes on in the middle of the ring but Devlin’s arm is up at two drops (I thought that was the finish). The Fire Thunder Driver gets a very close two on Devlin so Walter is ready to walk. He gets to the stage but Joe Cabray (who no sells bullets to the head) is waiting on him.

Walter tries to walk again and more wrestlers cut him off in the crowd. It happens a third time and Devlin hits a dive off the top. Back in and Devlin tries a bridging rollup but gets pulled back into the sleeper. That’s reversed with the Bret Hart backflip for two before Devlin stomps at the face. The chop has no effect and Devlin slugs away, setting up the package piledriver for the pin and the title at 21:16.

Rating: A-. This was straight out of the Sting vs. Vader playbook and that’s probably why I liked it so much. They beat the heck out of each other with Devlin refusing to give up against the much bigger monster. Devlin winning was a great way to wrap up the show with a feel good moment as the countryman winning is always a smart move to make. I had fun with the match and the title change was the perfect finish to a really good show.

Post match Devlin celebrates and the locker room comes in to put him on their shoulders. Walter shakes his hand and Starr comes out for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. The crowd and atmosphere carried a lot of this show, though the action itself was a blast. Aside from the Women’s Title match, nothing on here was even close to bad and it offered a nice mixture of different styles. The one criticism I would have here is the lack of storyline explanation, as I rarely had any idea of what the issues were between the people. You could tell well enough, but more details (especially about some of the insane vignettes) would have been nice. Overall, very good show though and I can see why this place is getting so much praise.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Takeover: New York
Date: April 5, 2019
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re finally in the big city for what might be the best show of the weekend (I’m looking at you ROH/G1. Impress me.) with a new NXT Champion guaranteed in the main event. Other than that we have all title matches up and down the card with the United Kingdom Title on the line as well. I guess I can deal with this if I have to. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look at the history of Takeovers (and Arrival) before getting to tonight’s card. The history was rather quick and that’s fine in something like this.

Tag Team Titles: War Raiders vs. Aleister Black/Ricochet

The Raiders are defending and come out with vikings beating on drums because they’re awesome that way. Ricochet and Black won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic to get the shot. Black and Rowe start things off and they actually go technical with Rowe taking him down but not throwing a right hand at a downed opponent. Back up and Black puts his foot on the side of Rowe’s head as the mind games continue. They bump fists and it’s off to Hanson vs. Ricochet, much to the fans’ delight.

Ricochet goes with the speed and sends Hanson outside, leaving Rowe to take a dropkick. Black moonsaults to the middle and has a seat next to Ricochet as the NXT chants go up again. Back in and the pace quickens with Hanson sitting on Ricochet’s chest in the corner, setting up a slam to drop Rowe onto him again. With Ricochet mostly crushed, Rowe starts in on Black’s arm but the second tandem slam is cut off with a legsweep.

Ricochet already comes back in for a kick to the head and a springboard clothesline drops Rowe. Black’s elbow to the face gets one and we hit a seated abdominal stretch as the fans go nuts over something in the crowd. They chant YOU DESERVE IT until Rowe fights up and throws Black down with a slam. Hanson comes in to clean house, including the running clotheslines in the corner. Ricochet has had it with the beating and FALL AWAY SLAMS HANSON for your WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT/MAMA MIA spot.

Black and Rowe slug it out with Black kicking him in the head but getting kneed out of the air. A knee strike of his own sets up a heck of a German suplex for two on Rowe and the fans get to breathe while applauding. Hanson and Ricochet come back in for a flip off until Ricochet scores with his own kick to the head. That’s fine with Hanson, who hits a Tajiri handspring elbow (he shouldn’t be able to do that) for his own near fall. Ricochet knocks him off the top but it’s a blind tag, allowing Rowe to knee him into the corner.

Rowe throws Hanson into Ricochet in the corner and it’s a springboard clothesline/German suplex combination for two more with Black coming off the top with a double stomp for the save. Hanson gets sent outside and moonsaulted by Black, who takes a suicide dive from Rowe (whose feet got a little caught on the ropes). Ricochet busts out a corkscrew Space Flying Tiger Drop but it’s Hanson with a Cannonball off the top because it’s ok if he kills everyone.

Ricochet and Rowe dive back in to break up the count and it’s Black coming in as well. Rowe growls at him and takes a sweet Black Mass, knocking him silly. The 630 connects but Hanson shoves Black onto the cover for the save. Another 630 misses and Hanson blasts Black with a clothesline on the floor. Back in and Thor’s Hammer hits Ricochet and Hanson suicide dives onto Black. Fallout to Ricochet retains the titles at 18:39.

Rating: A. Yeah that was incredible and an instant classic with all four doing things that shouldn’t be humanly possible. Hanson alone is an athletic freak and their power moves are more than enough to carry them as far as they need to go. Ricochet and Black are going to be fine as they have solid chemistry, though Black still seems more like a singles star. Anyway, outstanding opener as the bar has been set.

Post match, hands are shaken and Black/Ricochet get the big sendoff to the main roster. Well they certainly deserve that.

Piper Niven and Toni Storm are here.

We recap Velveteen Dream vs. Matt Riddle. Dream finally won the big one by winning the North American Title back in February but Riddle showed up to get a better look at the belt. Dream didn’t like someone taking his spotlight and the match was made.

North American Title: Matt Riddle vs. Velveteen Dream

Dream is defending. Riddle comes out in a pinstripe jacket and Dream…..is the Statue of Liberty, sitting on a throne carried by four men ala Macho King Randy Savage. There certainly are some similarities. The fans are split (of course) and Dream doesn’t like that posing on the corner. Riddle starts kicking at the knee and Dream is completely dominated when he tries to take it to the mat. A springboard armdrag into an armbar has Dream bailing to the ropes as the champ is in early trouble.

They go to a back to back test of strength until Riddle flips over him and reverses a monkey flip into a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up as well so Dream gets smart by stomping on the bare foot. Dream gyrates the hips and gets gutwrench suplexed for his efforts. Riddle picks him up again and gyrates his own hips, allowing Dream to get out and hit a dropkick. With Riddle outside Dream tries a dive but lands in a German suplex on the floor. Back in and Riddle sends him flying with an exploder suplex but it’s too early for the Bromission.

The threat of an armbar sends Dream bailing to the ropes for the break and he’s right back up with a release German suplex. Riddle doesn’t sell German suplexes though and it’s a jumping knee into a fisherman’s buster for his latest near fall. Some forearms in the ropes show some frustration from Riddle so he counters what looked to be a powerbomb into a triangle. With that broken up, a GTS into a German suplex gives Riddle two. Kicks and knees to the chest make Dream HULK UP, meaning it’s a big boot and clothesline to the floor.

There’s the ax handle as we get both sides of the Mega Powers. Dream hits a Fameasser but dives into a jumping knee. A Codebreaker of all things gives Dream two but his running knee is countered into an ankle lock. Riddle switches feet to block Dream kicking him in the face but Dream is right back with a superkick. The wind up DDT sets up the Dream Valley Driver and Dream goes up.

The Purple Rainmaker is countered into most of the Bromission, sending Dream bailing to the ropes. Riddle takes him into the corner for a release German superplex into a corkscrew Swanton for a crazy hot near fall. A superkick doesn’t work for Dream as Riddle knees him into the Bromission but Dream flips back over for the pin at 17:33.

Rating: A. Well those were some of the best near falls I’ve ever seen and they actually got me on the finish. Riddle teasing the heel side during the match because his athleticism couldn’t get around Dream’s creativity and unorthodox style. This was an incredible match and the kind of match that Dream needed to win to really establish himself. I’m surprised that Riddle got pinned so soon, but he didn’t lose much at all from this. Great match as Dream steals another show.

More respect is shown post match.

Earlier today, Kushida signed with NXT and he’s in the crowd here.

We recap Pete Dunne vs. Walter for the United Kingdom Title. Dunne has held the title for nearly two years and is out of big challengers so Walter, a rather large man, is here to give him the fight of his reign. This should be amazing.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Walter

Vic Joseph replaces Watson on commentary and Dunne is defending. Feeling out process to start with Dunne not being sure what to do with someone this size. Walter tries a choke but Dunne goes to the fingers to escape and even avoids a chop. Another chop misses and Walter tells Dunne to bring it. The champ gets slammed down into an armbar and now the chops start connecting, with Dunne looking a bit scared. Back up and a big boot keeps Dunne in trouble as Walter lays him on the top rope.

In a scary sight, Walter climbs the ropes as well and stands on Dunne’s throat as it’s one sided so far. They go back inside with Walter chopping his way out of a leglock and putting on a Boston crab. Dunne makes a rope and goes for the finger again so Walter boots him in the face to the floor. Back in and Dunne goes with the kicks to the head, allowing Dunne to moonsault onto the big man. For a change of pace, Dunne goes up top and, after bending the finger again, hits a slow motion sunset sitout powerbomb for two.

A top rope double stomp to the floor has Walter in more trouble but they’re right back inside. Dunne tries a moonsault over him but slips, allowing Walter to shotgun dropkick him down. Walter’s powerbomb, with Walter coming off the mat for the cover, gets two and they’re both a little spent. Walter chops him and gets slapped in the face, earning him another chop and a kick to the face. Dunne is picked back up but gets pushed back down in a test of strength for another stomp.

Another powerbomb is countered with an enziguri and they’re both down with the fans applauding. Dunne heads up top with his back to the ring, meaning Walter is right back up with a sleeper superplex (Who does that?) for two more. Somehow Dunne is alive and snaps both fingers, setting up a crucifix bomb for two. The fans are split as Dunne stomps at the side of Walter’s head so Walter kicks right back while still on the mat. Dunne has to flip out of a sleeper and kicks at the head even more.

Dunne traps both arms with the legs and bends the fingers back (FREAKING OW MAN!) but Walter gets a foot on the rope. A heck of a clothesline knocks Dunne off the top but Walter’s splash is countered into an attempted finger snap. That’s broken up with raw power though and Dunne is down again. Dunne won’t let go of the hand, even as Walter stomps him in the head.

A huge lariat breaks the grip but Dunne nails one of his own and hits the Bitter End for another two. They go to different ropes and pull themselves up because it’s time to slug it out. Dunne absorbs the chops so Walter kicks him in the head for no cover, sending Nigel into a near fit. Walter goes up top but Dunne is up again and tries a triangle. That’s reversed into a super jackknife bu Walter STILL doesn’t cover. A top rope splash FINALLY finishes Dunne at 25:30.

Rating: A. I need a nap. That was one of the hardest hitting fights I’ve ever seen with both guys beating the fire out of each other as only they could. The fingers and chops were used a bit too much but my goodness what more could you want? They had to take the title off of Dunne eventually and this was the only way that it could have gone. Walter is one of the few guys who could conceivably beat him and they just happened to get there in another classic.

Edge and Beth Phoenix are here.

We recap the women’s Title match. Shayna Baszler is out of one on one challengers so it’s Kairi Sane, Io Shirai and Bianca Belair at the same time. Belair’s “being undefeated is a mindset” promo still makes my head hurt.

Women’s Title: Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai vs. Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler

Shayna is defending and it’s one fall to a finish. Shirai and Sane are sent outside early on and it’s Belair having to flip out of Baszler’s Kirifuda Clutch. Back in and everyone goes after Baszler as Sane and Shirai start teaming up. As expected, they’re left alone and have to fight each other but Shirai flips out of a headscissors. Shayna and Bianca take their places and it’s Baszler grabbing the hair, only to have Belair pull her face first into the post. A running elbow gives Sane two on Belair and it’s a baseball slide to Baszler.

Shirai springboard missile dropkicks Belair but walks into a fall away slam. Baszler is back in to clean house and load up a gutwrench superplex on Belair, which is turned into the Tower of Doom (you knew that was coming). Shirai launches Sane over the ropes onto Belair and Baszler, followed by the middle rope moonsault for a bonus. Back in and Belair gets caught between Shirai and Sane until Baszler pulls Sane outside. That means a gorilla press to send Sane onto both of them, leaving Baszler to come back in.

The double chickenwing slam is countered into the Kirifuda Clutch but Belair powers back up for the KOD. Shirai dives in for the save and hits an X Factor. Back to back moonsaults hit Baszler for two with Sane making the save. That gives us Shirai vs. Sane with Shirai being slammed onto Baszler. The Insane Elbow hits Baszler with Shirai DIVING back in for what might have been a late save. Belair catches Sane on top and hits a double KOD on Sane and Shirai but it’s Baszler coming back in to kick Belair down. The Kirifuda Clutch makes Belair tap at 15:30.

Rating: B. Thank goodness as Belair was getting way too close to winning and I can’t handle hearing that many of her inane promos. Baszler winning is interesting because who is left to beat her? Candice LeRae would make the most sense, but that seems like a long way off. Maybe we’ll get there someday, but Baszler is going to need something to bridge that gap. Anyway, easily the worst match of the night and it was quite good.

We recap the main event, with the original plan of Tommaso Ciampa defending the NXT Title against Johnny Gargano being shelved because Ciampa needed neck surgery. Therefore, Adam Cole won a five way match, earning himself the spot in the title match against Gargano in a 2/3 falls match.

NXT Title: Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano

The title is vacant coming in and it’s 2/3 falls. Cole sends the Undisputed Era to the back so he can do this on his own. The fans are behind Cole and it’s off to the mat about a minute and a half in. Gargano works on a hammerlock but gets reversed into a headlock. Back up and it’s an armdrag into an armbar to to keep Cole in trouble. That’s broken up and Cole bails to the floor where he manages to catch Gargano with a jumping enziguri. A hard knee to the face rocks Gargano and we hit a chinlock.

Gargano fights up again so Cole pulls him right back down into a dragon sleeper. That’s broken up too and it’s a double crossbody for a double knockdown. They bring it up another gear with Gargano nailing a belly to belly, setting up the rolling kick to the head. The slingshot spear gets two and a tornado Downward Spiral is good for the same. Cole is right back with the Backstabber out of the corner for two of his own. They fight over a small package and it’s Cole up first with a jumping enziguri. Another exchange of rollups goes nowhere so Cole hits the Last Shot for the first fall at 13:54.

The second fall begins and it’s a German suplex into another Last Shot for a very close two. Gargano spears him to the floor but walks into the fireman’s carry backbreaker. Back up and Cole can’t get a superbomb so Johnny reverses into a super White Noise (Ciampa move) for two of his own. With that not working, Gargano hits a slingshot DDT onto the apron but breaks the count, allowing Cole to post him twice in a row. Back in and Johnny grabs the flipping armbar (Ciampa move) before switching over to the Gargano Escape for a very fast tap and the tie at 20:52.

We pause for a second as Gargano has a cut on his head but it’s not a bad one. Gargano’s discus lariat sets up a swinging kick to the head but the brainbuster to the knee gives Cole two. The Lawn Dart sends Cole into the middle buckle for two so it’s double enziguris and double superkicks for a double knockdown. Cole is up first with a straitjacket suplex but Gargano is back with a reverse hurricanrana. The low superkick sends Cole outside and Gargano is crushed again. He goes out to get him and it’s a wheelbarrow suplex into the apron to put Gargano down again.

Back in and Gargano’s slingshot spear is blocked with a superkick, setting up Cole’s middle rope Canadian Destroyer for a very close two and the fans are losing it again. Gargano rolls outside and Cole tells him that he fails so Gargano throws him over the announcers’ table. The table is cleared out but Cole hits a Fairy Tale Ending onto (not through) the table instead. Cole wants the countout so Johnny dives back in at nine, right into a low superkick for another near fall.

The next Canadian Destroyer is countered into the Gargano Escape and here’s Roderick Strong for a distraction. Kyle O’Reilly breaks the hold as Cole is tapping and the referee goes down. High/Low from Fish and O’Reilly gets an even closer two so Gargano backdrops Cole onto all three of them. The Era gets beaten up on the floor but it’s two more superkicks into the Last Shot from Cole….for two. Another Last Shot misses and the Gargano Escape makes Cole tap for the title at 38:15.

Rating: A-. Yeah it worked and while it needed to be Ciampa, this was the best ending they could have had given what they had. Gargano FINALLY overcoming the odds to win the title was the feel good ending that the show needed, especially with Gargano defeating the entire Era to win. Some of the near falls were a bit much and there were a few too many superkicks, but they nailed the ending and that’s what mattered most.

Candice comes out to celebrate and they go into the crowd to hug their parents. They walk to the stage….and it’s Tommaso Ciampa….to hug both of them to end the show.

Overall Rating: A+. Oh like it could be anything else. Those first three matches are as great of a three match stretch as you’ll find and that’s more than enough to carry whatever else was on the show. It got the big ending, the various classics and absolutely nothing close to bad. What else can you get out of a three hour and fifteen minute show? Another incredible show and that’s just what you get from these shows.

Results

War Raiders b. Ricochet/Aleister Black – Fallout to Ricochet

Velveteen Dream b. Matt Riddle – Rollup

Walter b. Pete Dunne – Top rope splash

Shayna Baszler b. Bianca Belair, Io Shirai and Kairi Sane – Kirifuda Clutch to Belair

Johnny Gargano b. Adam Cole – Gargano Escape

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

We’re under two days away from Takeover: New York and I believe that’s close enough to start getting excited. The show, as always, looks awesome and with a special imported match this year, we could be in for something even better than usual. There isn’t a bad looking match on the card and if things go well, it’s already going to be the show of the year. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Title: Shayna Baszler(c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Kairi Sane vs. Io Shirai

We’ll start off with a confusing one as it depends on which wrestling story you go for. First of all you have the idea that when everyone else cancels themselves out, the champion, and best performer (maybe) at the moment, in this case Baszler, retains. At the same time though, there is the chance that we could have Baszler showing up on the main roster either over the weekend or next week. You could go either way, or cut it down the middle and have Baszler retain and show up on the main roster.

I think I’ll go with Belair winning, which I hope doesn’t lead to her talking more often. She’s an incredible athlete but she’s also one of the most annoying talkers I can remember in a very long time. Baszler can move up to the main roster while Belair feuds with the Sky Pirates or some of the other upcoming stars in the division. It might not be the most appealing choice, but it’s the one that makes the most sense.

North American Title: Velveteen Dream(c) vs. Matt Riddle

You know what I love the most about NXT? Ok maybe not the most but it’s certainly up there? It’s almost impossible to know who is going to win any given match. This one is a real tossup and it comes after a four way tossup. Dream is crazy over, but Riddle isn’t going to lose this soon in his NXT career. That and Dream just doesn’t win on the big stage most of the time.

That being said, I’ll take Riddle, as Dream might be on his way to the main roster (egads I hope not though). It’s what makes the most sense at this point and that’s usually the way NXT likes to go. These two could have an incredible match with Riddle playing by the rules (mostly) and Dream being so out there that it messes with Riddle’s mind. Either way, the fans are going to be going nuts and it should be awesome. But yeah, Riddle wins in the end.

Tag Team Titles: War Raiders(c) vs. Aleister Black/Ricochet

Can I please have an easy match on this show? Not everything has to be so well put together that it’s hard to figure out. Black and Ricochet are going to get a SmackDown Tag Team Title shot on Sunday. Now with that being the case, do you really want them to lose on an NXT show in a Tag Team Title match? If they do, why aren’t the War Raiders getting the shot at WrestleMania? Then again this company doesn’t tend to think that way so it’s anyone’s guess.

I’ll go with the War Raiders retaining here, as Black and Ricochet are locked in on the main roster and there’s no good reason to give them the NXT Tag Team Titles and expect them to be defended. Unless we’re getting some insane title unification deal (which I don’t think we are), the money move would be to make the War Raiders look even more dominant, as they’ve held the titles for a few months now but barely defended them.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne(c) vs. Walter

Just take my money now. I’ll even up it to $19.98 for this one. These two are going to have one of the hardest hitting, knockdown drag out fights you’re ever going to see and it’s going to be awesome. Dunne is the kind of guy who would rather die than lose but he’s come close to being beaten before. How do you get around a monster like Walter? I’m not sure it can be done at this point.

Hence why I’m going with a new champion. Dunne has had an all time title reign and somehow doesn’t feel like he’s outgrown the title or is ready to move on from it, which is perhaps the most remarkable thing about the entire reign. He has to lose at some point though and if it’s not to Walter, who else could it be to? This is where the title change goes down, with Dunne fighting until the bitter end.

NXT Title: Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole

Let’s pause for a second and mourn the missing of what could have been the greatest blowoff in WWE since….I’ll get back to you on that. This was going to be Gargano FINALLY winning the title from Tommaso Ciampa and ending their war once and for all but the pesky neck injury is going to stop us from seeing it for the time being. This is for the vacant title and it’s 2/3 falls, which is kind of NXT’s signature match for a cool change of pace.

And I’m taking Cole winning the third fall after some kind of a distraction from Ciampa. That final match is going to happen and NXT is smart enough to keep Gargano hot until he’s back (they did it before), provided we don’t get something stupid like Cole being called up. Gargano is at his best when he’s chasing something and is foaming at the mouth to get it, so having him lose again and move on to something else is the right call. Also Cole is a great long term champion and could hold the title for months without much of a problem.

Overall Thoughts

Yes. Do I need to explain this any further than that? This could be one of the most entertaining shows of the year (it will be) with this crowd around them. NXT just gets these things and it’s going to be an incredible show with five matches that could all be classics. Just let them do their thing and be handed the weekend, because I don’t think it’s classified as stealing anymore when it’s expected of you.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 27, 2019
Location: Coventry Skydome Arena, Coventry, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re down to two shows before Wrestlemania weekend, meaning we’re in for the build towards Pete Dunne defending the United Kingdom Title against Walter in what should be an incredible showdown. I’m not sure what else we’ll be seeing, but at least we should be in for some entertaining stuff, which has become the norm around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jordan Devlin vs. Dan Moloney

Devlin takes him into the corner to start and offers a clean break before sneaking in a chop. We hit the armbar for a bit, followed by a standing moonsault for two on Moloney. An elbow to the jaw sets up a cobra clutch as Moloney can’t get anything going. Back up and a slingshot cutter keeps Dan in trouble. A headbutt rocks him again, setting up the hard Saito suplex for the pin on Moloney at 4:29.

Rating: D+. They’re building Devlin up quite well, as there’s a pretty wide gap between the title contenders and the rest of the roster. Giving Devlin a step towards that top tier is a good idea, as the promotion needs some fresh talent at the top of the card. Devlin has been on a roll for a long time now and makes as much sense as anyone else.

Here’s Kassius Ohno to a chorus of booing. He’s new around here and wants to speak from the heart. Ohno reads an apology from his phone, wishing his deepest condolences to Ashton Smith’s friends and family. He shouldn’t have revived Smith and then knocked him out again….but he just couldn’t help himself.

It’s really gratifying to knock someone out over and over again. He could have gone anywhere he wanted but NXT UK chose him. When he came here to make an impact, he saw some guy from New Zealand trying to make play British wrestler. If Travis Banks tries to go against Ohno, the Kiwi Buzzsaw will be smashed to bits. Ohno did well here, as it takes a lot to overcome the whole being Kassius Ohno thing.

Video on Dave Mastiff.

In two weeks: Toni Storm defends the Women’s title against Jinny.

Jinny is in India for the WWE tryouts because WWE chose to send her there instead of Toni. She’s more marketable and better in the ring than Toni, and she’ll prove it in two weeks.

Xia Brookside vs. Rhea Ripley

Rhea throws her down a few times with very little effort. Xia goes with a jumping headlock and Rhea can’t quite power her way out of it. The second attempt at a power escape works a bit better and a hard forearm to the back gives Ripley two. A delayed suplex keeps Brookside’s back in trouble but she’s right back up with a bulldog into a headscissors.

Double knees in the corner let Brookside send her outside and it’s a high crossbody to a very strong reaction (much better than I was expecting). Back in and a middle rope Codebreaker gives Brookside two more but Ripley has had enough. A hard toss into the corner sets up the Riptide to put her away at 7:22.

Rating: C+. This was a very nice surprise with Ripley selling a lot for the still young Brookside. Much like the men’s division, the women’s division has a strong top group but needs a lot more than what they have at the moment. You can only get so far with the same two people so adding Jinny and a few more, like Brookside down the line, would be a good idea. Brookside getting this kind of a reaction is a really good sign for her future though and hopefully she can go somewhere.

Post match Ripley says she’s the most dominant woman in NXT and no one can compete with her. That’s a REALLY bad thing to say and here’s Piper Niven (Viper) to chase her off. Piper says Ripley isn’t the most dominant woman around here anymore.

Isla Dawn is excited to have a fellow Scotswoman on the roster when Kay Lee Ray (I think) comes up to say she’s not Isla’s friend because they’re both from Scotland.

Video on Walter, showcasing a lot of his success in Progress. The destruction of Jack Starz’s chest is disturbing with the broken blood vessels.

Trent Seven doesn’t like Joe Coffey calling him the dead weight of British Strong Style. He’s coming down Moustache Mountain with the Trent Seven Army behind him, waiting for Coffey.

Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner don’t like Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan dancing around. They’re ready to take those two out because that mat is sacred ground and they’re ready to be successful.

Mark Andrews vs. Noam Dar

Dar takes him tot he mat to start but has to spin out of a wristlock. A missed kick to the head sends Dar into the corner and it’s an early standoff. Andrews has some more luck with a headscissors into an armbar, though it doesn’t last long. Dar knocks him to the apron instead and a baseball slide sends Andrews to the floor.

Back in and Dar crotches him on the top for two, followed by an armdrag into the ropes. Andrews fights up by kicking him away, setting up the knees slide into an enziguri. There’s the double stomp to the ribs so Dar rolls to the floor, leaving himself open for a suicide dive. A standing corkscrew moonsault gets two back inside but Dark picks the ankle for the ankle lock. That’s broken up as well and a middle rope moonsault to the floor takes Dar out again.

Rating: B. The ending is a shame for multiple reasons (including the most obvious) as they were having a heck of a match before the injury. This was your awesome cruiserweight match and while I’m not a big Dar fan, hopefully the injury isn’t all that bad and he’s back in the ring sooner rather than later.

Post match they’re both taken out on stretchers but they do give double thumbs up each.

Next week: Trent Seven vs. Joe Coffey.

Here are Sid Scala and Johnny Saint for the contract signing between Pete Dunne and Walter. Scala hypes up the match and Walter signs while staring Dunne down. Dunne says Walter doesn’t have to say anything because he wants this match even more than Walter. In New York, Walter will learn that NXT UK belongs to the Bruiserweight. Dunne signs but Walter calls him Peter and says he could put Dunne through a table whenever he wanted to. Dunne’s time is up and the reign of the Bruiserweight ends in New York City. The staredown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The ending segment was good with the intensity dripping off these two guys and that’s about all that mattered on the show. The rest of the card worked well enough and they’re building some stuff up for the future. If that’s the big thing they take away from the American version, they’re going to be in good shape. Just blow the roof off the place in New York (as you know they can) and it’s a successful Wrestlemania season.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Dan Moloney – Saito suplex

Rhea Ripley b. Xia Brookside – Riptide

Mark Andrews vs. Noam Dar went to a no contest

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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