IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: August 13, 2020
Commentators: Andy Shepard, Vic Joseph
Host: Andy Shepard

Believe it or not we actually have something different this week with some more Hidden Gems. These are a bunch of dark matches from various NXT UK TV tapings and some of these have been pretty good before. There is something nice about having a fresh match with no storyline behind it between bigger names and that is what we are getting here. Let’s get to it.

Andy throws us to the first match.

From June 16, 2019 at the Download Festival.

NXT Title: Adam Cole vs. Zack Gibson

Cole is defending after having won the title about two weeks earlier. The fans ask where is their….I’m not sure but they’ll have to settle for an exchange of wristlocks to start. Gibson elbows him down and stomps away in the corner, setting up a wristlock on the mat. The fans stand up in their hatred for Gibson and then sit down for the same reason. That’s enough of a distraction for Gibson to delay his cover for two and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and Gibson charges into a superkick for the double knockdown. Cole hits a pump kick and the fireman’s carry backbreaker, followed by a Backstabber for two. Gibson is right back with something close to an Angle Slam as the fans still don’t like him. Shankley Gates is blocked but Cole can’t hit the Last Shot.

Instead it’s Gibson with the Ticket To Ride but Cole superkicks him again for two. The Panama Sunrise is countered with an arm twist to the mat and Gibson’s middle rope Ticket To Ride gets two more. Back up again and they slug it out again until Cole superkicks him out of the air. The brainbuster onto the knee rocks Gibson and the Last Shot retains at 9:57.

Rating: B-. That was a fast ten minutes and it was nice to see Cole having to break a sweat against someone like Gibson. I know Gibson is in a good team with the Grizzled Young Veterans but he can do some good stuff on his own as well. It was weird seeing Cole as the default face here but he can wrestle that style well, so this was a nice time.

Video on Aoife Valkyrie, who seems to live in trees and wants the NXT UK Women’s Title.

The Hunt wants to hurt other teams.

From March 6, 2020.

Xia Brookside vs. Nina Samuels

Samuels flicks her hair at the handshake offer so Xia dropkicks her into an armbar. That’s reversed with a pull of the hair as they’re getting the face/heel dynamic set up fast this time. A headlock puts Samuels down until she reverses into a headscissors. Xia headstands her way out and kicks Samuels outside, setting up a baseball slide and a smile.

Back in and Samuels whips her hard into the corner but Xia hits some running knees to the back in another corner. Samuels grabs a rollup and some trunks but the referee actually does her job and catches her. That’s enough for Brookside to hit a high crossbody for the pin at 5:18.

Rating: C-. This was something that could have served as a very good opener for a show as they were in and out in a hurry and did just fine. I like both of them, even though they don’t seem to be the most viable Women’s Title contenders at the moment. Brookside seems to have all kinds of potential, and keeping her in a short match like this lets her shine and get out. Samuels is good at what she does, but her getting much higher than this doesn’t seem likely.

Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews want to make their future better.

Amele, the French Hope, wants to be the first French NXT UK Women’s Champion. She is a leader, not a follower.

From July 20, 2019.

Pete Dunne vs. Alexander Wolfe

They go straight to the slugout to start with Dunne knocking him outside in a hurry. Dunne follows him outside and goes for the fingers, which are stomped onto the steps. Wolfe staggers up the ramp and gets caught in the arm stomp, only to send Dunne into the apron. Back in and Wolfe hits a top rope clothesline before hammering down right hands. Wolfe slams him down and cranks on an arm and leg at the same time. Dunne fights up and hits a German suplex, followed by the X Plex for two.

Another X Plex is countered with a drop over the top rope but Dunne knocks him out of the air for two more. Dunne stomps away but Wolfe kicks him in the head, setting up a Death Valley Driver. They strike it out from their knees (BOO/YAY) and Wolfe snaps the fingers. The Bitter End is countered into a German suplex to give Wolfe two but Wolfe’s German superplex is countered with a nice backflip. A kick to the head sets up the Bitter End to finish Wolfe at 8:28.

Rating: B-. Dang I’ve missed Dunne as it’s so fun watching him in the ring. Wolfe is great for a midcard villain and it felt like Dunne needed to work to get his win here. They beat each other up for a good while and Dunne is someone who still looks like he could be in the WWE Title picture in the blink of an eye. Wolfe is good in his own right and this was a perfectly solid main event.

Overall Rating: B-. This worked rather well and it’s nice to see something new from NXT UK for a change. They have a lot of talent around here and some names who seem like they could be on regular NXT if not the main roster. Good show here, as this feels like a bunch of Coliseum Video exclusives, which isn’t a bad thing to have (sometimes).

Results

Adam Cole b. Zack Gibson – Last Shot

Xia Brookside b. Nina Samuels – High crossbody

Pete Dunne b. Alexander Wolfe – Bitter End

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 30, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

The barrel scraping continues as we look for some more content to fill in time until they can do some fresh tapings. I’m not sure more they can do in this situation but it might be time to look at some other NXT content, or even content from somewhere else. Hopefully we get something good here so let’s get to it.

Joseph Conners sends us to the Download Festival on June 26, 2019.

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.

So Conners picked a match where he lost. I knew he was kind of dense.

A Kid is ready to come back because he has been studying everyone in NXT UK.

Isla Dawn wants to clip Xia Brookside’s wings. From NXT UK, January 9, 2019.

Isla Dawn vs. Xia Brookside

We actually get a handshake to start as the fans aren’t sure who they like more here. A wristlock gives us a standoff so Dawn takes her down into a quickly broken armbar. Dawn slips out of a headscissors and works on the legs, which just seems to annoy Brookside. Back up and Brookside dances out of a crossarm choke to put Dawn in one of her own. Dawn reverses into the same thing before it’s off to a pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls each. Brookside tries a victory roll but Dawn uses the Owen Hart counter by sitting down on it for the pin at 4:59.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere but Brookside continues to be all kinds of charming and adorable while Dawn is the kind of person who could be built back up into something bigger down the line. They’re going to need some fresh challengers after Takeover and while Dawn has already lost a shot, it’s not like they have any better options at the moment.

Dani Luna is ready to show us another side of herself.

Noam Dar is waiting on his birthday wishes and has a present for us. From NXT UK, October 17, 2018.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Noam Dar

Dar is challenging and General Manager Johnny Saint is in the ring for the introductions. Dunne gets a hero’s welcome, as you had to expect. Feeling out process to start but hang on because the fans need to sing Happy Birthday to Dar. That’s not cool with Dunne so he blasts Dar with a clothesline, which is fine with the fans as well. Dar sends him outside for a hard soccer kick to the arm and Dunne in in some sudden trouble.

Back in and Dunne hits a quick X Plex for a breather and unloads in the corner. Dar kicks him with the face so Dunne flips out of a German suplex and gets two off a powerbomb. A northern lights suplex gives Dar the same so Dunne goes for the fingers like a true villain who the fans cheer anyway. Dar is right back with a release fisherman’s suplex onto the apron and they’re both down. Stereo dives beat the count at nine as the fans declare this awesome.

Dunne goes to the fingers again so Dar spins around into an elbow to the face. A leglock is reversed into a cross armbreaker but Dar reverses that into an ankle lock. Dunne staggers him with an enziguri so Dar forearms him in the back of the head for the double knockdown. Dar kicks the leg out but the Nova Roller is forearmed out of the air. The Bitter End is reversed into a kneebar with Dunne having to dive for the rope. That’s enough for Dunne, who bends the fingers back again and stomps on the arm, setting up the Bitter End to retain at 11:35.

Rating: B. This didn’t have the drama or the emotion (or the time) that a lot of Dunne’s matches have but Dar more than showcased himself here. They’re doing a very good job of having Dunne get closer and closer to losing the title but surviving in the end. Whoever eventually figures out the puzzle is going to look like a star and that’s the point of such a long title reign. Good first main event here.

Post match Dunne offers a handshake but the injured Dar sticks his pinkie up, which Dunne seems fine with as he returns the gesture and smiles.

Overall Rating: C. I was getting flashbacks to the old days of the show here and not just because they had so many older matches. This felt like a show from their formative days, with two nothing matches and then a good main event to bail it out. I’m getting worried about how bad things are going to get, if nothing else due to having the Best Of be people picking matches where they lose. They don’t have anything better than that?

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

Every week I wonder how much longer this Greatest Hits deal can continue around here. The show hasn’t been around all that long and it isn’t like they have the longest string of classics to pick from. They can switch things up if necessary in the future, but I’m not sure if it can be exclusively NXT UK that much longer. Let’s get to it.

Andy throws us to our first introduction.

Mark Andrews is enjoying some ice cream and sends us to NXT UK, December 5, 2018.

Fabian Aichner vs. Mark Andrews

They shake hands to start and Andrews has to slip out of an early gorilla press. Andrews spins around his head into a headscissors to send Aichner outside, followed by a suicide dive. Back in and a backbreaker plants Andrews, which isn’t the most surprising strategy given how big Aichner is.

Back up and Andrews slides on his knees to duck a clothesline and nails an enziguri. A standing Whisper in the Wind splash gets two, followed by Andrews flipping out of a suplex into a hurricanrana (cool) for two more. Andrews scores with a 619 to the ribs and a victory roll gets two. That’s enough for Aichner so he clotheslines the heck out of Andrews, only to get caught with the Stundog Millionaire.

Aichner catches a Blockbuster and reverses it into a brainbuster (that’s some impressive power) for two but takes too long setting up a double springboard moonsault (which someone his size can just do). A very twisting DDT drops Aichner for another near fall but he moves before the shooting star can connect. They head outside with Aichner crushing Andrews’ head against the steps with a running knee for nine. Andrews is done so Aichner hits a helicopter bomb for the pin at 9:17.

Rating: B. Aichner is one of those guys with all the natural tools and Andrews has more than enough charisma and underdog status to make something like this work. He’s very good at making you believe that he can beat someone like Aichner, even as he comes up short in the end. Aichner could be a big star just with his natural look and skills alone so give him some kind of a character and he’ll be fine.

Xia Brookside promises us that we will get through all of this. NXT UK is trying its hardest to get back.

Piper Niven wants to be Women’s Champion and also wants to go to NXT UK, November 28, 2019.

Jinny vs. Piper Niven

Jazzy Gabbert is here with Jinny. Niven starts with the big shoves and Jinny can’t do much against the size and power. A missed charge into the corner gives Jinny a break though and Jinny gets two off a slingshot hilo. The Iron Octopus sends Piper down to one knee before powering out. Jazzy trips her up though and that’s good for an ejection.

Niven drops a big elbow for two as Nigel is wondering how Jinny can survive without her best friend. A headbutt knocks them both down but it’s Piper up first to snap off a belly to back suplex. Jinny gets caught on top and it’s an electric chair faceplant to give Piper two. Piper gets kicked in the face for two so she dropkicks Jinny hard into the corner. The Cannonball sets up the Michinoku Driver for the pin on Jinny at 7:28.

Rating: D+. The size difference caused some problems here as there are only so many ways you have have a monster like Niven as the face in a match like this. Jinny doesn’t have the most in the ring either and it made for a bit of a difficult situation. The match could have been worse, but this didn’t work all that well.

Saxon Huxley shouts about seeing things in his head and finally being unlocked.

Dave Mastiff wraps us up with this from NXT UK, December 12, 2018.

Eddie Dennis vs. Dave Mastiff

Mastiff takes him into the corner to start but they’re both tentative early on. Dennis’ shoulder has no effect and a second does even less. Instead it’s Mastiff hitting a heavy forearm to take over and some elbows to the head keep Dennis in trouble. The running dropkick looks to set up the backsplash but Dennis avoids the bad case of pain. A boot sends Mastiff outside and two more keep him in trouble.

Back in and Mastiff misses a charge in the corner, setting up….the cravate. Well it’s better than another armbar. Mastiff gets up and scores with a headbutt, followed by a big superplex to put them both down. A Regal Roll into a backsplash gives Mastiff two, followed by a bridging German suplex for the same.

Dennis is right back with a swinging sitout powerslam (and he held Mastiff up) for his own near fall. The Severn Bridge is blocked twice (even with Dennis holding him up in the Razor’s Edge position) so Dennis nails a clothesline for two instead. Mastiff has had it and throws him into the corner for the Cannonball and the pin at 11:47.

Rating: C. This was the hoss battle that it should have been and the more I think about it, the more I can go with Mastiff winning here. I’ve been saying for months that they have to do something around here to make more stars and Mastiff seems to be one of them at the moment. It’s a fun match, even if Dennis lost to my annoyance.

Overall Rating: C-. Yeah I’m not sure what else they’re going to be able to do around here, as these shows just aren’t working all that well anymore. The wrestling is acceptable enough at times, but there are only so many things that you can do with the limited selection they have available. There are all kinds of things you can do on this show, but sticking with just NXT UK is not going to work that well in the long run.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: July 9, 2020
Host: Andy Shepard

We have another theme show this time around as we look at NXT UK wrestlers coming over the United States. That makes for some interesting possibilities as the NXT UK wrestlers coming over has been a semi regular treat. There is some incredible talent over in the UK and seeing their styles mesh against others is rather fun to see. Let’s get to it.

Andy welcomes us to the show and wastes no time in throwing it over to Alexander Wolfe to introduce us to our first match. Well actually an Imperium video and then the first match.

From NXT, October 9, 2019.

Kushida vs. Walter

Non-title. Feeling out process to start until Walter powers him onto the apron and pats him on the head. They take turns riding each other on the mat until Kushida gets in a dropkick to send us to a break. Back with Kushida slipping off a springboard and getting kicked in the face for his efforts. The one legged Liontamer has Kushida in more trouble as Walter cranks away.

That’s broken up so Walter chops away but the powerbomb is countered into a DDT for the breather. Kushida gets sent to the apron and manages to snap the arm across the rope. A sunset bomb is blocked though and Walter stomps on the face to put Kushida on the floor. He’s right back up with a rolling DDT to the floor though and they both have to beat the count.

Back in and a kick to the arm sets up the Hoverboard Lock but Walter reverses into the sleeper. Kushida flips out of that and Walter has to grab the hands to block a cross armbreaker. Walter powers out again and it’s a half nelson pumphandle suplex into a bridge for two.

The frog splash is broken up and Kushida grabs the Hoverboard lock on top before superplexing him down by the arm. A foot on the rope gets Walter out of trouble so Kushida dropkicks the arm again. Walter dropkicks the heck out of him and the powerbomb gets two in a great near fall. With nothing else working, Walter hits a ripcord lariat to FINALLY put Kushida away at 16:48.

Rating: B. Much like Kai vs. Belair, this one took its time getting going but once they hit that other gear, it was some awesome stuff with both guys hitting each other very hard and setting up a big finish. It didn’t hit the level that some of Walter’s matches have but it was the match Kushida has been looking for around here. Walter still feels like a treat and a big, special performer, which is why you put him in a spot like this. Very good main event.

Eddie Dennis video.

Xia Brookside picks this from the second Mae Young Classic.

Semifinals: Meiko Satomura vs. Toni Storm

The fans are split, as you probably guessed. Toni’s wristlock doesn’t work to start so Satomura takes her down with a headlock. That’s reversed into another headlock but Satomura gets on top to put Storm in trouble again. The first few kicks wake Storm up a bit and a shoulder block has no effect either way. Storm is tired of this even stuff and kicks her hard in the chest for two. A few more shots keep Meiko in trouble and Storm goes back to the arm, only to get the tar kicked out of her.

Kicks to the chest and legs have Storm down and Meiko cranks on the leg in something like a seated reverse figure four. A rope is finally grabbed and Toni elbows her way out of a suplex. Meiko spinwheel kicks her down and the fans are right behind Satomura again. Toni grabs an STF and it takes a good while for Meiko to make it to the ropes. A good fisherman’s suplex gets two on Satomura and Toni knocks her to the floor for a big suicide dive.

Back in Toni kicks her in the face, only to be screamed at for her efforts. They trade kicks until Satomura plants her with a DDT. The Death Valley Driver gets two on Storm but Toni hits a hard German suplex. Storm Zero only gets two but Meiko blocks another and hits a Pele kick to the head. The step up Scorpion kick knocks Toni silly….for two. The fans were buying that as the finish and you can hear them being surprised by the kickout. Storm has had it though and hits a last gasp Storm Zero for the pin and the spot in the finals at 13:06.

Rating: B+. It took some time to get there but they were rocking at the end. I’m not sure what to think of the pick, as Satomura was clearly the top star in the tournament (at least in the fans’ eyes) but Storm is the kind of prospect that you have to push to the moon. You could have gone either way here and been right, but egads the kickout on that Scorpion kick was hard to ignore.

They both cry on the announcement as Meiko gets a LOUD thank you chant. Of course they hug, as they should. Kairi Sane comes in to present Storm with roses as HHH is on the stage to bow to Meiko. Storm can barely speak and can barely believe that she just won that match. She’s living her dream and thanks everyone for working so hard to get here.

Nina Samuels video.

Flash Morgan Webster picks our last match.

From NXT, August 22, 2018.

United Kingdom Title: Zack Gibson vs. Pete Dunne

Dunne is defending and gets a roar from the crowd. The fans chant for the UK as Gibson works an armbar to start. Dunne flips him down to break a wristlock but Gibson hits him hard in the throat to take over. That just earns Gibson a hammerlock and Dunne cranks back on the fingers to make it worse. With that not working, they lock legs and stand on their heads to slap each other in the face. British wrestling is weird at times.

Dunne gets the better of it and kicks the arm but Gibson hits a hammerlock faceplant to take over. A belly to back suplex sets up another armbar as Gibson really isn’t hiding his style here. The cobra clutch goes on for a few moments until Dunne has had enough and forearms him in the face. A moonsault over Gibson sets up an enziguri and the X Plex sets up a quickly escaped cross armbreaker.

With Gibson bailing to the floor, Dunne moonsaults down onto him for the big crash and a double knockdown. Back in and a sitout powerbomb gets two, only to have Gibson kick a moonsault out of the air for the same. Dunne blocks another chop though and stomps on the hands. Stereo enziguris give us a double knockdown though and let’s pause for the standing ovation.

Dunne is up first and tries a superplex but Gibson twists it into one of his own. The Shankly Gates seated armbar goes on so Dunne lunges for the rope. Gibson pulls him back so Dunne bites the rope for the break. Dunne’s mouthpiece gets knocked out so Gibson goes to throw it out, only to have his finger snapped. The Bitter End retains the title at 13:38.

Rating: B. So uh….who is supposed to beat Dunne? He’s been champion longer than CM Punk was and while people give him a run for his money, you could see him holding the title indefinitely. I mean, other than Cole (if they’re coming up on the WarGames match that seems to be the case), is there anyone who seems likely to do it? Anyway the match was more good stuff from these two, though it would be nice to have the NXT UK people beat someone other than themselves.

Overall Rating: A. What else do you want here? It’s about an hour long and the worst match is a hard hitting match that goes for almost fourteen minutes. This was the kind of Best Of show that is as easy to watch as it gets and makes for a good use of the archives. They can do this for a LONG time to come too and that’s a nice way to spend an hour on Thursdays.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 2, 2020
Location: Coventry Skydome, Coventry, England
Commentators: Andy Williams, Nigel McGuinness

Unless there are some matches that aren’t listed, this is it as far as original episodes go for the time being. It’s a shame too as you could have imagined a match taking place over Wrestlemania weekend or something and then the huge Takeover: Dublin show. As for tonight though, it’s a big battle royal to crown a new #1 contender. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video is ALL about the battle royal as everyone wants to win the match and become #1 contender. As they should.

Opening sequence.

Kay Lee Ray/Jinny vs. Dani Luna/Piper Niven

Despite Dani’s protests, Piper and Jinny start things off….but Piper tags Dani in anyway. Jinny’s running crossbody doesn’t work but Ray comes in for a cheap shot to put Dani down. Ray pulls Piper off the apron and has to run away, allowing Jinny to knock Dani down for two. Some double teaming in the corner keeps Dani in trouble and Ray’s gordbuster gets two.

Ray forearms her in the chest as we hear a voiceover from Nigel about Wrestlemania being a two night show. Jinny grabs an Octopus Hold but has to let go as Dani powers towards the corner. A few forearms allow the hot tag to Piper and it’s time to run Jinny over. A buckle bomb sets up the Cannonball but Ray breaks up the Vader Bomb. Everything breaks down and Piper gets sent into the steps, leaving Luna to get Gory Bombed for the pin at 7:10.

Rating: C. Nice energetic match here and that’s the best thing that they could have done. Piper vs. Ray seems to be coming sooner or later and that’s the most logical match they have. Luna has gotten a nice little push as of late and while the loss didn’t help her here, she has some potential and could go somewhere in the future.

Next week: the Rise of NXT UK. Looks like a history special.

Video on Gallus.

Xia Brookside vs. Amele

Amele works on a wristlock to start but Xia takes her down into a crossbody for two. The armbar keeps Amele down but she’s right back up to work on the arm again. Another armbar works on Xia’s arm this time until a flying mare and jawbreaker get Xia out of trouble. Some running knees in the corner set up the Broken Wings for the pin on Amele at 2:59.

Battle Royal

Ashton Smith, Ridge Holland, Kassius Ohno, Alexander Wolfe, Dave Mastiff, Oliver Carter, Travis Banks, Ligero, Saxton Huxley, Joe Coffey, Jordan Devlin, Ilja Dragunov, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Noam Dar, Kenny Williams, Tyson T-Bone, A-Kid, Amir Jordan, Flash Morgan Webster

The winner gets a UK Title shot at some point in the future. Ohno backs away from Holland and Mastiff to start and is promptly ganged for the early elimination. Huxley throws out Williams and it’s Webster and Kid throwing each other to the apron for no avail. Coffey gets rid of Webster and Jordan headscissors Huxley out. Kid is thrown onto Huxley’s back but chokes him out and climbs back in for a clever save.

T-Bone is out next and Coffey seems to be favoring his leg. A chokebomb plants Banks and Mastiff gets rid of him, meaning it’s time for everyone to fight near the ropes. Mastiff gets rid of Jordan (Nigel: “Jordan with a mere ten minutes in the match!”), followed by Holland powering out Carter (with a huge overhead belly to belly) and Smith back to back. Ligero is thrown onto the two of them, leaving Mastiff vs. Holland. As usual, Dar messes things up by interrupting the showdown but here’s Joseph Conners to distract Holland so Coffey and Dragunov can get rid of him as well.

Coffey and Dragunov have the big slugout for a double knockdown, leaving Moustache Mountain to hit stereo airplane spins on Dar and Kid. Seven drops Bate (with love of course) but Coffey tosses Seven from behind. Bate manages to get Mastiff on his shoulders but can’t keep him up so it’s time for everyone to pair off. Kid hits a springboard clothesline on Coffey but gets headbutted out by Devlin. A Rock Bottom puts Dragunov onto Coffey and Devlin moonsaults onto both of them, only to have Dar throw Devlin out.

Mastiff is waiting on Dar though and it’s a big backsplash to crush him hard. Everyone gets together to get rid of Mastiff though and we’re down to Coffey, Dar, Bate, Dragunov and Wolfe. Bate gets rid of Dar (the fans sound VERY pleased) and everyone takes a corner. Coffey swings Dragunov for a long time before crushing Bate in the corner. A running tackle crushes Bate and Dragunov at the same time but Wolfe sends him to the apron. Wolfe kicks Coffey out and we’re down to three.

Bate and Dragunov double team Wolfe but some heel miscommunication lets him take them both down, including a heck of a German suplex to drop Bate on his head. Bate staggers Wolfe though and Dragunov clotheslines him out, leaving Bate vs. Dragunov. They tease some eliminations until Bop and Bang drops Dragunov in a heap. A suplex plants Dragunov again but Bate walks into a hard clothesline.

The 6 1 Line plants Bate again and they’re both down for a bit. Bate unloads with rights and lefts until an enziguri takes him down again. They both go over the top and out to the apron so Bate loads up a rather illogical superplex. Dragunov throws him back in and hits a top rope backsplash but can’t hit Torpedo Moscow. Bate gets sent over the top but holds on with one hand, allowing Dragunov to hit Torpedo Moscow for the win at 28:40.

Rating: C+. The length was a bit of a problem but they kept things energized for a good chunk of the time. The ending was the best part and Dragunov is the best choice for the title shot. Odds are that was set for Dublin and they can go back to it whenever things are back to normal. A lot of people looked good in this though and that’s what matters in a match like this.

Overall Rating: C. The show itself was built entirely around the battle royal and the other two matches were just kind of there. It was nice to have the two other matches be all about the women because they weren’t going to get a place in the rest of the show. This was a good way to go out, but it feels like a season finale on a lower level indy company than what we have here. Then again, it’s not like anything going on today makes sense so that’s about as good as they could have gotten.

Results

Kay Lee Ray/Jinny b. Dani Luna/Piper Niven – Gory Bomb to Luna

Xia Brookside b. Amele – Broken Wings

Ilja Dragunov won a battle royal last eliminating Tyler Bate

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 14,, 2019
Location: Brentwood Centre, Essex, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

It’s back to the old ideas around here this week as Tyler Bate faces Kassius Ohno. That could go either way as Ohno is as up and down of a wrestler as you can get. If he’s on, this could be great but if he’s off, it could be a rather long night. Other than that, Xia Brookside gets Kay Lee Ray in a non-title match. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Kay Lee Ray

Non-title. Ray drives her into the corner to start and gets in a shove to the face for some mind games. A headlock takeover works a bit better for Brookside as the fans look….asleep? Brookside headstands her way out of a headscissors and dances a bit to get on Ray’s nerves. A shot to the face puts Brookside down and the fans aren’t happy with that one.

Brookside’s crossbody is countered with a slam and a gordbuster gives Ray two. It’s too early for the Gory Bomb though and now the fans are getting into things. Brookside hammers away and snaps off a headscissors, setting up a hurricanrana for two. That’s enough for Ray who hits a superkick and plants Brookside with the Gory Bomb for the win at 7:02.

Rating: C. Maybe it’s the smile but it’s so easy to like Brookside. She’s a great underdog but can hang in the ring so it’s not like it’s ridiculous to imagine her pulling off an upset. At the same time though, Ray is turning into a rather strong champion and I’m not sure who could take the title off of her in the near or far future.

We look back at Alexander Wolfe recruiting Ilja Dragunov to Imperium but Dragunov sided with Gallus instead.

We get the second video on Piper, who is a role model for kids who might not feel like they belong due to their size. She was determined to make it to WWE and has proven everyone wrong due to her passion and heart.

Travis Banks vs. Ligero

Rematch after a double pin last month. They chop it out to start and an exchange of kicks to the face gives us a double knockdown. Ligero gets two off a clothesline and it’s off to something like an Octopus. That’s broken up and a standing clothesline just gets on Banks’ nerves. They go to the same double cover that gave us a draw last time before chopping it out again.

Banks knocks him into the ropes and hits a missile dropkick to a seated Ligero for a different visual. Ligero is right back with a Code Red for two but neither can get anywhere off a small package. The Kiwi Crusher gives Banks two so he goes up, only to get caught in a superplex. They head to the apron with Banks hitting a fisherman’s suplex but Ligero is right back with C4L on the floor. With Banks down, cue Joseph Conners to post Ligero. Back in and the Slice of Heaven finishes Ligero at 9:56. Banks did not see what Conners did.

Rating: C+. I wasn’t all that interested in seeing this one again but they had an entertaining match and I was wondering what was going to happen here. That being said, Conners can fall in a hole and never come out because he is one of the least interesting people NXT has put out there in a LONG time. It just isn’t there and that is showing more and more every single time.

Post match Conners beats up Banks as well. Conners grabs a mic and says this was supposed to be him but he has been overlooked. He is sick of the excuses and if he has to suffer, so does everyone else.

Ridge Holland debuts next week.

William Regal was at the NXT UK Performance Center this week when Alexander Wolfe came up to Regal and the NXT UK bosses. Wolfe wanted a match with Ilja Dragunov and didn’t want to hear from Sid Scala. Johnny Saint makes the match for next week.

Kassius Ohno vs. Tyler Bate

The fans start singing about Bate and it’s some standing grappling early on. Bate works on the wristlock but Ohno takes him to the mat for one of his own. That’s broken up and it’s an Octopus hold, only to have Ohno pull him down into a reverse chinlock with Ohno sitting on the mat. Back up and it’s a standoff until Ohno hits some palm strikes, only to throw a closed fist when the referee turns his back for a good heel move.

Back up and Bate is sent into the corner for the Jack Gallagher raised boot, plus a headscissors. Ohno sends him to the apron and then into the post to really take over for the first time. Bate’s shoulder is banged up and Ohno brings him back inside for a backsplash. One heck of a chop has Bate in trouble so Ohno stops to yell at the crowd for a bit.

We hit the cravate with Ohno lifting him up to make it almost like a guillotine. Bate gets dropped down like a Stunner for two and Ohno is rather confident. Some suplex attempts don’t work for Bate until he just muscles Ohno over, followed by the running forearm in the corner. Another suplex lets Bate nip up for the running shooting star and another near fall. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered with a backdrop so hard that Bate lands on his face.

The Cyclone Boot gives Ohno two and frustration is setting in. Ohno hits a headbutt but Bate starts swinging and hits Bop and Bang for two. The Rebound clothesline is blocked with a forearm to the back of Bate’s neck but Ohno misses a moonsault. Bate muscles him up for two off a German suplex and they’re both down.

Ohno gets up with a pump kick so Bate hits the big clothesline to put Ohno on the floor. The big dive is forearmed out of the air and Ohno’s Dream Crusher gets two. Ohno demands that the fans chant his name and takes Bate up top, only to have Bate slip down for a spinning torture rack slam. The Tyler Driver 97 is good for the pin at 24:03.

Rating: B+. The time helped this one and made it feel all the more epic. Bate looks pretty standard when you just look at him but my goodness he can turn it on. Then you have Ohno, who looks like he doesn’t belong anywhere near a ring but has the psychology to make up for his lack of a physique. Heck of a match here as Bate does it again and Ohno surprises me one more time.

Overall Rating: B. That main event is more than enough to make up for what was just an ok show otherwise. Sometimes you need to just go out there and have an awesome match, which is what happened here. They even have the Gallus vs. Imperium battle for down the line, making this a rather nice sign for the future. NXT UK has had some issues with putting on an entertaining show without the top talent and they did it here. Well done indeed.

Results

Kay Lee Ray b. Xia Brookside – Gory Bomb

Travis Banks b. Ligero – Slice of Heaven

Tyler Bate b. Kassius Ohno – Tyler Driver 97

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 17, 2019
Location: Brentwood Centre, Essex, England
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

We’re still in England here and that means….well nothing really as most of the shows so far have been in England. Last week saw a pretty bad show with almost nothing interesting going on, which can be a problem around here. This week is going to focus on the Tag Team Titles as Gallus gets their shot at Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at the Tag Team Title match. The word “transitional” seems appropriate here.

Opening sequence.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Saxon Huxley

Dragunov elbows him in the face to start and hits a quick backsplash. Back up and Dragunov tells him to bring it on so Huxley picks him up for a slam, only to get elbowed in the head for the break. A second attempt at a slam works better for Huxley and a crossbody against the ropes gets two. The chinlock goes on for a bit but Dragunov is right back up with some kicks in the corner.

A bottom rope dead lift superplex drops Huxley again, followed by a bridging suplex for two as Alexander Wolfe is out watching. Huxley gets in a heck of a clothesline for his own two but Dragunov sends him outside for a dive off the top. Back in and the top rope backsplash sets up Torpedo Moscow to finish Huxley at 5:24.

Rating: C-. Dragunov is someone who should be a big deal going forward as he has one of those presences that makes you pay attention to him. Putting him against Imperium down the line could be interesting and that’s the kind of promotion that he needs. You know, as in not losing to Kassius Ohno again.

Post match Dragunov stares at Wolfe but here are Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner for their tag match. Wolfe motions for Dragunov to come with him and Dragunov follows.

The Hunt vs. Imperium

Aichner and Primate start slugging it out in a hurry with Primate hitting a running clothesline in the corner. Boar comes in and gets what might be a low blow from Aichner as the villains take over. Everything breaks down early on and it’s everyone but Boar being knocked outside.

Barthel gets in a right hand to Boar to bring him outside as well, leaving Primate to dive onto Aichner….who catches him for a drive into the steps. We settle down to Barthel clotheslining Boar for two with Primate still down on the floor. Boar gets hung upside down in the corner for the stereo running dropkicks and we’re off to the chinlock.

That’s broken up and the hot tag brings in Primate, who just made it up onto the apron. Everything breaks down with Aichner sending Primate into Barthel for White Noise. Boar is back in for a spear and the double diving headbutts get two on Aichner. The control doesn’t last long either though and it’s the European Bomb to give Aichner the pin at 7:54.

Rating: C. These two are both solid teams as the tag division around here is getting better and better all the time. The Hunt has gone from what should be a lot level gimmick team into a pretty dependable pairing. They have a good enough gimmick and I could go for more of them. The same is true of Imperium, who are likely to be a big deal for a long time.

After the end of last week’s show, Piper Niven thanked Rhea Ripley for the help. Ripley doesn’t like Niven but she doesn’t like the other two later. She can co-exist with Piper for a week if the tag match can be set up.

Nina Samuels vs. Xia Brookside

Nina can’t spin out of a wristlock to start with even the rolls and flips not working. A hard tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets Nina out of trouble though and we hit a seated full nelson. Brookside fights up so it’s a reverse suplex to put her right back down. Nina tries the full nelson again but gets reversed into a rollup for two. Back up and Nina tries another rollup, only to get reversed into a cradle to give Xia the pin at 4:12.

Rating: D+. This didn’t have a lot of time in the first place and a good chunk of it was spent in that full nelson. Brookside fighting from behind and winning with a quick pin in the end was a good idea as it shows Nina up, which would hurt her more than anything else. Brookside seems like she could move up to the title picture one day, though she has a way to go to get there.

Nina is ticked.

A-Kid is coming.

Here is Jordan Devlin for a chat. Devlin has been getting a lot of feedback lately because people think he is arrogant. That’s not him though because it implies he thinks he is better than he is. In reality, he knows how good he is and he’s the best wrestler in the world. He has that loser Tyler Bate shaken up and Dave Mastiff came out here too…so here’s Mastiff to interrupt. Mastiff takes the mic from him and starts to say something but Devlin hits him in the head. Devlin loads up Devil Inside and gets knocked down in a hurry. With Devlin down, Mastiff says he’ll take Devlin’s bet about being the best.

Video on Trent Seven vs. Noam Dar. They’ll meet again next week.

Tag Team Titles: Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Gallus

Gallus is challenging and get dropkicked to the floor at the bell. The champs hit stereo flip dives for the cool start and a suicide dive hits Wolfgang for a bonus. Back in and a moonsault/inverted Swanton combination gets two on Coffey, who pops up with a heck of a slam to plant Andrews. Wolfgang comes in for a running seated clothesline and it’s back to Coffey for a knee to the spine. Andrews gets rammed ribs first into the top turnbuckle and we hit the chinlock.

Cue Joe Coffey to watch as Andrews rolls out of the chinlock and dives over for the tag. Webster gets to clean most of the house, including a hurricanrana around the post to take Wolfgang down. A big flip dive off the top takes Gallus down again and there’s a running Sliced Bread to Coffey. Wolfgang pulls Webster to the floor though and drops him face first onto the apron. A Samoan drop/middle rope moonsault gets two on Webster and the referee gets poked in the eye.

Andrews slugs away at Coffey as the referee is back up and everything breaks down. Everyone gets knocked down and that’s good for an NXT chant. With everyone back up, they charge at each other for the slugout with Wolfgang catapulting Andrews at Coffey, who gets caught in the Stundog Millionaire.

The fans are VERY impressed as Webster hits a Swanton to Coffey’s back for two. Andrews’ suicide dive is blocked though and Wolfgang throws him HARD into the post. Webster misses a 630 and it’s an enziguri into a powerslam to crush Webster for the pin at 12:31, with Coffey holding Andrews down with his boot for a nice bonus.

Rating: B. Power vs. speed is the most basic professional wrestling story in the world and that’s what you got here, albeit at a pretty high level. Webster and Andrews weren’t looking like long term champions and transitioning them to Gallus is a fine enough way to use them. It’s a rather strong main event and that’s what this show was needing.

Overall Rating: C. This was a big upgrade over last week’s rather horrible show with the big title change in a hot match to close things out. As is always the case, it’s a very good sign that the shows can work when the main event talent isn’t around. With Walter appearing in NXT for the time being, the rest of the card is left to hold down the fort and they’re doing it well enough….sometimes.

Results

Ilja Dragunov b. Saxon Huxley – Torpedo Moscow

Imperium b. The Hunt – European Bomb to Boar

Xia Brookside b. Nina Samuels – Cradle

Gallus b. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews – Enziguri/powerslam combination to Webster

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: August 7, 2019
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

With less than a month to go before Takeover: Cardiff, the card has mostly taken shape and now we have the big main event set. Tyler Bate vs. Walter for the United Kingdom Title could be the best match the promotion has ever had in its short history and that should be enough to carry the whole thing. In addition to that, it’s time to find out about the Tag Team Titles, meaning some Zack Gibson greatness. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with the Harley Race tribute video. I’d say he’s earned it.

Opening sequence.

Noam Dar vs. Ashton Smith

The bigger Smith drives him into the corner to start so Dar grabs the arm. Since it’s kind of hard to flip around with someone holding your arm, Smith gets pulled down without much effort. Smith goes to the arm as well with Dar heading straight to the ropes to show the intelligence. A nice dropkick works better for Smith but Dar claims an eye injury. As Smith has seen a Dar match before, he goes straight at Dar in the corner and gets backdropped to the floor.

Back in and Dar grabs the armbar again before countering an enziguri into the ankle lock. That lasts less than three seconds as Smith is right back up with a clothesline and a running kick to the chest. Dar kicks him in the leg and hits a running elbow to the back of the head for two of his own. This time it’s Smith playing possum so he can score with a superkick, but Dar avoids the middle rope leg lariat. The Nova Roller gives Dar the pin at 5:44.

Rating: C. There was something here with Dar’s goldbricking being well known by this point. It makes sense to go that way and is the next step in what he’s been doing lately. Smith is someone with obvious athleticism but he has nothing in the way of character or anything that makes him stand out. How many people does that apply to around here?

Post match Dar talks about how he’s here to wrestle all the time and promises to be in Cardiff. Thank you, bye bye.

Tyler Bate talks about Trent Seven not being medically cleared but he isn’t going to let Walter get away with this. In Cardiff, he’s becoming a two time champion.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans for a chat. Gibson does the usual intro and a fan asks where his car stereo is. Has he checked his car? Anyway, Gibson doesn’t want to hear about Gallus beating a bunch of Joe Blows and Johnny Kickpads to get a title shot. Cue Gallus to say they’re not demanding but rather taking their championship match in Cardiff.

Hang on though as here are Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews to interrupt. They want in on this title match as well because Andrews is the hometown boy in Cardiff. Webster knows they can beat both teams but Gibson says Johnny Saint makes the matches. If they want a title shot, earn it.

Video on Takeover: Blackpool, which is inspiring everyone to be ready for Cardiff. Various people are excited, even if they are unlikely to be on the show.

Travis Banks has promised himself that he’s going to Cardiff. Dar can say he’s going to Takeover all he wants but his spot isn’t guaranteed either. Banks leaves and Webster/Andrews come out of Saint’s office, saying they have to earn their Takeover spot as well. They can prove themselves over the next few weeks.

Jazzy Gabert/Jinny vs. Xia Brookside/Piper Niven

This could be interesting. Xia and Jinny start things off with Xia going straight to the dropkick. Jinny gets up an elbow in the corner but walks into a headscissors, which leaves Xia right in front of Gabert. It’s Jinny with a hard forearm to the face so Gabert can come in to knock Xia silly. A slam is enough to bring Jinny back in as Gabert isn’t the most time consuming monster.

Since no one is wasting time, Xia gets in her own shot to the face and brings Niven in for a running buckle bomb on Jinny. It’s right into the Gabert corner, with the announcers not being sure if that was a mistake or not. Niven knocks Gabert down and hits the running crossbody for two, followed by the backsplash to give Brookside her own two. Since Brookside is an average sized human, Gabert side slams her down to cut off the momentum.

Cue Rhea Ripley though and Piper brawls with her up the ramp. Brookside realizes she’s alone and grabs a Codebreaker on Jinny. Another headscissors sets up some running knees to Jinny’s back in the corner for two. Xia crossbodies both of them at once but Gabert shrugs it off and hits a Dominator for the pin at 7:40.

Rating: C. This was a nice way to set up a few things at once with Niven vs. Ripley being ready for a heck of a monster showdown later. At the same time, if Toni Storm survives Cardiff, Jinny and Jazzy would be a great next step for her. Jinny and Jazzy are a very good example of the formula that has worked for years so giving them a harder push would be fine.

Video on Toni Storm vs. Kay Lee Ray, with Storm citing Ray as an inspiration. Ray talks about seeing Toni as a bubbly girl and they have a long history in the ring. Now they get to do this on the big stage.

Ilja Dragunov was about to be interviewed in the dark when Kassius Ohno came in and turned on the light. That’s it for Ohno, which doesn’t sit well with Dragunov. They’ll fight next week.

Also next week: Flash Morgan Webster vs. Mark Coffey.

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey

They collide to start and slug it out with Coffey getting the better of things so Dave hiptosses him for one. Coffey is sent to the apron so he goes up but has to slip out of a German suplex attempt. The second attempt works better for Mastiff, though Coffey is able to pull the middle turnbuckle pad off at the same time. Coffey knows what happens and hits the running headbutt to the ribs in the corner, sending Mastiff into the buckle. A backbreaker and backsplash give Coffey two, followed by a fairly questionable armbar.

Mastiff headbutts Coffey down and throws him down with a release German suplex. One heck of a forearm to the ear stuns Mastiff and they head outside, where Mastiff hits him in the ear to bust it open. Mastiff hits him in the face and takes it back inside for a series of elbows to the ear. Another backsplash gives Mastiff his own two and Coffey heads to the apron. That means another running headbutt, sending Mastiff’s back into the buckle again. It’s a double countout at 7:44.

Rating: C-. It was a good enough power brawl though the ending felt pretty lame. You can pencil them in for a rematch at Cardiff in a similar story to Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee from the regular NXT, which isn’t a bad idea. Mastiff has been a well protected force around here and that could go somewhere if they decide to pull the trigger on him.

They have to be separated, with Mastiff shouting at Joe to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This wasn’t their strongest show but they moved forward with most of the matches already set up for Takeover. There are still a few more things that need to be made ready and those can be hammered out in the next few weeks. Takeover can be a rather good show, and while this week wasn’t the best, the Bate vs. Walter match is going to be more than enough to carry everything.

Results

Noam Dar b. Ashton Smith – Nova Roller

Jinny/Jazzy Gabert b. Xia Brookside/Piper Niven – Dominator to Brookside

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey went to a double countout

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: July 17, 2019
Location: Download Festival, Leicestershire, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English

We’re still at the Download Festival and that means the crowd reactions are likely to be a little bit weaker again this time. The build towards Cardiff continues but it seems that we have to get through one more stand alone show before we get there. That’s understandable, but not the most thrilling thing in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

Sid Scala runs down the card.

Opening sequence.

Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner vs. Tyson T-Bone/Saxon Huxley

Aichner shoves T-Bone down to start so T-Bone punches him from the mat. That earns him a powerslam and T-Bone stumbles over for a tag to Huxley. A spinebuster from Aichner and a kick to the face from Barthel has Huxley in trouble for a change. We hit the chinlock for a bit until a clothesline gets Huxley free, only to have the legal Aichner sneak around and pull T-Bone to the floor. With T-Bone down, it’s a powerbomb/middle rope European uppercut combination to finish Huxley at 4:53.

Result: D+. Pretty much a squash here as Imperium continues to look completely dominant. The four of them could be the top monsters for the company for a long time to come and making Barthel and Aichner look better is going to get them closer towards that ending. I still don’t get the appeal of T-Bone and Huxley but they could be worse.

Travis Banks says his journey continues despite losing to Walter. His journey is just beginning.

Xia Brookside vs. Jinny

Jinny says she doesn’t need Jazzy Gabbert to beat Xia but Jazzy doesn’t go anywhere. Brookside grabs a quick headlock before a crossbody gets two. A missed charge sends Jinny into the corner and Xia ties her in the Tree of Woe. That means a missed charge from Xia as well, allowing Jazzy to stare her down so Jinny can take over. Jazzy gets in a few shots of her own and Jinny pounds away for two. Brookside gets in a hurricanrana out of the corner but the referee gets knocked away. That’s enough for Gabbert to grab Brookside’s foot and Jinny pins her with a rollup at 4:35.

Rating: C-. Somewhat better than the opener as Jinny could ride this help from the monster all the way back to the title scene. Or Gabbert could go after Toni Storm as the ultimate monster. Either way, you could be in for something entertaining as the show has a women’s feud that isn’t about the title. That’s more than some places can say.

Imperium talks about taking out British Strong Style and only Trent Seven is left. Walter has accepted Trent’s challenge and promises to break his back.

Kenny Williams didn’t like washing the mud out of his mouth, but he’ll be ready to face Noam Dar next week. He’ll snap the wing that Dar has taken him under.

We look at Gallus defeating Dave Mastiff/The Hunt last week. After the show, Mastiff called out Joe Coffey but Gallus backed away.

Gallus says they tamed the wild animals and Joe is going to make Mastiff sit and heal.

Here’s Toni Storm for a chat. For a long time, she thought Kay Lee Ray was one of her best friends. She took Toni under her wing when she first got to the UK but now she’s not sure what happened to Ray. All Ray has to do is say when she wants her title shot and Toni will be ready….so here’s Ray to interrupt. She knows Toni is sick of her mind games so let’s do this right now. Eh or not actually. Ray is going to make Toni wait for Takeover: Cardiff but until then, she’s going to make Toni’s life a nightmare.

Scala isn’t interested in waiting for Takeover so next week it’s Toni Storm/Xia Brookside/Piper Niven vs. Kay Lee Ray/Jazzy Gabbert/Jinny.

Also next week: Walter vs. Trent Seven.

Kassius Ohno vs. Mark Andrews

Fans to Ohno: “PLEASE DON’T EAT HIM!” Ohno grabs a cravate to take Andrews down for two but Andrews cartwheels his way to freedom. Some dropkicks and an armdrag send Ohno outside but the suicide dive is pulled out of the air. Ohno, while still carrying Andrews, pulls the padding off the hook that attaches the post to the buckle and drops Andrews hard onto it.

Back in and a legdrop gets two and we hit the quickly broken chinlock. Ohno chokes on the rope instead and it’s back to the mat where Ohno declares himself a wrestling genius. Ohno: “He can’t get out because he doesn’t know how!”. Something like an abdominal stretch with a neck crank sets up a backbreaker for two as Ohno is having fun picking him apart here. He even sits on Andrews in the corner before knocking him off the top to the floor in a heap.

A more serious Ohno follows him outside and hammers away while throwing more insults. Ohno takes too long getting back in though and it’s a trio of enziguris as he comes through the ropes. The big running flip dive into a hurricanrana has Ohno down on the floor. Back in and Ohno sneaks in a shot to the throat, followed by a forearm to the back of the head for two.

One heck of an electric chair faceplant gives Ohno two and you can see the frustration setting in. Ohno chops away and Andrews stares at him. A knee to the face doesn’t do much to Andrews, who snaps off a reverse hurricanrana for two of his own. Stundog Millionaire and a tornado DDT gets two but Fall to Piece is caught in a cravate. Ohno hits a cravate suplex of all things (that’s a new one) but Andrews grabs a victory roll for the pin at 13:06.

Rating: B-. This told a very nice story with Andrews fighting from underneath against the bully in Ohno. They’re both easy characters to get but more importantly they’re easy to get behind/boo which is why a story like this worked so well. On top of that it was a good match with Ohno busting out some awesome stuff and grinding Andrews down but not being able to finish him.

Overall Rating: C+. It was nice to see the setup of the first match for Takeover but I’m more interested in seeing next week’s show. The women’s tag match and Trent vs. Walter should be entertaining and that helps get us one step closer to Takeover, as they’re getting better at bridging the gap between the major shows. Nice show here, with the rather low level main event offering a surprise.

Results

Marcel Barthel/Fabian Aichner b. Tyson T-Bone/Saxon Huxley – Powerbomb/middle rope European uppercut to Huxley

Jinny b. Xia Brookside – Rollup

Mark Andrews b. Kassius Ohno – Victory roll

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