We’re back with the fourth episode of the rebooted NXT UK. Tonight, there’s more action in the Heritage Cup (the first match of which you can read about here), plus Kay Lee Ray is delivering her State of the Union.
Kicking things off, it’s the first women’s tag team match since the enforced Covid-19 hiatus took NXT UK off our screens.
Xia Brookside & Dani Luna Vs Amale & Nina Samuels
Whenever wrestling announcers introduce a wrestler with one name tagging with another wrestler with two, it always sounds as if they’re married to me.
This is the first time both teams have tagged together. Luna, who has a powerlifting background, looks to be the strongest of the four – she trained at Mark Andrew’s wrestling school. Frequent tags keep the action moving pretty quickly, until Luna ducks a double clothesline and levels both women on the opposing team.
A tag brings Brookside in who attempts a Cross Body for two. Samuels drops Brookside with a nasty looking backbreaker, before taking a cheap shot at Luna which lures her in – and of course, Amale takes advantage and chokes out Brookside behind the ref’s back.
Samuels with two after a nice suplex. Amale tags herself in, much to the annoyance of Samuels. If looks could kill…
As an aside, I really want one of those NXT UK facemasks that the camera guys are rocking. DMs are open, WWE. Just sayin’.
Samuels takes a walk, leaving Amale to fend for herself. This gives Luna and Brookside the chance to set up a sweet double-team Brooksie Bomb / Power Bomb combo for the win.
Backstage, Dragunov tells Sid Scala he wants to fight the whole world. I’m not wrestling him. Since Scala can’t book that, he instead sets up Alexander Wolfe and Walter Vs Pete Dunne and Dragunov for next week. Can’t wait for that one.
Jack Starz Vs Saxon Huxley
Great to see the Leicester-based Starz back on NXT UK. We last saw him confronting Saxon two weeks ago. I always get Bezerker vibes from Huxley. Not a criticism. The guys also give us the gif that I’ll use anytime starts any kind of trouble with anyone, anywhere. Thanks gents.
Huge mismatch in power and size, this one. Remember when Nash lawn-darted Rey Mysterio? Yeah, that.
Huxley with a one-arm press drops Starz to kick things off. He tries it again, but Starz climbs Huxley like a tree… sadly only to get overpowered and launched across the ring. This might be the most one-sided match in the new NXT UK so far. A huge biel flings Starz across the ring again. A series of Irish Whips on Starz send him corner to corner, with Hux never releasing the arm and following him in each time. Ouch. Hux hoists Starz up in an Argentine Backbreaker / Torture Rack. This wakes up Starz, who manages a bit of a fluffy of offence, before having his soul clotheslined out of his body at the hands of Hux.
Hux finishes it with an Elevator Drop. It starts in the Bodyslam position, before Hux flips Starz over into a Razor’s Edge type move and brings him down – hard. It looks a little bit like this…
Hux was booked strong there. Hux. Hux. Hux.
And we’re already at the main event, with the next first round match in the Heritage Cup. Noam Dar advanced last week, and he will face one of the next two men…
A-Kid Vs Flash Morgan Webster
The Modfather made it to the semi finals of the 2018 UK Championship tourney, but this will be A-Kid’s first time in a match like this in NXT UK. Should be a good one.
Our first three minute round sees both men spending a lot of time mat wrestling, with A-Kid keeping Webster under control for most of it. Round two picks up where we left off, with A-Kid again getting Flash in a headlock and taking things to the mat. Really nice bridge out of a Headscissors lets A-Kid tie up Webster in a Bow & Arrow. Great chain wrestling, with a fantastic back and forth sequence of reversals seeing Webster getting the first fall, pinning A-Kid for three.
Round three and A-Kid grabs Webster again, slowing the pace down and maintaining wrist control on his opponent. Every hold Webster gets A-Kid into, Kid finds an innovative way to maneuver, bridge or kip up out of it. Fisherman’s Suplex that would make Mr Perfect proud gets A-Kid two, while Webster replies with a lovely Moonsault and reverse Rana as the bell signals the end of the round.
Round four and A-Kid lands a beautiful Spanish Fly and a Superkick that nearly takes Webster’s head off. The academic three count makes it 1-1.
Round five and a still shaken Webster is wide open for A-Kid. Both men trade sickening Slaps and Chops. Webster hits a Falcon Arrow out of nowhere for two. Both men start training forearms and Palm Strikes. Wow, this got hard hitting very quickly. Both guys are running on empty now. A-Kid with an attempted Sleeper, but Webster breaks it up with a Headbutt. Webster up to the top, misses a Moonsault, allowing A-Kid to tie up his opponent and force an Armbar submission. Two falls to one, and A-Kid moves on. Great, great match. We get a handshake at the end. Nice. So that’s one side of the tourney sorted – A-Kid will take on Noam Dar.
We get a package that hypes Dragunov Vs Walter in three weeks time. No hype needed: it’s gonna be awesome. Great work by the editors at NXT UK though. We get a recap of how Dragunov won the 20 man number one contender’s Battle Royale. Walter claims he made Ilja. “When we meet, it will be the greatest fight of your life, Ilja.” Might just be. Loving the long build on this one. Should give it a classic big match feel.
Up next, it’s our Women’s Champ and her state of the union. Out comes Kay Lee Ray. The Champ addresses the NXT Universe, saying she knows that everyone thought she would lose to Piper Niven. Most of the women in the locker room comes out, with Amale and Samuels jaw-jacking at ringside. Niven is out next, triggering a Division wide-brawl.
Kay Lee Ray tries to slip away, only to be confronted by the Fashionista on the ramp, who brawls across the BT Sports Arena. Everyone’s brawling with everyone. Valkyrie lands a Suicide Dive on the rest of the women who are brawling outside… but Kay Lee Slips away untouched, watching the rest of the Division laid out on the floor. And with that, we’re out. Bring on next week!
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