By Liz @Ms_Deathwish
This week’s batch of shows from the UK brand take place in Birmingham, moving on from the Cambridge Corn Exchange which has played host to the previous installments. This is the episode that introduces us to the NXT:UK Women’s Championship and gives us the first look at the new belt.
Those lucky enough to attend the tapings and followers on social media may have already had a sneak peek at the championship belt when the show was originally recorded, but if you haven’t yet then you’re in for a treat. It’s a great looking belt. A legitimately badass piece of leather and gold that will look outstanding on the new champ when she is crowned.
Introduced to the NXT:UK Universe by Triple H and general manager Johnny Saint, the new belt takes centre stage, flanked on either side by the 8 women who will compete in a tournament over the coming weeks to determine the inaugural champ. The tournament itself won’t start until the next episode (also broadcast this week), but Triple H feels it’s time to hype up the crowd with his trademark bellow of “ARE YOU READY?”
Match 1: Sid Scala vs Jordan Devlin
Kicking off the action this week we have Sid Scala, a man looking for his first win for the brand, taking on the Irish Ace, Jordan Devlin.
Sid Scala has had a few matches so far and has certainly shown promise, but has yet to pick up a victory. He comes out to the ring this week with hunger in his eyes and brimming with energy. Jordan Devlin continues on his mission to step out of the shadow of his mentor and WWE main roster mainstay, Finn Balor. He has long been associated with the popular Irish superstar who trained him, yet his relatively recent change in attitude seems to be borne from a desire to stand on his own and make a name for himself.
The action kicks off with a game Sid Scala leaping out of the starting blocks to try and gain an early advantage. Devlin however is certainly working on that vicious reputation, levelling Scala with a nice sequence of offense. He is athletic yet very heavy hitting for a man his size and he soon makes his mark, stomping his opponent into the mat. His style is methodical, with excellent technical ability, stopping Scala from building any sort of momentum throughout the match. As well as sound technical skill and power, Devlin also shows he can fly with some impressive athleticism, nailing a lovely cutter over the top rope on Scala. I really feel for Sid as he fights until the end with an admirable tenacity. He attempts to take Devlin out from the top rope but is knocked out of the sky by a brutal dropkick. Devlin capitalises on this by finishing him with an emphatic driver variation off his shoulders to pick up the win.
Result: Jordan Devlin wins via pinfall
After the match, Devlin is joined in the ring by the always affable Radzi Chinyanganya for some post-match chit-chat. While calling out the entire locker room, he specifically mocks the luchador from Leeds, El Ligero. Mentioning him by name leads us to the conclusion that maybe they are setting up for a future match. This opener was a great match with a strong showing from both competitors. I’m really starting to root for Sid Scala. He has a lot of passion and enthusiasm and he is eminently likeable. I hope he gets his first victory sooner rather than later. Devlin is starting to really establish his character and he has come a long way from simply being “Finn Balor’s boy”.
Match 2: Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan vs Saxon Huxley and Joseph Conners
Following the recent statement by Moustache Mountain calling for tag team competition, we have seen a number of matches testing out fledgeling partnerships and new teams. This is one such bout that promises to be fun.
Williams and Jordan are both charismatic, fun and athletic. Their opponents are bigger and more intimidating, making for an interesting match-up. Amir Jordan shows his fun side early on, getting some great pops from the crowd with his unique in-ring style. He and Williams show good teamwork, keeping up a solid tactic of quick tags between them. The team of Huxley and Conners have little time for comedy antics however, offering a harder, more heavy hitting pairing of styles. Conners particularly cuts an intimidating presence. He was an entrant in the first NXT UK Championship tournament and his appearance was a memorable one for me. The fact he is missing half an ear certainly adds to his grizzly exterior.
Kenny Williams impresses with his athleticism with a lovely sequence including a springboard back elbow and ending with a suicide dive. Conners brutality proves too much in the end though when he is taken out by a Sunset Bomb into the corner, followed by his finisher “Don’t Look Down” allowing Conners to pick up the win.
Result: Joseph Conners wins for his team via pinfall
It’s great to see the tag team division starting to build up in NXT:UK. I’m enjoying the fact that they are trying new things out, putting people together and seeing what works and what doesn’t. In my opinion both of these teams worked well. Amir and Kenny seemed to bounce off each other (both literally and figuratively). Their style is feisty and fun and definitely a welcome addition to the roster. Conners and Huxley also worked well, adopting the role of intimidating heels. Conners stood out particularly for me. He has all the right ingredients to go far in NXT:UK and putting him with Huxley may prove a good way to let him do that.
Match 3: Tyler Bate vs James Drake
Next up we have another opportunity to witness the greatness that is Tyler Bate. With all the emphasis on tag teams at the moment, you can’t help but wonder if this match has tag team division implications.
The early stages of this match are a technical masterclass. Not everyone enjoys this style of wrestling but for me I honestly think it is something that us Brits can do better than anyone else. James Drake puts up a respectable fight, trying time after time to get the upper hand. Tyler is far stronger though and this fact ensures that he is in control from the outset. Drake holds his own and certainly doesn’t make it easy for the former NXT:UK champion. Something I always enjoy seeing is Tyler’s introduction to his buddies Bop and Bang, and we get to see the two of them used to great effect over the top rope, knocking Drake off his feet in the centre of the ring.
Drake’s persistent grinding and grappling pays off in the end, with him managing to take control for a decent proportion of the match. Tyler gets in a few flurries of offense in between this relentless grind, showcasing his almost unbelievable strength as well as his athletic ability. He has a deep moveset, performing a lovely sequence involving a standing Shooting Star Press. James Drake hits back with an excellent drop kick in the corner that seems to knock the taste out of Tyler Bate’s mouth and lets him pick up a very close nearfall. When he attempts to repeat this dropkick however, he is scouted by Bate who flattens him with a Slingshot Lariat. From this he manages to successfully hit his Tyler Driver 97 finisher for the win.
Result: Tyler Bate wins via pinfall
This really was an excellent match. Tyler always delivers and his ability allows him to sell his opponents beautifully. I was also really impressed with James Drake in this match. He is certainly finding his feet and looked like a real contender at times. I’m intrigued to see exactly where they are going with this and I hope it’s building for a great tag team rivalry with a mystery partner for Drake.
Main Event: Ashton Smith vs Wolfgang
Ashton Smith has run afoul of the new faction of Scary Scots a few times recently. I hope they come up with a better name that that though, and I hope they do it soon. I am of course talking about the Coffey brothers and “The Last King of Scotland” Wolfgang. Having been impressed by Smith’s performances over the last few weeks, it’s great to see him getting main event status against someone with the gravitas of Wolfgang.
When considering advantages between these two men, you are looking at the speed and athleticism of Ashton Smith vs the power and ferocity of Wolfgang. The X Factor that now swings the odds overwhelmingly in Wolfgang’s favour is his alliance with Mark and Joe Coffey. That advantage looks to be influential in this match as the three of them come to the ring together. With the two brothers lurking outside the ring, you can’t help but feel their involvement will be instrumental in the outcome of this battle.
This match starts with Smith using his almost unparalleled speed and athletic ability to stay one step ahead of Wolfgang. He leaps and dodges the swings of Wolfgang’s powerful arms, managing to escape the clutches of his paws time and time again. With an eye-watering chop on top of Wolfgang’s head, Smith attempts to take the action to the top rope. He goes for a splash from the turnbuckle only to be caught and broken in half by a brutal gut-buster from the Scot. Wolfgang capitalises, finally able to put his power game into play. He tosses Smith around the ring like a rag-doll, squeezing the life out of him with a series of crushing bear-hugs (or should that be wolf-hugs?)
Ashton manages a comeback of sorts with a powerful sequence of strong style strikes. With a pump kick, high knee to the corner and finally a clothesline, Smith eventually takes Wolfgang off his feet. This leads to another great run of athleticism, including an impressive leapfrog over the big man into the corner and a cross body from the turnbuckle. After further strikes from Smith, he attempts to get Wolfgang up on his shoulders. This proves to be his undoing as Wolfgang is too heavy for him to comfortably lift. Wolfgang scores a clean win with an innovative Trapped Leg Suplex (called by Nigel Mcguinness).
Result: Wolfgang wins via pinfall
This was a brilliant main event, really showing that Ashton Smith can hang with the big boys and deserves this push. I’ve been impressed with him since I first saw him and I predict big things for him in future. The biggest surprise was that the Coffey brothers didn’t get involved, meaning Wolfgang could win clean. This helps to legitimise the Scottish faction’s dominance in my opinion and I’m glad they decided to book it like that. After the match was called, the three men stood proudly in the middle of the ring, arms folded, looking every inch the powerful alliance that they are.
