Nerdly » ‘NXT: UK’ Review (Nov 14th 2018)

16th Nov2018

‘NXT: UK’ Review (Nov 14th 2018)

by Nathan Favel

Welcome to this NXT: UK review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have Michael Shannon, Ashley Graham and The Struts with Kesha, right here on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Also, we have women fighting to become the first NXT: UK Women’s Champion. Any-way, here comes Michael Shannon.

Match #1: Dakota Kai def. Nina Samuels – NXT UK Women’s Championship Tournament Quarterfinal Match

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

The NXT UK Women’s Championship Tournament kicked off in Birmingham, as Dakota Kai took on Nina Samuels. From the start, Samuels used her height and power to gain the advantage, as she worked to weaken Kai’s lower back in order to prevent Kai from getting on a roll with her signature kicks. Samuels’ assault included a series of submission maneuvers, a dropkick to Kai’s back and an excruciating tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Not to be denied, Kai came roaring back with a flurry of strikes and her punishing kicks before securing her place in the Semifinals by hitting a Chiropractor (the code red into an inverted backstabber) for the win.

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was a solid way to debut the tournament and it is nice to see the women get an extra prize to fight for. The match itself was good enough for the initial part of this tournament, but lacked the kind of power that a match of this caliber deserved. Over-all, this wasn’t a bad way to go, but it needed a bit more time to make an impact.

Match #2: Tyson T-Bone def. Jake Constantinou

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

The tough-as-nails Tyson T-Bone debuted on NXT UK, brawling his way through Jake Constantinou. After dishing out pain with unrelenting hostility and noticeable enjoyment, T-Bone emerged victorious with a devastating right hand that paved the way for an earth-shattering lariat. After the match, T-Bone dismissed the rest of the NXT UK Superstars as a “joke.” His exit brought him face-to-face with “Bomber” Dave Mastiff, however, who invited him to watch what he was about to do in the ring.

My Take: 2 out of 5 – This was a decent brawl that got these two guys on TV, but might not have made them interesting enough to want to see back on a card.

Match #3: “Bomber” Dave Mastiff def. Dan Moloney

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

With Tyson T-Bone looking on, “Bomber” Dave Mastiff once again laid waste to his opponent, dominating Dan Moloney with surprisingly agility that included a dropkick and a German Suplex before finishing him off with the Cannonball the corner. Considering his noticeable post-match staredown with T-Bone, perhaps it won’t be long before the WWE Universe sees the two aggressive competitors go to war?

My Take: 2 out of 5 – There were some good moves here, but the match was nothing much to write home about. It’s good that this new brand is picking some people to be the stars of the show, but I’d like it to be done with a bit more variety, rather than just having the chosen few squash their way to glory.

Match #4: Jinny def. Millie McKenzie – NXT UK Women’s Championship Tournament Quarterfinal Match

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

The Quarterfinals of the NXT UK Women’s Championship Tournament continued with Jinny battling the dynamic Millie McKenzie. Known as Suplex Millie, McKenzie unleashed a no-nonsense offense from the word go and seemed to catch The Fashionista of NXT UK off-guard. With increased volatility, Jinny soon fired back by smashing her opponent’s face into the turnbuckle with a Flatliner and a painful surfboard submission. Though McKenzie roared back with a wicked Spear and two German Suplexes, Jinny prevented a third attempt from her 18-year old foe with a hard elbow before hitting a Japanese armdrag and a devastating rolling kick to propel her into the Semifinals.

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was better than the first match in the tournament, but it still was missing something… and a few other things as well. The match had some fine wrestling but lacked the atmosphere of a prestigious bout, which any tournament should have. The action never felt like it was any-thing other than a glorified exhibition, but with the card being so compact, it’s hard for these athletes to make their match do more than just happen for a while.

Match #5: (Main Event) Zack Gibson def. Trent Seven

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

After instigating a verbal altercation with Trent Seven by claiming the rest of the NXT UK Superstars were simply “average,” Zack Gibson went one-on-one with Liverpool’s No. 1 in NXT UK’s main event. Gibson opted to retreat from the powerful chops of his opponent in the early goings, but Tyler Bate emerged to block his exit, opening the door for Seven to continue his onslaught inside and outside the ring. Gibson reclaimed the advantage with a double chop to the throat, which allowed him to go to work on the left elbow and shoulder with a strategic series of painful maneuvers. Seven absorbed Gibson’s attack and returned fire with a new round of fierce chops. He then absorbed Gibson’s enzuigiri before delivering a right-hand slap that knocked his opponent out of the ring and to the ringside floor, quickly leaping through the ropes after him.

Back in the ring, Seven hit a snapdragon suplex and a powerbomb, which set up the single-leg crab on Gibson, but Gibson clawed his way to the ropes. He regained the advantage momentarily before the resilient Seven fired back, setting the stage for an intense back-and-forth between the two competitors. Gibson leveled his nemesis with the Ticket-to-Ride, but the never-say-die Seven kicked out of his pin attempt. Then, Gibson locked in the Shankly Gates, which nearly caused Seven to tap, but he fought though the agonizing pain to reach the ropes. In a moment of frustration, Gibson put his boot on the nearby Bate, bringing the former WWE U.K Champion up on the apron. Seven used this distraction to hit the Seven Stars Lariat on Gibson for the near-fall.

As the action continued in the ring, James Drake suddenly emerged to hurl Bate into the steel ring steps. And moments later, when Seven was trying to perhaps turn Gibson for the single-leg crab, Gibson countered with the small package. As he did, Drake reached out his hand and gave Gibson extra leverage that allowed Liverpool’s No. 1 to pick up the controversial victory. And as the victor and his devious cohort were making their way to the backstage area, Wolfgang and The Coffey Brothers suddenly attacked Moustache Mountain from behind and unleashed an all-out slaughter on the former NXT Tag Team Champions.

My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was a good bout that made up for the lackluster matches that came before. Don’t I just sound like a big ol’ #$@!&? Anyway, this was a fine main event that had a firm grasp on what a good match needs and that bodes well for both of these guys for the future of this show.