‘NXT: UK’ Review (Jan 16th 2019)
Welcome to this week’s NXT: UK review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have more from the European division of the WWE. Let’s see if this week turned out good or not.
Match #1: Ligero def. Saxon Huxley
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
The unorthodox Saxon Huxley looked to take the “Hero’s journey” in a tough contest against the high-flying Ligero. Despite Huxley’s efforts, however, the Leeds Luchador rose above, gliding his way through the middle rope to hit a devastating stunner before executing the C4L Springboard DDT for another huge win.
My Take: 3 out of 5 – I’m in the Twilight Zone. Ligero winning matches in the WWE is one of those things I never thought would happen. Ligero is one of those “indy goof-balls” that Vince probably still hates, even though those “indy goof-balls” are the ones putting asses in seats for him. Believe it or not, John Cena’s T-Shirt sales are not the same as selling tickets. Any-way, I’m glad that this turned out well and I will enjoy seeing more from both men.
Match #2: Jinny def. Isla Dawn
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Following Isla Dawn’s loss to then-NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley several weeks ago, Jinny mocked the defeated competitor by calling her a “failure.” That coupled with The Fashionista’s sneak attack on The White Witch last week left little doubt that the two Superstars would lay into each other during their inevitable matchup. In the final moments of a battle pitting Dawn’s strength and desire against the sheer tenacity of the vicious Jinny, The Fashionista caught Dawn on the turnbuckle and planted her face-first into the canvas with the middle-rope X-Factor for the victory.
My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was good action with a bit of clunk, if you catch my drift. This wasn’t as refined as I hoped, but they made it all look mean, which worked for me.
Match #3: (Main Event) Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel def. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Just days after the history-making, first-ever NXT UK TakeOver in Blackpool, MarMark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster went looking for retribution against Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel. The explosive tag team showdown took both combinations to the absolute limit, and despite incredible athleticism from the young Welshmen, the “European Union” reigned supreme. Shortly after the nefarious Aichner took out Andrews with another controversial knee into the ringside barricade, he and Barthel used a 2-on-1 assault to finish The Modfather with a spinning powerbomb/European uppercut combination.
My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was some fine stuff from two excellent teams. The match was all the action you could handle and then some. This had the intellect of the best kind of bouts and that bodes well for this league. You’ve got a little bit of each kind of technique on display here, from technical to aerial to even a bit of catch (maybe more than a bit). Altogether, this was a fine main event that ended the card the right way.
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This was the best episode of the show in the past month or so. There wasn’t any crap and lots of good wrestling to keep this league’s head above water.
