‘NXT UK’ Review (Jan 2nd 2020)
Welcome to this week’s NXT UK review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and this is the first NXT UK review of the year, so let’s blow it like Disney with Star Wars.
Match #1: Dave Mastiff def. Kona Reeves
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Prior to the first NXT UK matchup of 2020, NXT’s Kona Reeves took to the mic to blame everything in sight for his loss to Trent Seven several weeks ago. But when Kona turned his words to Dave Mastiff, “The Bomber” made him pay with a hard blow that sent his outspoken opponent to the canvas. Although the nefarious Reeves fought back with an earth-shattering assault, the dominant competitor sent his prey Into the Void for a big three-count.
My Opinion: 2.6 out of 5 – This was…enough. Mastiff looked like he was trying to eat Kona the whole time. El Pescado. This was like “Moana”, except it didn’t suck…enough. They gave each other a walloping, whooping, whoopified ass whoopified, whooping, walloping…I’m gone. What the hell was I talking about? What the f— is “The Witcher” and why does it sound like it’s worse than this match? Okay, this was a 2.6. We’re done with that.
Match #2: Kassius Ohno def. Ligero
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After Kassius Ohno tried to rip off Ligero’s mask during their previous matchup, Ligero was out for retribution in the return contest. But, in the final moments of the contest, The Wrestling Genius used his environment to his advantage to trap Ligero in the ropes before making him tap out to the Kassius Clutch.
My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5 – This was a good match that didn’t go far enough for me to be as fulfilling as it should have been, but this was also as easy to watch as any-thing else that has been on a wrestling show in a few months. These guys have some fine chemistry together. Overall this was good and solid.
Match #3: Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter def. The Outliers
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter picked up their first win against The Outliers when Riddick Moss decided to celebrate a bit too early and gave Smith enough time to get him in a quick small package for the victory.
My Opinion: 2.4 out of 5 – This was okay, but it won’t make you Kiki Dee your Elton John from “Breakin’ My Heart”. This made me think of prostate surgery. Hey, I don’t do “thinking”. Anyway…I forget. Eh. This was a dull match. You wanna watch and find out for yourself, or just trust the guy who looks like Paul Hollywood’s prostate? That’s why I was thinking of prostate surgery! Wait…I don’t do “thinking”. How did I think of all of this wonderful, wonderful stupid? Do you th…I AM THE MASTER OF PROSTATIA! I HAVE TAKEN THE MIND OF THIS FOOL TO DECLARE THAT THE DAWN OF THE MIGHTY PROSTATE HAS COME!…ink I might be a genius? I’m a freakin’ genius!
Match #4: (Main Event) Ilja Dragunov def. Alexander Wolfe – No Disqualification Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
As a result of the destructive conflict between Gallus and Imperium that essentially leveled NXT UK for the better part of the fall, negotiations between the faction leaders — United Kingdom Champion WALTER and Joe Coffey — led to the scheduling of several contests. But the matches that were established as a result of the talks were not limited to Superstars from those factions. In order to get The Ring General to sign off on the proposed matches, Ilja Dragunov, who had sided with Gallus in the conflict, stepped up and agreed to once again face Alexander Wolfe, this time in a No Disqualification Match. The action started out in furious fashion when an overzealous Dragunov charged up the ramp to engage Wolfe during his entrance. This collision set the stage for a brutal showdown between Imperium’s “hatchet man” and the Crimson Menace both inside and outside the ring. The competitors incorporated Kendo sticks, steel steps, a table, steel chairs and the hardest parts of the ring. They also combined high-impact maneuvers with the dangerous implements, including Dragunov’s Coast-to-Coast off the ropes and Wolfe’s German Suplex onto a pile of chairs. Although Wolfe drove his opponent’s throat into the chair and seemingly broke his fingers with that same device, Dragunov lifted his foe off the ground and smashed him through the table. Ilja followed up with Torpedo Moscow for the hard-fought victory.
My Opinion: 3.9 out of 5 – This was a really strong main event that was quite intricate for a brawl, with a lot of moving parts working together to make the machine thunder through until the feat was done. If you’ve ever heard The Thing yell “It’s Clobberin’ Time”, then you’ve got a good idea of what this match has in store for you. IIja has really come a long way quite quickly into his NXT UK run, so much so that he could be considered one of the star attractions already. Wolfe was a fantastic opponent for IIja, especially when these guys tried to go slam for slam with one another. I really liked this fight and I hope that this leads to bigger and better things for these two behemoths.
News Of The Night:
- A-Kid and Joseph Conners are teased as feuding for TakeOver.
- Toni Storm and Piper Niven got more intense as a feud, thanks to a brawl in anticipation of the Triple Threat Match for the NXT UK Women’s Title at TakeOver.
- Eddie Dennis fights Trent Seven at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool 2020.
- Jordan Devlin fights Tyler Bate at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool 2020.
Final Verdict: 3.3/5
The focus on building to TakeOver and the main event really gave this show a reason to exist.
