Isn’t it fun to see something new and be excited about it?
Night 1 of the UK Tourney had a bit of rubbish but it introduced the stars enough for an absolutely smashing second night that made this whole thing a big success. WWE took all that they had established – Regal has spent months setting this whole thing up, Bate’s a charismatic young fella, Seven’s expected to go far, Wolfgang’s big, Andrews flies, Devlin’s a shit, Dunne’s an asshole – and created an incredibly compelling 2 hours of professional wrestling.
And that CROWD, man. The crowd ate it all up and made for a crazy fun atmosphere. Everything clicked, man… they set up stories, finishers, injuries, and actually delivered on them – holy cow!
Cole and Nigel were agan amazing here, all the good stuff about yesterday but also playing up all the stories that had been established. It is so awesome that Nigel McGuinness is finding success. Loved the “I have yet to see this man crack a smile in 2 days” call on Dunne.
I liked that multiple times (Devlin’s superkick, Dunne’s Bitter End) that a post-match move is the most dickish thing you could too.
Also enjoyed the call-backs to what was established on Night 1 – Tyler Bate afraid Devlin cut him open with the kick, Dunne going for the stomp on Andrews’ hand on the stairs and missing, and the Tyler Driver and Bitter End being established as death.
1. WWE U.K. Title Tournament – Quarter Finals: Pete Dunne vs. Sam Gradwell
Pete Dunne vs. Sam Gradwell was a perfect 5-minute match – short, to the point, got the story over. I always just flip out for a guy ready to fuck another guy up, so when fired up Sam Gradwell ran out and needed the ref to hold him back I was already sold. Dunne was such a SHIT to offer the handshake. Non-stop good stuff here with a lot of highlights… Gradwell taking it to Dunne, Dunne trying to find openings with a leg-pick or just throwing him against the ropes, the Gradwell tope, Gradwell selling his back off the missile dropkick, Gradwell’s plancha, Dunne just pushing Gradwell to the outside. And then they ended it with a BODYSLAM – a nasty one where Gradwell landed on his head, mind you, but still – a BODYSLAM. ***
2. WWE U.K. Title Tournament – Quarter Finals: Mark Andrews vs. Joseph Conners
Mark Andrews vs. Joseph Conners was a solid showcase for Andrews’ flipping and flying. Conners was serviceable bringing the crowd down as they awaited more Andrews flipping and flying – the elbow/backbreaker thing needs to go away ASAP though. God DAMN was that moonsault > knees up > inside cradle spot pretty. Andrews is gooood, man – get him in the system and he might just be great. Love how hyped the crowd got for the SSP too. Fun! **3/4
FIT FINLAY!!! TEASING JUMPING OVER THE BARRICADE!!!
3. WWE U.K. Title Tournament – Quarter Finals: Trent Seven vs. Wolfgang
Enjoyed Wolfgang vs. Trent Seven – it was pretty short and had a couple dead spots, but was also kind of a blast. Wolfgang’s shtick as a flying fat man is tremendous. Loved him responding to the slap from Seven with a BACKDROP as well as his taunt on the outside followed by the bullet tope from Seven. These two are just a couple of characters and complemented each other well. Lots of Strong Style silliness… a Wasteland, a release Dragon suplex, a kickout of the Seven Star lariat. A bloodied Wolfgang celebrating his win is PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING. **3/4
4. WWE U.K. Title Tournament – Quarter Finals: Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin
Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin was pretty great for a little over 5 freakin’ minutes. Lots of fun stuff sprinkled into those 5 minutes – Bate rejecting the handshake from that sniveling little shit Devlin, Devlin’s thumb to the eye, the Bate airplane spin, Devlin snapping the rope to gouge Bate’s eye, Bate’s sell of the knee after he dodged the moonsault. Liked them playing off of Night 1 too… Devlin countering the Tyler Driver with the rana and Bate’s awesome sell of Devlin’s kick like it could’ve busted him open. The crossbody catch into the airplane spin was tremendous as well. Devlin might not be very convincing in the ring but it’s always good to have a little shit around, and to his credit he did look a bit better here. And I am highly enjoying Bate’s ability to have fun matches by just being a likable little lad. Everybody waves to him!!! ***
ROBBIE BROOKSIDE!!!
5. WWE U.K. Title Tournament – Semi Final: Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne
Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. No wasted movements, two characters that perfectly complement each other – the bruiserweight butthole vs. the flyer with a hurt neck, and the right match for those characters. Sometimes it’s fun for wrestling to be silly, but it’s usually more fun when it just makes sense. You’ve got Dunne going for the bodyslam and cover right away, those nasty chinlocks, straight-up stomps to Andrews’ damaged neck, just throwing Andews’ head into the bottom turnbuckle, all the forearms to the face. All of Andrews flying looked beautiful and Dunne played off it really well – the rana from the stairs, that wild over-the-top front cradle into the double stomp, the reverse 450 senton. Liked Andrews’ selling too – when Dunne hit the wild suplex bomb thing on the outside his eyes just screamed WHAT THE FUCK HAS HAPPENED TO ME? Dunne catching the moonsault on the outside leading to the deadlift suplex on the apron was nuts. And the finish – Jesus. Armdrag counter of the Bitter End, springboard dive into Dunne’s elbow, the rana counter of the suplex bomb, the SSP countered into a German in the corner leading to the suplex bomb and the Bitter End. So, so good. The BEST kind of 10 minute match. ****1/4
6. WWE U.K. Title Tournament – Semi Final: Tyler Bate vs. Wolfgang
Really liked Tyler Bate vs. Wolfgang… it was all about Wolfgang being a big fella with a hurt knee and face – not a lot happened but it all worked. Enjoyed Wolfgang overpowering Bate early leading to Bate just straight-up punching him in the face. Liked Wolfie’s sell on that spear near fall and how he kinda turned into a de facto heel during this. Finish was wonderful – crowd distracts Wolfie with a chant, Bate slips out of a move, Tyler Driver – WIN. ***
DUNNE ATTACKS BATE DURING THE VIDEO AND ATTACKS HIS SHOULDER!!! That piece of shit!!! Regal is LIVID. Enjoying WWE’s apparent newfound love for guys attacking during a video replay – happened here, and then on RAW with Neville attacking Swann.
7. Neville vs. Tommy End
That pop for Neville was so awesome, man. And then TOMMY END. First time seeing End. There was some cool stuff here; it was your prototypical 2000s type of junior heavyweight match – fun rope-running, stiff strikes, crazy-ass rana, and some other real impressive shit that didn’t completely connect with me. Dug End’s sitting taunt after the snapmare and Neville running away from End’s kick more than anything. Hey he hit the Red Arrow! A very solid, impressive match that lacked anything to take it to another level. ***
FINN BALOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8. WWE U.K. Title Tournament – Final: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne
The finals – Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne – were incredible. This is how you do wrestling, man – two great characters, realism, no wild bumps, big fight feel, treated legit, DRAMA, and two stars being made. It was all that is swell about BritWres too – chain wrestling, working holds, using momentum to fight out of holds. Have loved all that is Pete Dunne – he’s not a high octane guy, but his matches sneak up on you as real motherfucking pro wrestling matches.
Even before the bell this thing was awesome – Regal’s look of disdain for Dunne, Bate’s Sledgehammer-esque theme, Bate doing the waving thing but looking a bit nervous while his shoulder’s taped up, Dunne’s douchebag smile. Ring the Bell chants! Highly enjoyed the crowd going from “BRUISER-WEIGHT” chants to straight booing the sniveling little shit for Pete Dunne while they gave an ovation for the youngster from Dudley who’s got a zit on his nose and waves to people. Brit-Ish Wrest-Ling, indeed.
Lots of great stuff here – Dunne immediately and consistently going for the shoulder, Dunne’s selling whenever Bate got a hold on him, the Breaks Special, a CARTWHEEL!, just amazing lockups – from the early ones with Dunne putting pressure on the shoulder to the roll to the outside. Loved Bate’s desperate slap after Dunne damn near broke his arm on the outside – so REAL. Bate’s sell of the shoulder here was great – he wasn’t constantly over-the-top going HEY MY SHOULDER HURTS, but legit looked NERVOUS. Loved him scooting on the floor kicking at Dunne as Dunne loomed over him going for the attack. Three airplane spins!!! Build to the Tyler Driver and Bitter End were great too – Bate couldn’t do it cause his shoulder hurt while Dunne got an inside cradle for his. Made the payoff of the later Bitter End kickout and Tyler Driver 3-count so good. Cole was great here – selling it as teacher vs. pupil, screaming COME ON, KID! COME ON, KID! for Bate. Dunne’s look of sheer disbelief after the Bitter End kickout was wonderful. KOPPOU KICKS!!! The BUZZ for the Tyler Driver. Bate’s “HOLY SHIT I JUST WON” look. Fucking fantastic. ****1/2
Post-match was great – Dunne’s dejected look at the entrance, Regal, Finlay, Balor, and British Wrestling God Triple H congratulating Bate. That’s how you end a tournament.
Special mention to Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne, who looked amazing the whole weekend. Bate is ridiculously good for being 19 years old and who knows, maybe it’s a TJ Perkins thing and doesn’t translate outside of this environment, but man was this a great performance. I liked that all his matches were different – traditional kick-fest type match, a match where he’s on defense, a big guy/small guy match. Like that he doesn’t do any typical WWE babyface “YEAHHHH BABY!! HERE WE GO!” type bullshit too – he just WAVES at people. And they WAVE BACK. Pete Dunne meanwhile is the perfect Son of Fit Finlay and William Regal Piece of Shit Alt-Right looking motherfucker to lead the professional wrestling industry to greatness.
Can’t imagine how cool this would’ve been had I followed the scene before, but highly enjoyed getting acquainted with all these folks and the sheer awesomeness of WWE presenting it as they did. Some stuff was really short so maybe the stupid star ratings don’t put them over as well as they deserve, as I liked just how much perfect sense everything on Night 2 made. Great wrestling, new characters, tremendous crowd, great non-wrestler performances (Regal, Nigel, Cole)… one of those deals that just makes ya go I love you, pro wrestling. This could all go to hell real quick – sup, cruiserweights – but love it while it’s here, maaan. 10/10
