The thing about NXT UK is that we are watching WWE introduce their take on an introduction of an independent wrestling organization. It’s an interesting experiment, just frustrating to watch in real-time. We’ve seen this before with WWECW and the original NXT, but as a show with nearly all new faces, the only time this has been done is with 205 Live. And let’s just be glad there isn’t any Gentleman’s Duel or Hollywood Ariya Daivari stuff going on.
There’s not much that’s must-watch, the shows are a bit slow (especially at TWO PER WEEK, which remains insane), but there’s cool stuff here and there like British Strong Style and Toni Storm as top babyfaces, Rhea Ripley and Dave Matiff being built up as monsters, and folks like Jordan Devlin and Fabian Aichner and JINNY! waiting in the wings to be the next major heel.
Champion Pete Dunne is a fleeting presence, they build up mini-matches week after week to main event TV, and the top guys are kept apart until TakeOver which presumably feels like a big deal. It’s not a bad call, it’s just not very interesting to watch play out, what with the boring and safe WWE presentation and some guys just not being very good.
I do like that they experiment with the presentation, like Radzi interviewing people in alternating camera filters (close-up shot, interview on the stairs, interview with NXT UK backdrop, etc) or a tag team forming in a heavily edited vignette. That’s always encouraging.
Even the potentially risky decision of going with Gallus and particularly Joe Coffey as lead heels isn’t bad… I’m sure Trent Seven was like, “Yeah, good lad – he’s capable.” WWE just always sucks at making guys feel like big deals, which is kind of key when introducing a new brand. Maybe it’s because it’s challenging, maybe it’s because they’re like, “He’s on our TV – that means he’s a big deal.” I dunno.
Either way, I can’t recommend much of this but it’s also interesting to watch play out and a MUCH better go at introducing a new brand than the 205 Live experiment.
The stuff worth watching from these four shows is the tremendous Mark Andrews vs. Fabian Aichner match from NXT UK 13, Bomber Dave Mastiff vs. Wild Boar Mike Hitchman from NXT UK 14, Trent Seven vs. Joe Coffey from NXT UK 15, and the weird T-Bone/Huxley vignette on NXT UK 16.
NXT UK 13 (12/5/18)
Mark Andrews vs. Fabian Aichner was far and away the best match of this set and one of the best matches of the NXT UK run so far, hanging in there with Dunne vs. Devlin. Aichner is a complete wrestling freak, just this insane athlete who pulls off jaw-dropping power spots so easily he practically smiles through them. Andrews hasn’t been paired with a guy like this on WWE TV in a while too and he was ready – the Aichner suplex lift into a powerbomb catch countered with an Andrews rana was INCREDIBLE.
There were like 3 or 4 spots here that couldn’t not make these guys major stars on national TV. With a little more buzz this pairing can be to NXT UK what Cesaro vs. Zayn was to NXT US. The only thing that might be missing is the character and they seem to be working on that too with Aichner going heel at the finish. Awesome match.
Sid Scala is now Assistant to the GM and I am very excited to see this well-doer inevitably be corrupted by power.
Isla Dawn vs. Nina Samuels again – nah. There have been a few repeat matches already but I don’t realize they’re repeats until I see the matchlists I’ve written for them.
I still like Eddie Dennis’ theme song. He squashed the recently released Tucker and it was OK.
Jordan Devlin vs. Flash Morgan Webster was a little drawn out and I wish both guys didn’t try to be so cute with their offense, but it was still a real solid Devlin vs. babyface match. His KO sell on the post was awesome, and it was probably the best showcase for the questionable Webster yet.
NXT UK 14 (12/5/18)
Joseph Conners vs. Dan Moloney took too long to get across the premise: Conners is mean and will work over a guys ear and can win a match.
Rhea Ripley walking into Isla Dawn’s backstage interview to start shit was nice.
Johnny Saint during the outside Moustache Mountain / Gallus confrontation was an epic moment of old man-ness: AWAY WITH YA – AWAY!
Forget Dave Mastiff vs. Tyson T-Bone, Mastiff vs. Wild Boar Mike Hitchman is the real hoss dream match. I loved Wild Boar running into Mastiff like he was Bret Hart working Yokozuna. It was exactly what it needed to be, a fun big boy match brought up by Boar just bringing it.
Ligero vs. Tyson T-Bone was kind of a clunky version of the brawler/flyer match they wanted to have.
Rhea Ripley vs. Candyfloss had a weird spot where Ripley was supposed to refuse an Irish whip but Candyfloss put no effort in pulling her so even in a match strictly designed to get over Ripley by wrecking someone, they lost the crowd. Weak.
Wolfgang vs. Travis Banks was no good – Wolfgang doesn’t get it done as a main event singles wrestler and Banks hasn’t had a breakout yet, especially since they seem to be ignoring that he made it to the finals of the UK Title Tournament.
NXT UK 15 (12/12/18)
The NXT UK Tag Team Titles are happening.
Flash Morgan Webster had the one crap Fabian Aichner match, so I’m starting to not trust Mod. Beastly Aichner taking those stupid armdrags was embarrassing.
I like Killer Kelly but Isla Dawn isn’t really working. They had a not good match.
I love that Eddie Dennis wears glasses backstage.
Zack Gibson in a tag with James Drake is an excellent call – Gibson did solid in the UK Title Tourney but a singles run with him would mean a LOT of arm holds. They had a tag with Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams that wasn’t much, though a slingshot kneedrop/backbreaker double team and Gibson just bodyslamming Jordan from the ring to the floor was good stuff.
Joe Coffey vs. Trent Seven was a match with a lot of Joe Coffey leg work but they also got a legitimate near fall off a superplex and Trent Seven is super over so it kind of worked. There was an incredible countout tease by Seven towards the end – I mean guys roll in right before 10 all the time but the timing on this was phenomenal. There was also a belly-to-belly off the apron for some reason. The finish had some good stuff including an amazing Seven sell on a crab hold, and they eventually got a This is Awesome chant – I guess This is Pretty Good doesn’t have the same ring to it.
NXT UK 16 (12/12/18)
Wolfgang & Mark Coffey vs. Ligero & Ashton Smith was basic basic basic, Smith might’ve impressed a couple people but this was a match that I would point to as why this show isn’t really worth watching – even if these guys aren’t defined yet, a match like this where they just run through moves with no character doesn’t do anything for anybody.
There was a video here that said Isla Dawn challenged Rhea Ripley three weeks ago when it was just the show before this – oops.
Joseph Conners squashed another guy whatever.
LOOOOOVED the creepy Tyson T-Bone/Saxon Huxley vignette, as they agreed to team up and go after the NXT UK Tag Team Titles with a bunch of creepy effects and camera cuts surrounding them. NXT UK has a lot of the basic WWE presentation but the experimenting is cool to see.
JINNY! wrestled Xia Brookside in a fun little match. Xia has an amazing charisma to her and Jinny exudes a character better than 90% of contracted WWE talent.
Zack Gibson & James Drake did a promo and I like Drake being silent, though it’s not like he comes off as mysterious – you just know he isn’t good on the mic.
I liked the part where Bomber Dave Mastiff yanked Eddie Dennis from the apron through the middle ropes, otherwise their match was a bummer. More Main Event formula match, not the cool weirdo monster mash it should’ve been.
