As always, this week’s show was taped at BT Sports Studios in London, England.
Pretty Deadly defeated Sam Gradwell and Saxon Huxley (9:22)
Before the match, they aired a funny video of Gradwell searching for tag team partners throughout the week. This included tweeting Steve Austin, Elon Musk and asking Nathan Frazer, A-Kid, and a person working at a fast food drive-in.
He also encountered Kenny Williams backstage, but chewed him out, grabbed him by the ear and told him to remember where a cockroach’s place on the food chain was. In the end, Huxley was his surprise partner.
Pretty Deadly (Sam Stoker and Lewis Howley) worked over Gradwell until he grabbed Stoker by the ear and slapped him before tagging in Huxley. Huxley hit a big running elbow and a crossbody into the ropes on Stoker before Howley tagged in.
Later, Pretty Deadly used some tag team magic to regain control and then slingshot suplexed Huxley on the top rope. Gradwell took back over, but suddenly Williams appeared and balanced on the ringside barriers which distracted Huxley.
Williams attacked Huxley behind the referee’s back and stomped him. With Huxley incapacitated, Pretty Deadly hit Spilled Milk on Gradwell for the pinfall victory.
— Jinny cut a promo on Amale, pointing out that their lives were similar (children of immigrants, successful out of WWE, college degrees), but unlike Amale, she doesn’t exploit her past. She said the fans pity Amale every time she comes out and if Amale steps into the ring with the “queen of NXT UK,” she would lose every time.
— A video package detailed the ongoing feud between Gallus and Die Familie with both factions cutting promos on each other. Metehan said they would be successful in their war. They collide in a trios match next week.
— Blair Davenport walked through an estate and said she came from a long line of Davenports and ever since she was a child, she was taught that Davenports only care about Davenports. People could hate her all they wanted as long as they feared her. She said she was fire and fury, the rightful heir to the NXT UK Women’s championship, and enemies of the heir should beware.
Isla Dawn defeated Emilia McKenzie (5:30)
They showed a clip before the match of Isla Dawn stealing McKenzie’s watch and putting it in her box of trinkets last summer. Earlier this week, McKenzie demanded it back backstage.
McKenzie took Dawn to the mat with a waistlock takedown and then worked her over with submissions on the mat. Dawn eventually came back with a backdrop driver.
McKenzie thwarted a superplex attempt and hit her own top rope sunset flip off the top for a near fall. She followed with a belly to back suplex and spear for another near fall. A shotgun dropkick sent Dawn to the outside and McKenzie followed with a dive through the ropes.
McKenzie missed a crossbody off the top. Dawn then hit a fireman’s carry into a side slam for the win. McKenzie’s nose was busted open from something in the match.
After the match, Dawn prayed to her box and returned McKenzie’s watch so Emilia is probably cursed now. This is still creepier than Alexa Bliss and her doll.
— Amale cut a promo, saying Jinny misunderstood her. Her story was about representation and unlike Jinny, she hasn’t forgotten where she came from. For someone who graduated college, Jinny didn’t sound very smart. She said she was Amale, she was hope, and that hope never dies.
— There was a tremendous video package supercut of previous Ilja Dragunov vs. Jordan Devlin promos. There was some new material where Devlin mused about a level playing field and then came up with an empty arena match for next week because he wanted Dragunov with “nobody in his corner.” Dragunov accepted. This should be a great match, but in the COVID era, empty arena matches are not the most desirable.
NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar (w/ Sha Samuels) vs. A-Kid went to a draw (19:00)
Last week, “bookie” Samuels had put money on Dar winning the match in round four.
Round 1:
They started with a test of strength and some mat wrestling. A-Kid attempted some submission holds and Dar got a brief two count in. He tried striking A-Kid just as the round ended.
Round 2:
A-Kid locked on a cravat, but Dar eventually escaped. A-Kid turned a chinlock into a pinning combination and scored a close near fall. Dar set A-Kid up on the top rope and went for a running knee strike, but missed and tumbled to ringside just as the round was ending. A-Kid gave him the double bird salute.
Round 3:
Dar went for a draping DDT, but the referee stopped him from hitting it, so he kicked A-Kid flush in the face. Dar hit more kicks and set up for the Nova Roller, but A-Kid caught him with a kick. Dar hit a kick of his own, then hit the Nova Roller to take the first fall in 1:36 of the round.
Round 4:
A-Kid quickly rolled into a flying armbar, transitioning to the omoplata. Dar got a rollup and held the tights, but A-Kid still kicked out. Dar tried another pin with his feet on the ropes but the referee caught him. A-Kid rolled him up, but only got a two count.
A-Kid hit a dive after Dar rolled to ringside, but missed and crashed. Samuels then rolled Dar back into the ring and A-Kid narrowly made it back in a nine. Dar scored another near fall. A-Kid went for a springboard move and Samuels tried attacking him as he was on the top rope. He hit a backflip into a DDT off the top and managed to score a fall at 2:35 of the round, tying this up at one fall apiece.
Samuels was livid that he had lost money on the match after the round ended.
Round 5:
A-Kid hit a superplex off the top early in the round for another two count. Dar got the ankle lock and both transitioned into various submission holds on each other with pinning attempts interspersed. A-Kid hit a running knee seconds before the round ended, but had no time to finish a pinfall attempt.
Round 6:
They traded strikes and then traded pinning combinations. Samuels held onto Dar’s legs on an O’Connor roll attempt, so A-Kid took him out with a dive. Dar reached the ropes on a kneebar by A-Kid. Dar scored another close two count off a spinning back elbow. A-Kid hit a flying superkick, but Dar kicked out of the cover that followed. A-Kid locked in the omoplata with ten seconds left, but Dar was saved by the bell, ending this match in a 1-1 draw.
Dar and Samuels celebrated as A-Kid looked distraught.
Final Thoughts:
This was a fun show with a great main event. A-Kid and Dar are among the best workers in WWE right now, but are flying under the radar of most.
The tag match was the first step back for Pretty Deadly on their way of redemption to reclaim the tag titles. The women’s match was mostly just there and was more of a backdrop for Dawn’s mysterious box of stolen/cursed items.
Next week:
- NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov vs. Jordan Devlin in an empty arena title match
- Gallus vs. Die Familie
