A-Kid, who currently wrestles under the masked persona Axiom, reflected on his NXT UK run on social media: Enjoying retirement, crazy to think this happened 4 years ago. Proudest moment of my career.
Zay from Private Party told a story about a TSA agent and his AEW Tag Title belt on social media: “bro found out that we won our first title defense and decided to make a whole scene at the airport & started telling everyone that I’m a fighting champion and deserved to be on a private jet.”
Joe Hendry on social media wrote that he was on a recent flight that had to turn back due to engine issues.
Tuesday’s NXT marks the final show before Saturday’s Stand & Deliver premium live event.
Grayson Waller is set to respond to Johnny Gargano’s challenge for a unsanctioned match at NXT Stand & Deliver. Waller agreed to sign the contract as long as Gargano was banned from the building. Gargano gave the contract to friend and NXT commentator Vic Joseph for safekeeping, agreeing to the stipulations.
A battle royal will determine the fifth and final competitor in the upcoming five-way match for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver. Men such as Dijak and Jinder Mahal told Lee on last week’s NXT that they will be the ones to fill that final slot.
Tuesday’s NXT will also have a Last Chance Qualifying match, with Indi Hatwell, Sol Ruca, and Ivy Nile vying for the final spot in the Women’s Championship ladder match at Stand & Deliver. All three women previously failed in their efforts to qualify for the match, but now have one final shot.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 pm ET.
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Opening the show is the battle royal to determine the final competitor for the North American title bout.
Apollo Crews gets an entrance to start the show, and the other wrestlers are already in the ring. North American Champion Wes Lee is ringside at the announce desk for guest commentary.
Scrypts jumps over the ropes into the ring as Crews is posing in a corner. Scrypts’ leaps onto Axiom, and that is the spark that ignites the powder keg. A melee erupts and the battle royal is underway.
Axiom wins a 20-man battle royal to qualify for the NXT North American Championship match at Stand & Deliver
Quincy Elliott was the first eliminated, mere seconds after the match begins. Nathan Frazier is the last eliminated. Lots of clubbering in between.
The battle royal goes through a commercial break. Axiom outlasts the field, which has been a story they have been telling for weeks. He finally qualifies for the five-way title match at Stand & Deliver.
Some other stories are weaved into general chaos of the battle royal. A grudge is established between Dijak and Odyssey Jones. An enraged Dijak attacks Jones after Jones helps to eliminate Dijak. Jones is pulled out of the ring, and Dijak sends him crashing into the ring steps. Jones is rolled back into the ring, and moments later Jones is eliminated by Jinder Mahal.
Mahal ends up on the apron, where he fights off Malik Blade and Edris Enofe. Mahal is named by the announcers as an odds on favorite to win. He is the superstar and whatnot, plus a former WWE champion.
Scrypts jumps Axiom at the start, but Axiom gets the last laugh as he eliminate Scrypts. This adds another layer to their simmering feud.
Hank Walker and Drew Gulak come to blows, and they get into a brawl after both are tossed out by Charlie Dempsey. Walker had Gulak in a sleeper on the apron, and Dempsey dumps out Walker. That in turn also eliminated Gulak, who takes his anger out on Walker. They brawl their way off the soundstage, and they would meet again in a singles match later tonight.
Crews was the only one to get a full entrance before the match, and he also gets the Diesel treatment. He throws guys out left and right, but he is ultimately eliminated by Dabbo-Kato. They were among the final six.
Last six remaining are Dabbo-Kato, Mahal, Dempsey, Axiom, Crews, and Nathan Frazier. Kato throws out Crews, leaving five in the ring. Team work helps to eliminate Mahal, as Frazier gets an assist from Axiom to eliminate Mahal. The team works is not over.
Having a final four lasts only seconds, as the the last three all team up to toss out Dabbo-Kato. He gets a touch of the Andre the Giant treatment for his elimination, and he glares a hole through Wes Lee after the match.
Things gets really good in the closing moments. Dempsey eats a missile dropkick from Frazier, and Dempsey is clotheslined over the ropes by Axiom. They trade strikes, leading to a double down. Dempsey had already went over the ropes, so Axiom just boots him off the apron. Dempsey hits the floor, and he is out.
Last two remaining are Axiom and Frazier, and they tear it up. Breakneck speed and intricate high spots. These two are tremendous together. Great counters and reversals. Frazier skins the cat to escape touching the floor, but Axiom nails him with a dropkick in the closing moments. Axiom then throws out Frazier, and Axiom wins the battle royal.
North American Champion Wes Lee gets into the ring after the match to join Axiom. Out comes Dragon Lee, Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh. All five have a standoff and they stare down each other ahead of their five-way title match this weekend.
Pretty Deadly, wearing fancy hats, host a Stand & Deliver preview show, with clips sprinkled into this episode where they run down the card for Saturday.
Andre Chase and Tyler Bate cut a promo ahead of Bate’s match tonight. Thea Hail is also there, and she is pumped up as usual. Hail is full of school spirit. Duke Hudson though, not so much. He tags along anyway. but is is far from excited about it.
Tyler Bate (with Chase U) defeated Von Wagner (with Mr. Stone)
Bate pinned Wagner after interference by Mr. Stone backfired. Thea Hail also gets involved, after she counteracts the interference.
Wagner is a monster heel, and he works over Bate. Comeback by Bate, and he tries to fall the big timber. Wagner won’t go down. Yet, Bate is on a roll, until Mr. Stone interferes by hooking Bate’s leg. Bate goes after Stone, and Stone seeks sanctuary in the ring. Thea Hail jumps in and she is a house of fire on Stone. Hail boots Stone out of the ring just before the finish.
Bate is thrown over the ropes by Wagner, but Bate turns it into a dive on Stone. Duke Hudson gives a reluctant high five to Bate. Back in the ring, Bate climbs the turnbuckles for his finisher where he does a corkscrew into a swanton.
Bate and Chase U pose in the ring after the match. The lights go out for a sudden promo from The Schism. They have a match on Saturday against Chase U, with control of the university gimmick on the line as a stipulation.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez is backstage, much to the surprise of the announcer team. At least they sold it that way, as Perez has been out with an injury. Perez heads to the office of Shawn Michaels, where Perez lobbies to be included in the women’s title ladder match at Stand & Deliver. There is some bad acting here in this skit, but their hearts are in the right place.
Perez wants to climb the ladder and retrieve the title she never lost in the ring. Perez pleads with Michaels, and Perez talks about wanting to overcome her anxiety. Michaels relents, and he agrees to add Perez to the ladder match at Stand & Deliver, but Perez must get checked out again by the doctors.
Elektra Lopez defeated Valentina Feroz
Lopez pinned Feroz after a sit-out tree slam. This match was set up weeks ago, and Lopez wins in dominate fashion. Feroz got some offense, but this match seems more designed to get Lopez over.
Eddy Thorpe defeated Myles Borne
Thorpe (Karl Fredericks) pinned Borne, in what is Thorpe’s debut match in NXT. Thorpe finished off Borne with a Saito suplex, followed by twisting neckbreaker. Thorpe looked good here, but he will need some character development. I’m assuming the new name is a play on Jim Thorpe, a Native American athlete who was a cultural icon.
NXT Tag Team Champion Gallus cut promos in an interview with McKenzie Mitchell. Gallus vow to retain their tag titles at Stand & Deliver.
Indi Hartwell defeated Ivy Nile and Sol Ruca in a “Last Chance Qualifying” match
Hartwell pinned Nile to win the match. In winning,Hartwell qualifies for the women’s title ladder match at Stand & Deliver.
Sol Ruca got to shine, and she sure shined with her athleticism. As they are heading home, Nile catches Hartwell in a Dragon Sleeper. Ruca leaps in and springboard into her “Sol-snatcher” finisher (springboard flip into a stunner). Hartwell boots Ruca with a kick, knocking Ruca out of the ring. Hartwell then hits Nile with a sliding forearm, and Hartwell covers Nile for a three count.
Much like earlier in the show in the build to the men’s multi-person title match, all the competitors in the NXT Women’s Championship ladder match have a staredown inside the soundstage.
Pretty Deadly, and their hats, are back with more of their Stand & Deliver preview. They focus on the women’s ladder match.
Hyping the NXT Championship match at Stand & Deliver is a “Prime Target” segment. A video package previews the title match main event for Saturday. This was really good stuff, and it might be one of the better Prime Target segments.
Drew Gulak defeated Hank Walker
Gulak pinned Walker, after outside interference by Charlie Dempsey.
Walker trades submission holds with Gulak early on in the match. Walker was holding his own when Gulak cuts him off. Walker being so good on the mat forces Gulak to venture outside his normal method of attack. Gulak even jumps off the top rope. Walker fires up and he makes a comeback.
Walker pulls down the straps on his singlet. He hits the ropes for an Ultimate Warrior shoulder tackle, but Gulak kicks out for a near fall. Gulak counters to apply a crossface. Walker escapes, and moments later he has Gulak trapped in a cross armbreaker. Gulak manages to get his foot on the bottom rope, thus breaking the hold.
Walker and Gulak are tied up near the ropes when Charlie Dempsey runs down to ringside. Dempsey hops on the apron, and he Dempsey bashes Walker in the back of the head. Gulak then traps Walker in a small package for a pinfall.
Pretty Deadly preview the men’s and women’s tag team title matches at Stand & Deliver.
Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo defeated Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen
D’Angelo pins Jensen to win the match. There is drama, and an angle after the match, with the Kiana James and Fallon Henely. Their sage with Briggs & Jensen continues.
A skit earlier in the show established a stipulation that if Briggs & Jensen win this match then they are added to the tag title match at Stand & Deliver. Kaina James in storyline is the one that got them the opportunity, much to the chagrin of Fallon Henley. Doesn’t really matter anyway, as Briggs & Jensen lose the match tonight.
The tag match tonight goes through a commercial break. Briggs & Jensen are standing tall as the show cuts to the break. Stacks & Tony D. turn the tables by the time the show returns from commercial, and they work over Jensen.
In an unintentionally funny moment, Stacks & Tony D. do the old Demolition finisher, except Stacks jumps off the top rope for the flying elbow. Booker T on commentary repeatedly hollers, calling it the “Doomsday Device.” I laughed out loud.
Hot tag and Briggs proceeds to clean house. Briggs tags out, and he lifts up Stacks into an electric chair. Jensen then leaps off the top rope with a spinning heel kick. D’Angelo jumps in to break the count for a near fall.
Briggs and D’Angelo have a slugfest, and Briggs is sent outside with a Kevin Nash spot where he misses a big boot. Stacks & Tony D. then execute a stereo slam where they both give Jensen a big back bump, and D’Angelo craddles Jensen for the deciding pinfall.
After the match, Fallon Henley gets into the ring alongside Kiana James. They are still the NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, but Henley wants to settle an issue. Henley tells Jensen there is something James needs to tell you. Henley is alluding to James being unfaithful. James says instead of telling Jensen, she will show him. James walks over to Jensen and kisses him. The announcers sell it like this is the first time Jensen has ever kissed a girl. Henley is the only one not happy.
Johnny Gargano brawls with Grayson Waller
Grayson Waller enters the soundstage, and he heads to the announce desk where Vic Joseph is waiting with a contract. Johnny Gargano gave the contract to Joseph for safe keeping, as Gargano is banned from the building per Waller’s request. The contract is for a match at Stand & Deliver. Waller is supposed to sign it, but first he must talk about it a lot.
Waller takes the contract from Joseph, and Waller cuts a promo on Joseph. Waller then grabs a microphone as he gets into the ring. Security guards are flanking Waller as he addresses the audience. Waller cuts a promo that includes him heeling on the crowd. He goes on to blame the fans.
Waller brings up War Games, where he jumped off the top of the cage. He wanted that spot to go viral, but everyone was talking about “Johnny Wrestling” instead. Waller says that is his justification for attacking Gargano two nights later on NXT. That angle wrote off Gargano from WWE television at the time. Gargano would eventually return to WWE, but on the main roster instead of NXT.
Waller calls Gargano “the biggest mark in this business.” I guess we are supposed to believe he is shooting now. Anyway, Waller basically claims he got himself more over by attacking Gargano.
Waller continues cutting his promo, until he is interrupted by Gargano’s theme music. The song was somewhat of a red herring. Waller was looking for Gargano to come down the entrance ramp, but Gargano has a surprise.
Dressed as a cameraman, Gargano is already in the ring. He sits the camera down and takes off his disguise. Stone Cold Gargano then attacks Waller, and they are separated by security in a pull-apart brawl. The go-home show goes off the air with them being held back.
Axiom will make his WWE NXT debut on next week’s NXT 2.0 episode.
For the second consecutive week, a vignette for Axiom aired on this week’s NXT show. In this week’s video package, the wrestler was shown in a comic book store, then in a ring in a mask.
A-Kid last appeared on WWE programming on the May 26 episode of NXT UK, losing to Charlie Dempsey in a match taped in April.
Prior to that appearance, A-Kid had a three-week run on NXT 2.0 in March of this year. He defeated KUSHIDA in his debut match on the brand on March 15, dropped a North American title match qualifier to Grayson Waller on March 22, then lost a triple threat North American title match qualifier on March 29 to Cameron Grimes in a bout that also involved Roderick Strong.
No opponent was announced for Axiom’s debut bout next week.
They went back and forth early until Huxley hit a Thesz Press and rammed Coffey’s head into the mat a few times. Coffey came back with strikes and got a near fall off a suplex.
Huxley scored a near fall of his own with a sit-down slam, but Coffey hit a back drop driver, followed by a sliding forearm for the win.
– Ivy Nile cut a promo on Meiko Satomura, who she will face in two weeks. Nile vowed to take the NXT UK Women’s Championship home to the Diamond Mine.
– Von Wagner and Sam Gradwell watched each other’s highlights and talked about their match next week.
Lash Legend defeated Emilia McKenzie (6:07)
Legend evaded and blocked McKenzie’s offense early. She ragdolled McKenzie around and hit an elbow drop. Legend caught McKenzie when she came off the turnbuckles with a crossbody and threw her around some more.
McKenzie finally came back and hit a spinning neckbreaker that sent Legend to the outside, where she got wiped out with a dive. McKenzie hit the crossbody this time for a near fall, then followed up with a spear seconds later for another two count.
McKenzie went for her flipping spear off the turnbuckles, but Legend hit her with a big boot for the pinfall victory.
– Kenny Williams was looking for the “masked bozo” who was “stalking” him. Williams talked to a few guys backstage, urging them to let him know if they saw the masked man. Mark Andrews entered the room and told Williams to worry more about him. They will meet in two weeks.
Sha Samuels defeated Damon Kemp (5:43)
Kemp dominated Samuels using his amateur wrestling prowess. Samuels eventually hit an elbow to the face and a lariat for a near fall. Samuels kept pressure on the rookie for a few more minutes until he missed an elbow off the turnbuckle and got suplexed around a few times.
Kemp was in control until Noam Dar wrapped his scarf around Kemp’s leg, which distracted the big man. This allowed Samuels to hit a spinebuster and pick up the victory by pinfall.
– A great video segment looked at next week’s triple threat match for the NXT UK Tag Team titles. Moustache Mountain, Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith, and Die Familie all talked about how they would win next week’s match. Teoman said Trent Seven was a desperate man and would make mistakes.
– Wolfgang gave Damon Kemp a pep talk and told him that if he wanted to beat Sha Samuels and Noam Dar, he had to learn to do things “the Glasgow way.”
Heritage Cup rules match: Charlie Dempsey defeated A-Kid in round six (18:10)
Round One —
They went back and forth with some great mat work and submission attempts for the first few minutes. A-Kid eventually hit a running dropkick for a two count late in the round before they went for more submissions. A-Kid got a bridging pin just as the round was ending and Dempsey kicked out right at the bell.
Round Two —
There were more submission attempts by both men as they used some unique offense and beautiful transitions. Dempsey hit a unique backbreaker just as the round ended.
Round Three —
Both men had locked in kneebars and leglocks at the same time, then both made the ropes. Dempsey was bleeding from the nose by this time.
Dempsey hit a running European uppercut for a two count. After some back and forth, Dempsey hit a wheelbarrow German suplex for two. Dempsey locked in a bow-and-arrow submission on the mat and A-Kid quickly tapped out to prevent further damage. Dempsey 1-0
Round Four —
A-Kid went to strike but Dempsey hit a dragon screw. They traded strikes until A-Kid hit a German suplex, followed by a Northern Lights suplex. A-Kid caught Dempsey with a sleeper in mid-air and then went for a guillotine, which Dempsey turned into a suplex. A-Kid hit a half-and-half suplex, followed by a flying superkick for the pin. A-Kid 1-1
Round Five —
A-Kid hit a crossbody off the top early, then hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two count. A-Kid hit a hard knee and a kick for another near fall. A-Kid went for an armbar, but Dempsey Gotch-lifted him and hit a powerbomb for a two-count of his own.
A-Kid connected with a few punishing kicks. With just seconds left in the round, A-Kid hit the moonsault DDT off the top rope. He would have scored the pin, but time ran out before the referee could count to three.
Round Six —
A-Kid started with a running dropkick into the corner, then hit a suplex that dropped Dempsey on his head and neck. A-Kid followed with a German suplex.
Dempsey reached for his towel but got German suplexed before he could unwrap it. As the referee took the towel away, Dempsey had pulled brass knuckles from the towel, threw them to A-Kid, and flinched in hopes of the referee disqualifying A-Kid. A-Kid threw the brass knucks to the ref but ate a hard right cross from Dempsey in the process. Dempsey hit a bridging suplex for the deciding pinfall. Dempsey wins 2-1
Final Thoughts —
This was mostly a one-match show, but what a match it was! A-Kid vs. Dempsey was just plain fantastic and spectacular. If you like the British style or just plain submission/shoot-style wrestling like the old UWFI, AMBITION, or Bloodsport, go out of your way to check this match out. It was unreal and you basically only see these kind of matches within the WWE umbrella on NXT UK. Both men absolutely have the talent to headline PPVs on the main roster right now.
Coffey vs. Huxley was okay. Legend vs. McKenzie was basically a Lash Legend showcase and totally devalued McKenzie as a serious contender for the future. Kemp looked good against Samuels, and this sets up a tag match with Kemp & Wolfgang vs. Samuels & Dar.
Next Week —
NXT UK Tag Team Champions Moustache Mountain defend against Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith and Die Familie in a triple threat match
Sam Gradwell vs. Von Wagner
In Two Weeks —
NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura defends against Ivy Nile
Jack Starz & Dave Mastiff defeated Gallus (Joe & Mark Coffey) (8:32)
Mastiff and Joe Coffey started out and Coffey bounced off Mastiff. Starz tagged in and got worked over, briefly came back, and tagged back out. Joe Coffey actually picked Mastiff up, but Starz dropkicked him over.
Joe Coffey now got worked over, with Starz and Mastiff taking turns. Joe hit a missile dropkick from the top on Mastiff and finally tagged out. Mark Coffey ran wild on Starz for a bit until he managed to tag in Mastiff once more. Mark hit a forearm on Mastiff, but Joe had blind-tagged himself in, so Mark wasn’t the legal man to go for the pin.
Joe told Mark to get out of the ring. Mastiff then hit Joe with a rolling Samoan drop. Mastiff tagged in Starz, who hit Joe with a powerbomb to get the win. This was kind of an upset.
Gallus argued after the match and got into a shoving match until Wolfgang came out to calm things down.
– A recap of last week’s NXT United Kingdom Championship match between Ilja Dragunov and Roderick Strong aired. We were shown scenes from after the match backstage where Strong congratulated Dragunov on his victory and shook his hand — but Strong told Dragunov that they’d see each other again and the outcome would be different next time.
Jordan Devlin walked in and made fun of Dragunov and Strong, telling Strong he was lucky he had dodged the Irish Ace and telling Dragunov that when they had their empty arena match a while back, Devlin didn’t mean tables, chairs, and stairs, but that Dragunov couldn’t beat him one-on-one (except, Dragunov did just that).
Devlin said Dragunov had the title, but Devlin still was the Irish Ace. Usually, Dragunov vs. Devlin would be money and they will always be great in the ring, but the words leaving Devlin’s mouth here made zero sense at all.
– We saw a recap of the feud between Sam Gradwell and Kenny Williams. Gradwell talked about growing up in the slums of Blackpool, including some video footage of the area. Gradwell challenged Williams to a Back Alley Brawl and Williams accepted, saying that Gradwell doesn’t want to find out what Williams would do to him in a match where no one could stop him. The match takes place next week.
NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura and Isla Dawn confrontation
Satomura entered and demanded Dawn come out and return her stolen title belt.
Dawn came out and said that she was willing to hand the title back temporarily, under one condition: a rematch, under Dawn’s own “chaotic” rules. Satomura accepted and said that she already told Dawn that if she wanted to fight again, all she had to do was ask. As Satomura picked up the title belt from the mat, Dawn spit black mist into her face.
As Satomura slowly recovered, Dawn talked about her world of darkness and said the match would take place in her domain.
– Backstage, Amale said she would watch the debut match of Eliza Alexander and — even if she showed a sweeter side of herself recently — she was still full of rage and would get her hands on Xia Brookside and Alexander eventually.
– Gallus were shown still arguing in their dressing room, then Joe Coffey came out and left.
– Wild Boar and Mark Andrews talked about their 15-year friendship, and Andrews said the only time they were not on the same page was when Eddie Dennis got into Boar’s head. Boar was in a rage and wanted to fight Dennis, but Andrews told him he had to fight Dennis with his head, as Dennis would always try to get the odds in his favor. Andrews said Subculture were here to support Boar.
Eliza Alexander (w/ Xia Brookside) defeated Angel Hayze (4:13)
Alexander beat Hayze up for most of the match until she made a brief comeback and scored a two count off a slingblade.
Alexander quickly hit Hayze with a running knee to pick up the win.
– Emilia McKenzie was asked about her time in NXT UK. McKenzie said she was training hard and was training with the best in Satomura. Stevie Turner also was in the room and said she was in awe of McKenzie — because while everyone wanted to be number one, McKenzie was happy being number two.
Turner said Satomura chose McKenzie as a trainee because she didn’t think McKenzie was a threat. Turner told McKenzie it was just something to think about.
– A really good video recapped the history between Moustache Mountain and Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith ahead of their two-out-of-three falls match for the NXT UK Tag Team titles next week. Tyler Bate looked taken aback at times at Trent Seven’s comments during the segment, where Seven claimed he/they would do anything to win.
Teoman (w/ Rohan Raja and Charlie Dempsey) defeated A-Kid (11:23)
A-Kid dominated Teoman on the ground early on, clearly annoying the head of Die Familie. Teoman came back with submissions, including a straightjacket choke.
After A-Kid connected with a dropkick, Charlie Dempsey got on the apron to distract the ref as Rohan Raja swept A-Kid’s leg on the apron, allowing Teoman to hit a dropkick through the ropes. A-Kid eventually came back with leg kicks, but he got slammed off a suplex attempt.
A-Kid got back on offense with more kicks and a flurry of submission moves. Teoman further worked over A-Kid’s neck, then got a nearfall off a running forearm smash to the jaw.
Teoman went for a back handspring elbow off the ropes, but he got caught in a sleeper in mid-air. A-Kid then transitioned it into an armbar, but Teoman made the ropes.
They ended up at ringside, where Teoman looked to smash A-Kid into the ropes, but he instead ran into the ropes himself. A-Kid then went for a springboard moonsault to the outside, but Teoman moved out of the way and A-Kid only hit Raja and Dempsey. That allowed Teoman to slam A-Kid onto the apron. Teoman then followed up with a reverse headlock driver to score the pinfall victory.
Final Thoughts —
A fun show. The tag team opener was an upset victory for Jack Starz & Dave Mastiff, who are rising in the ranks. It will be interesting to see if there will be a Gallus split down the line.
Eliza Alexander looked good in her debut, while it looks like Meiko Satomura vs. Isla Dawn may lead into some sort of gimmick match for the NXT UK Women’s Championship.
Teoman also looked strong, and Die Familie is slowly becoming the top heel faction on the brand.
It will also be interesting to see how NXT UK will compensate for the recent or impending losses of A-Kid, Nathan Frazer, and Pretty Deadly (who were some of the best workers on the brand) to NXT 2.0.
Next Week —
Two-out-of-three falls match: NXT UK Tag Team Champions Moustache Mountain defend against Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith
Two North American title qualifying matches, along with two other matches, are set for next week’s WWE NXT.
Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai will face Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray in the finals of the women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Other matches for next week include The Creed Brothers facing The Grizzled Young Veterans, and two qualifying matches for the NXT North American Championship ladder match at Stand and Deliver: Solo Sikoa vs. Roderick Strong and A-Kid vs. Grayson Waller.
In a video package that aired tonight on NXT, Shirai and Ray brought up the finals would be next week. After the video aired, Wendy Choo told Dakota Kai backstage that while Shirai and Ray will be a tough team to beat, they will be just fine.
The Creed Brothers confronted Grizzled Young Veterans backstage, accusing them of a parking lot attack that took place last week. GYV denied the allegations but agreed to a rematch of their Dusty Rhodes Classic Tournament final.
A-Kid made his NXT debut on tonight’s show, defeating Kushida to advance to the North American title qualifier next week. On tonight’s show, Santos Escobar defeated Cameron Grimes to be the first to qualify for the ladder match.
John LaRocca and I are back on the Fight Game Podcast with a lot to discuss.
In addition to recapping this week’s AEW Dynamite and NXT, we discuss the following:
Jeff Hardy, Swerve Strickland and William Regal signing with AEW
Whether Steve Austin’s WrestleMania appearance vs. a match lessens our excitement for what’s to come
A-Kid coming to NXT stateside
If you are interested in joining us for the F4W/Wrestling Observer Convention on Double or Nothing weekend, tickets are still available. You can also join the Facebook group.
NXT UK star A-Kid will be making his NXT debut next week.
In addition, Cameron Grimes will face Santos Escobar where the winner advances to the NXT North American title ladder match at NXT Stand & Deliver, while Persia Pirotta will face Indi Hartwell.
Prior to tonight’s main event, a vignette aired showing A-Kid. He said that he was the first Spanish WWE superstar and worked hard to get signed to NXT UK, mentioning that he was the first Heritage Cup Champion. He then said he would be coming to NXT next week.
Dissension grew between Hartwell and Pirotta on this week’s NXT. After Pirotta said that she and Duke Hudson had a great weekend, Hartwell asked if she even cares if they lost their Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic match. Pirotta said she was carrying the team and did not like that Hartwell wasn’t supportive of her and Hudson’s relationship. The two got into a fight, with Hartwell suggesting they deal with it in the ring.
On last week’s NXT, Carmelo Hayes announced that he would be putting up the NXT North American title in a ladder match that will take place at NXT Stand & Deliver on April 2. The match between Grimes and Escobar will determine the first participant to qualify.
As always, this week’s show was taped at BT Sports Studios in London, England.
Amale defeated Nina Samuels (5:18)
They showed the “Nina Samuels Show” segment from last week that set up this match.
The two went back and forth early before Samuels evaded a running kick to the corner by rolling to ringside. She beat up Amale on the outside and continued the onslaught in the ring. She hit a twisting slingshot splash for a near fall and locked in a chin lock.
Amale came back with clotheslines and a senton. She eventually hit the running knee into the corner, followed by the Hopebreaker for the pin.
— There was more “etiquette training” with A-Kid and Saxon Huxley. A-Kid tried to teach him to say “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.” Huxley screamed the lyrics and mixed them up instead. As A-Kid left the room, he calmly and correctly recited them and called A-Kid a “very nice man.” When A-Kid returned, he screamed again.
— Noam Dar and Sha Samuels entered their dressing room. Someone snuck up behind them, stole the Heritage Cup trophy and locked them inside the room as they screamed.
— A recap aired of last week’s match between Blair Davenport and Meiko Satomura where Davenport hurt her ankle. There was no medical update.
— A clip aired from last week’s tag team tournament finals with Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith confronting Moustache Mountain backstage after their win. The teams were friendly, but Moustache Mountain told them that they would be on top for the foreseeable future. That match will take place in two weeks.
Supernova Sessions Gallus Boys on Top with Jordan Devlin
Gallus hijacked Noam Dar’s show and rebranded it “Gallus Boys on Top.” Mark Coffey was the host with Joe Coffey and Wolfgang on the couch. They called out Jordan Devlin.
Devlin was annoyed, but Coffey promised to conduct the interview as a professional. They asked Devlin what was next after losing to Ilja Dragunov. Dar and Samuels then walked up to the set and were upset.
They argued back and forth with Dar claiming that Joe Coffey would never be a champion as long as he was around. Dar grabbed the Heritage Cup, but Joe Coffey held onto it and told Dar to enjoy it while he had it.
— Jack Starz was backstage, looking like he ate one of Dave Mastiff’s jackets. Mastiff asked what he was doing. Starz said that last week, Mastiff didn’t tag him in in the tag team tournament finals. He said he wanted to be like Mastiff and earn his respect. Mastiff said he’d think about it.
— Kenny Williams cut a promo on Sam Gradwell, likening himself to a thunderstorm.
A-Kid defeated Saxon Huxley (7:03)
A-Kid used his technique to control Huxley, but Huxley used his power to thwart him. Huxley hit a Thesz press and repeatedly slammed A-Kid into the mat.
Huxley kept manhandling the smaller man until A-Kid managed to lock in an Octopus hold. A-Kid tried to go for the omoplata, but Huxley turned it into a backbreaker. A-Kid followed up with some high flying and tried more submissions, but Huxley was still too strong.
A-Kid hit a flying superkick, but Huxley grabbed his wrist. A-Kid followed with an enzuigiri, but Huxley still would not let go. A-Kid then hit a springboard moonsault into a DDT for the pin and the win. Huxley was upset after the loss, but still shook A-Kid’s hand.
— Gallus walked backstage, being goofy. Wolfgang departed from the group and promptly was attacked by Devlin with a chair. Devlin reclaimed his sunglasses which Wolfgang had stolen some time back.
— A-Kid was interviewed about his match with Huxley and said he thought that Huxley had found himself. Die Familie (Teoman and Rohan Raja) walked up and glared at A-Kid. Charlie Dempsey briefly stopped to stare at A-Kid, who acknowledged him. Dempsey acknowledged him back.
Nathan Frazer defeated Teoman (w/ Die Familie) (13:15)
Frazer dominated early, frustrating Teoman. Teoman eventually caught Frazer off a springboard attempt and dropped him throat first across the top rope.
Teoman was firmly in control, grinding Frazer down with a headlock. Frazer eventually managed to escape and threw Teoman to ringside. Teoman trapped him with the ring apron as he slid to the outside, but Frazer came back with a moonsault off the barricades. Teoman used the ring apron once more to blindside Frazer and stomp him in the head and neck.
Teoman locked in a surfboard submission, but Frazer turned it into a pinning combination. Frazer briefly made a comeback, but sold his neck and could not keep his attack up. He finally hit a superkick and both men were down.
Frazer hit a sling blade after which Teoman retreated to ringside. Frazer hit a huge crossbody on all members of Die Familie, then followed up with a splash off the top for a near fall.
Frazer went for a quebrada, but Teoman dropkicked him in mid-air and then scored a number of near-falls. Teoman stomped Frazer’s neck, but he managed to hit an enzuigiri and went to the top rope. Both Raja and Dempsey tried to distract him, allowing Teoman to sneak up on him from behind. Frazer still managed to elbow Teoman off him and then hit a Phoenix Splash to pin the head of Die Familie.
Final Thoughts:
This was a good show. The women’s opener was decent, A-Kid vs. Huxley was a good small/big man fight, and the main event was a very good match between two excellent workers. I am also looking forward to A-Kid vs. Dempsey which was teased earlier. Gallus hijacking Dar’s show also was entertaining.
Next week:
Jordan Devlin vs. Wolfgang
Kenny Williams vs. Sam Gradwell
In two weeks:
NXT UK Tag Team Champions Moustache Mountain vs. Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter title match
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
Charlie Dempsey defeated Joe Coffey via referee stoppage (12:31)
They traded holds and lockups early, but neither man could get an advantage. Dempsey got the takedown with a headlock takeover and went for a submission of a pinfall attempt that had Coffey in trouble briefly. Coffey came back with a bodypress and slam. Dempsey used his advanced technical skills to take down Coffey, but Coffey worked over his thighs and hips.
Dempsey came back by front-flipping Coffey into the corner, then hit some European uppercuts and a gutwrench suplex for a near fall.
Dempsey trapped Coffey in a hammerlock, then smashed him in the face with forearms. Dempsey escaped a fireman’s carry by raking the nose, then downed Coffey with a suplex. Dempsey actually worked over Coffey’s bloody nose, trying to prevent him from breathing.
Dempsey hit a headbutt out of the corner that downed both men. They had a lengthy striking exchange and Coffey finally downed Dempsey with a discus lariat. Coffey hit the double-jump reverse crossbody but awkwardly hit his hand. He followed with the Glasgow Sendoff, but Teoman and Rohan Raja ran in and pulled Dempsey out of the ring. Gallus followed shortly after and brawled with “Die Familie” (German for “the family”).
This allowed Dempsey to smash Coffey’s injured hand into the steps and actually choke Coffey out with a dragon sleeper. Coffey passed out and the referee stopped the match.
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A highlight video of last week’s great match between Moustache Mountain and Pretty Deadly aired. Sid Scala then congratulated Moustache Mountain, but said it was time to determine their first challengers. There will be a tournament starting in three weeks, when Symbiosis face Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter. The winner of that match faces the winners of Die Familie (Teoman & Rohan Raja) vs. Jack Starz & Dave Mastiff, which takes place in four weeks, to determine the new no. 1 contenders.
An awesome video on Jordan Devlin aired. It followed him through the day, from putting on a refreshing face mask before doing a 1,000 crunches in the morning, to looking out of his penthouse over Dublin, driving a sports car fast with the top down to meeting fans who adore him. He said Ilja Dragunov was pathetic, fighting for his family and fans, needing their approval. Devlin needs only himself. The way this was shot made Devlin the confident douche bag who can back his words up.
Moustache Mountain in-ring segment —
Seven said it had been a great night when they won the belts and now, after a couple of rough months, Moustache Mountains were back. He said they had felt sure in the past, against the Grizzled Young Vets and once against Pretty Deadly. Seven got emotional saying, he wasn’t sure what he’d do if they hadn’t won the titles and he wasn’t sure what he would do if he didn’t have them anymore. He said he didn’t know how long he had left, but then cheered up and said they do have the titles.
He then also said that they were the only team to ever hold the NXT and NXT UK tag team titles and that Bate was the first ever UK champion, held the Heritage Cup and now the tag titles, making him the first and only NXT UK Grand Slam champion. The crowd chanted “Grand Slam Boi” at him and Seven thanked the fans and everyone on the crew and the roster, then wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter cut a promo backstage, saying this was their time and they would become the next champions
A great video package on Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport aired, showing highlights of both women. Davenport said she had become the number one foreigner in Meiko’s home country but had never gotten to meet her in the ring. Now Meiko was the foreigner in her country and she would score a flawless victory against her. The two women will meet in three weeks.
**********
Kenny Williams defeated Dany Jones (3:49)
Williams grabbed a mic on his way to the ring and said he didn’t want Jones, but Mark Andrews and told Dany to go to the back and get him. Jones wouldn’t comply.
Jones briefly dominated, but Williams took out his knee. Jones came back, whipped Williams into the corner, then hit an exploder for a two-count. Williams came back with another tackle to the knee, then hit Bad Luck but wouldn’t make the cover. He hit a second Bad Luck and easily picked up the win.
**********
Symbiosis cut a promo. Eddie Dennis said last year’s words belong to last year’s language but next year’s words would be different. He said this was a new year, a new beginning and things would change. They said they would return, leading the pack. That voice, was Symbiosis.
A graphic announced a “special holiday edition” of NXT UK for next week
Kenny Williams came out of a room, screaming there had been a “terrible accident”. Mark Andrews was on the floor in pain, clutching his arm and calling for a doctor.
**********
NXT UK Heritage Cup number one contendership: A-Kid defeated Nathan Frazer at 2:31 of round 5 (14:18)
Round 1
They shook hands at the start of the round. They traded takedowns early, until A-Kid hit a dropkick and went for the Fujiwara armbar. A-Kid kept Frazer’s arm under control. They evaded each other’s attacks as the round concluded.
Round 2
A-Kid started with a waistlock takedown. Frazer tried working over the arm, but A-Kid escaped and they traded pinning combination. Frazer scored a fall off one of them, much to his own surprise. Frazer 1-0
Round 3
A-Kid came out with a running kick, but missed. He tried a few more and finally scored, then locked in an arm bar, but Frazer made the ropes. A-Kid locked in an octopus hold, but Frazer made the ropes once more. He hit a quebrada into a reverse DDT for another near-fall. A-Kid locked on a sleeper, then a running kick and finally slapped on the Fujiware armbar, but time ran out and Frazer was saved by the bell.
Round 4
Frazer escaped a sleeper, then hit a dropkick but missed a double foot stomp off the top. He hit a twisting neckbreaker for a close near fall. Frazer actually hit a backward roll into a Boston Crab, but A-Kid turned it into a pinning combination for a near-fall. A-Kid threw Frazer to ringside, then hit a flying superkick back in the ring to score a fall and tie things. A-Kid 1-1
Round 5
A-Kid hit a fisherman’s suplex for a very close two-count. Frazer came back with a superkick for a near-fall of his own. They battled on the top rope next, with Frazer hitting as Spanish Fly powerslam for another two-count. He missed a moonsault but landed on his feet. A-Kid managed to lock in an armbar, which he turned into an omaplata and got the tap at 2:31 of the round. A-Kid wins 2-1
A-Kid offered his hand to Frazer after the match, who shook it.
Final Thoughts —
Another good episode. Charlie Dempsey has something very special about him. Not sure how I feel about him in a stable yet, as I would have liked him more as a lone wolf, but he more than delivers in the ring. He does a lot of little things that nobody else does and is super crisp with everything he does in the ring.
The Kenny Williams match was more a set up for an angle.
The main event was very good with some great action, quick pins and realistic submission attempts.
Next week —
A special holiday edition of NXT UK
In two weeks —
A special New Year’s edition
In three weeks —
NXT UK Women’s Championship: Meiko Satomura (c) vs. Blair Davenport
NXT UK Tag Team Championship number one contender tournament: Symbiosis vs. Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter
In four weeks —
NXT UK Tag Team Championship number one contender tournament: Die Familie (Teoman & Rohan Raja) vs. Dave Mastiff & Jack Starz
A match to decide the next challenger for Noam Dar’s Heritage Cup Championship will take place on NXT UK next week.
WWE has announced that Nathan Frazer will face A-Kid in a Heritage Cup rules match on NXT UK next Thursday. The winner will become the number one contender to Dar’s title.
Dar won the Heritage Cup Championship from Tyler Bate on NXT UK this October. He’s had one title defense since then, retaining against Sam Gradwell.
A-Kid was NXT UK’s inaugural Heritage Cup Champion, winning the title by defeating Trent Seven in the finals of a tournament in November 2020. He was champion until losing the Heritage Cup to Bate this May.
Heritage Cup matches have the following rules:
There are six rounds for Heritage Cup matches. Each round is three minutes.
There are 20-second breaks between each round.
All matches are two-out-of-three falls.
Falls can be won by pinfall, submission, or countout.
Once a fall occurs, the round ends.
Once someone has won two falls, they are declared the winner and they advance in the tournament.
If there’s a disqualification or knockout, the match ends without the need for two falls.
If a match goes the full six rounds, whoever is ahead on falls wins.
The show opened with a new, generic theme song and opening video. Andy Shepherd welcomed us to BT Sports Studios where, for the first time since March of 2020, there were fans in attendance for an NXT UK taping.
Blair Davenport defeated Stevie Turner (04:42)
Davenport attacked Turner right away. Turner came right back and floored Davenport with a running kick. Davenport hit a running dropkick and scored a near fall. Turner hit three rolling neckbreakers for a two count of her own. Turner hit a mass effect for another close fall, before falling victim to an enzuigiri.
Davenport then followed with a knee strike to the face and the Falcon Arrow for the pinfall victory.
Davenport cut a short promo, putting all the women in the locker room on notice.
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Sha Samuels was looking to surprise Noam Dar with a victory celebration for his tournament win, but the banner said Happy Birthday instead. Samuels was upset, but Dar told him this could just be the rehearsal celebration for when he wins the NXT Heritage Cup.
A video of Teoman and Rohan Raja at a dinner table aired. Teoman looked mad. Rohan apologized for things not going their way in the Heritage Cup contenders tournament. He said they had been outnumbered. Teoman said he was the babo of NXT UK and it was his responsibility. He said their family would grow.
Sid Scala was on the phone when Jinny interrupted. He told her that she would face Meiko Satomura in three weeks. Jinny was pleased, then told Scala to burn his clothes.
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Sha Samuels defeated Flash Morgan Webster (08:17)
Samuels dominated early, then clotheslined Webster to the outside. Webster narrowly made it back into the ring at nine, then quickly fell victim to a lariat. Webster came back with a moonsault block from the turnbuckles, then sent Samuels to the apron and hit a springboard dropkick, followed by a running dive.
After some action in the ring, Samuels was at ringside again and got wiped out by a top rope somersault by Webster, leading to a near fall back in the ring. Webster then went for another springboard attack, but Samuels turned it into a spinebuster and scored the win.
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Nina Samuels interviewed Xia Brookside for her show. She asked Xia how it felt losing to a Amale, Blair Davenport and Dani Luna? Xia said that Samuels had lost to all of them too. Samuels then asked Xia why she didn’t face Aleah James, trying to stir something up. Xia called Aleah over and they casually agreed to have a match and work out together. Samuels played it up like there had been some kind of big drama.
Gallus walked in on a meeting with Sid Scala and Jordan Devlin. Devlin said he had just talked to Scala about setting up a rematch with Joe Coffey with the rest of Gallus banned from ringside. He also said an Ace always beats a king and how Coffey had two TakeOver main events and came away with nothing, while Devlin had one shot at a title and won it.
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NXT UK Championship: Ilja Dragunov defeated A-Kid to retain the title (19:21)
A-Kid used submissions early, but Ilja escaped. This quickly turned into a battle of chops versus leg kicks, before Ilja hit a big German suplex takedown. Ilja hit the Konstantin Special (seesaw lariat), sending A-Kid to the mat. Ilja tried working over A-Kid’s shin, which took some damage after Dragunov had checked one of his kicks.
Dragunov intensified his strategy, repeatedly targeting the leg and weakening his challenger’s base. A-Kid managed to apply an armbar, which Ilja quickly turned into a pinning combination, but it was obvious that his arm had take some damage. A-Kid targeted the arm, then hit a knee to the face and German suplex that left the champion glassy eyed. It turned once more into a battle of kicks and strikes, with Dragunov catching a kick, but A-Kid going after the shoulder.
A-Kid hit another kick, then hit a fisherman’s suplex. but couldn’t put pressure on both legs, allowing Ilja to narrowly kick out. Ilja managed to hit two German suplexes, with A-Kid looking to apply an armbar after each. Ilja followed with elbow strikes, then hit a high-angle amateur takedown. Ilja went for a top-rope senton, but A-Kid moved out of the way.
A-Kid applied a sleeper, but Ilja escaped just long enough to eat a running kick. A-Kid reapplied the sleeper, but Ilja backed him into the corner. A-Kid went to the top with Ilja looking to stop him, but ending up with another arm bar in the ropes. Ilja then hit a leg-capture superplex off the top that had both men down. Ilja went for Torpedo Moscow, but A-Kid hit a flying superkick in mid-air, scoring a near fall with Ilja kicking out at 2.9.
They traded strikes and A-Kid went for an arm bar and eventually a triangle. Ilja powerbombed him twice, but couldn’t break the hold. A-Kid went for the omaplata with Ilja narrowly escaping.
Ilja came back with a Torpedo Moscow to the leg, then followed up with another one for the pin and his first title defense.
Ilja posed with the belt, then offered his hand to A-Kid in respect.
Final Thoughts:
The first two matches were mostly basic squash matches.
The main event was really good with a great story of both men working over their opponent’s injuries.
Next week:
Symbiosis vs. Jack Starz & Dave Mastiff
Meiko Satomura defending against Jinny was announced as taking place in three weeks
WWE has revealed when Ilja Dragunov and A-Kid’s NXT United Kingdom Championship match will be taking place.
Dragunov will defend his NXT United Kingdom Championship against A-Kid on the Thursday, October 14 episode of NXT UK. The announcement was made during a sit-down face-to-face segment with Dragunov and A-Kid that aired on this week’s NXT UK.
This will be Dragunov’s first defense of the NXT United Kingdom Championship. He defeated WALTER to win the title at NXT TakeOver 36 last month, ending WALTER’s 870-day reign as champion.
Following Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne, and WALTER, Dragunov is the fourth wrestler to hold the NXT United Kingdom Championship since it was introduced in 2017.
A-Kid became the number one contender to Dragunov’s title by defeating Nathan Frazer and Rampage Brown in a triple threat match on last week’s NXT UK.
A-Kid is a former NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion. He’s challenged for the NXT United Kingdom Championship once before, losing to WALTER this January.
A-Kid will be the first challenger for Ilja Dragunov’s NXT United Kingdom Championship.
A-Kid became the number one contender to Dragunov’s title by defeating Nathan Frazer and Rampage Brown in a triple threat match on this week’s NXT UK. WWE hasn’t announced when A-Kid will be getting his title shot.
Brown was sent out of the ring when A-Kid gave him a superkick near the end of the number one contender’s match. A-Kid then hit a German suplex and a superkick on Frazer to get the win.
Dragunov defeated WALTER at NXT TakeOver 36 last month, ending WALTER’s 870-day reign as NXT United Kingdom Champion.
Dragunov appeared via video on last week’s NXT UK episode. Dragunov said he was looking forward to coming back to the United Kingdom, and the most interesting question he had on his mind was who would be trying to take the NXT United Kingdom Championship from him. A-Kid, Frazer, and Brown then came out to the ring to set up their number one contender’s match.
A-Kid is a former NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion. He unsuccessfully challenged WALTER for the NXT United Kingdom Championship earlier this year.
