Quick results —
This was top-to-bottom probably one of the best episodes of NXT UK. They picked four great matches from the past 12 months for this Hidden Gems-style special episode. The main event of Ilja Dragunov vs. A-Kid was particularly great and you should go out of your way to watch it.
- Toni Storm pinned Deonna Purrazzo after hitting Storm Zero in a fun, hard-hitting match that saw Purrazzo dominate. Great things will be in her future, and any company should look to pick her up once things get back to normal.
- Matt Riddle pinned Ligero after a top rope Broton in another hard-hitting match that showed off the strengths of both men.
- Shayna Baszler defeated Isla Dawn by submission with the Kirifuda Clutch in a fun battle that showed off what a destroyer Baszler is, with Dawn getting a few hope spots in.
- Ilja Dragunov pinned A-Kid after hitting Torpedo Moscow in one of the best matches in the brand’s history. It would have fit right in on any TakeOver special or any NJPW show of the past few years. This was an athletic strong-style battle with a lot of drama and great crowd reactions. Both men are great and A-Kid will hopefully be able to show off his talent on a national stage at some point. Both of these men should be regulars on NXT at least.
Full rundown —
After a few weeks of highlight/best-of shows, we were back with some original content this week. Tom Phillips opened the show, announcing that him and Andy Shepherd would present four previously unaired matches, which had been filmed at various tapings.
Toni Storm pinned Deonna Purrazzo after hitting Storm Zero (11:14)
This match was taped on June 14, 2019 at Download Festival. Storm was NXT UK Women’s Champion at the time and retained her title. They only showed quick highlights of the entrances and the match started right away.
The announcers talked about both women being in the Mae Young Classic in 2018, which Storm won. Purrazzo had the early advantage and worked over Storm’s arm, but the champ quickly came back with some wristlocks of her own.
They went back and forth on the mat, with Purrazzo escaping a headscissors via headstand and then gesturing to Storm to bring it. Storm found herself in the same predicament Purrazzo was in, but instead of a headstand, she just backtracked her way out of the hold.
Purrazzo slapped Storm’s hand away as she went for a handshake, but Storm hit a number of European uppercuts and then locked in a single-leg Boston crab. Purrazzo quickly grabbed the ropes to escape, but she got booted down by Storm for a two count seconds later.
Purrazzo worked over Storm’s shoulder and upper arm, including stomping away at them in the corner. Purrazzo locked in a combined leg-and-neck lock, then kept at it with strikes and clotheslines. Purrazzo stomped on Storm’s elbow and scored another near fall.
Storm came back with a headbutt and some strikes, but she got caught with a flatliner. Purrazzo then immediately locked in a Koji clutch. Storm escaped and the two women once more traded strikes as the crowd went yay-boo.
Storm countered a whip-in into three consecutive German suplexes, then went for Storm Zero, but couldn’t lock it in due to her injured arm. Purrazzo came back with another attack and another near fall. Storm whipped her into the ropes and stopped her in her tracks with a stiff headbutt to the shoulder, but the subsequent cover only netted a two count for the champion.
Purrazzo locked in an armbar, then transitioned into a Rings of Saturn that had Storm in big trouble, especially when Purrazzo also hooked one of Storm’s legs. Storm finally made the bottom rope, but was down on the mat in pain.
Purrazzo hit a number of chops — until Storm followed her into the ropes, hit a clothesline, and finally hit Storm Zero for the pinfall victory.
Matt Riddle pinned Ligero after a top rope Broton (8:29)
This match was taped on July 20, 2019 in Plymouth, England.
Ligero wore elaborate shoulder pads that matched his mask. They fist-bumped to start the match and Riddle immediately hit a beautiful one-armed takedown slam, then played to the crowd. Riddle followed with a headlock takeover, which Ligero countered into a headscissors. Riddle escaped and went for a soccer kick, but Ligero ducked and rolled Riddle up, then locked in a side headlock of his own. Riddle powered out and hit a German suplex to escape. He then missed a head kick and Ligero hit a hurricanrana to take Riddle down.
Riddle hit two rolling gutwrench suplexes to score a two count, then kicked Ligero in the head and the face. Riddle worked Ligero over in the corner, hit an exploder, and followed with the Broton and another kick. Riddle hit an extended vertical suplex into a Jackhammer for another two count, which prompted “Goldberg” chants from the crowd.
Riddle hit another Broton and then went to the top rope for the Floating Bro, but Ligero jumped up and hit a top rope German that saw Riddle land on his shoulder. Ligero took him down with a combination, but Riddle ducked an enzuigiri and went for a deadlift German, which Ligero moonsaulted out of. They ended up at ringside and Ligero did a headstand on the apron, then sent Riddle flying with spinning headscissors.
Back in the ring, Ligero scored another two count, after which he hit some creative offense to dominate Riddle. He hit a splash from the top and middle ropes for another two count, prompting the crowd to chant “This is awesome.”
Riddle ducked a kick by Ligero and picked him up for a powerbomb, then hit Bro Derek and a top rope Broton for the win.
Shayna Baszler defeated Isla Dawn by submission with the Kirifuda Clutch (8:39)
This match was taped on June 15, 2019 at Download Festival. Like with the Storm match, Baszler was NXT Women’s Champion at the time and retained her title.
They locked up and Baszler backed Dawn into the corner, then kicked her leg away on the break. Dawn then backed Baszler in the corner and broke clean, but Baszler turned her around and kicked her legs away again.
Dawn scored a number of near falls, including after a float-over suplex, after which Baszler scurried to ringside. Dawn missed a baseball slide to the outside and ended up getting thrown into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Baszler hit a kick to the back, then stomped on Dawn’s left elbow and locked in a double wristlock.
Dawn used a surprise roll-up, but quickly found herself at the receiving end of Baszler dealing out punishment again. Baszler kept working over the arm for a few minutes with attacks and submission holds.
Dawn pulled down the top rope as Baszler came charging and sent her to the outside, then took over the match with a back suplex. But she fell victim to Baszler once more, with Baszler picking her up for a gutwrench suplex and then unceremoniously dropping her on her arm.
Dawn hit a beautiful head kick, but Baszler stopped her momentum with a forward-roll kick, a knee to the face, and finally locked in the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory.
– Tom Phillips talked about the last match and how you never know what you may see in NXT UK, as some title holders may come in to defend their championships. He then transitioned to Andy Shepherd for a video chat with the new number one contender to the NXT UK Championship, Ilja Dragunov.
Shepherd asked Dragunov how he kept himself prepared and Dragunov quoted one of his mentors, who once told him “How do you not get tired of working? You just don’t stop working.” Dragunov said he does not need to prepare — he was born prepared.
Shepherd asked why Dragunov thought he could beat WALTER, which no one else in NXT UK has done before. Dragunov brought up Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Joe Coffey as men who had succumbed to WALTER, but Dragunov said he has the will to beat WALTER.
Dragunov said you have to be willing to suffer through the pain — but he eats pain. He said you have to be willing to fight so intense — but he is intensity. Dragunov said WALTER will make a mistake and he will capitalize on it. Dragunov also promised that this match will redefine violence.
– Next week, NXT UK will take a look at the Rise of Imperium.
Ilja Dragunov pinned A-Kid after hitting Torpedo Moscow (13:14)
This match was filmed during the most recent set of NXT UK tapings on March 6, 2020 in Coventry, England.
They locked up and A-Kid ended up on the middle turnbuckle, but nothing came of it. He took Dragunov down and rolled into a cover, but the Mad Russian easily kicked out.
They ended up trading submissions on the mat, with A-Kid getting the better of the exchange. A-Kid applied a bow-and-arrow submission, various arm locks, and a tight neck vice. Dragunov locked in a side headlock but got taken down with a high-angle arm drag by A-Kid, who transitioned into an armbar and then a quick roll-up.
Dragunov applied an overhead wristlock that had A-Kid on his back, but he bridged out and flipped over into another neck vice. They had a standoff with Dragunov telling him to bring it. A-Kid grabbed Dragunov’s fingers, but Dragunov hit a hard chop and a senton, then hit a cartwheel into a crossbody.
A-Kid ended up on the outside. Dragunov hit an enzuigiri as he went to enter back into the ring, then hit an overhead karate chop from the top rope to the outside. Back inside, A-Kid thwarted a top rope senton and then hit a German suplex.
A-Kid hit an overhead Northern Lights suplex, then flipped over backwards into an armbar. Dragunov picked him up for a powerbomb and they both plunged into the top rope. A-Kid hit a top rope crossbody for another two count.
Dragunov picked A-Kid up, then clobbered him with a stiff lariat. Dragunov hit a Konstantin Special that almost took A-Kid’s head off and saw him land right on the back of his neck. A-Kid hit a Pele kick to Dragunov’s arm, but Dragunov came back with a single-leg dropkick and a high-angle German for another close two count.
A-Kid stopped Dragunov’s chops with a wristlock, then tried going for an ankle lock, after which both men traded some stiff kicks to the head. A-Kid stopped Dragunov on the top rope with a running enzuigiri, then hit a top rope Spanish Fly and a leg lariat for a 2.9 count.
A-Kid was pumped up in the corner, but charged right into an amazing twisting spinebuster, followed by a top rope senton. Dragunov then hit Torpedo Moscow for the win. This was a tremendous match — one of the best in the brand’s history.
Dragunov shook A-Kid’s hand after the match, then celebrated on the top rope as the show went off the air.
Next week —
A look at the Rise of Imperium.
