Tag: Meiko Satomura

NXT UK results: Kay Lee Ray vs. Meiko Satomura

Posted on by Markus Gronemann

Taped at BT Sport Studios in London, England

Big Takeaways —

In what was the best NXT UK match of 2021 thus far, Kay Lee Ray retained her NXT UK Women’s Championship against Meiko Satomura in a fantastic main event.

The story of Ilja Dragunov snapping and beating his opponents into oblivion continued as he defeated Sam Gradwell, while Kenny Williams & Amir Jordan returned as a team with a win over Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter. This was Williams’ return from a knee injury — and he played a little dirty to pick up the win. Tyler Bate also showed some of his zen on Noam Dar’s Supernova Sessions talk show.

Full Rundown —

The show opened with a look at tonight’s Kay Lee Ray vs. Meiko Satomura NXT UK Women’s Championship match. A number of women from the main roster and NXT — including Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, Bayley, and Sasha Banks — weighed in.

Ilja Dragunov defeated Sam Gradwell by referee stoppage (8:06)

This further told the story of Dragunov snapping and beating his opponents into oblivion ever since losing to WALTER a few months back. Gradwell had been egging him on and even did so after being pummeled into la-la-land by Dragunov, so the transition of the Mad Russian to the dark side continues.

Gradwell slapped Dragunov early, but he quickly got taken down. They went back and forth and Gradwell ended up with a bloody mouth. Dragunov went to the top rope, but Gradwell stopped him and eventually slapped him, prompting Dragunov to topple to ringside. Gradwell was in control until he made the mistake of telling Dragunov that he let his family and his son down, which earned Gradwell a headbutt to the face. They traded chops and slaps until Dragunov hit two German suplexes, followed by a flying head kick.

Dragunov hit a top rope senton, but Gradwell evaded the Torpedo Moscow, sending Dragunov head-first into the turnbuckle. Gradwell hit a chop to the back of the neck, which infuriated Dragunov. Gradwell picked Dragunov up on his shoulders, but Dragunov hit elbow strikes and then transitioned to hit more elbow and knee strikes, prompting the referee to stop the match.

Dragunov proceeded to hit elbow and knee strikes on Gradwell until referees ran out to stop him. Dragunov started screaming in Russian, pushed one of the refs into the corner, and got close to hitting him but finally stopped and looked devastated at what he had done. Gradwell was smiling on the mat and taunted Dragunov by saying “well done, Ilja, well done.” Dragunov (literally) beat himself up over what he had done on his way to the back.

– Kay Lee Ray prepared backstage ahead of her match.

– The second part of a video about the former Lucky Kid/Metehan aired. He talked about how he had been that “lucky kid” from his story but asked if we could believe that this kid was the same man standing in front of us right now. Metehan said his family was the most important thing to him and he would die for them. It was not about how rich or poor you grew up, but about how hard you fought to make people honor you, how hard you were going to strike to make people respect you, and how far you were willing to go to make people fear you.

Metehan announced that his new in-ring name is Teoman. In Turkish, Metehan can mean leader. Also in some sources, Teoman was the father of Metehan, which is his given name. Teoman will debut next week.

– Xia Brookside was sitting with Aleah James in a backstage area. They had scones and James noted that they were dry and could use some tea. As James was about to go get some, Brookside called out for Nina Samuels to make them two cups, which she reluctantly did. Samuels added salt to one of the cups, but James left and Brookside grabbed the unspoiled one as Samuels seethed some more.

Supernova Sessions with Tyler Bate

Noam Dar read some fan mail that was mostly complimentary, but one note called him a loser. He sulked and introduced Tyler Bate.

Dar was confused by the concept of “zen” and asked Bate “Who is Zen?” Bate told him it wasn’t who is zen, but rather that he chose to be more in tune with his inner self, saying that mastery of oneself brought true power. Dar took that to mean that he could push Bate’s buttons without him reacting. Dar asked Bate how old he was now, 14? Bate said he’s 23.

Dar asked Bate about being a vegan and said Bate couldn’t enjoy the nice cupcakes or the “zen panda” he had prepared, but he had something for him. It was some broccoli (which Dar dropped and stepped on) and some leafy salad, which he dropped onto Bate’s lap. Bate ate one of the leaves and said they were delicious.

Dar said last time Bate was on his show, he lost to Heritage Cup Champion A-Kid after, so zen didn’t help him there. Bate replied by saying that he didn’t feel bad about that loss, claiming that “we only lose what we cling to.”

Dar brought up that Bate is facing Dave Mastiff next week and should be scared. Bate said that he’s had his eyes set on the Heritage Cup ever since coming back, but that one bump in the road would not stop him. Bate said he had talked to NXT UK general manager Johnny Saint about his match against Mastiff being contested under Heritage Cup rules. Bate added that “where fear ends, life begins.”

Bate got up and stared Dar down, then raised his arm to pose, which sent Dar scurrying away back on his couch. Bate said that he may be zen, but he’s nobody’s doormat. Bate concluded by saying this was our exclusive and added Dar’s closing catchphrase of “play that funky music, please” as he posed. Dar was livid, threw the cushions off the couch, and smashed the panda cake on the table.

– Ben Carter trained with James Mason at the UK Performance Center. Carter said that since he started his career in the United States, he never got to learn the British style, so he loved working out with Mason and life is good.

– A highlight video on Aleah James aired, showing some of her training and athletic ability. James said she idolized Mickie James and Melina growing up and was hoping to bring her athletic and exciting style to the NXT UK roster.

– Isla Dawn was in a dark room with a Ouija board and some other paraphernalia. The words “chaos” and “sceleratus” (Latin for wicked/accursed) flashed across the screen or maybe her mind. Dawn looked into a crystal ball and the tarot card for The High Priestess appeared as the screen turned to black and white. Weird — but somewhat intriguing too, as Dawn hasn’t played a major role on NXT UK in the past and it may be time to change that.

– Meiko Satomura was shown warming up.

Kenny Williams & Amir Jordan defeated Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter after a pin reversal by Jordan on Carter (8:10)

The story here was that Williams cheated to allow his partner to score the pin in this babyface tag team match. They have very carefully teased Williams not being totally honest and a bit of a jerk over the past few months, so this could lead to something.

This was Williams’ first match back since November of last year. Carter and Smith had new matching red/neon green gear.

Carter and Williams started out, with Carter getting the better of the early exchange before they countered and evaded each other. Smith fared better against the Luckian, bulldozing him with raw power. Williams tagged out and Jordan managed to hit a crossbody on Smith for a near-fall. Smith and Carter then took turns isolating and working over Jordan as Williams had to look on. Jordan finally managed to hit an enzuigiri on Smith and tagged out to Williams, who ran wild on Smith.

Smith and Carter went for their trademark move where Carter lands on Smith’s back on the apron and gets catapulted back inside, but Williams kicked them both to ringside and Williams and Jordan hit stereo dives. Williams hit a wheelbarrow facebuster on Smith and Jordan followed with a top rope senton, but Carter narrowly made the save. Carter hit an assisted 450 for another near-fall, then Smith got taken out by Williams with a plancha to the outside.

Carter went for a bridging pin on Jordan, but Williams pulled his leg out, allowing Jordan to counter the move for the deciding pin. Carter called Williams out on his cheating after the match, but Williams first grinned at him, then feigned innocence.

– A video recapped the story leading up to the first-ever mixed tag match in NXT UK history taking place next Thursday. Piper Niven & Jack Starz will face Jinny & Joseph Conners. Starz and Niven said they hated nothing more than bullies and spoke about how Conners and Jinny had underestimated them. Jinny told Niven and Starz that she and Conners pity people like them. Jinny said that while she and Conners are worthy, Niven and Starz are trash.

– Williams & Jordan were interviewed about their win and were ecstatic. They will face Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster next week and were hopeful that they’ll become contenders for the NXT UK Tag Team titles with a few more wins.

– A graphic plugged the Heritage Cup rules match between Tyler Bate and Dave Mastiff for next week.

NXT UK Women’s Championship match: Kay Lee Ray retained against Meiko Satomura after a Gory Bomb (16:46)

This was a fantastic, TakeOver-worthy match, with the champion going toe-to-toe with one of the best in the world and eventually overcoming her. The story was that they kicked out of each other’s finishers and other big moves and that KLR hurt her knee down the line, forcing her to overcome the odds even more, which she eventually did.

A tale of the tape compared champion and challenger. It was interesting that Satomura’s accolades included being a former Stardom champion. She also was noted to have wrestled on WCW Nitro at age 17.

KLR backed Satomura into the ropes early before getting her arm worked over. She came back briefly but quickly got thrown to ringside. Members of the NXT UK women’s roster were seen watching on the screens in the background as Satomura worked over KLR.

The champ came back with a dropkick and a roll-through snapmare, then followed with a stiff kick to the chest of Satomura. Satomura locked in an STF and KLR barely made it to the ropes to break the hold. Satomura worked over KLR’s legs, but she managed to come back with a face-first suplex and a Koji Clutch. KLR then followed with a kneeling abdominal stretch. After enduring some kicks in the corner, KLR reached a turning point in the match as she managed to take out Satomura’s legs, then hit a draping DDT off the apron onto the mats at ringside.

KLR went for the Gory Bomb on the apron, but Satomura escaped and instead hit a Death Valley Bomb onto the apron. KLR barely made it back into the ring at nine.

Satomura hit a cartwheel knee drop on KLR’s back, then hit a Saito suplex for a close near fall. KLR managed to come back with a tornado DDT out of the corner and then locked in the Koji Clutch once more, but Satomura turned the hold into a pinning attempt for two. KLR held on to the hold until Satomura got her foot on the bottom rope.

Satomura managed to kick KLR’s head as she headed to the top rope, then wrenched her up for another Death Valley Bomb for a very close near fall. After a brief struggle on the top rope, Satomura went for a frog splash from the top — but KLR got her knees up, which looked to also hurt KLR’s knee. KLR hit the Gory Bomb, but she was slow to make the cover and Satomura kicked out.

KLR looked to pick Satomura up, but her knees buckled under the stress. KLR literally dragged herself to the top, hurt knee and all, for a somersault senton, but Satomura evaded. KLR blocked Satomura’s Scorpion Kick and went for another Gory Bomb, but Satomura countered into a Destroyer powerbomb for another near-fall.

KLR escaped from another Death Valley Bomb. She hit a superkick but got wiped out with a Pele kick from Satomura a split second later. KLR turned another Death Valley Bomb attempt into a crucifix for a two count, then managed to hoist Satomura up into the powerbomb position, which she used to transition into a final Gory Bomb for the pinfall victory.

KLR helped Satomura to her feet, where the two women bowed to each other and hugged. Satomura was in tears over her loss.

Final Thoughts —

Go out of your way to watch the main event, which was a fantastic strong style joshi battle. Kay Lee Ray is in the upper echelon of female talent in WWE and basically has to turn babyface now as the fighting champion who beat all challengers, including the “Best in the World,” even overcoming injuries. The logical path for her next challenger seems to be undefeated Aoife Valkyrie, but we’ll see.

The rest of the show was mostly used to progress storylines, with Ilja Dragunov snapping getting more and more out of control. Kenny Williams is showing more and more heelish tendencies, with the question being if Amir Jordan is in on it or will eventually disagree with his partner’s methods. I’m still split on Tyler Bate’s zen/Jedi Master gimmick, but as long as he delivers in the ring, he can take the gimmick into a more wacky direction.

Next Week —

  • Heritage Cup rules match: Tyler Bate vs. Dave Mastiff
  • Mixed tag team match: Piper Niven & Jack Starz vs. Jinny & Joseph Conners
  • Kenny Williams & Amir Jordan vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster
  • The debut of Teoman (formerly known as Lucky Kid/Metehan)

WWE sets date for KLR vs. Satomura NXT UK Women’s title match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has set a date for Kay Lee Ray and Meiko Satomura’s NXT UK Women’s Championship match.

KLR will defend her NXT UK Women’s Championship against Satomura on the NXT UK episode that airs in two weeks (Thursday, March 4). KLR and Satomura both took part in a press conference segment on NXT UK this week ahead of their title match.

KLR has been NXT UK Women’s Champion since winning the title from Toni Storm in August 2019. Following her title defense against Jinny last month, KLR said she’s beaten everyone who’s been put in front of her and wants to face “The best in the world.” KLR said during this week’s press conference that Satomura was exactly who she meant when she said that.

It was announced last month that the legendary Satomura has signed with WWE and has joined NXT UK. She made her NXT UK in-ring debut by defeating Isla Dawn on last week’s NXT UK episode.

Satomura also took part in the 2018 Mae Young Classic and has guest coached at the WWE Performance Center in the past.

During the press conference for their title match, Satomura said KLR calling herself a champion without facing her is a lightweight way of thinking. KLR pointed out that she’s the longest-reigning Women’s Champion in modern WWE history and said she can defeat Satomura.

NXT UK results: Meiko Satomura debuts

Posted on by Markus Gronemann

Taped at BT Sport Studios in London, England

Big Takeaways —

The first show from a new set of tapings saw NXT UK focus on the women’s division with the debut of Meiko Satomura, another women’s match with Piper Niven facing Amale, and promos and vignettes with Dani Luna, Aoife Valkyrie, and Nina Samuels.

NXT UK also set up a number of matches for the future, including A-Kid vs. Sha Samuels for the Heritage Cup, Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey, and Gallus vs. Pretty Deadly for the NXT UK Tag Team titles.

In the main event, Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster finally got their revenge on Eddie Dennis and The Hunt.

Full Rundown —

– The show opened with a video recapping the feud between Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster and The Hunt. This led to a clip from earlier today where Andrews and Webster stepped out of a room with Sid Scala running up to them. Andrews and Webster said that they were tired of playing the numbers game and handed Scala Wild Boar’s mask. Boar was seen laid out on the floor. The main event street fight was thus changed to Andrews & Webster vs. Primate & Eddie Dennis.

Meiko Satomura pinned Isla Dawn after Scorpion Rising (5:26)

Satomura was shown walking through the backstage area where she was watched by Xia Brookside, Scala, and Piper Niven.

Satomura dished out some leg kicks early, then controlled Dawn with a headlock. Dawn briefly got on offense, but she was quickly wiped out. NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray was shown watching the match from behind a big glass window in the arena.

Dawn hit a Northern Lights suplex for a two count and followed with a running meteora. Dawn went to the top rope, but she got thrown back down to the mat by a superplex. Dawn hit a Saito suplex for another two count, but Satomura came back with strikes, a spinning kick, and a DDT. Satomura then followed with Scorpion Rising (a step-up axe kick) for the pinfall victory.

After the match, KLR posed with her title belt behind the glass as Satomura urged KLR to join her in the ring.

– Rampage Brown and Joe Coffey met in a meeting room with a television. NXT UK general manager Johnny Saint appeared on screen and said the only people who wanted to see a match between Brown and Coffey more than him and the fans were Brown and Coffey themselves. He made the match official for next week.

– A video on Dani Luna aired, showing her working out with weights. Luna said it was a good feeling to enter the ring and know you were the strongest there. Luna said she wanted to be a better version of herself and learned as a powerlifter that you had to push until you got what you wanted.

– A video on Aoife Valkyrie aired where she said she would fly.

– Satomura cut a promo backstage after her match in Japanese and concluded with “Kay Lee, I am ready for you.”

Supernova Sessions with Sha Samuels

Noam Dar introduced Samuels as his best mate. He would not let Samuels sit on the simple chair he usually has for guests, so they sat on the couch. Samuels talked about how he worked hard for 18 years to finally make it to the big stage and how half the NXT UK roster wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for his work. Dar told him he’d fulfill every wish Samuels had, which brought out Sid Scala.

Samuels called Scala “the help” and demanded to see Johnny Saint, but Dar quickly de-escalated the situation and told Samuels that Scala was in fact the assistant general manager. Dar then talked about how Samuels represented the heritage of the sport and told Scala they had to make up for the Ed Harvey gimmick that NXT UK initially gave to Samuels. Dar suggested a Heritage Cup match with Samuels challenging A-Kid. Scala said they would consider it.

– Nina Samuels sat in the backstage area and accepted Xia Brookside’s request for a rematch — with the added stipulation that Brookside would have to become her personal assistant for one month if she lost. Samuels said that Brookside would finally carry her bags.

– Trent Seven was shown working out at the UK Performance Center in order to drop to below 205 pounds to challenge Jordan Devlin for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.

Piper Niven pinned Amale after the Piper Driver (2:19)

Amale slapped Niven, but she got slapped back, dropped, and wiped out with a running crossbody from a seated position. Niven kicked Amale in the corner, but Joseph Conners walking out allowed Amale to attack Niven. Amale looked for a suplex but got hit with a headbutt, followed by a somersault senton in the corner. Niven then hit the Piper Driver for the win.

Conners looked on from the entrance and slowly clapped. Niven was irritated.

– A video aired focusing on Gallus and Pretty Deadly. They will have their NXT UK Tag Team title match in two weeks.

– A highlight video promoted that Ben Carter will be in action next week.

– Also next week, A-Kid defends the NXT UK Heritage Cup against Sha Samuels and Rampage Brown faces Joe Coffey.

Tag team street fight: Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster defeated Primate & Eddie Dennis after a Shooting Star Press by Andrews on Primate (16:03)

Andrews & Webster’s music played — but they did not come out. The camera went backstage and found Primate and Dennis beating down on both men. Andrews had been put through a table and they drove a production box into him.

The heels dragged Webster to the ring and the bell finally rang. Primate crashed into the corner right away as Webster moved out of the way. Dennis hit a slam on Webster for a two count. Webster briefly ran wild but got beaten with Dennis’ belt to stop him in his tracks. Primate threw Webster over the barricade and held him for Dennis to slap around.

Andrews suddenly appeared on top of a huge production scaffold and hit a big moonsault on Dennis and Primate. Dennis and Webster squared off, as did Andrews and Primate. Webster hit a somersault senton off the apron on Dennis and Primate hit a springboard clothesline on Andrews from the barricade.

All four men had steel chairs as they finally met inside the ring. Dennis took out Andrews’ knee with a chair, but he got another shot blocked by Webster’s helmet, with Webster whacking the former headmaster with it. Dennis took out Webster with a kendo stick, but he ate an enzuigiri from Andrews. Andrews hit Stun Dog Millionaire and then went to the top, but Primate attacked his knee with a kendo stick.

The heels worked over Andrews’ knee in the ring, targeting it with chairs and submissions. Dennis went to Pillmanize the leg with another steel chair, but Webster took the chair from him and ran wild. Andrews hit a sunset flip over Primate as Primate was on the apron and held on for dear life. Webster hit a high running knee and Andrews completed the sunset bomb onto the floor.

Dennis was alone in the ring begging as Andrews and Webster destroyed him with kendo sticks. The backs of Webster and Dennis were filled with red welts from the belt and kendo stick attacks.

Andrews and Webster got a table from under the ring. They got Dennis on the table, but Primate was looking to get back in the ring. Andrews took care of him but got German suplexed out of the ring for his troubles. Dennis rolled off the table, but Webster hit a somersault senton onto his back.

Primate finally made the save and hit Webster with an exploder into the corner. Primate set a table up in the corner and Dennis went for the Severn Bridge, but Andrews made the save. Dennis went for a top rope Severn Bridge, but Webster turned it into a super hurricanrana. Primate then got put through the table off a missed spear.

Andrews and Webster went to the top, with Andrews hitting a Shooting Star Press on Primate while Webster hit a 630 senton on Dennis. Andrews then pinned Primate to get the win.

Final Thoughts —

The main event was a brutal and crazy street fight with some wild high-flying action thrown in. If you only watch one thing from this show, this is it. It was both violent and spectacular.

Meiko Satomura looked very good in her debut and they built to a number of matches for the weeks to come.

Next Week —

  • Heritage Cup Champion A-Kid defends against Sha Samuels
  • Rampage Brown vs. Joe Coffey
  • Ben Carter in action

Meiko Satomura to make NXT UK debut next week

Posted on by Joseph Currier

New WWE signee Meiko Satomura will make her NXT UK debut next week.

During this week’s NXT UK episode, WWE announced that Satomura will arrive on NXT UK next Thursday. Further details about what she’ll be doing on the episode or who she’ll be facing weren’t announced.

It was confirmed last week that Satomura has signed with WWE and will be a player/coach in NXT UK. WWE has been building up an NXT UK Women’s Championship match between Kay Lee Ray and Satomura, with KLR saying she’s beaten everyone put in front of her and wants to face the best in the world. KLR has been NXT UK Women’s Champion since August 2019. WWE hasn’t announced when she’ll be defending her title against Satomura.

Satomura is a co-founder of Japan’s Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling. She wrestled for WWE as part of the 2018 Mae Young Classic and has been a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center in the past.

Satomura also has experience wrestling in the United Kingdom. She’s a former PROGRESS Wrestling Women’s Champion and a former Fight Club: PRO Champion.

Next Thursday’s NXT UK will be headlined by Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster facing The Hunt (Wild Boar & Primate) in a street fight. There will also be a Supernova Sessions segment with Sha Samuels appearing on the talk show as Noam Dar’s guest.

WWE announces new NXT UK signees

Posted on by Joseph Currier

In addition to Meiko Satomura, a few more new additions have joined the NXT UK roster.

WWE announced today that Satomura, Tony Gill, Metehan Kocabasoglu, and Bailey Matthews have signed with the company and joined NXT UK. It had been officially confirmed on this week’s NXT UK episode that Satomura is coming to the brand. She’ll be a player/coach for NXT UK.

Satomura appeared for WWE in the 2018 Mae Young Classic, making it to the semifinals before losing to Toni Storm. Satomura has also been a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center in the past.

WWE is building up a title match between Satomura and NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray, with KLR saying after her title defense against Jinny last week that she’s beaten everyone that’s been put in front of her and now wants to face “the best in the world.”

Gill formerly wrestled as Gursinder Singh in Impact Wrestling and was a member of the promotion’s Desi Hit Squad stable. He was trained by Lance Storm.

Kocabasoglu has wrestled using the names Lucky Kid and Metehan. He’s a former wXw Shotgun Champion and a former wXw Tag Team Champion.

Though not mentioned by WWE in their announcement, Matthews is the son of William Regal.

WWE.com wrote about the new signees:

Meuko Satomura (Niigata, Japan) – Lauded as being “the best in the world,” Meiko Satomura was part of the 2018 Mae Young Classic where she faced Toni Storm in the semi-finals. Having co-founded SENDAI Girls’ Pro Wrestling, she went on to huge success on the independent scene which saw her become PROGRESS Women’s Champion.

Tony Gill (West Sussex, England) – Anglo-Indian Tony Gill moved to Australia as a child before heading to Canada where he trained under Lance Storm. Following in the footsteps of the biggest Punjabi names in WWE history, including The Great Khali and Jinder Mahal, Tony Gill is ready to make an impact in NXT UK bringing a combination of styles inspired by the likes of Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle.

Metehan Kocabasoglu (Berlin, Germany) – Representing his Turkish heritage and currently residing in Berlin, Germany, the 6-foot powerhouse almost became a professional footballer before moving into the world of sports-entertainment. Metehan is a former wXw Champion who has competed against the likes of Timothy Thatcher, Ilja Dragunov and NXT UK Champion WALTER. 

Bailey Matthews (Blackpool, England) – Ready to roar onto the scene and represent his hometown of Blackpool, England, Bailey Matthews is set to bring a unique style to NXT UK inspired by the likes of Johnny Saint, Billy Robinson and NXT General Manager William Regal. 

WWE confirms Meiko Satomura coming to NXT UK

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has officially confirmed that Meiko Satomura is coming to NXT UK.

During Thursday’s NXT UK episode, a video aired with Satomura announcing that she’s now in NXT UK. Satomura said to be prepared.

The announcement was preceded by clips from Kay Lee Ray’s NXT UK Women’s Championship reign and KLR saying in a post-show interview last week that she wants to face “the best in the world.” KLR, who has been NXT UK Women’s Champion since August 2019, retained her title against Jinny in the main event of last week’s NXT UK.

“@satomurameiko’s presence will be an absolute game changer for the #NXTUK women’s division,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted. “@Kay_Lee_Ray wanted some more competition, one of the best in the world is coming… #WeAreNXTUK #BePrepared”

Nikkan Sports reported earlier on Thursday that Satomura has signed with WWE as a player/coach and will be participating in NXT UK. Dave Meltzer also confirmed that Satomura has signed with WWE.

Nikkan Sports noted that Satomura will continue to be the president of Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling and will continue to participate in the promotion.

Satomura took part in the 2018 Mae Young Classic and has also guest coached at the WWE Performance Center in the past. She made it to the Mae Young Classic semifinals before losing to Toni Storm.

Satomura has made frequent appearances for wrestling promotions in the United Kingdom, including formerly holding the PROGRESS Wrestling Women’s Championship and Fight Club: PRO Championship.

Meiko Satomura signs with WWE, will be player/coach in NXT UK

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Image: WWE

It appears that Meiko Satomura will soon be showing up on NXT UK.

“It was revealed on the 28th that Meiko Satomura (41) of Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling has signed a contract with WWE, the world’s largest professional wrestling organization, as a coach and player,” Nikkan Sports reported on Thursday. Dave Meltzer has also confirmed that Satomura has signed with WWE.

Nikkan Sports’ report noted that Satomura is currently participating in NXT UK in London. The report stated that Satomura will continue to be the president of Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling and will continue to participate in the promotion.

In a post-show interview uploaded after NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray’s title defense against Jinny on last week’s NXT UK episode, KLR said she’s beaten everyone who has been put in front of her. KLR said she wants to face “the best in the world.”

Satomura took part in the 2018 Mae Young Classic, making it to the semifinals before losing to Toni Storm. She’s also been a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center in the past.

In the United Kingdom, Satomura has previously held the PROGRESS Wrestling Women’s Championship and the Fight Club: PRO Championship.

Tokyo Sports reported in October that it was expected that Satomura would be heading to the UK in November to participate in NXT UK as a player/coach. Satomura said that she would be missing Sendai Girls’ November shows.

PROGRESS Chapter 97 results: Meiko Satomura defends her title

Posted on by Dei Owen

PROGRESS Wrestling returned to its home at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London on Sunday for the first time since the company’s biggest show of the year, which took place at Alexandra Palace.

Here are the results from Sunday’s show:

– Mark Andrews defeated Connor Mills

Andrews got the win with a low blow. PROGRESS Unified World Champion Eddie Dennis interfered on multiple occasions, giving Andrews the advantage. 

After the match, Dennis and Andrews beat down Mills. The OJMO and David Starr made the save. While stood on the stage after a brawl, Dennis promised Starr a Unified World Title opportunity “at some point in the foreseeable future,” providing Starr could beat an opponent of Dennis’ choosing. Starr’s opponent was chosen to be The OJMO. 

– Pretty Deadly (Sam Stoker & Lewis Howley) defeated Jordon Breaks & Sid Scala

Breaks’ partner was originally meant to be Darrell Allen, but was replaced by Sid Scala due to Allen’s absence. 

– The NIC were set to face Do Not Resuscitate in a match, but a video message from Spike Trivet introducing Pretty Deadly as backup for DnR quickly led to a five-on-two beatdown and the match never got underway. 

– Cara Noir defeated Ilja Dragunov

This was a rematch from Chapter 96. Noir got the win by catching Dragunov’s Torpedo Moscow running uppercut into a rear naked choke. 

– PROGRESS Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura defeated Dani Luna to retain her title

This was Satomura’s first title defense since her crowning at Chapter 95. A Death Valley Driver got her the victory. 

– PROGRESS Proteus Champion Paul Robinson defeated “Present” William Eaver to retain his title

Per the champion’s stipulation, the match could only be won by knockout or submission. Robinson retained the title with multiple curb stomps, causing a TKO. 

– David Starr defeated The OJMO

Starr earned another PROGRESS Unified World Championship opportunity as a result. A draping DDT followed by a Han Stansen lariat got him the win. 

PROGRESS returns to the Electric Ballroom on Sunday, November 24 for Chapter 98, featuring the return of Timothy Thatcher.

Tozawa teaming with Satomura at Fight Club: PRO’s Project Tokyo

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Akira Tozawa will be teaming with Meiko Satomura at Fight Club: PRO’s show in Tokyo, Japan.

It was announced today that Tozawa & Satomura will face CCK (Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos) at the show, which is named “Project Tokyo” and will take place at Korakuen Hall on January 7, 2019. This is the first event that the British-based promotion has held in Japan.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Tozawa — who is under contract with WWE and part of the cruiserweight division on 205 Live — would be wrestling at Project Tokyo. There had been NXT UK wrestlers pulled from the show, with Project Tokyo taking place in the days before NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool is held on January 12.

Satomura is the Fight Club: PRO Champion and is a founder of the Sendai Girls promotion in Japan. She made appearances for WWE in this year’s Mae Young Classic, making it to the semifinals before losing to Toni Storm.

WWE Mae Young Classic results: The finals are set

Posted on by Arya Witner

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The semifinals of the Mae Young Classic. The season finale, if you will. The winners advance to Evolution this Sunday night.

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Toni Storm defeated Meiko Satomura to advance to the finals

In case you need help understanding the age and experience difference between these two, Toni Storm was 13 months old when Satomura wrestled on WCW Monday Nitro in 1996. Satomura was already a 14-year veteran when Storm debuted in 2009.

The match began with some great mat wrestling as neither wrestler wanted to possibly make an early mistake that could cost them big. Storm took a kick to the chest, but she came back with her own running kick to take over. Satomura didn’t let it last long, using a series of leg kicks to chop down her taller opponent.

The bruises began to form on Storm’s legs, but she slapped on an STF. Michael Cole, who has called about 500 John Cena matches, called it “unique offense.” To be fair, he hasn’t seen too many good STFs.

No one believed it was the finish, even though Satomura sold it like death, but she was able to drag herself to the ropes. Storm hit a suicide dive and began grabbing her elbow. The suicide dive, the same move that injured Tegan Nox and always looks like Io Shirai is going to land on her head, is still being used here in the semifinals.

Back in the ring, Storm began kicking Satomura, but Satomura fired up and used her own kicks. Satomura hit a Death Valley Driver for the sure victory — but Storm kicked out. Storm blocked a running knee and hit Storm Zero — but Satomura kicked out! The crowd exploded at this.

Satomura blocked a second Storm Zero and hit a Pele Kick and a Scorpion Kick, but again Storm kicked out. Fans were literally jumping up and down at this point.

Finally, Storm blocked another Death Valley Driver and hit her second Storm Zero for the pin! Storm is going to Evolution. Both wrestlers kneeled and bowed to one another before hugging. Kairi Sane appeared to present roses to Storm, who could not stop crying. Triple H came out to raise Satomura’s hand on the ramp, which led to more applause and more tears.

Storm cut a promo after the match, thanking the crowd and everyone in the back for letting her dreams come true.

Storm has downed Jinny, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Mia Yim, and now Satomura. She has one more test on Sunday.

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Io Shirai defeated Rhea Ripley to advance to the finals

This match was different from the beginning as Ripley showed very little respect to her foe and was making subtle gestures to injuring Tegan Nox. Ripley used her size and power advantage early. She yanked Shirai back in an abdominal stretch. When Shirai tried to kick her way out of it, Ripley punched her right in the ribs. In an ensuing stretch, Ripley was digging her nails into the abdominal region of Shirai.

Ripley’s frustration began as Shirai wouldn’t stay down, but she cooled down and locked on a body scissors. Shirai went crazy and got out of it with a series of punches and forearms, which stunned Ripley. The advantage didn’t last long as Ripley rolled over and kicked Shirai right in the ribs. Seconds later, it was like that never happened as Shirai started to build momentum.

Shirai hit the suicide dive and, for once, didn’t have me worried that she was going to land on her head. Shirai kept the momentum going, hitting a 619 and a missile dropkick for a near fall. However, Ripley tripped her up on an attempted moonsault. Ripley hit a superplex that hurt her own back, but Shirai got out of a pumphandle move and shoved Ripley shoulder-first into the ring post. Shirai hit the double knees and a moonsault for the win!

Not as good as the opener, but still a very good match, especially when you consider this wasn’t even scheduled to be the match since Nox was supposed to beat Ripley before her injury.

Shirai and Sane embraced like long lost friends

Shirai blitzed Xia Brookside and then defeated Zeuxis, Deonna Purrazzo, and Ripley and will now be throwing down on Sunday. 32 began, 30 went to the wayside. At Evolution, only one will be left standing as Io Shirai will face Toni Storm. Who follows in the footsteps of Kairi Sane? Only one way to find out.

The show finished up with both Shirai and Storm coming out on stage and posing with Triple H, Sara Amato, and Sane as Cole closed up the show.

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That does it for this week — and that does it for the Mae Young Classic. Thank you all for reading. If nothing else, it was a fun eight weeks and now I will return to semi-retirement. It is my birthday Monday, so if you are inclined, please donate to a charity of your choice in celebration of my birth.

As for me? I have to hurry on my way. But as I wave goodbye, don’t cry because I will be back again someday.

WWE Mae Young Classic results: Second round begins

Posted on by Arya Witner

Hey, we’ve reached the second round!

Toni Storm defeated Hiroyo Matsumoto in a second round match

According to Storm, they have wrestled each other seven times before now. I could only find results of two matches, both of which were in Stardom. One was a time limit draw and the other was a tag team match where Storm was on the winning side.

Storm defeated Jinny in the first round, while Matsumoto beat Rachel Evers.

This was a better match than a lot of the first round bouts. Michael Cole said Matsumoto likes to have fun. Ironically, this was immediately followed by a very heel move where she delivered a cheap shot after a clean break. Renee Young said that these two had a chance to watch each other in the first round, which allowed them to scout each other. So, she doesn’t watch the pre-match videos either.

Matsumoto played to the crowd, so Storm snapped off a German suplex, followed by a running hip attack and a Perfect Plex, but Matsumoto kicked out. Matsumoto locked on a Boston crab that transitioned into a single-legged crab, which Storm sold for all it was worth. Heads collided mid-ring and Matsumoto hit the Rock Drop, but Storm got her toe on the bottom rope.

The finish saw Matsumoto hit multiple clotheslines, but Storm ducked one and rolled her up, bridged backwards, and picked up the win!

Storm will now wrestle the winner of next week’s match between Mia Yim and Kaitlyn.

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Rhea Ripley defeated Kacy Catanzaro in a second round match

Catanzaro is the American Ninja Warrior participant who was incredibly unique in her first round match against Reina Gonzalez. Ripley defeated MJ Jenkins in the first round. Ripley has a seven-inch height advantage and 42-pound weight advantage.

Ripley refused a handshake, so Catanzaro ran all over the ring, hitting her on all sides, until she got caught and thrown stomach-first on top of the top rope. Catanzaro teased a sudden win with a small package, but Ripley was back on her feet quickly and dropped Catanzaro with a dropkick. Ripley lifted her up for a vertical suplex and walked around the ring before falling backwards.

Catanzaro did her best Rey Mysterio impersonation by hitting both a tornado DDT and a corkscrew plancha to the floor. Catanzaro went for a springboard move, but she slipped and nearly hurt herself. They went and re-did the exact same spot, which made it weird that they didn’t edit the first one out. The fans did cheer for Catanzaro when she finally hit it. Ripley got tired and hit a Riptide for the somewhat surprising win.

Ripley will face the winner of Nicole Matthews vs Tegan Nox, which is next week.

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Lacey Lane defeated Taynara Conti in a second round match

Lane scored a first round upset over Vanessa Kraven, while Conti defeated Jessie Elaban. Conti was the only woman who had to win a qualifying match before the tournament and then had a match against Elaban that was best described as “something that happened.” Lane’s victory over Kraven “shocked the world.” My goal for tomorrow is to ask random strangers what they thought of Lane beating Kraven and recording their answers.

Conti is either the most believable striker in WWE or she kicked the hell out of Lane. She followed kicking Lane in the ribs and hands by throwing a clothesline about two feet above Lane’s head. Shockingly, that missed. Lane made a brief comeback and won quickly with a crucifix bomb. They got them in and out as quick as possible.

Lane is now going to get her butt kicked in the quarterfinals by the winner of our main event.

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Meiko Satomura defeated Mercedes Martinez in a second round match

Martinez beat Ashley Rayne in the first round, while Satomura defeated Killer Kelly. Satomura is a 23-year veteran, and I will bring this up during every match she has, is one of the very few women to have wrestled on WCW Monday Nitro.

Martinez got frustrated as Satomura controlled her on the mat. Martinez finally hit a belly-to-belly overhead suplex before controlling her with a side headlock. This stopped being a nice, little, respectful battle between veterans when Martinez slapped Satomura right in the face. Satomura battled out of a front chinlock and hit a high kick. However, she got tripped on the top rope and Martinez utilized a spinning neckbreaker for a near fall.

Martinez was slow to follow up, so Satomura locked on an armbar. Martinez had to roll all over the ring to finally reach the ropes.

Satomura kicked Martinez’s body up and down, to and fro and then hit a frog splash for a two count. Satomura did her handstand knee drop, which was kicked out of again. Martinez blocked a Pele and delivered a fisherman’s suplex for the closest of close near falls. Martinez went for the Mexican surfboard, but Satomura elbowed her way out of it and hit a Scorpion Kick for the win!

That was a tremendous match, and Satomura has to wrestle at least one more time. Lacey Lane, you might want to just wave the white flag now, because you’re next.

Well, that is going to do it for this week. The second round finishes up next week! Until then, thank you all for reading and I’ll talk to you again in seven days!

WWE Mae Young Classic results: The tournament begins

Posted on by Arya Witner

Hey, I’m back!

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The show opened with a recap of last year’s tournament, which segued into a video of this year’s competitors.

Michael Cole, Beth Phoenix, and Renee Young are the commentary team.

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Tegan Nox defeated Zatara in a first round match

In her pre-match video package, the masked Zatara said she was the first Chilean wrestler in WWE history. Nox’s video had plenty of footage from PROGRESS.

Nox was the crowd favorite as they exchanged holds early. Nox got the best of her at the start. Zatara reached out for a handshake, but she betrayed Nox by booting her in the gut.

Zatara began working on the knee that Nox injured before last year’s tournament. Nox tried to shake it off during her comeback, the highlight of which was a diving crossbody off the top rope. Nox kicked out after a running double knees in the corner and picked up the win with a Shining Wizard!

A good, solid match to kick off the tournament. Nox will face the winner of the Isla Dawn vs. Nicole Matthews first round match.

Ember Moon and Alexa Bliss were shown applauding in the audience.

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Rhea Ripley defeated MJ Jenkins in a first round match

Ripley said she made a fool out of herself last year, but this is the darker version of her.

Ripley refused the pre-match handshake — and it was on. Jenkins was moving and grooving until she was on the apron and went to jump back in the ring, with Ripley dropkicking her and sending her crashing and burning onto the mats outside the ring. Ripley dominated Jenkins, who did a great job selling. Ripley used the abdominal stretch and dug her elbow right into the ribs.

Jenkins screamed to the heavens as she started her comeback. She hit a high kick and this time connected with the springboard dropkick on Ripley for a two count. Jenkins seemed primed for another big move, but Ripley hit a pumphandle powerbomb for the pin.

Ripley will face the winner of Kacy Catanzaro vs. Reina Gonzalez.

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Lacey Lane defeated Vanessa Kraven in a first round match

Lio Rush was shown ringside before this match.

Lane is the hometown favorite. She’s from Winter Park, Florida and has been in wrestling for two years. Kraven, however, is six feet tall and a 14-year veteran from Montreal. She’s competed all over Canada, Japan, and the United States.

Lane may be a foot (or so) shorter, but she can get her foot high, as she kicked Kraven right in the head. She also used an ugly looking multiple-springboard move, but it still did the trick. They ended up outside the ring, but that was for the worse. Kraven caught Lane and hung her upside down from the top rope. Kraven stalked Lane around the ring, using chops and an over-the-shoulder backbreaker.

Lane tried to fight back and kicked out after a Black Hole Slam, which got the crowd chanting for her. Kraven missed a cannonball splash (that she had hit earlier) and got upset when Lane used a crucifix pin for the win.

Kraven couldn’t believe it and neither could the Full Sail crowd. Lane will now face the winner of Taynara Conti vs. Jessie Elaban.

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Shadia Bseiso interviewed Natalya, who was really happy to be here and said she was rooting for both Mia Yim and Io Shirai to win.

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Meiko Satomura defeated Killer Kelly in a first round match

Want to know how long Satomura has been wrestling? In 1996 and 1997 she lost matches on WCW television, including to Toshie Uematsu on Nitro. Funaki and Tye Dillinger watched from ringside for the main event. Killer Kelly has been wrestling two years but has already competed for NXT UK, Rev Pro, Pro Wrestling EVE, and wXw.

Kelly used her superior speed, but once Satomura got her hands on her, she was twisted like a pretzel. Satomura locked on a single-legged crab and turned that into the best looking STF you’ve seen on WWE TV in 13 years. Kelly was used as a kick pad, as Satomura kicked her in every exposed inch of her body. Kelly came back with a suplex and went for a pump kick, but Satomura used an uppercut. Satomura also used a handspring into a double knee drop.

Kelly got the nearest of near falls with a Perfect Plex, which inspired a “This is Awesome” chant. Satomura was tired of the games and hit a nice looking Death Valley Driver for the pin.

Satomura will face the winner of Ashley Rayne vs. Mercedes Martinez.

So, that does it from night one of the Mae Young Classic. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you again next week!

Meiko Satomura confirmed for WWE Mae Young Classic

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Following the announcement of Toni Storm, another huge addition is set for WWE’s Mae Young Classic.

Meiko Satomura has been officially confirmed for the tournament. Her involvement was first reported by Tokyo Sports last month.

The 38-year-old Satomura has over two decades of experience in the ring and is one of the standout wrestlers of her generation. She started her career with GAEA Japan before its closure, founded and wrestles for the Sendai Girls promotion, and makes fairly regular appearances on the United Kingdom indies for places like Pro Wrestling: EVE and Fight Club: PRO.

After winning it from Chris Brookes earlier this year, Satomura currently holds the Fight Club: PRO Championship.

There are now 11 participants left to be announced for the 32-wrestler tournament, which will be filmed at Full Sail University on August 8 and 9. The finals will then take place at WWE Evolution in Long Island, New York on October 28.

Here’s the updated Mae Young Classic lineup:

  • Kaitlyn
  • Rhea Ripley
  • Io Shirai
  • Nicole Matthews
  • Jinny
  • Kacy Catanzaro
  • Deonna Purrazzo
  • Tegan Nox (formerly known as Nixon Newell)
  • Jessie Elaban
  • Reina Gonzalez
  • Taynara Conti (won a qualifying match at NXT TV tapings)
  • Mia Yim
  • Mercedes Martinez
  • Kavita Devi
  • Killer Kelly
  • Zeuxis
  • Isla Dawn
  • Lacey Lane
  • Karen Q
  • Toni Storm
  • Meiko Satomura

Meiko Satomura reportedly set for WWE Mae Young Classic

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While there haven’t been any names officially announced, a standout wrestler of her generation looks set for WWE’s second Mae Young Classic.

Tokyo Sports reported today that 38-year-old Meiko Satomura would be participating in the tournament this summer.

Whether or not Satomura would have any involvement with WWE past appearing in the Mae Young Classic wasn’t made clear.

Satomura is a founder of the Sendai Girls promotion in Japan and has been wrestling for over 20 years. She’s also been wrestling on the United Kingdom independent scene fairly often recently, appearing for Pro Wrestling: EVE and Fight Club: PRO. She won the Fight Club: PRO title from Chris Brookes earlier this year.

The Mae Young Classic will be taped in Orlando, Florida on August 8th and 9th. Last year’s tournament had a 32-wrestler field that included a mix of wrestlers who were under contract with WWE and those who weren’t.