After being booked against two wrestlers who were accused during the #SpeakingOut movement, Lince Dorado has asked The Crash Lucha Libre to remove him from their May show or change his match.
The Crash announced on Wednesday that Dorado & Destiny would be facing Marty Scurll & Travis Banks at their show in Tijuana, Mexico on Friday, May 13. But Dorado tweeted on Thursday that he’s asked The Crash to remove him from the event or change his match. Dorado noted that The Crash is working on it.
“I have asked @TheCrashLuchas to remove me from the show or change my match for their May event,” Dorado wrote. “Nothing else needs to be said. It’s my decision as I’m not influenced by anybody! They are working on it.”
I have asked @TheCrashLuchas to remove me from the show or change my match for their May event. Nothing else needs to be said. It’s my decision as I’m not influenced by anybody! They are working on it.
Banks (real name Travis Bligh) was released by WWE in June 2020 after Millie McKenzie accused him of being in a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship with her when she was a 17-year-old trainee. Banks is 13 years older than McKenzie.
ROH announced in January 2021 that they and Scurll had “mutually decided to part ways.” In June 2020, a woman accused Scurll of sexually assaulting her when she was 16 years old in 2015. Scurll claimed that the encounter was consensual and that he wasn’t aware of her age at the time. Following the start of the #SpeakingOut movement, ROH announced that it had opened an investigation into its wrestlers who were accused.
The current story that has been released by Violet O’Hara/Claire-Michelle Oldfield is neither accurate nor true. This is a completely false allegation and whilst I’ve done other things in my life that I deeply regret, this isn’t an accurate or truthful portrayal of events. This is something I strongly deny and is something I’ve been in the process of speaking to a legal team about.
Regarding the other statements from people like Laura, Natalie who have spoken out about the way they were made to feel, and others that have come forward about unwanted messages, I have no excuse. It’s inappropriate, it’s an embarrassment and it’s an absolute shameful way to act from someone in a position of trust. I sincerely apologise for my actions and any hurt I’ve caused. I have no justification of my actions in the slightest. In these situations, I have failed people as a friend, as a fiancée and as a decent human being.
After Millie McKenzie accused Banks — who is 13 years older than her — of being in a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship with her when she was a 17-year-old trainee, Banks issued a statement last weekend:
I’d like to issue a statement regarding Millie McKenzie’s comments:
Millie was a trainee of mine at Fight Club: Pro. She was also a close personal friend. We would be at shows together, attend the same social events, travel together and hang out at the wrestlers house where I was living. It was through this friendship a consensual relationship was formed.
The relationship broke down between both parties and it ended. After it ended we agreed to talk it out. We apologized to eachother for any individual actions behind the relationship breakdown. After seeing these comments, I can only repeat my apology. I am truly sorry for any pain caused by the relationship.
How dare you Travis. I never had anything to apologise for. You manipulated your position of power over me. At 17 years of age, I had no idea what a relationship actually entailed. The mental and emotional hurt you put me through is INEXCUSABLE and I am not the only one of your trainees that you’ve done this to. You are a liar, a manipulative person with no conscious and you always believe your in the right. You are NOT RIGHT. I am not scared of you anymore, you hold no power over me…to all the people that messaged saying they wish they could have done more at the time. PLEASE help me now to create a safe working environment for me again and others. Don’t protect him this time just becuase he’s your friend.
Ligero and Banks are the second and third wrestlers to be released by WWE due to accusations made against them during the #SpeakingOut movement. Jack Gallagher was also released by WWE last week.
PROGRESS updated their list of talent that will no longer be working for them, announcing Saturday that both Ligero and Travis Banks will no longer appear for the promotion.
Previously, they had been suspended indefinitely.
The news comes following more information coming to light regarding both men. Wrestler Millie Mckenzie opened up about her relationship with Banks on Twitter, accusing him of manipulation and creating an unsafe working environment. She also posted text messages detailing him harassing her while outside her hotel room door. Multiple women have also come forwardaccusing Ligero of manipulation, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.
Both David Starr and referee Marc “Paz” Perry were announced as no longer working for the promotion while tag team champions Jordan Devlin and Scotty Davis were suspended indefinitely and the titles vacated.
“We take all these allegations extremely seriously,” the company’s statement said. “Those under suspension will have their situation reviewed periodically between now and events starting again. We continue to monitor and listen to the Speaking Out movement so that we can take appropriate action where necessary.”
Taped at Coventry Skydome in Coventry, England on March 7, 2020
Quick results —
Imperium defeated Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith in a fun opener.
Aoife Valkyrie pinned Nina Samuels.
Piper Niven talked about teaming with Dani Luna next week to take on Kay Lee Ray & Jinny.
Noam Dar beat A-Kid in a very good match after a low blow and the Nova Roller.
Jordan Devlin defended his NXT Cruiserweight Championship against Travis Banks in a fantastic main event. Devlin retained after a roll-up while grabbing the ropes, which the referee missed.
A number of NXT UK wrestlers vowed to win the 20-man battle royal for a shot at WALTER’s NXT UK Championship next week. This was fun and reminded me of the old Royal Rumble promos in the 90s — it made the battle royal feel special, rather than just something being put on for the hell of it.
Full rundown —
The show opened with a recap of Jordan Devlin winning the NXT Cruiserweight Championship at Worlds Collide and looked ahead to his upcoming match with Travis Banks in tonight’s main event.
Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel) defeated Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter when Aichner pinned Carter after a European Bomb (8:32)
Barthel and Carter started out with Barthel quickly tying Carter up on the mat. Carter came back with a superkick, but Aichner blind-tagged in to crush his momentum.
Carter managed to tag Smith and we got a brief battle of agile powerhouses. Carter tagged back in and they hit a unique move where Carter somersaulted over the top rope onto Smith’s back on the apron, with Smith launching him back in a sort of rope-assisted moonsault splash. Imperium came back from that creative offense with pure brutality though.
Carter and Smith ran roughshod on Imperium, but Smith got thrown to the outside as Imperium set up for the European Bomb on Carter. Smith pushed Barthel off the ropes and Carter scored a narrow near fall. Seconds later, Imperium thwarted their advantage once more and finally hit the European Bomb on Carter for the win.
– A video with Gallus playing cards at a table talking about NXT UK being their kingdom aired.
– Tyler Bate and Trent Seven talked about the upcoming NXT UK title number one contender’s battle royal. Seven told Bate that “may the best boi win.”
– Alexander Wolfe then also discussed the battle royal, vowing to win to secure the interests of Imperium and keeping the mat sacred.
– Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith got interviewed after their loss to Imperium. Pretty Deadly was there, making fun of them. Smith calmed down Carter and told him to concentrate on the battle royal: They concluded by saying ready and forward — always forward.
Aoife Valkyrie pinned Nina Samuels after Peripeteia (4:48)
Valkyrie locked in a side-headlock, but Samuels initially escaped before being taken down again. Samuels locked in a headscissors, but Valkyrie neck-bridge backflipped and kipped up out of the move. Samuels then was back on offense and transitioned with a modified Indian deathlock into a surfboard submission.
Valkyrie came back with an arm drag off a reverse electric chair, then went to the top rope, but Samuels escaped to ringside. Valkyrie hit a running dropkick through the ropes to take Samuels out. Samuels came back with a launching splash off the apron into the ring. Samuels slapped Valkyrie, which fired her up as she hit a spinning kick and followed up with Peripeteia (a guillotine leg drop off the top rope) for the win.
– A recap of Kay Lee Ray attacking Dani Luna after their match and Piper Niven making the save from last week aired. Niven then was interviewed and asked why she decided to come to the aid of Luna last week. She said Luna was big and strong enough to fight for her own, but she didn’t know how devious KLR could be. Niven said she and Luna would face Kay Lee Ray and Jinny next week and she would finally get her hands on KLR.
– A video recapped the backstage attack on Mark Andrews before the six-man tag last week. Flash Morgan Webster said Andrews was still undergoing tests but vowed to find out who attacked him. He said Andrews told him to concentrate on the battle royal and he would for the sake of South West Subculture.
Noam Dar pinned A-Kid after the Nova Roller (6:38)
Dar took A-Kid down, but he quickly found himself on the receiving end of some punishment as A-Kid escaped and turned the tables on him. They went back and forth on the mat until Dar shoved A-Kid off and he replied with a spin kick that missed.
A-Kid went for an octopus hold but transitioned into a kick as Dar escaped. They traded quick falls for one counts until A-Kid scored a close near fall off a crucifix. Dar hit a spinning elbow that rocked A-Kid and saw him crumble on the mat. Dar set up for a draping DDT but just let A-Kid fall to the mat and kicked him.
A-Kid hit some quick moves in succession and sent Dar to the outside. He went for a springboard moonsault to the outside, but when Dar got back in the ring, A-Kid transitioned into an aerial attack to the inside. Dar caught him off the move and locked in a shoulder bar that A-Kid escaped from. Dar then hit a low blow behind the referee’s back and hit the Nova Roller for the win.
After the match, Dar talked about the battle royal and said he would win and become the next NXT UK Champion.
– A highlight video on WALTER aired.
– Dave Mastiff, Kassius Ohno, and Ilja Dragunov all talked about the battle royal next week, vowing they would win.
WWE NXT Cruiserweight Championship match: Jordan Devlin retained against Travis Banks after a roll-up while grabbing the ropes (14:57)
They took each other down early with neither man getting the advantage. Banks scored a number of quick near falls before Devlin escaped to ringside. Banks looked to pull him back inside but Devlin snapped his neck on the top rope.
Devlin looked to go for the uranage, but Banks escaped and threw him to the outside once more. He went for a running dive, but Devlin moved and used Banks’ momentum to push him hard into the barricades shoulder-first. Devlin followed up with a high-angle back suplex and then locked in a shoulder bar. Banks staged a brief comeback but got wiped out from a standing Spanish Fly by Devlin for a near fall. Devlin stayed in control until Banks came back with hard chops.
Devlin stopped him with a nosebreaker, then grabbed Banks’ arm and hit a few Kawada kicks, but Banks wanted more. Devlin hit the uranage, but Banks got his knees up on Devlin’s moonsault.
Banks hit a few clotheslines, a running cannonball into the corner, and followed with a German suplex for another near fall. Banks hit a running knee to the face of Devlin, then followed with a rolling elbow kick and a dive as Devlin stumbled outside. Banks hit a double stomp off the top on a standing Devlin for another two count.
Devlin evaded a Slice of Heaven, but Banks also escaped a Devlin Side. They traded hard shots until both collapsed to loud “NXT” chants from the crowd. Banks punched Devlin as he was up on the top rope, then hit a double foot stomp onto Devlin when he was stuck in a tree of woe.
They battled on the top rope until Devlin hit a springboard cutter off the apron onto Banks as he was stuck on the second turnbuckle. Banks came back with a Slice of Heaven, then went to hit the Kiwi Crusher, but Devlin escaped, rolled up Banks, bridged on his head, and also grabbed the bottom rope for leverage to score the pinfall victory and successfully defend his title.
Next week —
The 20-man battle royal for a shot at WALTER’s NXT UK Championship takes place. It will feature, among others, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Alexander Wolfe, Ashton Smith, Oliver Carter, Flash Morgan Webster, Noam Dar, Dave Mastiff, Kassius Ohno, Ilja Dragunov, and Jordan Devlin.
Also, Piper Niven teams with Dani Luna to take on Kay Lee Ray & Jinny.
Taped January 17, 2020 at York Barbican in York, England
Quick results —
The WWE UK Championship is now the NXT UK Championship. Imperium are pissed at Undisputed Era.
Jordan Devlin defeated Ligero and Travis Banks defeated Brian Kendrick for spots in the fatal four-way NXT Cruiserweight Championship match at Worlds Collide. Angel Garza will defend his title against Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Devlin, and Banks at the special.
Ilja Dragunov won a squash, then got called out by Joe Coffey. Before that, Dragunov meets Finn Balor at Worlds Collide on Saturday.
Full rundown —
WALTER NXT UK title renewal ceremony
Sid Scala and Johnny Saint were in the ring with a covered podium and awaiting the arrival of Imperium. Scala thanked the fans for making this the fastest growing brand.
WALTER received the new NXT UK Championship belt, which replaces the WWE UK Championship. WALTER approved, as the previous title had been polluted by Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne. WALTER then threw over the table and cut a fiery promo on Undisputed Era and how Imperium would restore the honor of the sport.
– Tom Phillips and Aiden English were our commentators. Nigel McGuinness will be back in March. They ran down the two cruiserweight qualifying matches.
Worlds Collide qualifying match: Jordan Devlin pinned Ligero after Devlinside (12:00)
Good match. Ligero ran wild early when Devlin pulled at his mask. Devlin then came back and both men hit all their big spots. Ligero got a near fall off a DDT. Devlin hit a cutter from the apron, then finished Ligero off with Devlinside.
– Radzi Chinyanganya interviewed Kay Lee Ray about TakeOver and her upcoming match with Mia Yim at Worlds Collide. Imperium walked up and harassed Radzi, then Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster marched in the frame. Imperium ridiculed them in German and WALTER announced they’d talk “to the boss” about it.
– A video aired where Finn Balor talked about Ilja Dragunov and said he sees that Dragunov believes he belongs in the ring with him. He said Dragunov better not miss when he comes for him at Worlds Collide.
Ilja Dragunov pinned Josh Terry after Torpedo Moscow (2:24)
Dragunov won a quick squash with Torpedo Moscow.
– Dragunov addressed Balor after the match before Gallus interrupted. Joe Coffey told him they have some business to get to after Worlds Collide due to Dragunov costing him his match against WALTER at UK TakeOver: Blackpool II.
– Imperium walked up to the GM office to get a match with Andrews & Webster. They got a six-man tag next week with Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner & Alexander Wolfe facing Andrews, Webster, and a partner of Andrews and Webster’s choosing.
Worlds Collide qualifying match: Travis Banks pinned Brian Kendrick after the Kiwi Crusher (12:15)
Very good match. Banks injured his hand and Kendrick worked it over. Banks kicked out of Sliced Bread #2, then hit Slice of Heaven and the Kiwi Crusher for the win and the final spot in the fatal four-way. It will be NXT Cruiserweight Champion Angel Garza defending his title against Banks, Devlin, and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott.
Next week —
Eddie Dennis speaks out.
Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs. The Hunt (Primate & Wild Boar)
Imperium (Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner & Alexander Wolfe) vs. Mark Andrews, Flash Morgan Webster, and a mystery partner
WWE has announced how the remaining two wrestlers for the Cruiserweight title match at Worlds Collide will be decided.
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Angel Garza is defending his title in a fatal four-way match at the Royal Rumble weekend Worlds Collide special. After defeating Tyler Breeze and Lio Rush in a triple threat match on NXT last night, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott will be one of Garza’s challengers.
There will be qualifying matches on next week’s NXT UK to determine the other two challengers for Worlds Collide. The qualifiers will be Jordan Devlin vs. Ligero and Travis Banks vs. Brian Kendrick.
NXT UK’s post-TakeOver: Blackpool II television tapings are being held in York, England this Friday and Saturday.
Worlds Collide is taking place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Saturday, January 25. Here’s what’s been announced for the show thus far:
Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) vs. Imperium (WALTER, Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner & Alexander Wolfe)
NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley defending against Toni Storm
DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) vs. Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate)
Finn Balor vs. Ilja Dragunov
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Angel Garza defending against Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and the winners of the NXT UK qualifiers in a fatal four-way match
The lineup for NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff looks to be officially set.
Two matches were announced for the special on this week’s NXT UK episode. Travis Banks will face Noam Dar, and NXT UK Tag Team Champions The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) will defend their titles against Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) and Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster in a triple threat match.
In storyline, Andrews & Webster earned their way into the Tag Team title match after getting wins on the past two episodes of NXT UK. Webster defeated Mark Coffey on the episode that aired last Wednesday, while Andrews defeated Drake on this week’s show.
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff is hosting UK TakeOver on Saturday, August 31. It’s the second TakeOver special in NXT UK history.
Here’s the updated card for UK TakeOver: Cardiff:
WWE United Kingdom Champion WALTER defending against Tyler Bate
NXT UK Women’s Champion Toni Storm defending against Kay Lee Ray
NXT UK Tag Team Champions The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) defending against Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) and Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster in a triple threat match
Travis Banks vs. Noam Dar
Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey in a last man standing match
Taped April 20, 2019 at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland
Quick results —
The Hunt beat Saxon Huxley & Tyson T-Bone in a short opener. Kay Lee Ray pinned Kasey Owens in another quick match.
The Grizzled Young Veterans announced that they’ll have to defend their NXT UK Tag Team titles at Download Festival.
In a very good fatal four-way match, Travis Banks earned a future title shot at WWE United Kingdom Champion WALTER by defeating Jordan Devlin, Joe Coffey, and Dave Mastiff.
Full rundown —
– The show opened with a video hyping up tonight’s number one contender’s fatal four-way match between Jordan Devlin, Dave Mastiff, Joe Coffey and Travis Banks.
The Hunt (Primate & Wild Boar) defeated Tyson T-Bone & Saxon Huxley after pinning Huxley with stereo diving headbutts (3:41)
The heels dominated early and worked over Wild Boar between some quick tags. Primate finally was in after a hot tag and ran wild with suplexes and strikes. Boar hit a wild senton into the corner on Huxley, then The Hunt won after an assisted back suplex and double diving headbutts off the top rope.
After the match, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang ran out and attacked The Hunt. They threw Wild Boar into the guard rails and Primate into the announce table, then intimidated Vic Joseph for good measure.
– A video on Kay lee Ray aired. It was announced she’d be in action next.
– A graphic announced Ilja Dragunov vs. Joseph Conners for next week.
– Another graphic plugged NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff for August 31.
Kay Lee Ray pinned Kasey Owens after a Gory Bomb (3:58)
KLR worked over Owens’ arm, but Owens countered with a quick roll-up. Owens tried an armbar over the top rope, but KLR kicked her in the back while she was upside down, sending her crashing to ringside.
KLR followed up with a dropkick and some ground and pound. They traded offense back and forth until KLR ducked a running kick, hit a slap, and hit a Gory Bomb for the win.
– A highlight video about Imperium aired. WALTER said Imperium means absolute power.
– A video on the debut of Jazzy Gabert, alongside Jinny aired, including Xia Brookside getting destroyed by Gabert. Backstage, Jinny and Gabert were being interviewed. Jinny said she knew exactly what to do and decided to befriend Gabert once she saw her in the crowd at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool. She said Gabert would take care of whoever wanted to get in her way.
– Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness were about to analyze tonight’s main event, but the Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake( entered the arena.
Grizzled Young Veterans in-ring promo
An angry Zack Gibson said they were informed they had to defend their NXT UK Tag Team titles in front of a bunch of sweaty freaks at Download Festival.
Gibson said it was expected that he walk in his custom tailored shoes over a muddy field drenched in bodily fluids while bands like Slipknot butcher music. He said if they’re unhappy, the NXT UK locker room soon would be unhappy and asked “the old man” to sort it out.
– Another NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff video aired, followed by a feature about Tyler Bate in the new issue of Men’s Health UK.
– Imperium (WALTER, Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) vs. British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) was announced for next week
WWE United Kingdom Championship number one contender’s fatal four-way match: Travis Banks defeated Dave Mastiff, Joe Coffey, and Jordan Devlin when he pinned Devlin after the Kiwi Crusher (12:14)
Banks attacked Devlin right away. As they brawled on the outside, Coffey and Mastiff clashed, eventually also ending up on the outside. They ran into each other, until Banks decided to dive onto Mastiff, but got brushed aside.
Some dives later, all four men were down at ringside. Banks and Devlin ended up back in the ring, but got interrupted by Coffey. Banks ended up taking both men out as they were in opposite corners. Seconds later, Mastiff was back in and hit a number of German suplexes on everyone.
As Coffey recovered, he hit a combined airplane spin and inverted big swing on Banks and Devlin, then took Devlin for another ride on a butterfly swing. Devlin recovered, sent Coffey to the outside, and hit a uranage/standing moonsault combo on Banks. Devlin then disposed of Mastiff as he was trying to get back into the ring. He mocked Gallus, which drew the ire of Joe Coffey.
The other three played a round of Whack-A-Devlin and he was sent to the outside. As the dust settled, Mastiff hit his running senton into the corner onto both Coffey and Banks, prompting Devlin to make the save during the pinfall attempt that followed.
In quick succession, everyone hit big moves on each other, followed by narrow saves. As Mastiff and Coffey took out each other, Banks hit Slice of Heaven and the Kiwi Crusher on Devlin for the win.
Next week —
Imperium faces British Strong Style. Ilja Dragunov takes on Joseph Conners.
Jordan Devlin and Travis Banks continued their feud but did not manage to resolve it, as they went to a double countout in an intensely fought, great main event.
Pete Dunne addressed the crowd to open the show and got interrupted by Gallus. As Joe Coffey cut a promo on Dunne, WALTER made his entrance and he and Dunne cleaned house on Gallus, then had a staredown.
On the undercard, Nina Samuels beat the debuting Lana Austin, while Eddie Dennis returned for the first time since losing to Dave Mastiff at TakeOver and destroyed Jamie Ahmed.
Full rundown —
– The show opened with a recap of Jordan Devlin attacking Travis Banks as he entered the arena and then again before their scheduled match at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool two weeks ago. It then progressed to Banks vowing to take revenge. Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness talked more about the match in studio.
– Pete Dunne came to the ring to address the crowd. He said that at TakeOver: Blackpool “we made history!” He said that while things changed since the first show in Blackpool two years ago, since TakeOver: Chicago in 2017, he’s still the WWE United Kingdom Champion.
Gallus came out, with Joe Coffey saying that TakeOver didn’t change a thing and this was still his kingdom. He said that the war wasn’t over and the end of it, the UK title would be around his waist. He said if anyone had a problem with that, they should speak up.
At that point, the lights went out, the fourth movement of Antonín Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9 hit, and WALTER walked to the ring. Gallus suddenly looked like they wanted to quickly leave ringside, but it was a ruse as Wolfgang and Mark Coffey hit the ring.
WALTER kicked Coffey in the face and Dunne snapped Wolfgang’s fingers, sending the heels packing. Dunne and WALTER then stared at each other, with WALTER eyeing Dunne’s title before leaving.
– Sid Scala made a statement in front of some journalists about NXT UK being part of the Worlds Collide tournament in Phoenix for Royal Rumble Axxess this weekend. Scala said they also would tape three episodes of NXT UK there.
Zack Gibson and James Drake entered the venue in the background. Scala asked them if they wanted to address the media. The tag champs virtually blew Scala off and Gibson said they’d give a statement next week.
Nina Samuels defeated Lana Austin in 4:09 after hitting Prima Donna
Austin made her NXT UK debut here. She started out in 2013, was a regular with Future Shock Wrestling, and also appeared for promotions such as ICW, ATTACK! Pro, Pro Wrestling: EVE, and a large number of other UK indies, and also wrestled at at a UK taping for Impact. She is a mother of three and is the current Future Shock Wrestling Women’s Champion.
Austin started out strong, but Samuels grounded things to a hold with a headlock, then hit a snapmare for a two count. Austin got out of another headlock with a Russian leg sweep and hit a number of clotheslines and punches.
Samuels finally managed to pick Austin up and hit Prima Donna for the victory.
– A recap video of the NXT UK Tag Team Championship tournament finals from TakeOver aired, with Gibson and Drake beating Moustache Mountain. An interview that Radzi Chinyanganya conducted with Moustache Mountain after the match was also shown. Trent Seven was devastated — but Tyler Bate said that they would eventually win the titles.
– Travis Banks was shown warming up backstage.
– An interview that Radzi conducted with Toni Storm after her match at TakeOver aired. She said that the brand deserved the best women’s division and she would do everything to give the fans that. She said the Mae Young Classic changed her and the experience helped her win the NXT UK Women’s Championship.
Eddie Dennis defeated Jamie Ahmed in 4:41 after hitting the Next Stop Driver
Dennis charged in, but Ahmed took over with a hip toss until Dennis hit a hard lariat to quickly end that flare-up of offense. Dennis locked on a cravat and kept the hold on even after Ahmed tried rolling through on it. Dennis hit a hard knee and threw Ahmed out of the ring, then struck him down with a hard running forearm.
Back inside, Ahmed escaped the Severn Bridge and hit a boxing combination, but Dennis stopped him in his tracks after he went to the top rope and hit a big superplex. Dennis hit the Next Stop Driver for the victory.
– A Tweet by Johnny Saint was shown, announcing Moustache Mountain vs. Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner for next week.
– Jordan Devlin was shown preparing backstage.
Jordan Devlin and Travis Banks went to a double countout in 13:24
The match started off hot as Banks ran down to the ring and immediately attacked Devlin, quickly clotheslined him to the outside and hit a suicide dive, and then hit a second one to another side of the ring just as Devlin recovered. Banks threw him over the barrier and manhandled him in the crowd, eventually kicking him back to the ringside area, then hit a dive off the barrier on Devlin.
Devlin eventually clipped Banks’ knee, but Banks came back with a double stomp onto Devlin’s back from the apron. Banks punished Devlin some more with aggressive kicks.
Devlin took over by kicking Banks off the turnbuckle on a springboard attempt and followed up with a backstabber. He hit his over-the-shoulder backbreaker for a near fall, then followed it up with his uranage/standing moonsault combo. After some submission holds, Devlin hit an insane standing Spanish Fly off the apron to the outside, and both men barely made it back into the ring.
Devlin hit another Spanish Fly off a clothesline attempt by Banks, but Banks powered right back up and hit a super stiff lariat. Banks wouldn’t let go of Devlin’s wrist, hitting a number of forearms. When even a headbutt couldn’t loosen the Kiwi Buzzsaw’s grip, Devlin hit his pull-up backdrop driver. Banks managed to hit the Kiwi Crusher, but Devlin kicked out at two.
Devlin went for Ireland’s Call but couldn’t hold Banks up. They both staggered through the ropes to the outside — and neither man could make it back to the ring to answer the count.
Neither wrestler was happy with the result and they began brawling again, with Banks throwing Devlin over the barrier. They brawled beside the crowd as the show faded to black.
Next week —
Moustache Mountain face Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner — and WALTER makes his NXT UK in-ring debut.
An angle at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool led to a member of the WWE main roster making a surprise appearance.
Finn Balor subbed in for Travis Banks at UK TakeOver: Blackpool, defeating Jordan Devlin. The pre-show for the special featured an angle where video of Devlin attacking Banks as he arrived at the building was shown. WWE stated that Banks had been medically cleared to wrestle, but he and Devlin brawled before their match officially started and Devlin attacked Banks’ knee.
Devlin cut a promo in the ring, saying that it didn’t look like he’d be having a match at TakeOver. Devlin also called himself “the greatest Irish wrestler alive.” The crowd chanted “Finn” — and Devlin replied by asking “who?”
NXT UK on-screen authority figures Johnny Saint and Sid Scala then came to the stage, Scala said they had a backup plan, and Balor made his entrance.
Balor was one of Devlin’s trainers, which played into the story of the match. They had a competitive match, with Balor winning with the Coup de Grace.
The card for NXT UK’s first TakeOver special is set.
Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin was officially announced for NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool on Wednesday’s go-home show for the special. TakeOver is taking place at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England this Saturday and will air live on the WWE Network.
Banks and Devlin’s feud continued with Devlin coming out dressed as Banks and trying to distract Banks during his match against Tyson T-Bone on the second of this week’s NXT UK episodes. After Banks won, there was a post-match angle where Devlin ran to the ring and brawled with him. Devlin bailed when Banks got the better of it, and their match was announced for TakeOver soon after that.
NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday. There will also be a 30-minute pre-show on the WWE Network starting at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. Here’s the card for the show:
WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne defending against Joe Coffey
NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley defending against Toni Storm
Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) vs. Zack Gibson & James Drake in the finals of the NXT UK Tag Team title tournament
Episode 24 (taped November 25, 2018 at the Liverpool Olympia in Liverpool, England)
Quick results:
Ligero beat Joseph Conners. Travis Banks beat Tyson T-Bone in a short match, marred by Jordan Devlin coming out during the match. Banks won anyway and then sent Devlin packing. Gallus (Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) beat British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate).in a tremendous 25 minute match, leading up to Dunne and Coffey facing each other for Dunne’s WWE UK Championship this Saturday at NXT TakeOver: Blackpool.
Full rundown:
A video of the Gallus/British Strong Style rivalry and tonight’s six men tag main event match opened the show.
Ligero beat Joseph Conners in 5:21 after a springboard tornado DDT
Conners for weeks talked about the “shiny new toys” of NXT UK, mentioning guys like Ligero vowing to break them. Ligero started out strong, hitting Conners with a number of quick moves. Conners eventually managed to take over by pushing him into the ring post on the apron, then hit a hard clothesline in the ring for a near-fall. Conners continued to aggressively work Ligero over. Ligero finally came back with a fireman’s carry and kick to the head, but was quickly stopped again. Conners started to tear at Ligero’s mask, but Ligero eventually hit his springboard tornado DDT for the win.
Radzi interviewed Zack Gibson and James Drake backstage about their upcoming NXT UK tag team title match at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool. Gibson reiterated that they were undefeated and said they were so confident that they cleared a space on their mantelpieces and would take to Facebook Live for an early celebration. He said they were “sssssoon to be recognized the NXT UK Tag Team Champions”.
British Strong Style and Gallus were shown preparing for their match backstage.
A Dave Mastiff/Eddie Dennis aired. Mastiff talked about their rivalry, stating that he was the only undefeated monster in NXT UK and that Dennis was jealous and he would be the victor in their no disqualification match.
Travis Banks beat Tyson T-Bone in 2:08 with A Slice of Heaven
T-Bone was aggressive from the start, rag dolling Banks around and hitting him with some hard strikes, but Banks came back with strikes and a running shotgun dropkick, followed by a double foot stomp into the corner. 90 seconds in, Jordan Devlin’s music played and he came out, dressed like Banks. As this was not RAW, Banks only briefly was distracted, but took right back over, eventually hitting a Slice of Heaven for the pin.
Devlin then entered the ring and attacked Banks, but Banks quickly hit a Slice of Heaven on him and sent him packing.
A recap video of the Toni Storm/Rhea Ripley rivalry aired, featuring the NXT UK Women’s Championship finals between them, followed by Ripley’s dominant title reign and Toni winning the Mae Young Classic and challenging for the title.
A segment ran down the NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool card, including a breaking news announcement of Travis Banks facing Jordan Devlin
Gallus (Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) beat British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) in 25:29 when Joe Coffey pinned Tyler Bate after a spinning lariat
Bate and Joe Coffey started things off to massive Tyler Bate chants. Bate got forced into a bridge off a test of strength, with Coffey going for a number of pin attempts before fighting his way back to his feet. All six men briefly faced off before the referee could restore order. Seven and Wolfgang were in next and Seven hit a cross body before chaos between all six men broke out again. Now Dunne and Mark Coffey were in. Dunne quickly hit a hard clothesline before another melee broke out, this time ending in a big brawl with Gallus ending up at ringside.
Back in the ring, Dunne started stretching Mark Coffey and British Strong Style quickly tagged in and out, working over Mark Coffey until Bate crashed into Wolfgang and the heels got the advantage, working over the Big Strong Boi. At one point, Bate took a great Bret-Hart-style chest-first bump into the corner before managing the hot tag to Trent Seven. who took over like a house of fire on all three men, prompting Wolfgang and Mark Coffey to hi each other inadvertently a number of times. This ended when Joe Coffey smashed him shoulder-first into the ring steps on the outside to turn the tables once more.
Gallus worked over Seven for a few minutes before he finally managed to hit a big superplex on Joe Coffey and make the hot tag Pete Dunne. He hit an X-Plex on Mark Coffey and locked in a knee bar on Wolfgang, who eventually managed to tag Joe Coffey. Dunne immediately locked Coffey in a triangle, and then, as Coffey tagged Wolfgang who came off the top rope, Dunne caught him in an arm bar.
Wolfgang eventually suplexed his way out and Dunne tagged Bate. Bate and Coffey had a few great spots, ending with Coffey missing a springboard body press and Bate hitting a running shooting star. Bate escaped a wheel barrow spin by Coffey, then picked him up for a long air plane spin. Coffey escaped a Tyler Driver ’97 attempt and then both men went down after trading strikes.
Both tagged out to Seven and Mark Coffey with Seven hitting a ripcord DDT before all three members of British Strong Style hit a triple power bomb on Mark. Bate then hit a dive on Wolfgang. Dunne and Mark Coffey were in the ring, but Dunne got distracted when Joe Coffey has his WWE UK title on the apron. Joe Coffey hit a big power bomb on Dunne for a very close near fall, with Bate breaking up the pin.
After some more chaos, Dunne and Joe Coffey ended up together in the ring, doing the Frye-Takayama exchange of strikes. Dunne stomped on Coffey fingers but ate a spear in return. Dunne thwarted a second attempt with a hard knee to the head. Dunne broke Coffey’s fingers and hit the Bitter End, but didn’t see Wolfgang getting tagged in. Dunne tagged Bate, who hit a corkscrew senton on everybody on the outside. Bate hiot a rolling kick on Wolfgang who managed to tag out to Joe Coffey. Bate went for his springboard lariat, but Coffey caught him with the spinning lariat for the pin in the finish to a great match,
Pete Dunne faced off with Gallus from the apron as the show went off the air.
Next episode:
The fallout from the first ever NXT UK TakeOver special, probably with matches being taped this coming weekend.
Also, don’t miss NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool this coming Saturday at 2 PM ET (7 PM BST, 8 PM CET) on the WWE Network (pre-show starts half an hour earlier).
Episode 17 (taped October 14 at Plymouth Pavilions in Plymouth, England)
Quick recap:
Toni Storm made her return to NXT UK after being injured in her title match with Rhea Ripley and beat Charlie Morgan. James Drake & Zack Gibson managed to beat Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews with some outside assistance by Fabian Aichner in an attempt to qualify for the NXT UK Tag Team Championship tournament.
In another women’s match, Nina Samuels beat Killer Kelly. Joe Coffey managed to beat Travis Banks, further cementing his status as a legitimate contender for Pete Dunne’s WWE UK Championship. For some reason, the sound mix was off for this episode, with the music too loud and the commentary too silent on any segments involving the announcers and background music.
Full rundown:
Toni Storm defeated Charlie Morgan in 3:56 after Storm Zero
They briefly shook hands, then locked up but neither woman could get the advantage. Morgan slapped Toni, but she came back with slaps of her own, followed by a big boot and a low dropkick for a one count. Toni got on a cross between an Indian Deathlock and STF, but Morgan made the ropes. Morgan managed to fend off Toni’s attack in the corner and hit a step-up enzuigiri for a quick cover.
She kept being on offense, working over Toni with kicks and locked in a camel clutch in an attempt to break Toni’s back and make her humble. Toni managed to escape and flip Morgan over, then followed up with forearm strikes and a release German suplex. Toni hit the hip attack in the corner, then followed up with Storm Zero for the win.
In the studio, Vic and Nigel talked about Toni being back and threw it to a music video about Gallus. The sound mix was off here and it was hard to understand them.
A video hyping up Gallus aired, with highlights of the destruction they caused over the past few weeks.
Joe Coffey and Travis Banks were shows warming up backstage in a split screen; this was followed up by a WrestleMania hype video.
James Drake & Zack Gibson defeated Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews in 8:49 when Gibson submitted Andrews with the Shankly Gates
The sound mix still was off during the entrances, making it nearly impossible to understand the announcers while the music was playing.
Gibson and Andrews started, with Gibson using his size advantage early on but Andrews being the quicker man and countering most of his offense. Andrews tagged out and they hit a double hip toss combined moonsault/reverse shooting star onto Gibson. Morgan locked in a guillotine but Gibson backed him into his own corner and Drake tagged in.
Drake briefly took over but Webster hit the Rude Boy Block off the second turnbuckle. As he went to the top again, Gibson took off his wrist tape and threw it at Webster, distracting him enough for Drake to attack and send him to the outside. Gibson picked him up for a backbreaker to the outside and Drake jumped over the ropes and hit a knee onto Webster.
The heels continued working over Webster in and outside the ring. The fans were livid at this point with “shoes off if you hate Gibson” chants and virtually everyone waving their shoes into the air, prompting Nigel to complain about the smell in the arena. Drake hit a forearm for a near-fall and applied a chin lock. Webster finally managed to push Drake into Gibson and reach for the hot tag. Andrews came in with a springboard huracanrana on Gibson right away, then slid under a double clothesline and hit a double Pelé kick on both heels.
Andrews got caught on a moonsault attempt, but managed to turn it into a swinging DDT. Gibson finally managed to thwart another aerial attack by Andrews, kicking his legs off the ropes and following with a forearm, leading into a missile dropkick by Drake and Grit Your Teeth (a running Codebreaker) by Gibson for a near-fall.
Andrews managed to escape a Doomsday Device attempt, make the tag to Webster who sent Gibson to the outside, hit Drake with an enzuigiri from the apron and followed up with an inverted huracanrana from the second turnbuckle, but Gibson managed to make the save. Webster manged to hit a head-butt, sending Gibson staggering, but Gibson managed to pick up Webster and throw him into Andrews who was on the top rope.
The heels tossed Webster out of the ring and grabbed Andrews, but he managed to turn a double suplex attempt into a double Stunt Dog Millionaire. Andrews went to the top to hit the Shooting Star Press on Drake but Fabian Aichner ran out and threw Webster into the steel steps, prompting Andrews to hit a plancha onto him. Meanwhile, Drake tagged out to Gibson without Andrews noticing, so when Andrews finally hit the Shooting Star Press, Drake wasn’t the legal man anymore. Gibson slid into the ring and locked in the Shankly Gates.
After the match, Aichner got back into the ring and attacked Andrews, picking him up for his spinning power bomb but Webster pulled Andrews down at the last second and they managed to send Aichner packing.
A highlight video hyped up Killer Kelly and Nina Samuels, who we were told would be competing next; this was followed by a WWE Custom Tees commercial.
Nina Samuels defeated Killer Kelly in 4:30 after Hell to the Knee-na
Problems with the sound mix continued. Samuels managed to avoid Kelly a few times, before slapping her and getting caught in a wrist lock, but managed to escape to the ropes. Samuels kept teasing Kelly, but only drew the ire of Kelly, who hit a series of forearms and a big boot for a two-count.
Samuels ducked a right hand by Kelly on the apron and snapped the her neck on the top rope. Samuels locked in a sitting full nelson on the mat. Kelly briefly powered out but Samuels locked it back in and hit a snap mare and a a somersault neck snap for another near fall. Kelly was tied up in the ropes and Samuels hit a running dropkick to Kelly’s back for yet another two count.
Samuels locked in another full nelson, but Kelly managed to slide out of the move and roll Nina up. Kelly suplex her into the corner and hit a running basement dropkick for a close near-fall. Kelly tried for a fisherman’s buster but Samuels grabbed one of her pigtails and rammed her into the corner. She followed up with Hell to the Knee-na for the win.
A graphic for our main event was shown followed by a commercial for the AJ Styles 365 special.
Radzi interviewed Fabian Aichner backstage, talking about Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster getting the last laugh. Aichner said that if they thought they could mess with him, they got another thing coming. Webster and Andrews won’t win the NXT tag team titles because Aichner would find himself a partner and win the titles himself.
Joe Coffey defeated “The Kiwi Buzzsaw” Travis Banks in 11:13 after a discuss lariat.
Coffey came out on his own, without his Gallus brethren. Both guys charged each other but Banks started out with strikes and kicks. They had a striking battle early, until Banks hit a shotgun dropkick followed by a swinging kick on the apron. They battled on the outside until Coffey rolled Banks back into the ring, but Banks came flying right back with a topé to the back of Coffey.
Coffey then hit a slingshot on Banks, sending him into the barricades shoulder-first to take the lead. Back in the ring, Coffey started working over Banks’ still injured right shoulder, including locking in a full nelson, which he kept on despite some brief attempts of Banks to escape.Coffey continuously attacked the shoulder with a number of strikes, yanks, and submission holds.
Banks finally hit a few kicks, but Coffey wouldn’t let go of Banks’ arm, until a big knee strike that sent something from Coffey’s mouth flying. He evaded a corner attack by Coffey and hit a dropkick to the back of his head, followed by a Shining Wizard for a near-fall. After a failed attempt at a fisherman’s buster, Coffey took over again with more attacks of the shoulder and a big power slam. Coffey caught him in a spinning bear-hug and hit an overhead belly-to-belly for another near-fall.
They battled on the top rope until Banks hit a head-butt to send Coffey to the mat, followed by a double foot stop to Coffey’s neck and then another double stomp in the corner from the second turnbuckle. Banks hit a fisherman’s buster for a near-fall, hit a hard elbow on Coffey on the apron, sending him to the floor.
Banks followed that one with a suicide dive and rolled Coffey back inside. Banks hit yet another double foot stomp onto Coffey’s back for a close two-count. As Banks missed an aerial attack and rolled through, Coffey hit him with a spear (although it was more a flying shove) into the corner and went for his discuss lariat. Banks blocked it, but Coffey spun around again and successfully hit the discuss lariat for the win.
Next episode:
They didn’t announce anything, but we are heading into the November set of tapings next week, including the start of the NXT UK Tag Team Championship tournament and the debut of a few new faces in NXT UK.
Travis Banks returned from his shoulder injury, making his NXT UK TV in-ring debut against Wolfgang and defeating the big man in a match marred by interference from both Gallus and Moustache Mountain.
Joseph Conners beat Dan Moloney in the opener, while Dave Mastiff tamed the “Wild Boar” Mike Hitchman. Ligero managed to defeat Tyson T-Bone, and NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley made short work of the debuting Candy Floss. In other news, Eddie Dennis stalked Dave Mastiff backstage and Sid Scala promised more on the NXT UK Tag Team titles for next week.
Full rundown:
– The show opened with the same graphic and scrolling message as the last episode, remembering the Dynamite Kid.
– Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness were in studio and talked about our main event, Wolfgang vs. the returning Travis Banks.
– We were also told that Rhea Ripley would be in action tonight.
Joseph Conners defeated Dan Moloney in 4:51 after hitting Don’t Look Down
We took a look at Conners turning against Saxon Huxley a few weeks back and him beating his former partner three episodes ago.
They locked up and Moloney actually hit a judo hip toss, taking Conners down, then hitting a back body drop. Conners came back and actually attacked Moloney’s ear, I guess because he still is mad for losing half of his in a bar fight. He went to ringside and actually attacked Moloney from there, raining forearms across the back of his head on the apron. He took Moloney down with a clothesline and applied a chinbar.
Conners drove Moloney into the corner, but Moloney came back with a spinebuster. Conners managed to turn the match around once more, hitting a sunset powerbomb that drove Moloney into the turnbuckles, then hit Don’t Look Down for the win.
– Joseph and McGuinness talked about Banks and Wolfgang some more and then mentioned the women’s division.
– Radzi Chinyanganya was backstage with Isla Dawn, asking her if who she was as a person would help her rise. Dawn said that who she is and everything she does comes from a place of good, a place of honesty. Truth and spirit are the qualities she needs to send her on her journey for the NXT UK Women’s Championship.
Rhea Ripley interrupted the interview and said that last week she told Johnny Saint and Sid Scala to find her suitable competition, not just competition — and that while she found someone for tonight, she suggested that Dawn watch her match closely.
– A graphic announced Dave Mastiff would meet the “Wild Boar” Mike Hitchman tonight.
– We saw Moustache Mountain arriving at the building earlier today where they were confronted by Gallus. The two factions almost got into a brawl, but a number of officials, including Scala and Saint kept them apart. Saint commanded Gallus “Away with ya, away!” Johnny Saint is the best.
“Bomber” Dave Mastiff defeated “Wild Boar” Mike Hitchman in 4:09 after the cannonball into the corner
They briefly locked up and Hitchman attacked right away, but Mastiff sent him to the mat with a hard forearm, then trapped both of his arms behind his back and rained down some elbows that had the Boar dizzy. He had Hitchman in a waist lock — but he escaped and Mastiff missed with a charge following that.
Boar hit a running senton onto Mastiff in the corner, then tried for an armbar and actually fish hooked Mastiff’s mouth. Mastiff came back with a headbutt, forearm strikes, and a running senton of his own. Boar came back with a couple of shoulder blocks that had the big man wobbling, then hit a running spear into the corner, which took Mastiff down.
As Hitchman came flying in with another hurled senton, Mastiff got his shotgun dropkick into the corner and finished things off with his cannonball for the victory.
– We took a look at Travis Banks being taken out backstage from the first set of tapings (he actually had a legit shoulder injury at the time) as the announcers talked about tonight’s main event.
– A graphic informed us that Ligero would meet Tyson T-Bone next.
– Radzi was backstage with Mastiff, asking how he felt, since he still was undefeated. Mastiff said he felt great, that people shouldn’t underestimate the Wild Boar, but that he was the better man tonight and was going all the way to the top. As he talked, a figure was seen in the background, but the camera was out of focus.
As Mastiff walked away, the camera focused on the person in the background, and it was Eddie Dennis peeking at Mastiff from the doorway. I’m sure headmaster Dennis suspended kids for less than creepily spying on other kids.
Ligero defeated Tyson T-Bone in 6:32 after a springboard splash
Ligero hit some leg kicks early, trying to attack the larger man’s base and ducking his attacks. This worked well for a while. Ligero even hit an enzuigiri from the apron to T-Bone in the ring. A right hand by T-Bone sent the Leeds Luchador to the outside and T-Bone got a few punches in as Ligero was leaning into the steel steps.
Back in the ring, the big man hit a fallaway slam, then locked in a rear chinlock. Ligero came back with more leg kicks and another enzuigiri, a dropkick, and a top-rope assisted Sliced Bread. T-Bone recovered and hit an exploder, then a running kick and a running hip attack into the corner, leading to a near fall.
T-Bone missed his knockout punch and tumbled to ringside. Ligero hit a running somersault from the apron and followed up with a springboard splash for the pin.
– A highlight video of Rhea Ripley aired, showing her way to winning the NXT UK Women’s Championship.
NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley defeated Candy Floss in 2:49 after Riptide in a non-title match
Candy Floss at just 19 (I believe she still was 18 when this was taped) already has three years as a pro under her belt. She was trained at the PROGRESS Projo by Darrell Allen and had her debut in 2016. She wrestled for PROGRESS, Riptide Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling: EVE in the UK, before embarking on her first tour of Japan for Stardom in April of 2018.
Ripley was out first and cut a promo in the ring. She said she was all about opportunities and took her opportunity to become the first-ever NXT UK Women’s Champion. She said she had hand-picked someone from the back to have the opportunity of a lifetime.
Candy Floss came out and Ripley, while seemingly amused by the young woman with the pink hair, offered a handshake and even broke a lock-up off clean as Candy Floss got to the ropes. That was about as nice as Ripley would get, as she started working Candy Floss’ arm.
Candy Floss managed to escape the armlock and hit a running dropkick that had Ripley staggering. The champ quickly came back with a dropkick of her own and applied a rear-naked choke. Candy Floss managed to power out eventually, but a knee to the gut stopped her offense dead in its tracks. Ripley hit a few shoulder charges into the corner and quickly hit Riptide for the victory.
Afterwards, Ripley helped Candy Floss up and even raised her arm, but then quickly attacked her with a forearm to the back of the head. She hit some ground and pound and stomps for good measure and finally threw Candy Floss out of the ring.
– Flash Morgan Webster got interviewed by a number of anonymous journalists backstage. He talked about himself and Mark Andrews teaming up, then Fabian Aichner showed up and Webster confronted him about his match with Andrews earlier. Aichner told him to do something about it next week, if Webster didn’t like how he conducted himself in the ring.
Webster accepted the challenge and the match was confirmed in a graphic.
– Scala and Saint were backstage and teacher’s pet Scala told us that Saint had allowed him to make his first few announcements. He said that Trent Seven would meet Joe Coffey next week and there would also be an update on the NXT UK Tag Team titles.
Saint looked around somewhat bewildered in the background, but I am not sure if this was legit or planned. Still, Johnny Saint is the best. He always looks like the nice grandpa that would give you candy and then simultaneously stretch you if you ate them all at once.
“The Kiwi Buzzsaw” Travis Banks defeated Wolfgang in 4:16 after turning a suplex attempt into a pin when Trent Seven held on to Wolfgang’s leg
Banks, from New Zealand, started out in 2009, wrestling for New Zealand Wide Wrestling early on and supposedly lived in an abandoned train carriage in New Zealand for two years. He eventually went to Japan and wrestled with ZERO1 and first wrestled for AAW in the U.S. in 2013.
He started appearing on a regular basis in the UK in 2016, wrestling for PROGRESS, ATTACK! Pro, Fight Club: PRO, Defiant (WCPW), Southside, RevPro, IPW:UK, Preston City Wrestling, and numerous others. He also first appeared for wXw in 2017 and was part of this year’s 16 Carat Gold tournament. He wrestled at WrestleMania Axxess in 2017 and 2018 and also was part of PWG’s BOLA in 2017 and appeared for EVOLVE a few times.
Banks teamed with TK Cooper as the South Pacific Power Trip and is part of CCK with Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos. He is a former PROGRESS World Champion, a title he actually defended at WrestleMania Axxess this year, won PROGRESS’ Super Strong Style tournament in 2017, and has also held singles and tag team titles in Defiant, RevPro, Fight Club: PRO, and ATTACK!
Wolfgang mocked Banks’ shoulder injury at the start of the match, but Banks hit a forearm as Wolfgang did his howl, then followed up with a few kicks. Wolfgang eventually threw his injured shoulder into the post. As they went to ringside, Mark Coffey provided some distraction to allow Wolfgang to take over and throw Banks into the steps.
Back in the ring, Wolfgang applied a nerve hold. Banks fought back with his injured shoulder, which prevented him from throwing hard punches. He eventually hit a dropkick into the corner. As Wolfgang went outside once more, Banks hit a nice running double foot stomp off the apron onto his opponent. He followed that up with another jumping kick off the second rope back in the ring.
Mark Coffey once more provided a distraction, allowing Wolfgang to hit a running kick, followed by a running back senton and a spear for a near fall. Banks hit Slice of Heaven from the second turnbuckle but couldn’t capitalize as the rest of Gallus once more was on the apron, distracting him.
Moustache Mountain ran out and pulled them off, then Banks hit a suicide dive on the heels. Wolfgang came back with a forearm and went to suplex Banks back inside the ring, but Trent Seven pulled his leg away and Banks managed to land on Wolfgang for the pin and the win in mid-move.
Moustache Mountain celebrated with Banks as the heels avoided another confrontation.
Episode twelve (taped October 13 at Plymouth Pavilions in Plymouth, England)
Quick recap
Fabian Aichner made his NXT UK debut, defeating Mark Andrews and looking good in the process. Isla Dawn beat Nina Samuels in a quick match, while Edie Dennis basically squashed Tucker. Jordan Devlin beat Flash Morgan Webster in a good main event match.
Also, Travis Banks returned from injury to confront Gallus, the new official name for the group of Wolfgang and the Coffey Brothers. In other news, Sid Scala officially was appointed assistant to NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint.
Full rundown
The show opened with a graphic about Tom “Dynamite Kid” Billington passing away. A scrolling message at the bottom of the screen also wished his family, friends and fans the best.
This was the first show from the third set of NXT UK tapings and saw a number of debuts and returns, the first of which happened in the first segment. Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang came out and Joe Coffey cut a promo in the ring. He said people had been calling them “ruthless”, then asked his brother for what other word they had been called. “Devious”, was the answer.
He asked Wolfgang for another term. “Underhanded”, was what Wolfgang told him. He said that this was absolutely right, he said that this was their kingdom and that they would be known as Gallus, which, according to Wikipedia means is a Lowland Scottish word for self-confident, daring, cheeky or stylish, impressive,
He said that this was their kingdom now and that there was no such thing as Big Strong Bois anymore. At that point, Travis banks came out and stood in the aisle. Joe Coffey asked him how he felt and that they had put him on the shelf. he dared Banks to get in the ring, noting that there were three of them and just one of him.
He then told him they could go one on one. Banks stormed the ring, but as he took Joe down, the rest of Gallus interfered and beat him down. Moustache Mountain ran out to make the save, sending the heels packing.
Nigel and Vic were in studio, talking about the last segment and then threw it to a backstage interview where Radzi Chinyanganya interviewed Fabian Aichner, who made his debut here. He said that there were some of the best competitors in the world here and he was looking forward to mix it up with them, just as he had done in NXT.
A graphic informed us that Aichner would do battle with Mark Andrews next.
A TLC promo aired.
Radzi was back with Jordan Devlin. Devlin asked if he had seen how far he had pushed Pete Dunne in his own home town and that he was confident another title opportunity would not be too far away for him.
He said that he was the Irish Ace and he looked at the NXT UK roster like a deck of cards and when he shuffles that deck and pulls out Flash Morgan Webster, he sees the Joker. He threatened to rip off Webster’s anorak, throw his helmet in the fifth row and said that the Ace always trumps the Heart. (which makes basically no sense in any kind of card game, but I digress)
Fabian Aichner beat Mark Andrews in 9:19 after a spinning sit-out power bomb
Aichner of course is the current EVOLVE world champion. He hails from South Tyrol which is a German speaking autonomous province in northern Italy, which originally belonged to the Austrian-Hungarian empire (there, you learned something). He started in 2011 and trained in Germany with former WCW “Wunderkind” Alex Wright and his English father, Steve Wright.
Aichner and Andrews shook hands for the start of the match. After some back and forth, Aichner showed his power by easily gorilla pressing Andrews, but Andrews reversed out of the move. He tried his somersault over the top rope from the apron, but Aichner once more caught him in mid-move, even though Andrews managed to turn the move into a lucha arm drag and followed with a huracanrana. Andrews followed this up with a topé.
Back in the ring, Aichner stopped Andrews, threw him high into the air and caught him for a backbreaker, which looked impressive. Nigel talked about Aichner’s trainer Steve Wright once wrestling Tiger Mask, in a similar display of strength and technique versus high flying. Andrews hit a standing corkscrew senton for a near-fall and turned a power bomb attempt into a huracanrana.
He once more tried his somersault over the roped but this time it ended in a hard face slam for him. Aichner turned him inside out with a clothesline and went for a brain buster which got turned into the Stunt Dog Millionaire. Andrews went up top but Aichner caught him mid-air and gave him a brain buster for a near fall.
Aichner then showed his athleticism with a spring board moonsault which missed. Andrews went for a moonsault of his own which got caught, but managed to turn it into a tornado DDT for a near fall of his own. He tried for a shooting star press but impressively managed to land on his feet as Aichner rolled to ringside.
Aichner pulled Andrews out and drove him into the steps, then followed with a running knee into the steel for good measure. This was a turning point, as Aichner supposedly embraced the dark side here. Andrews managed to get back in at 9 but got caught in a spinning sit-out power bomb for the pin.
This was a very good match and a great NXT UK debut for Aichner.
Vic and Nigel talked about the NXT UK Women’s championship tournament, which concluded last week.
A promo looked at Isla Dawn, the White Witch of NXT UK. She went by some ancient buildings and talked about her powers. A graphic announced Isla Dawn would meet Nina Samuels next.
A commercial for the AJ Styles WE 365 documentary aired.
Radzi was with Johnny Saint, asking him how he handled all the chaos going on in NXT UK right now. Johnny said that he knew he needed some help, so he had appointed Sid Scala as his assistant. At that point, Rhea Ripley walked up to them and towered over Scala.
She said they should be talking about her and find her some competition. Scala assured her that they were looking into it. Rhea at that point pinched him in the cheeks and mockingly stated tha the little assistant would be finding her an opponent. She walked off and told Johnny that she didn’t think much of his hired help.
Isla Dawn beat Nina Samuels in 3:20 after a gutwrench powerslam
They locked up and Isla managed to pull out of a head lock. Samuels took over with a chin lock and we were told that she had run the London marathon four times, so she had stamina. That was of little use, as Isla moved out of the way of a charging Samuels and hit some kickboxing kicks, a back drop driver and eventually her gut-wrench power slam for the quick win.
Some Eddie Dennis highlights aired and we were told that he would be in action against Tucker next
A WWE Shop commercial featuring the New Day aired; apparently there is a Book of Booty-Os. Sounds thrilling!
We saw highlights from last week’s tournament final between Rhea Ripley and Toni Storm. Toni talked about the crucial moment when her back got hurt off a spot of being thrown onto the edge of the apron (originally there was fear she would be out for a while with a back injury). She said that while Rhea was the first NXT UK Women’s champion, she herself would be the best champion and the the injury just made her stronger.
Eddie Dennis beat Tucker with the Next Stop Driver in 2:27
Denis was in control from the start with punches and hard whips. He hit his Black Hole Slam into a backbreaker on his knee, then locked Tucker in a cravat. Tucker briefly managed to come back with a back elbow from the second turnbuckle and a clothesline in the corner, but Dennis took his head off with a hard clothesline.
He hit the Severed Bridge into the corner and ended the match with the Next Stop Driver.
We were informed that Jordan Devlin would be in action next
A WWE Network promo aired
Johnny Saint announced via Twitter that Travis Banks would have a chance for retaliation against Gallus next week when he gets to face Wolfgang
Jordan Devlin beat Flash Morgan Webster in 12:04 after Ireland’s Call
Webster early on flipped out of some arm locks and they traded counters back and forth. Devlin eventually took over and kicked Webster into the corner. He hit his uranage/standing moonsault combination and taunted Webster. He picked the smaller man up and hit a backbreaker on his own shoulder, which looked impressive.
After a near fall, he locked in a sitting abdominal stretch. He threw Webster to ringside and smashed him into the apron before rolling him back inside. He taunted Webster some more and answered Webster’s comeback with a face rake. he screamed that Webster didn’t belong on his level nor into his ring.
Webster his the Modern Knee and consecutive dropkicks, followed by an enzuigiri into the corner and followed up with a huracanrana off the top rope. Devlin then did his pull-up by the arms into a backdrop driver spot, which always looks cool. Webster came back with a head-butt that sent Devlin to the outside. Webster followed him with a baseball slide and managed to avoid getting rammed into the steps and hit the Rude Boy Block off the steps on the outside.
He went for a somersault senton but Devlin got his kneed up and eventually landed Ireland’s Call for the victory.
