This was a loud UK crowd with some very non-PG chants at times. Some chants were irrelevant and took away from the matches occasionally. It was a solid show, with the main event being by far the best match.
Dark match —
– Roy Johnson defeated HC Dyer
This was short and not very good.
TV taping results —
– William Regal came out to a loud ovation, thanking the fans and saying that we’ll be first to witness what they’re doing. He announced Mark Andrews vs. James Drake. The winner will face whoever is champion tomorrow.
– Mark Andrews defeated James Drake
The crowd was very quiet for the start, but soon warmed up with a “let’s go Jesus, Jesus sucks” chant. That was followed by “let’s go Andrews, Jesus sucks” chants. There was a “power of Christ compels you” chant as well.
Andrews reversed a suplex into a stunner, then followed with the shooting star press for the win. The match had a good closing stage with stiff shots from both.
– Saxon Huxley & Akira Tozawa defeated Brian Kendrick & Tony Nese
Huxley was over as the “real Jesus” and Tozawa got a big pop as well. Tozawa got a hot tag and ran wild, including an impressive Sick Kick. Tozawa and Huxley won after Tozawa used a top rope senton splash.
– Pete Dunne defeated Sam Gradwell
Dunne worked over Gradwell’s arm/fingers for a lot of the match. They traded stiff slaps during the middle portion. Dunne caught Gradwell coming off the top rope with a forearm and followed with the Bitter End for the win.
– TJP defeated Rich Swann
Swann was on offense early before TJP started working over his leg. Swann made a short comeback, trading hard kicks with TJP after escaping a kneebar attempt. After exchanging pin attempts, TJP locked in the kneebar for the win. This was a standard 205 Live match.
– Tyson T-Bone defeated Dan Moloney
The crowd chanted “Dan, Dan, Dan” in the cadence of the “10” chant. This was nothing special. T-Bone won with a draping DDT off the top turnbuckle.
– Trent Seven defeated Wolfgang
This was a good, hard-hitting match. Wolfgang “injured” Seven’s arm, which played into the match later when Seven couldn’t properly apply a single-leg crab. Wolfgang tried a Swanton, but Seven countered with two knees and won with a Burning Hammer.
– WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate defeated Joseph Conners to retain his title
Excellent match. Conners used some unique offense, including a backdrop into a front slam combination. Bate fired back with a flurry of punches to the crowd’s delight.
Bate did a Fosbury flop where he caught the top rope on the way over but still managed to adjust and hit the move. He hit a second rope fireman’s carry and the Tyler Driver ’97 for the win.
– Dunne will face Seven on tomorrow’s show. The winner will challenge for the UK title at NXT TakeOver: Chicago.
Some of the best European-based wrestlers in the world will be appearing in a WWE ring for the first time during WrestleMania weekend.
WWE announced on Tuesday that wrestlers from NXT, 205 Live, PROGRESS Wrestling, and ICW, as well as some from the UK tournament, will be wrestling in matches at WrestleMania Axxess. NXT matches have been part of the attractions at Axxess over the last few years.
Of those that WWE is advertising, Jimmy Havoc, Mark Haskins, the South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper, Travis Banks & Dahlia Black), Toni Storm, and Jinny are from outside of the company. They will be in Orlando for the show PROGRESS is running on March 31st, which is part of WWN’s weekend of events.
The current schedule of Axxess matches is:
Thursday, March 30th —
Rich Swann vs. Brian Kendrick
TJ Perkins vs. Drew Gulak
More from Hideo Itami and others
Friday, March 31st —
WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate defending against Mark Haskins
Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews
More from Jimmy Havoc, TK Cooper, Travis Banks, Dahlia Black, Toni Storm, and Jinny
Saturday, April 1st (8 a.m. ET) —
Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari
Pete Dunne vs. Wolfgang
WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate defending against Joseph Conners
More matches
Saturday, April 1st (1 p.m. ET) —
Heavy Machinery vs. The Vaudevillains
Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss vs. The Ascension
More from Liv Morgan, Daria Berenato, and others
Saturday, April 1st (6 p.m. ET) —
Akira Tozawa vs. Steve Cutler
Trent Seven vs. Noam Dar
TJ Perkins & Mustafa Ali vs. Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
Sunday, April 2nd —
Trent Seven vs. Wolfgang
WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate defending against Pete Dunne
More from Mark Haskins, Jimmy Havoc, TK Cooper, Travis Banks, Dahlia Black, Toni Storm, and Jinny
‘United Kingdom Championship Live’ will take place in Norwich, England, on May 6-7 at Epic Studios with tickets going on sale Friday at 1 PM GMT. Not coincidentally, Raw and SmackDown will be at the O2 Arena on May 8th and 9th.
WWE listed the following talent to work the two shows: WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Pete Dunne, Mark Andrews, Wolfgang, Tyson T-Bone, Sam Gradwell, James Drake, Joseph Conners, Dan Moloney, and Saxon Huxley.
Additionally, WWE cruiserweights Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa, TJ Perkins, Brian Kendrick and Tony Nese are also booked.
Longtime reader and longtime Observer correspondent Stephen Lyon noted that Epic Studios is where Paige Knight’s World Association of Wrestling used to film their weekly show at, and with three studios, the seating configuration can range from 500-1500.
Lyon also observed, “WWE’s main roster has shows in Valencia, Spain and Belfast, Northern Ireland on May 6, and A Coruna, Spain and Liverpool, England on May 7, on the same days as the Epic Studios/UK TV taping days. This is notable because WWE had been advertising that the UK tournament guys would be working 6 man tags on the main roster shows during the May European tour, so obviously they won’t be on those dates.”
The dates don’t conflict with any PROGRESS shows, but do go head-to-head with an OTT event in Ireland on May 6th, and a RevPro show on May 7th.
With NXT TakeOver: San Antonio taking place this Saturday, Paul “Triple H” Levesque held his regular quarterly conference call ahead of the show with members of the pro wrestling media on Thursday afternoon.
Despite TakeOver being the purpose of the call, much of the agenda was focused on WWE’s United Kingdom Championship tournament and what restrictions contracted talents are facing.
Levesque said that you can’t say enough good things about the wrestlers in the tournament. He noted that working with them was a wonderful experience, and said he looks forward to working with them in a bigger way in the future, reiterating that a weekly show from the UK is WWE’s goal.
The topic of conversation quickly turned to what restrictions the newly signed wrestlers face after some have been pulled from appearances in recent weeks.
“There’s a lot of confusion based on that.” Levesque said. “A lot of the confusion is based on people’s refusal to acknowledge the reality of the situation. We signed talent as a part of this UK tournament and are looking forward to doing hopefully what will become a weekly show over there. The talent knew going in what the deal was, they knew what the restrictions were, and they knew what the restrictions weren’t. We’re not restricting them from working for anybody, as long as it’s not distributed. As long as there is no distribution outside of the live event.”
Levesque said that some promotions came in after the fact to add a distribution component to their shows, which wasn’t what their wrestlers signed up for.
“We’re not heavy-handing anybody,” Levesque said. “We’re asking them to approve. We’re asking them to work with us, to work with the groups that are, and I was very clear about this when I was over there, we want to work with groups that are cultivating talent, not groups that are just coming in and one-offing talent.”
“Is there a period of time right now we’re allowing guys to work for people? Absolutely. Every single one of these talent knew the deal, they knew the deal going into it, they knew what the ask was and they knew what the restrictions were, so coming out of the other side of it there’s a lot of confusion but it’s not on our side, and it’s not on the talent side I believe, it’s on the promoter’s side, who just kind of change things and do things however they feel like they want to do things.”
When asked about the differences in format between the UK tournament and Cruiserweight Classic, Levesque said that what works best depends on the goal of the tournament and what they’re trying to accomplish. He expressed optimism in 205 Live, but noted that incorporating the cruiserweights has been a work in progress. He said that he still believes in the show and has high hopes for it, and likes the synergy between 205 Live and Raw.
Our Dave Meltzer asked Levesque about whether they’d run live events in the UK, to which Levesque answered that they want guys to work because the only way you get great at professional wrestling is by doing it.
“The idea for me is to be able to take a weekly show in the UK and be able to run live events off of it, but to also be able to support some of the other groups that are over there as well through that process, and to be able to have these guys work,” Levesque said. “But they have to be quality places for guys to work, you know what I mean? And I’ve said this, and I’ll say it again, I want to work with guys that cultivate talent, not use talent, and there is a difference.”
“Cultivating talent means these guys work with them, they have regular shows where they work with the same talent or they have storylines, and they’re progressing talent’s careers, and trying to help them progress in those careers, helping them become better at cutting promos, helping them become better at storytelling, progressing them.”
Levesque responded to a question from Meltzer about EVOLVE star Matt Riddle by noting that they saw Riddle’s talent when he previously tried out for the company. He referenced the issues that led to Riddle’s exit from the UFC by saying that he believes in second chances, but said that people have to go through a period of time where they prove themselves.
Without getting into the details, Levesque said that he helped nudge along the process to get Riddle taken care of and to a place where he could be cultivated as a wrestler. He said that Riddle was just promise during his tryout, but he’s a talented kid and is doing very well.
Levesque noted in the opening of the call that the build to this TakeOver was unique because of challenges presented by WWE’s strategic changes that affected NXT’s schedule.
While previewing the TakeOver card, Levesque had praise for everyone on the show. He said that you can’t say enough about Shinsuke Nakamura’s talent and charisma, while Bobby Roode is hell-bent on proving that he’s the star he’s always said he is.
The full conference call audio is available to listen to below:
More WWE contracted wrestlers in the UK have had a change in their schedules, with German promotion wXw the most recent to be affected by talent being pulled from appearances.
wXw announced in a press release on Monday that Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Trent Seven are off of their show in London on January 28th. That’s the same day that Dunne, Seven, and Mark Andrews were scheduled to appear on a live episode of the “Working a Resthold” podcast before WWE contractual obligations left them unable to participate.
From wXw’s press release:
“We received information that Tyler Bate, Trent Seven and Pete Dunne are unable to compete for wXw in London on January 28th due to WWE commitments.”
“We have received numerous inquiries regarding the future situation of the three wrestlers in question. We have contacted WWE about this matter and are currently waiting on their response. Once we have received further news, we are going to update you on this subject.”
Bate & Seven have been replaced by the London Riots in a tag title match against A4. Jody Fleisch will now face Travis Banks instead of Dunne.
In what could be related to the wrestlers being pulled from their appearances this weekend, Dave Meltzer reported that some of the UK tournament competitors are being flown by WWE to San Antonio for Royal Rumble weekend.
PROGRESS Wrestling has yet to announce if their show on January 29th will be affected by the changes. Dunne has been set to defend the PROGRESS Championship against Jimmy Havoc in the main event, while Bate & Seven are the promotion’s tag team champions.
Following Thursday’s news of contracted WWE UK talents being pulled from FloSlam broadcasts, Friday saw more announcements of wrestlers being removed from scheduled appearances as restrictions regarding where they’re allowed to work are put in place.
The “Working a Resthold” podcast announced that Pete Dunne, Mark Andrews, and Trent Seven would no longer be appearing on their live podcast in London on January 28th prior to wXw’s show later that night.
The podcast posted, “Unfortunately, yesterday afternoon, Scott Andrews was informed that due to their new WWE contractual obligations, Trent Seven, Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews are now unable to participate in the show. On behalf of myself, Dannii and Marianne, we’d like to wish all three the very best for the future and would like to thank them for their professionalism.”
They have updated their lineup with Eddie Dennis, Chris Brookes, Doug Williams, Jody Fleisch, and Johnny Storm now joining Marty Scurll and Ryan Smile.
Despite William Regal initially claiming that the signed UK talent would face “zero restrictions” regarding where they’re allowed to work aside from dates where WWE needs them and some places that have contracts that would present a conflict of interest, it quickly became clear that wouldn’t be the case.
UPDATE: In what could possibly be related to Dunne, Andrews, and Seven being pulled from the podcast, Meltzer notes that WWE is bringing some of the UK talent to San Antonio next week for Royal Rumble weekend.
Meltzer also reports that contracted talents will be permitted to perform for certain promotions but the events cannot be distributed (televised, streamed, transmitted or taped) unless authorized. It is said that all talent was told this before signing deals, and is in all of their contracts.
The full What Culture interview with Regal where he spoke about there not being restrictions on talent (which happens at 1:30) is available to watch below:
Two promotions in the United Kingdom have announced changes to upcoming cards for FloSlam broadcasts as it seems WWE is setting guidelines for where their UK contracted talent is allowed to appear.
IPW:UK, who will be airing a supershow on FloSlam live on Sunday, posted on Facebook that Pete Dunne will now face Tom Dawkins in a bonus match for the live crowd that won’t be streamed on the service. Dunne had been scheduled to face Matt Riddle, who will now face Ryan Smile instead. Joseph Conners has been pulled from the show entirely.
The promotion posted, “Unfortunately in the early hours of this morning we learnt that due to contractual obligations with the WWE, certain wrestlers will be unable to appear on our FloSlam live broadcast this Sunday, namely in this instance, Pete Dunne and Joseph Conners.”
In a move that seems to be related given a tweet they posted, Lucha Forever also announced that the main event of their debut show on April 17th would now be Shane Strickland vs. Travis Banks after Strickland had been scheduled to face Dunne, who will still be appearing on the show in some capacity. The promotion recently signed a deal to broadcast events on FloSlam.
Though he recently returned to NXT as Kassius Ohno, Chris Hero’s final two matches for EVOLVE during Royal Rumble weekend still seem set to appear on the service.
The news comes during what could be looked back on as a transformative period for professional wrestling going forward as WWE attempts to further expand into the UK market after last weekend’s tournament. Dave Meltzer reported on the moves being made in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, including a deal for ICW events to appear on the WWE Network with possibly more to come.
Following yesterday’s first round matches at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, WWE returns to the building today for the conclusion of the United Kingdom Championship tournament.
Today’s show will feature the tournament quarterfinals and semifinals, along with the final match to crown the inaugural UK Champion. The quarterfinal matchups are:
Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin
Trent Seven vs. Wolfgang
Mark Andrews vs. Joseph Conners
Pete Dunne vs. Sam Gradwell
The winner of the Bate vs. Devlin match will go on to face the winner of Seven vs. Wolfgang, while whoever comes out on top of Andrews vs. Conners will take on the winner of Dunne vs. Gradwell in the semifinals.
WWE shot an angle with Dunne attacking Gradwell at the conclusion of yesterday’s show, which continued after it went off of the air. They also later uploaded a video advancing the angle where Triple H and William Regal took a different approach to handling Dunne’s actions. Dunne vs. Gradwell will be today’s opening match.
Our live coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET.
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PETE DUNNE VS. SAM GRADWELL
Dunne won in less than 5:00 with a bodyslam into the turnbuckles. He then gave him the bitter end, a pump handle flatliner after the match. This was more wide open than any match last night. The story is that Gradwell had a back injury from the angle last night so Dunne worked over the back. Gradwell used a nice tope and plancha and came out fast until Dunne shoved him off the ropes and he fell to the floor. They teased a count out and went to the finish. Really good action for the time they were given.
Dunne did an interview with Charly Caruso. He said that HHH told him what he did yesterday made a name for himself.
JOSEPH CONNERS VS. MARK ANDREWS
Good match, also kept short, probably keeping this short since the winners have to come back. Andrews won by reversing a suplex into a stunner and then hitting a shooting star press. Andrews did more in his match last night,but and Pete Dunne may tear the house down later tonight. I’ve seen them against each other before and it could be special.
WOLFGANG VS. TRENT SEVEN
Another good match, best of the night so far. Wolfgang won with a swanton which is an upset, but not really since the winner faces Tyler Bate and Bate & Seven are tag team partners. Wolfgang busted up his nose. Again these guys were allowed a lot of latitutde. Wolfgang did a moonsault off the barricade and then sold like his knee was injured, which may play into his next match. Seven used a dragon suplex, a move not favored in WWE. He also teased a piledriver off the middle rope. Wolfgang definitely has some charisma.
JORDAN DEVLIN VS. TYLER BATE
Bate won as expected with a left jab and the Tyler driver 97. Devlin had hit the same enzuigiri that cut open Danny Burch yesterday. Bate came across more as a potential superstar than anyone so far although Dunne and Andrews were the best wrestlers. Devlin was sloppy in some moves so I can’t say the match was as good as the others, but still Bate’s charisma and crowd made it entertaining.
MARK ANDREWS VS. PETE DUNNE
Easily the best match of the tournament. Great flying by Andrews. Dunne looked great. There was a spot where Dunne went for an X plex and it was turned into a huracanrana where the whole place came up with a standing ovation. The finish saw Andrews miss a moonsault and Dunne used a German suplex into the turnbuckles, followed by the X plex and then finished with the bitter end, the uranage into hte flatliner. Dunne goes to the final.
TYLER BATE VS. WOLFGANG
Match was short with Bate winning with the Tyler driver 97. Wolfgang may have had a broken nose or they may have been running tight on time. Wolfgang missed the swanton, but still came back with a spear. The action was fine but the finish came out of nowhere, not like the crowd wasn’t super hot when it happened.
Dunne attacked Bate after the match and threw his shoulder into the post. They are clearly positioning Bate as a big time face for the finals. William Regal came out and was furious and shoved Dunne to the back. You may think this sets up Dunne vs. Regal at some point, but Regal won’t wrestle again after his neck problems which are very serious.
Michael Cole and Nigel McGuinness are doing a great job announcing. They really need to get McGuinness on one of the main shows as soon as possible.
They showed Eorl Crabtree, a rugby star who is Big Daddy’s nephew and has had a tryout with WWE.
NEVILLE VS. TOMMY END
Neville was super over. Then cut a heel promo about how the fans have forgotten about him. He said he should be the U.K. champion. Everyone cheered that. Then they loudly started chanting his name. He said they wouldn’t let him in the tournament because they wanted a competitive tournament and if he was in, it wouldn’t have been competiive. He said he was the greatest talent this country has ever produced which got a mixed reaction. End worked last night for Progress Wrestling.
This was a good match, far from theri best as they kept it short. Neville won with the red arrow whichwas the only flying he did other than a top rope super Frankensteiner. End did some flying incuding a moonsault off the middle rope to the floor.
They are playing up that Bate was injured. They said has a partially separated AC joint, so that’s his excuse for selling the shoulder in the next match. They are pushing that Dunne is an expert at the Kimura so that’s the story of the match.
If you’re wondering, there has been no mention of Jimmy Snuka during this broadcast, not that I expected there would be.
Finn Balor is out now. He put over the fans and that they are the reason this has happened. Fans started chanting “We deserve it.”
TYLER BATE VS. PETE DUNNE
They were out here to make a superstar and did it with Bate. Dunne did a great job of working the shoulder and Bate did hsi comebacks. This was an excellent match that tore down the house. Among the highlights were a Fosbury flkop dive by Bate, Dunne used his bitter end which everyone bought as the finish but Bate kicked out. The move that turned the match around was Dunne getting a triangle and Bate used a one arm power bomb using his bad shoulder. Later Dunne used a Kimura and Batae powered out with a brainbuster. After trading forearms, Bate used koppo kicks and hit the Tyler drive r97 to win the tournament.
They’ve got a 19 year old champion who can be the local hero you wanted out of this. Even if he lost it would have worked the way the show was booked.
Finn Balor, Fit Finlay and Regal celebrated with Bate when it was over.
Thought the show was okay. Found it rather underwhelming, but didn’t think it was bad. Seen over half the participants wrestle before, four of them are based and wrestle local to me (Seven, Bate, Dunne, and Moloney), and no one showed their full capabilities.
Everyone looked severely handcuffed. They were clearly instructed/under the impression they were to wrestle WWE style matches, which of course meant certain moves and sequences were banned, and a particular structure was adhered to, which in the case of the style, to a degree I expected and is fine, and I understand the thinking, with the thought that theirs is “a style for the masses” and they want you to wrestle in a manner that is fairly simple, understandable, and easily digestible, and not overwhelm or ostracize any of the potential audience, and make it accessible. Plus, of course, they feel some of what they ask is simply the right way to do things, as well they’re other aspects to it, but I digress.
However, what we saw for the most part was a greater degree of simplicity, slower (which isn’t necessarily bad), less spotty, and more low-impact with a steep curve than you’re accustomed to on WWE TV, when they were capable of far more. Excluding a few matches, they seemed to just want guys to try and have what they saw as good solid matches, and leave plenty in the tank for tomorrow, and to be fair — perhaps some adhered to instructions a little too much and/or were afraid of getting in trouble, either way the action was disappointing.
Also in the case Tyler and Trent (Seven), their full level of showmanship/charisma didn’t come across, I feel. In the case of Trent, I’m suspicious this was down to what they like, in the sense of they like you to keep the action moving, and they also don’t like too much playing to the crowd.
In the case of Tyler, as well as the playing to the crowd aspect, some of his showmanship spots they might see as hokey, and some are comedy driven, neither of which they really like, and also some are implemented during his scientific/technical work, which they don’t like a lot of with their guidelines of keeping the action moving — excluding the obvious exceptions, and some of it may’ve been a personal choice, to not invite further comparisons to Jack Gallagher, as they’re similar in that regard.
With all that said, I’m delighted they clearly like him (Tyler), wanted to showcase him and have the best match. In addition, I was surprised how much Pete Dunne got out of Roy Johnson. That may not be fair because I don’t see a lot of Johnson’s work, but he’s pretty green and limited, and that match exceeded my expectations. On other matters, I thought the presentation was good & Cole and McGuinness did well.
Best Match: Bate vs. Tucker
Worst Match: Huxley vs. Gradwell
– Tom
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Thumbs down
Best: Tyler Bate vs. Tucker
Worst: Trent Seven vs. HC Dyer
If the cruiserweight title tournament was 31 flavors then this show was one big ol’ scoop of vanilla. The action was fine but completely forgettable in every way. No one stood out as ready for a big stage, although I could see Sam Gradwell being a star if he improves his in ring skills. Tomorrow’s show should be better as much of the fat has been trimmed, but these local tournaments aren’t going to work if they don’t have the talent to back it up. Revolution Pro Wrestling has never seemed so professional.
Side note: Michael Cole was the best on commentary he’s been in ages. I don’t know if it was being paired with Nigel or being away from Vince producing him but it reminded me of how much promise he had back during his first big run on SmackDown with Tazz.
– Nick Randall
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Thumbs down.
Nothing stood out. Felt like watching SmackDown midcard matches.
Can’t spend another show listening to Michael Cole. The guy just has zero instinct for this. Since he’s been lead Raw announcer how far have the ratings gone down? Who wants to spend three hours listening to Michael Cole? Does Vince listen back to the show? It defies all logic he’s lead announcer.
– Yale Hannon
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I’ve just finished watching the first night of the UK tournament show. I thought on the whole it was pretty good, but not a great show. There was no one on the show who blew me away in their matches or who I thought could be a major superstar in WWE. I liked Michael Cole a lot more on tonight’s show than usual and he gelled fairly well with Nigel McGuinness on commentary.
Of the matches, I liked Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Mark Andrews on the show. I’m hoping for Tyler Bate vs. Trent Seven and Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne in the semifinals culminating with Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne in the final match.
I have to say that I was not all that impressed by Jordan Devlin and Joseph Conners. Michael Cole described Conners as a “legit main eventer.” I really didn’t think there was much to him or his performance, but maybe he’ll be better tomorrow. During Jordan Devlin’s match, the crowd sang “you’re just a sh*t Finn Balor.” That pretty much tells you about everything about him and his performance. I don’t think either guy should get anywhere near the final tomorrow. It should be Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne.
Overall, I’d give the show a 6/10, maybe a 7/10
– Kevin Timmins
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Just thought I’d pass along some thoughts on last night’s WWE UK Title tournament night one show. I was there live and have also since seen the whole thing again on the Network, and I also have a ticket for tonight’s show too. I heard your analysis of night one on Observer Radio and I think you were very fair. I agreed with pretty much everything you said about the show.
I enjoyed it, probably more being there live than watching it back, although I also thought it was good watching it back. It was an easy thumbs up for me. Match of the night was definitely Tyler Bate vs. Tucker. Worst match was Saxon Huxley vs. Sam Gradwell. I think Saxon got the Jesus chants not only because of the way he looked, but because very few knew in attendance knew him, and this was clearly a very smart UK crowd with many attending UK shows all the time.
There were virtually no children there at all. It was really astonishing how few there were, even compared to NXT shows I’ve been to in the past. The atmosphere was fantastic, up there with the very best shows in a small venue that I’ve ever attended. The setting and the building was great, probably the best small building I’ve ever watched wrestling in, and I’ve been to quite a few in the US such as the Manhattan Center, Hammerstein Ballroom, and Center Stage.
One weird thing was when I got to the building, I had East Balcony seats right in the centre, and there were no seats there, with a hard camera situated there instead. The building manager profusely apologised, said it had been a late decision by WWE to situate the camera there, and upgraded us (I was with seven others) to fifth row ringside, in the centre directly opposite the ring and big screen entrance. So none of us were disappointed.
As mentioned, the atmosphere was great. People leaving the building afterwards all seemed very pleased with the show and there didn’t seem to be any complaints. You were correct in saying that certain guys perhaps were being held back, but then again it was night one and in WWE’s eyes maybe they want to build to night two and save all the good stuff for tonight.
I don’t know if you saw the post show angle with Pete Dunne but it was terrific. He continued to attack Gradwell and threw him off the stage. Then WWE released a backstage video on YouTube with everyone disgusted with Dunne’s actions including Nigel McGuinness. Triple H sort of shrugged and said “Make a name for yourself kid.” Regal was absolutely furious, after helping Gradwell backstage he launched into a tirade at Dunne warning him not to mess this up (shades of Vince with Steve Austin immediately after the Tyson angle in 1998, trying to play it off as a bit of shoot that Dunne went too far).
They then showed Regal and HHH going into HHH’s office, with Regal demanding that Dunne be disqualified from the tournament and Triple H calming him down. I thought it was really effective.
There was a dark match before last night’s show, with Chris Tyler & Jack Starz beating Ringo Ryan & Prince Ali. Standard opener, babyfaces going over. At the same level of the most of the other matches on the card.
After announcing the two-day United Kingdom Championship tournament last month, WWE finally makes their foray into the UK today at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England.
Nigel McGuinness will make his WWE debut on commentary on the show as he joins Michael Cole live on the Network. The second show will take place tomorrow, with the winner being crowned the inaugural UK Champion.
The 16-competitor field was officially set last week, with WWE later releasing the tournament bracket. The first round matches are:
Tyler Bate vs. Tucker
Jordan Devlin vs. Danny Burch (formerly known as Martin Stone on the indies)
Trent Seven vs. H.C. Dyer
Wolfgang vs. Tyson T-Bone
Mark Andrews vs. Dan Moloney
James Drake vs. Joseph Conners
Pete Dunne vs. Roy Johnson
Saxon Huxley vs. Sam Gradwell
Our live coverage kicks off at 3 p.m. ET. For more information on the tournament, check out Alan Boon’s primer detailing what you need to know about it.
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Hello! You’re joining me live from my sofa as we witness the first night of the historic WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament from Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom!
The 8 winners of these first round matches will go forward to the quarterfinals, which will be held tomorrow. Everything begins here!
The show started with a quick recap of the WWE’s UK history and the announcement of the tournament, as seen on the preview show.
Live to the arena and the house lights are down. Triple H walks out onto the stage to rapturous cheers. He gives a short speech, ending with “are you ready?” There was a close shot of the title belt in the centre of the ring.
Michael Cole is ringside, and welcomes the “grapple fans” to the show, before introducing Nigel McGuinness, on colour commentary.
McGuinness tips Pete Dunne and Danny Burch, with Cole going for Joseph Conners, before throwing to an intro to Trent Seven and HC Dyer. Seven, you won’t be surprised to hear, oozes charisma, even explaining Moustache Mountain. Dyer is portrayed as a striker — occasional watchers of Southside Wrestling will know him as The Pledge.
Trent Seven defeated HC Dyer
Ring announcer Andy Shepherd introduces Seven, announced as PROGRESS tag team champion by Michael Cole. McGuinness puts over British Strong Style. Dyer enters and Cole again puts over his striking. They start quickly, with a back and forth, as the crowd chant “Moustache Mountain”. Dyer rocks Seven with a big right hand for a two count. Dyer gets another near fall with a ripcord Blue Thunder Bomb but missed a frog splash off the top to give Seven an opening. A quick spinning backfist and a Rainmaker — dubbed the Seven Star Lariat – later and Seven picks up the win.
A short but mostly tidy contest, which made Dyer look good in defeat and left lots open for Seven.Backstage, we see Jordan Devlin warming up for his first round match with Danny Burch, and then we get a video package on the two, focusing on Burch’s time in NXT. Burch is better known to most UK — and US indy — fans as Martin Stone.
Finn Balor and OTT Wrestling promoter Joseph Cabray are shown at ringside as Shepherd introduces an intense looking Danny Burch, and then Devlin, focused in a leather jacket.
Jordan Devlin defeated Danny Burch
Devlin tries to score a quick roll-up but Burch kicks out before one. Cole lists Burch as a three-time IPW:UK champion, and the crowd are solidly behind the Londoner. Burch dominates early, but Devlin comes back and scores a near fall with a high dropkick. He gets another after Burch is caught up topped and tripped to the mat, before laying in a chin lock which gives the crowd a chance to get behind Burch again.
Devlin plays heel to the crowd before sinking in another chin lock, taking it to the mat for added leverage. Burch attempts a comeback but is quickly stopped in his tracks, and Devlin again plays to the crowd, earning a “you’re not Balor” chant. Devlin earns a warning for raking Burch’s eyes and returns to the chin lock, which Burch escapes with a jawjacker and hits a missile dropkick off the top. Both men are down but Burch kips up and lays in forearms, decking Devlin with an uppercut.
They trade strikes and Burch gets a two-count with a big lariat — Devlin returns the favour with a roll-up. Burch hits some knees and locked in a crossface, and Devlin made the ropes. The crowd, again, are solidly behind Burch. Devlin landed on his feet from a Burch German suplex and scored a near fall with a wheelbarrow roll-up. Devlin pinned Burch and it looked as though Burch, bleeding profusely from the back of his head, kicked out right on the three. The referee called for the bell and awarded the pinfall to Devlin, and the crowd chanted “bulls—!”
This was obviously designed to get Devlin over as a heel, with Burch — nominally in that role — playing hometown hero. The match was exactly what is was meant to be, save for the possibly muddled finish.
After the match, Devlin superkicked Burch when the Londoner was going for a handshake, earning more boos.
Backstage, Charly Caruso interviewed Devlin, who called himself a “thoroughbred horse.”
Michael Cole throws to the video package introducing our next bout, Saxon Huxley against Sam Gradwell. Huxley will appeal to fans of Game Of Thrones, while Gradwell — known as Ricky J MacKenzie or RJM to UK fans — is portrayed as a working class brawler with a tough upbringing.
As Huxley makes his way to the ring, Michael Cole announces Triple H will be live on the WWE Network after the show tonight. Gradwell — from Blackpool — gets a huge cheer from the local fans.
Sam Gradwell defeated Saxon Huxley
Cole and McGuinness talk both guys’ backgrounds — both trained by Marty Jones, with Huxley also training with Lance Storm and Brian Kendrick. They start cagily, with the UK fans immediately deciding Huxley is “Jesus” and chanting accordingly. He does bear a certain resemblance. They trade holds early on, before Huxley’s larger size finds him briefly on top. Gradwell comes back with a dropkick for a near fall, and then controls the bigger man with a headlock into a butterfly suplex for another near fall.
Gradwell went up top and Huxley slipped outside, and they traded positions in the ring before Huxley hit a butterfly backbreaker for a near fall of his own. Huxley continues to control but Gradwell fights back with forearms, uppercuts, and punches to the midsection. An uppercut takes Huxley down and Gradwell hit a diving headbutt for the win.
A short match, perhaps befitting the disparity in experience between the two. Gradwell moves on as an unlikely underdog babyface.
After the match, Dave Taylor is shown at ringside, before Cole & McGuinness compare Pete Dunne — up next — to the Yorkshire legend. We then get the video package for our next match-up — Dunne taking on Roy Johnson.
Johnson describes himself as the most “wavy” guy in sports entertainment.
Johnson gets cheers from the crowd when Andy Shepherd announces him, as Nigel McGuinness tries to explain “wavy”. Cole puts Johnson over as a powerlifter, and McGuinness points out Johnson stopped powerlifting due to injury. Dunne gets a huge response from the crowd, who probably see him as the firm favourite for this tournament. Cole talks of Dunne’s experience in Japan with Michinoku-Pro.
Pete Dunne defeated Roy Johnson
Dunne gets the fingerlock early, controlling Johnson on the mat with joint manipulation before locking in a headlock. Johnson shows both sides of himself early — the playful babyface and powerful athlete — but Dunne is in control, slamming Johnson onto the apron and then going after Johnson’s arm on the outside.
Dunne takes Johnson back into the ring and continues his assault on Johnson’s left arm, and runs through his usual array of weardowns. The crowd want to back him but he’s so obviously heeling it up. Dunne scores a near fall and looks to continue his dominance but Johnson gets some brief hope with a slam, a corner splash, and a takedown, before Dunne cuts him off with a boot. Johnson came back with a Samoan Drop, earning a big two-count, but then eats a big forearm for a near fall for Dunne.
Dunne goes for the finish but Johnson buys some time with a forearm, before Dunne comes back with a head kick. Going for the finish again, Dunne gets caught and Johnson gets another two-count. All for nought, as Dunne hits “The Bitter End” (the “Drop Dead” on the indies) for the win.
Dunne goes forward to meet Sam Gradwell tomorrow, which is a fresh match-up for UK fans with both men running in very different circles. Dunne is popular with the crowd, but that could be tested against a hometown guy. Johnson looked good in defeat, and may get more of a chance to show his wares on a regular show.
The announcers throw to the introductory video package for the next match – ICW Heavyweight champion Wolfgang versus Tyson T-Bone. Wolfgang says he might bring dishonour to the belt but that he will be the first UK champion. T-Bone is being portrayed as “the king of the travelers”, and what would a British show be without a gypsy?
Backstage, Charly Caruso speaks to T-Bone, who may need subtitles for people who haven’t seen Snatch.
They show Jon Briley & Jim Smallman of PROGRESS Wrestling at ringside, acknowledging a debt of gratitude to them for this whole thing. As Shepherd introduces Wolfgang, Cole claims that Wolfgang calls himself “the last king of Scotland,” and McGuinness explains that Wolfgang holds a win over Finn Balor. T-Bone is introduced to cheers from the crowd – he works a lot locally — and quite ridiculous music. I like it, though.
Wolfgang defeated Tyson T-Bone
T-Bone lays in a headbutt before the referee starts the match. Wolfgang says he wants to continue so the match starts. This is a brawl — both big men throwing themselves into the fight — with Wolfgang scoring a quick near fall with a double axe-handle off the top. T-Bone comes back with kicks for a near fall of his own, as McGuinness claims T-Bone did bare-knuckle boxing as a youth.
The tattooed brawler gets another two count and then locks in a chin lock, which Wolfgang fights out of before T-Bone lays in kicks and clubbing forearms for another near fall. The announcers tell the story of these men — giving them character — as Wolfgang comes back with a suplex for a double down. They take some time getting to their feet and trade strikes — T-Bone is definitely getting the boos now, and the cheers for Wolfgang are magnified when the big man hits a moonsault for a near fall.
T-Bone comes back with a German suplex and a superkick for two and then throws Wolfgang outside as the crowd chant “let’s go Wolfgang!” T-Bone looks for the countout, posting Wolfgang on the outside but Wolfgang made the count and made to go up top again. T-Bone caught him and then joined him on the top turnbuckle, looking for a superplex but Wolfgang dropped him face-first and then dropped a big elbow for the three-count and a quarter-final against Trent Seven — a re-match from ICW’s Fear & Loathing IX last November.
For two big men, they worked hard and surprised a lot of the fans with that. Wolfgang doesn’t often get the chance to show his aerial prowess but is a former ICW Zero-G champion. T-Bone, like so many others tonight, looked good in defeat.
After the match, Wolfgang spoke to Charly Caruso and promised a party after he won the title.
They show James Drake and Joseph Conners preparing backstage and then throw to the pre-match video package for the first-round match between the pair. Both men are confident, with Conners just edging the over-confident stakes. James Drake enters first, announced as being from Blackpool, and gets scattered cheers. There can’t be many FutureShock Wrestling fans in the house. Conners is cheered, which may be because he’s been featured on WCPW as their champion of late and is more well-known to the fans in attendance.
Joseph Conners defeated James Drake
Michael Cole believes Conners is a legitimate main-eventer, and they fight over a lock-up early doors. The fans chant “he’s got his own face, on his arse” at Drake, which — to be fair — he has. They trade holds and Conners hits some strikes, throwing Drake through the ropes, but Drake comes back with some of his own from on the apron, returning to the ring to take over the bout. He takes Conners down with a running knee for a one-count as Cole namechecks Brian Dixon.
They swap near falls with Conners taking control. They’re trying to tell a story around Conners’ ear, which was injured in a nightclub fight a few years ago and Cole notes that Cedric Alexander — who worked with Conners for Southside — has tipped Joseph for success tonight. Drake hits back with forearms and a flying forearm to take Conners down, and then earns a telling off from the ref for piling on the blows in the corner. Drake hits an enzuigiri and then rolls up Conners up but only gets two. They exchange blows again, and Corners bulls Drake into the corner before hitting a flatliner for the win.
Drake and Conners both gave a lot in that, but the ending seemed to come out of nowhere. They’ll have had better matches in front of a lot less people and I’d imagine they’ll both get picked up for the series roster if it happens. Conners will face the winner of the next match — Mark Andrews versus Dan Moloney — which makes Tyler Bate against Tucker our default main event!
They show the video package for Andrews/Moloney — Andrews has definitely benefited from a couple of years on TNA (how often can you say that?) and Moloney is playing the moody loner gimmick. Andrews speaks to Charly Caruso, setting out his aim to win the belt. Moloney improved so much in 2016 and very much deserves his place tonight. Andrews is a star in waiting, and is loved by the crowd.
Mark Andrews defeated Dan Moloney
Moloney overpowers Andrews early on but Andrews flips and luchas his way out of it. Cole credits Zack Sabre Jr. for Andrews’s training as he hits some more flips and dives and kicks. Moloney eats some elbows and gets a near fall after a flapjack, as the crowd cheer for Andrews and Cole & McGuinness attempt to portray Moloney’s hometown Birmingham as gritty.
Andrews comes back with some more aerial offense, hitting the Stomp 182 and a standing moonsault for near falls. Moloney gets sent outside by a hurricanrana and taken down out there by a turnbuckle moonsault by the Welsh flyer. Back in the ring, Moloney is back on top and scores a very near fall with a knee to the face, but Andrews hits Stundog Millionaire and a shooting star press to pick up the win.
Moloney is solid and still learning and this whole experience will stand him in good stead. He moves onto the Chikara Young Lions Cup next month, while Andrews will face Conners in the second round — a WWE match between 2 wrestlers better known for recent stints elsewhere. Such is 2017 (as 2016 was before it). That brings us to our last match — Tyler Bate against Tucker.
The video package portrays Tucker as a technician who loves brawling, and explains he’s recovered from a potentially career-ending knee injury. I was happy for that because I know nothing about Tucker. Bate is light-hearted, and they play on his youth and his knockout potential.
They show Mark Dallas & Duncan Grey of Insane Championship Wrestling at ringside, putting over their role in the development of the current British wrestling scene. Tucker enters first, to a muted response from the crowd, who will be largely unfamiliar with his work (he rarely works outside Ireland). Tyler Bate receives a great reception from the crowd, and he waves and waves and waves on his way to the ring, as befits his Moustache Mountain gimmick.
Tyler Bate defeated Tucker
The crowd sing loudly for Bate as the two circle, with Tucker getting the early takedown. It’s a stalemate early on, with neither man able to get much of an advantage. Bate gets on top, working neckholds to wear down the Ulsterman, as the crowd chant for Moustache Mountain and Dudley resident. Tucker escapes the hold and hits a heel kick, which rocks Bate to the canvas. Tucker takes Bate down again with a rana and then gets a near fall, but Bate kicks out.
Tucker misses a senton off the top and Bate takes over and looks for the Tyler Driver ’97 but Tucker flipped out for another two-count. Tucker sent Bate outside the ring and got caught by a forearm as he attempted a tope suicida. They work outside and Tucker takes Bate down with another rana on the ramp. The referee interrupts his count to check on a cut on Tyler’s head and both men make it back in.
Tucker gets caught attempting a slingshot crossbody and Bate throws him up into an airplane spin,before reversing the rotation to double the effect on Tucker. Bate gets another very near fall but Tucker comes back, kicking Bate hard to the floor. The Ulsterman rolls Bate back in for a pinfall but Bate kicks out before the three. Tucker goes up top again, looking for a Swantuck Bomb but Bate gets his knees up and they trade blows before Bate hits the Tyler Driver ’97 for the victory.
Aside from a couple of nervy moments, these two stepped up to deliver more than a de facto main event, with the contest of the evening showing both in a great light. Bate is a star, and will come out of this tournament a made man. Bate faces Jordan Devlin, another Finn Balor trainee, in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
At the end of the show, they introduced the quarter-final participants onto the stage, and Dunne took the opportunity to take out Gradwell, much to William Regal’s annoyance.
As a showcase for what the UK scene — or a tiny portion of it — can offer, the show delivered. It created — or rather magnified — some characters who will trade on this notoriety on their exploits on the independent scene, both here and in the US. There’s still another seven matches to come, with some tantalizing match-ups in the offing, and you can join us tomorrow for another live experience, as it happens.
The four matches on the left side of the bracket are:
Tyler Bate vs. Tucker
Jordan Devlin vs. Danny Burch (formerly known as Martin Stone on the indies)
Trent Seven vs. H.C. Dyer
Wolfgang vs. Tyson T-Bone
The matches on the right side are:
Mark Andrews vs. Dan Moloney
James Drake vs. Joseph Conners
Pete Dunne vs. Roy Johnson
Saxon Huxley vs. Sam Gradwell
Before the tournament takes place this weekend, WWE will air a special after Raw tonight on the Network that showcases the competitors and how it all came together. The two shows will take place at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool on January 14th and 15th, with Michael Cole and Nigel McGuinness calling the action live on the Network.
The winner of the tournament will be crowned as the first UK Champion, and Triple H has expressed that it’s WWE’s intent that the shows will lead to a weekly series from the UK airing on the Network at some point in the future.
After adding Mark Andrews to the field yesterday, WWE followed up by revealing the full list of competitors for the upcoming United Kingdom Championship tournament.
Another addition was made when WWE released the participants, with Martin Stone joining the 16-person field. Stone was formerly in WWE developmental earlier this decade and is returning after gaining more notoriety on the independent scene. He’ll go by his old in-ring name with WWE listing him as Danny Burch.
Missing from those who originally appeared to be possible participants are Tiger Ali, Chris Tyler, Ringo Ryan, and Jack Starz. They are presumably alternates for the tournament.
The two shows will take place on January 14th and 15th at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool with the first UK Champion being crowned at their conclusion. Nigel McGuinness and Michael Cole will call the action live on the WWE Network.
The full list of competitors for the tournament is:
Trent Seven
Danny Burch
H.C. Dyer
Pete Dunne
Wolfgang
Jordan Devlin
Sam Gradwell
Tyler Bate
James Drake
Tucker
Tyson T-Bone
Joseph Conners
Dan Moloney
Roy Johnson
Mark Andrews
Saxon Huxley
For more information on the tournament, our British wrestling expert Alan Boon wrote a primer explaining what you need to know about it.
There was big news this week for the WWE Network with the announcement of a tournament that will air in January for the newly created WWE United Kingdom Championship — a great opportunity for wrestlers in the UK and also the realization of a dream for Nigel McGuinness, who will be one of the commentators for the tournament. It’s been a long and winding road to WWE for Nigel and as his trainer, Les Thatcher has a lot to say about this opportunity and Nigel’s career.
After that, we open the mailbag and answer your questions about some of the changes in tv production Les brought to the Knoxville territory in the 70s (28:14), a very unique tournament for a mink coat that Les was a part of (36:17), how often did promotions make money off the concession stands in buildings back in the day and the setup behind that (41:41), how Les handled working with someone who was difficult to understand when calling spots and how often Les called matches as opposed to his opponents (44:57).
Also, thoughts on Mario Milano and Mark Lewin (46:51), explaining the “spirit of 76” (50:55) and the alleged WWE memo regarding “do’s and don’ts” at house shows (54:17). Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!
WWE held a press conference this morning in London to announce the inauguration of the United Kingdom Wrestling Championship Tournament, a 16-man single-elimination tournament to crown the first WWE United Kingdom Champion.
When is it?
The two-day affair, to be shown live on the WWE Network, will be held on January 14th and 15th, in Blackpool, a town in north west England close to the heart of NXT commissioner (and one of WWE’s heads of development) William Regal.
The show clashes with PROGRESS Wrestling’s debut show in Birmingham, and Preston City Wrestling have acted quickly to announce matinee shows in Blackpool on the days of the WWE events.
Why is it?
In the early 2000s there was talk of WWE opening a UK office but nothing came to fruition. The carrot was dangled, however, that this tournament could lead to a dedicated UK territory, with a show on the WWE Network, much in the way that the Cruiserweight Classic led to 205 Live.
At the press conference, Regal was at pains to stress that this was not a response to the forthcoming relaunch of ITV’s World of Sport show, although the timing is nothing if not coincidental. However, it must be stressed that the wheels move slowly in big corporations, so it may just be that — a huge coincidence.
The UK scene is at its hottest point for well over 30 years, with a slew of critically (and financially) successful promotions, and a deep talent pool produced by training schools like the ProJo, the House of Pain, Glasgow Pro-Wrestling Asylum, and more.
Who’s in it?
The full list of talent released for the tournament includes 18 names, presumably including a couple of alternates in case of injury. It includes Wolfgang, Trent Seven, Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Sam Gradwell, James Drake, T-Bone, Tucker, Jordan Devlin, Joseph Conners, HC Dyer, Chris Tyler, Roy Johnson, Dan Moloney, Jack Starz, Tiger Ali, Ringo Ryan, and Saxon Huxley.
Who are they?
Seven and Dunne (and latterly Bate) form the tag team of British Strong Style, who are PROGRESS Tag Team Champions. Dunne is also a double singles champion, currently holding the PROGRESS and Fight Club: PRO titles, while Seven recently won a number one contenders’ match for Wolfgang’s Insane Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Championship. Seven, Dunne, Bate, and Dan Moloney are all regulars for Fight Club: PRO, a promotion co-owned by Seven.
Drake, T-Bone, and Gradwell (who wrestles as Ricky J McKenzie) are fixtures on the north west scene, while Jordan Devlin and Pro-Wrestling Ulster’s Tucker bring an Irish flavor to the contest. Tiger Ali is a former 4-Front Wrestling Champion who has caught the eye of Ultimo Dragon and main evented Arena Mexico.
Conners and Dyer are graduates of Stixx’s House of Pain school, and they both work regularly for Southside, where Conners is a former Heavyweight Champion and Chris Tyler currently holds one-half of the tag team titles titles (with Stixx). ProJo trainee Johnson works a powerlifter gimmick for PROGRESS, and the field is rounded out by All-Star Wrestling’s Ringo Ryan, the Robbie Brookside-trained Jack Starz, and former Lance Storm student Saxon Huxley.
What does that mean for PROGRESS & ICW?
The vast majority of UK wrestlers are free agents, so there is little that PROGRESS, ICW, OTT — or any other promotion for whom these wrestlers work regularly — can do about what looks on the surface like an audacious talent grab. However, many of these promotions have close working ties with WWE, and their talent and officers, and it is hard to imagine that there haven’t been at least preliminary discussions before today’s public reveal.
One possibly unforeseen complication, given the lead time usually required for such projects, is that PROGRESS’ debut show in Birmingham looks — at least at present — to be without the promotion’s Heavyweight and Tag Team Champions, and the British Strong Style stable are the hometown heroes for that date. However, this may open up opportunities to others from the region who previously have been overlooked by the promotion.
Who’s not in it?
Aside from those signed to TNA (Drew Galloway, Bram, Grado, and Rockstar Spud), the big names missing are Zack Sabre Jr., Marty Scurll, and Will Ospreay, and the latter two are under contract to Ring of Honor (with Ospreay under a New Japan contract to boot). Other stars of the UK scene you would have expected to see are Jimmy Havoc (possibly not PG enough), Mark Andrews (has been working TNA of late), and Nathan Cruz (who had an NXT tryout on his recent US tour).
Also missing are those who signed up to the World of Sport revival, a list which includes scene heavyweights Dave Mastiff, Joe Coffey, Rampage Brown, El Ligero, Bubblegum, Sha Samuels, and Kenny Williams, among others.
Lastly, also not named was Nick Aldis, whose wife Mickie James just signed to return to WWE and who presumably will base himself in the US. That may also account for Sabre, who will become a US-resident in 2017.
Where now?
For now this is just a one-off, but it may lead to a regular show on the WWE Network, and the formation of a regular WWE UK promotion, run similarly to NXT. Whether this would be stand-alone, or promoted in conjunction with “friendly” promoters like PROGRESS, is anyone’s guess.
This may also account for the rumors of contracts offered to UK wrestlers that Dave Meltzer has reported on recently, which were described by some as preventing talent working for anyone the WWE considered to be competition — again, presumably, the partner promotions would still be on safe ground.
Outside the WWE UK project, the World of Sport revival show is confirmed for a New Year’s Eve broadcast on ITV, and there is still talk of a touring promotion — and regular series — spinning out of it if it is successful. Adding to the confusion is FloSlam’s entrance into the UK and Irish market, signing up IPW:UK and OTT for broadcast on their streaming network, which may affect talent who have signed to WWE UK deals.
2016 has certainly not been a dull or predictable year for wrestling, UK and worldwide, and the last sputtering days of the year show no sign of slowing down. No one could have predicted this happening, and it’s nothing short of fascinating for followers of the sport, regardless of nationality.
