Our stint in Plymouth is over, long live Rory Fallon. This episode is the first from Liverpool in the beautiful looking Olympia - and we begin with friend of the group Sid Scala in the ring...
JOHNNY SAINT ANNOUNCEMENT
Sid introduces British legend and NXT UK GM Johnny Saint to the ring, to rapturous applause from the crowd! Sid Scala says that they have a huge announcement to make... Johnny tells us that on January 12th... WE... TAKEOVER!
A graphic comes on the screen of the Takeover show, live from Blackpool and the crowd go nuts. Not quite as nuts as the PROGRESS fans did for Wembley, but a healthy amount of nuts. A handful, if you will.
Toni Storm arrives! She gets a great response from the crowd and says she has been living in Liverpool for the past five years, is very proud to be part of the NXT UK brand and has had an incredible year. That included winning the Mae Young Classic - which means she gets a title shot for a championship of her choosing.
So at NXT Takeover: Blackpool... she is challenging Rhea Ripley for the NXT UK Women's Championship! Johnny grants her the match and Toni signs off by saying, the title is mine. it's Toni time!
- YIKES! Two huge announcements there. I forgot that the Mae Young Classic winners gets a shot at the gold of her choice. What a match that is going to be... LIVE on the WWE Network!
GREEN SCREEN
Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness are hyping up how big a deal the first ever NXT UK Takeover is going to be and reveal that they will both be there. That's really important in my opinion as they know the product and are a great team in my opinion. Side note - the WWE Network is showing a Nigel McGuinness documentary after the show on Saturday night! YES!
We then get told that we are getting Zack Gibson's guide to Liverpool later in the show... sod the wrestling... broadcast that for the next 45 minutes! Also coming up is a main event between Joe Coffey and Ligero.
- Need I say more?
KENNY WILLIAMS (W/AMIR JORDAN) v JORDAN DEVLIN
- Grapple to start us off, with Kenny Williams getting the first move in - a monkey flip, no less!
- Devlin runs at Williams, but the Lucky'Un avoids the Irish Ace, who falls to the outside.
- Devlin gets back to the apron, but is quickly knocked back down by a springboard back elbow!
- Williams attempts a baseball slide to the outside, but gets caught and DUMPED on the apron by Devlin. That looked nasty!
- Backbreaker for two by Devlin, who covers with his forearm jagged into Williams' face. BOO.
- Williams breaks out of a submission with a (government) mule kick!
- Duelling chants from the crowd. Who is cheering the heel? WHY, I OUGHTTA!!!
- Knees up for Devlin's standing moonsault, straight into a cradle for two by Williams!
- Pump kick sends Devlin to the outside, and Williams follows up with a tope!
- VICIOUS penalty kick by Williams. The best Scottish pen since Charlie Mulgrew... only gets a two though.
- WHEELBARROW SNAP SUPLEX by Devlin! Holy shit, that looked evil!
- Forearm to the back of Williams' head by Devlin! What a bastard.
- PULL UP BACKDROP DRIVER! Is Devlin trying to kill Williams here?! This 60 seconds has been like a Taz match from 1996.
- IRELAND'S CALL!
- DEVLIN WINS!
- Post match, Radzi tries to interview Devlin, but he grabs the mic off him. "That's enough out of you, Radzi." He goes on to say that it's another week where he has his arm raised. A whole country celebrates every time he wins, and the next wrestler he is targeting is a poseur, a pretender and a fake.
- That was definitive - a statement win. These two have good chemistry and I hope that Williams can survive this losing streak - because he is a real talent. Who is it that Devlin has his eye on next? INTRIGUE.
RHEA RIPLEY CONVERSATION
Radzi is attempting to interview GM Johnny Saint and Assistant TO the GM Sid Scala about potential matches for NXT Takeover: Blackpool. Rhea Ripley interrupts and says that Toni Storm won her chance to face her via the Mae Young Classic, but she wants to face someone in Liverpool.
Johnny and Sid go back into their office to discuss... leaving Radzi alone with the Moshpit Kid. She scorns - "Have a question for me?" The intimidated Radzi is abou to ask one when the GM comes back out with Sid Scala, who explains that they have chosen Deonna Purrazzo!
Rhea seems happy with that choice, but she still finds the time to say "I still don't like you, Sid." Scala looks sad as Saint says "What can you do?"
- This was so good! I love Radzi and I absolutely adore the relationship between Ripley and Scala on screen. I hope they continue to play it exactly as they are doing for a while yet. Also - that match will be a decent, eh!?
DAN MOLONEY v EDDIE DENNIS
We get a recap of Eddie Dennis attacked Dave Mastiff backstage last week. He is looking to bounce back from his first defeat against The Bomber here,..
- Moloney attacks at the bell, landing a floatover suplex!
- Moloney can't knock Dennis off his feet and eventually the Welshman gets some offence in with a hip toss.
- Lots of 'Dan' shouts from the crowd. Alan Partridge fans in the house!
- Dennis sends Moloney to the outside...
- Moloney fights back with chops, but EATS a forearm from Dennis.
- Dennis lands a sick looking slam on the apron!
- DAVE MASTIFF ATTACKS DENNIS!
- DQ WIN FOR DENNIS!
- Dennis takes a horrible looking German in the ring, but rolls out of harms way when faced with what would likely have been a cannonball!
- Moloney looks annoyed that he lost via DQ and puts his hands on Mastiff... so he eats a forearm and a cannonball instead! Mastiff tells Dennis that this one is for you!
- That was short but oh, so sweet. I'm enjoying the feud between Dennis and Mastiff - it feels completely fresh on this show.
LIGERO AND GALLUS CONFRONTATION
Sid Scala has been a busy boy tonight! Here he is geeing up Ligero for his main event against Joe Coffey... Ligero wants to thank both he and Johnny Saint for the opportunity.
Gallus intervene and say that it is apt that they are in the doctor's room because tonight, Ligero is going to hospital. Once he is done with Ligero, Coffey wants HIS NXT UK Championship.
Scala tells Coffey not to get ahead of himself and as for his two stablemates, they have a semi-final tag match against Moustache Mountain in two weeks!
Ligero tells Scala that he will prove he is not just a stepping stone tonight...
- Another great segment. Scala is killing it. Gallus have a genuine menace about them and Ligero spoke in English, which has blown my brain! I thought that Gallus v Moustache Mountain was going to be the final at Takeover? Clearly I was wrong. That match will be awesome.
ZACK GIBSON'S GUIDE TO LIVERPOOL
Zack Gibson is with James Drake and he is going to show the true side of Liverpool. He says the city was built on the shoulders of hard working middle class people who were not afraid to work hard.
The city is now full of entitled leeches who are here to take. After gaining success, the city turned its back on him. He says he is bigger than any legend, past or present.
If he left this city, it would crumble. Zack says they will make history as the first NXT Tag Team Champions and reminds Drake that Liverpool needs Zack Gibson more than Zack needs Liverpool.
- They got Zack to talk shit about the one thing he loves. Liverpool. Incredible. Will the fans react to him next week as a face or as a heel? It's something I have wondered about for years with Gibbo!
JACK STARZ & TUCKER v SAXON HUXLEY & TYSON T-BONE
Commentary mention that Huxley has had poor previous with tag partners, Gradwell was injured and Conners turned his back on him. Will it be third time lucky for Saxon?
- T-Bone and Starz begin, with Tyson LOBBING his opponent across the ring with ease!
- A pair of Starz dropkicks does little and he gets caught when attempting a crossbody. T-Bone escapes though and tags in Tucker.
- Double dropkick to Tyson!
- Huxley tags in and Tucker eats a double razor's edge for a near fall. Double team moves already... has Huxley found the one?!
- Sunset flip pin by Tucker for two.
- Big knee floors Tucker!
- Tucker lands a step up enziguri and tags in Starz.
- Huxley tags Tyson.
- Starz hits a cross body on Huxley, a European uppercut to Tyson and follows by drop kicking them both. Nice fire from the Paul Collingwood ringer.
- A running crossbody from T-Bone puts an end to that, though.
- Huxley tags in.
- HUXLEY KNEE LIFT!
- T-BONE PUNCH!
- HUXLEY & T-BONE WIN!
- A fun squash, both Starz and Tucker have talent, but T-Bone and Huxley are dripping in character. Merge the two and you have got money!
ISLA DAWN & JINNY CONFRONTATION
Isla Dawn is in the back and she is asked by Radzi what is next after her match against Rhea Ripley. Isla says it was not meant to be, but she is prepared to do exactly what she does and that is rise up and continue on her path. That path is to only one place and that is the NXT UK Women’s . . .
Jinny interrupts and she says no one cares about her because she had a title match and lost. What a wasted opportunity. Jinny says if she was in that spot, she would have walked out as the champion. Jinny says that is the difference between a witch and a queen.
- Oh isn't she awful, that Jinny. I genuinely can't ever see her as a face! She is perfection. These two could have an interesting feud.
LIGERO v JOE COFFEY
- Coffey has the upperhand to begin thanks to keeping the quicker Ligero close with a cravat.
- Coffey misses three stamps as Ligero rolls out of the way each time. Ligero then rolls up into a ball! Yes! Banter Ligs has arrived in NXT UK!
- Ligero attempts a hurricanrana, but Coffey uses his strength to attempt a powerbomb. Ligero uses his speed to turn that into a sunset flip cradle. Great story telling. Loving this!
- Hurricanrana off the second rope from Ligero!
- Ligs baseball slides to the apron, but Coffey grabs his horns and tries to send him to the ring steps!
- Ligero tries to use the steps to hit a sliced bread, but Coffey rotates him over. Ligs lands on his feet, but gets SPEARED into the barricade!
- Coffey points at his chin and says hit me, go on. Then he moves when Ligero wildly swings at him. Such a bastard!
- Back in the ring, Coffey locks in a full nelson.
- Coffey swing followed by a butterfly suplex!
- Ligero knees his way out of a vertical suplex attempt!
- LIGERO LEAPFROGS A SPEAR!
- SOMERSAULT PLANCHA BY LIGERO!
- Cannonball off the top rope by Ligero!
- Sliced bread #3 only gets a two for Ligero!
- Pop up uppercut by Coffey!
- Spear to the back of Ligero!
- Pop up powerslam for two!
- Ligero getting all the chants now as they try to rally for him!
- Ligero sends Coffey to the apron and Coffey sends Ligero into the turnbuckles using the horns again.
- Coffey goes up top and Ligero with an enzuigiri to stop him. Ligero goes up top for a Frankensteiner but Coffey holds on and hits a power bomb. THAT WAS SCARY. Coffey just caught him in time before he landed on his head...
- Ligero is then put in a Boston Crab!
- Ligero gets to the ropes to force Coffey to break the hold.
- Ligero with boots to Coffey and he blocks the discus clothesline. Ligero with a victory roll for a near fall.
- Ligero attempts his tornado DDT but Coffey counters IN MID AIR...
- ALL THE BEST FOR THE BELLS! What timing!
- COFFEY WINS!
- Another brilliant main event on NXT UK. I must admit I was never really sold on Coffey in PROGRESS. But here in Gallus as the lead heel, he has been awesome - and Ligero was great here too. Loved it.
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