Last week was a very fun show which setup two big matches including the rematch for the NXT UK Championship WALTER v Pete Dunne. Glasgow is ready and I am ready... let's get to it!
TRAVIS BANKS v JOSEPH CONNERS - FATAL 4 WAY QUALIFIER
Who joins the 4 Way along with Coffey, Devlin and Mastiff? Let's find out! Banks starts off the match in firm control thanks to his mat game. Conners slaps Banks across the face, but that only fires the Kiwi Buzzsaw up - he lands a missile dropkick in retaliation.
Banks attempts his penalty kick punt from the apron, but Conners catches the leg and then carries him across to the steps before dropping his opponent face first on them. That's a momentum changer.
Interesting that when Conners was on top here and hitting his leg stomps on Banks, commentary was admitting that the Englishman came in with potential and up to this point, he has failed to deliver. In a sense that is a burial, but they then went on to say that he knows it and it's eating him up inside. Love that.
In previous write-ups I have waxed lyrical about Conner's change in approach where he has varied his moveset and moved quicker around the ring. Sadly, here he has reverted back to his old style. Interesting that he has done that against a well established face. He was knocking it out of the park against Jack Starz!
Banks turns things around and this time lands the penalty kick from the apron. He follows up with a tope but falls hard on his knee - a knee that has been attacked heavily on this brand by Jordan Devlin!
Conners ducks the Slice of Heaven and follows up with a tornado bulldog and a sunset flip powerbomb. There's that new moveset! G'wan Conners!
A great sequence follows with both men taking a lariat and both falling to the floor as the crowd comes alive. Conners is up first and screams I'M JOSEPH CONNERS, then tries to hit a sunset flip off the second rope, only for Banks to roll through and land both the Slice of Heaven and a Kiwi Crusher for the win.
This was a slow burn, but the new and improved Conners appeared once more in the closing stretch. The right man won here, despite my new found appreciation for Joseph.
Post match Travis Banks is asked how he fancies his chances in the four way. He says that it doesn't matter if you are The King, The Ace or The Bomber - because the Kiwi Crusher will be the next #1 contender.
WINNER - TRAVIS BANKS
NINA SAMUELS PROMO
Nina is talking to herself in her stage mirror, surrounded by congratulation cards. She says that her latest performance was a masterpiece and Toni Storm was the easiest puppet to manipulate. She's not wrong there.
I didn't even ask for a title shot, all I had to do was prey on her weakest parts. Right now, Toni Storm has lost all control and that's a dangerous place to be in when her title is on the line. My fans have been congratulating me - because they know how the show ends... with Nina as new champion.
That was loads of fun. Brilliant stuff. She ain't winning, though.
NOAM DAR v MARK ANDREWS
We get a highlight package from the excellent match that they had a few weeks back, which ended with them both being stretchered out in a no contest. Many thought we had another Nixon Newell situation on our hands and Dar was out injured almost as soon as he was back. However, he made a decent recovery this time and didn't miss too much action.
Again, the Scottish hometown crowd gave their hero a great ovation with lots of cheers for Noam Dar on his entrance. Last week, Dar cut a promo saying no hard feelings and his short time away has made him reassess.
Andrews offers his hand at the bell and Dar graciously accepts. Still don't trust him! Dar follows that up with a clean break in the corner and throwing up his pinky party. He's over - and seemingly a good boy!
The pair narrowly miss their strikes and holds in a sequence which bares likeness to Jerry Lynn and Rob Van Dam ending in their poses. Standing ovation. Quite right, too. Andrews takes control thanks to his superior speed. He misses a crossbody Trent Seven style and that allows Dar to take the match to the mat.
Another clean break by Dar, but he gets FOREARMED by Andrews. Ouch. Andrews tries to suplex Andrews... YOU DON'T SUPLEX ANDREWS... and gets caught with the Stundog Millionaire. Mark follows up with a cannonball senton to the outside on Dar.
The Scottish Supernova immediately grabs his knee and pushes Andrews away. Back inside, the ref stops Andrews from proceeding towards his fallen opponent as the hushed crowd shows their concern. Dar says he is OK to compete. Andrews attempts to Irish whip him, but he screams and crumples to the floor.
Andrews apologises and looks to step away as the ref calls for assistance, only for Dar to PEARL HARBOUR Andrews with a hit to the back of the head and then do a fish reel action to the crowd. Unbelievable bastardry! NOVA ROLLER! Noam Dar wins to a rapturous reaction. Those Scots, eh?
In an exclusive online interview aired after this show, Dar joked that the Academy were on the line to talk to him about an Oscar nomination and then says the question is... was he even injured in the first place?
Fully invested in this little dickhead. Great little match and a superb story.
WINNER - NOAM DAR
GYV BACKSTAGE
Radzi asks will they give Moustache Mountain the title shot they deserve and the NXT UK universe want to see. James Drake says what is this a popularity contest? NXT's Got Talent? Gibson says that Joe Bloggs and Jonny Kickpads from Glasgow don't make the matches here - so no. Then he tells Radzi to wait by the door and steal another interview... you creep.
Bloody hell, I love these guys.
Give Moustache Mountain a title shot, you shits.
RHEA RIPLEY IN RING PROMO
Rhea says that she knows everyone wants to see her in action, but TOO BAD. She has heard that Piper Niven is a big deal in Scotland, but to her she is NOTHING but a wannabe superstar that reeks of fear. Piper just wants to be Rhea Ripley.
The truth is, that when you step into the ring with Rhea Ripley... nightmares become reality. She absolutely owned that. I assume that she puts Piper over in a match soon and then joins NXT in Orlando.
KASSIUS OHNO WALK & TALK
Last week, Sid Scala promised he would talk to Johnny Saint about putting Ohno into the 4 Way for the #1 contendership. He guides us to Johnny's office... knocks on the door, doesn't wait and pushes through the door.
Sid Scala is in there and looks exasperated to see him. Ohno calls Scala Sid Justice and when asked to take a seat, he pushes right up to Scala on a couch, making the Assistant Manager somewhat uncomfortable. Don't you know us Brits need our personal space!
Scala says that next week, he gets the chance to prove he is the best at British wrestling by taking on Gentleman Jack Gallagher.
Ohno seems chipper with that news and leaves with a WOOOO.
Ohno is a treasure. That is going to be some match!
NXT UK CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH - WALTER (C) v PETE DUNNE
They are billing this as the biggest match in NXT UK TV history. I think that is probably fair. Big match feel and the crowd are hype, duelling chants for the competitors. Commentary note that WALTER has taped his fingers on his right hand to negate the attacks from Dunne. Love that.
Dunne spots it and attacks the fingers on the left... run out of tape, big man?
Dunne traps a hand and goes for an armbar on WALTER, grounding him only for the Austrian to get free and tease a chop as Dunne begged off into the corner. The action goes outside and this time Dunne does eat the CHOP.
More chops from WALTER, who attempts one against the post, but Dunne moves! Dunne smells blood and smashes it into the ring post, then stomps it on on the floor. Back in the ring, a missile dropkick off the rope targets WALTER’s left knee, before a punch has WALTER wobbling.
In a bold move, Dunne goes for an Octopus stretch, only to eat a crucifix bomb. Dunne keeps up with stomps to the fingers before he sized up for a Bitter End… but WALTER just counters out with a clothesline.
Pete then takes a Sambo suplex and fights out of a Boston crab from WALTER. Dunne snaps back with a Penalty Kick and synches in an armbar only for WALTER to reach the ropes. The big Austrian goes up top, realising he is in trouble and looks to hit the splash that won him the championship, but he gets caught.
Dunne locks in a hanging armbar on the top rope, which WALTER tries to counter with a powerbomb… but Dunne reverses that with a hurricanrana!!!
This match is very good. WALTER CHOP! He attempts a German, but it is Dunne who hits his. WALTER lands a lariat for two. WALTER goes up top again looking to end things with the splash, only to eat a forearm on the way down!
BITTER END! Dunne doesn't even go for the pin - he transitions to a triangle and starts wrenching at the fingers. WALTER is reaching for the rope with his tree trunk legs and Fabian Aichner arrives, pushing the ropes towards him!
The ref spots it, goes outside the ring to discipline him, leaving the backdoor open for Marcel Barthel to hit Dunne with the belt in the ring. POWERBOMB from the champion and the Austrian Anomaly retains.
Post-match Aichner and Barthel enter the ring and look at WALTER. He looks at his title, places it on his shoulder and strikes the Ringkampf pose. Barthel and Aichner do the same and the coalition is confirmed. BOOOO.
Awesome match, awesome ending. I wish these episodes were shown live or very close to being live. This would have caused a storm across social media and the Wrestling Community if it was and not weeks after it happened. Remember the buzz for NXT UK after Takeover?
Make these shows a bit more instant (and have more Takeovers) and this brand will be a success,
WINNER - NXT UK CHAMPION, WALTER
Thanks for reading,
Ross.
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