We get another great opening package for this brand, showing how each of the four competitors advanced to tonight's #1 contender fatal four way. HYPE!
THE HUNT v TYSON T-BONE & SAXON HUXLEY
Now, I am seen as a very positive man, but the reactions to both teams during their entrance was borderline silent. Both came out and stomped and growled, so the fans seem to have little grasp of who to cheer and boo.
However, one of my favourite things in wrestling is when the people in the ring can turn a dead crowd into a wild one. Here's hoping that this is what is delivered here!
Primate and Huxley start - Nigel McGuinness says that he was stopped by Huxley earlier today and told that he has a new catchphrase. There he goes... there goes Saxon Huxley. Well - let's see if Mr Chips is performing that in the next series of Catchphrase!
Huxley is taken down by both Boar and Primate, before he lands a very hammy and fun to watch Thesz Press. After every move and strike so far, all three of these wrestlers and made expansive guttural noises. Excellent.
Tyson tags in and beats the living hell out of Wild Boar with some vicious strikes before almost immediately tagging Huxley back in. Probably for the best, Boar. Ouch! They take turns at the beat down before T-Bone tags Huxley back in and throws him in that direction for The Muscle Cat to go for the hilarious Thesz Press again, but this time it misses and looks even more ridiculous.
Primate gets the hot tag, to little fanfare sadly, and lands strikes and a beautiful T-Bone suplex on Huxley. He dropkicks Tyson off the apron, Boar hits a back senton in the corner to Huxley, then tags in and they hit a pop up German suplex combo!
They then both scale the top rope to hit stereo headbutts - HeadShrinker style - for the win! This was a quick and easy watch, where the closing stretch entertained in particular. Good work, lads.
WINNERS - THE HUNT
Post-match, The Hunt are celebrating their win in the aisle only to be attacked by Gallus members Mark Coffey and Wolfgang. I hope this sets up a match between these four down the line and confirms The Hunt as babyfaces only a mother could love.
KAY LEE RAY v KASEY OWENS
Despite being the heel, Kay Lee Ray has hometown advantage here, so she is getting the majority of the cheers from this Glaswegian crowd. Can her antics inside the ring change that?
Both grapple to a stalemate and when they clean break, the crowd starts chanting I-C-DUB. Nice moment. KLR then ruins that by extending her hand to Kasey and when she shakes it blasting her with a forearm smash. BOO.
Owens goes for an armbar in the ropes, but Ray has it scouted and simply punts her in the back to the outside. Ray hits a vicious forearm again on the outside and then wrenches an arm wringer on Owens.
At this point, she is completely assured in her performance, the right side of cocky and focused. Owens has no match. KLR goes for ANOTHER forearm, but this time Owens ducks it. She then SLAPS her stiffly in the face.
This merely pisses off Ray, who dropkicks her in the face very hard and then pummels her face. Ray then goes back to the arm/shoulder of Owens. A clinic! With just one arm, Owens fights valiantly, but gets caught with a crescent kick and a Widow's Peak, leaving her looking at the lights for the three.
An accomplished, cerebral display from KLR here with the crowd liking her less and less as the match went on. A bloody pro!
WINNER - KAY LEE RAY
JINNY & JAZZY GABERT BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW
Jinny says that when she saw Jazzy in the crowd at Takeover, she knew she had two choices. Fight her or befriend her... and a woman with wealth knows how to get what she wants. Not only now is she the prettiest and most fashionable member of the NXT UK locker room, if anyone has anything to say about it - Jazzy will deal with them.
Man, Jinny is sexy, wise and mean. BOOOOOO. These two make quite the tandem, and certainly elevates Jinny on the roster. What a women's division!
GRIZZLED YOUNG VETERANS IN RING PROMO
Gibson has a mic. All is good with the world. Immediately he has nuclear heat. He demands his music be turned off and Vic Joseph doesn't say a word - the absolute Welk. Haha!
He has just been told that they have to defend their NXT UK Tag Team Championships in front of a bunch of sweaty goths at the Download Festival. HAHAHA. He's on fire.
Are you having a laugh? Is this a rib? Sweaty goth chants from the crowd... Gibbo shuts them down ad says This show is not about you, so sit down and shut up because the champions are speaking.
Johnny Saint wants him to wear his custom built boots in a muddy field whilst bands like Slipknot butcher music in the background.
They deserve respect and when we become unhappy, the rest of the locker room will be made to feel unhappy - which is not good for morale. SO SORT IT OUT, OLD MAN.
FUCKING GOLD, LADS.
FATAL 4 WAY #1 CONTENDER - JOE COFFEY v DAVE MASTIFF v TRAVIS BANKS v JORDAN DEVLIN
Coffey comes out first to a great reception from the hometown crowd. The rest all get less of a response, but Glasgow loves its sons!
Coffey screams THIS IS MY KINGDOM to the cheers of the crowd, but Banks ignores him and spears long time rival Jordan Devlin. Continuity - love it.
That leaves the two big men, Mastiff and Coffey in the ring. They charge eachother and knock eachother out of the ring. Then they keep charging like a pair of Rhinos on the outside. HOSS!
Banks dives onto Mastiff but finishes second, Devlin suffers the same fate against Coffey and then the two big guys double crossbody each other on the outside!
All four men are laid to waste outside. What a start! Banks manages to get the better of Devlin and Coffey in the ring including tripping Devlin into Coffey's balls in a fun comedy spot.
It doesn't last long though as Mastiff arrives and suplexes Banks out of his boots. The pace of this is frantic and I am loving it. Joe Coffey then gets a chance to shine and shows his considerable strength with a double swing on both Banks and Devlin.
Jordan Devlin is the next to take control, taking out all three opponents and then mocking Joe Coffey by imitating his signature cross armed pose. Joe slides in behind him, mad as hell and Devlin can sense he is there...
The formerly cocky Irish Ace gets triple teamed before a superkick from Banks sends him outside. Head butt by Devlin on Mastiff, who looks to poison the watering hole but Banks breaks it up.
It breaks down and Mastiff hits the cannonball, but Devlin flies in with a moonsault to break up the pin. Devlin takes control, slaps Mastiff, but Mastiff hits the Finlay roll and Banks flies in with the double stomp.
Devlin cuts him off with a Spanish fly, Coffey takes out Mastiff, and lariats Devlin but Mastiff makes the save. Coffey and Mastiff spill to the floor, leaving Banks to hit the slice of heaven and the Kiwi Krusher to finish Devlin.
What a match and a great story. Coffey and Mastiff now look likely to feud, whilst Banks moves onto WALTER having vanquished the man who ruined his Takeover. Beautiful stuff. It will be interesting what they do with Devlin after this loss - does he get fed to Dragunov at Takeover?
WINNER - #1 Contender Travis Banks!
Thanks for reading,
Ross
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