By Haydn Gleed, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@haydngleed)
NXT UK Hits
Mark Andrews vs. Fabian Aichner: This match was tremendous and the best match of the two shows by a country mile. Both men’s styles complemented each other and it was great to see Andrews being able to perform at full tilt. No disrespect to other talents on the UK scene, but aside from the Pete Dunne’s and Tyler Bate’s of the world, Andrews normally has to slow down his pace somewhat to compensate for his opponent. That wasn’t an issue here. Aichner made an impression on me in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic and in his subsequent appearances for Progress, and I firmly believe he’s the most underrated wrestler in the WWE system right now. He ticks all of the boxes that Vince McMahon likes in his wrestlers cosmetically, but he’s equally at home facing the smaller and bigger guys. If you watch this match imagine a high profile Aichner match against a Seth Rollins or a Drew McIntyre. If you want to watch anything from the two shows this week, you have to watch this match.
Jordan Devlin vs. Flash Morgan Webster: If this match had been any other week I would have been praising this a lot more, but in comparison to the Andrews vs. Aichner match it fell short. This is not a criticism of this match but a further endorsement of how good the opening match was. This match started at a slow pace but was telling a story and when the action picked up it turned into a match worthy of a TV main event. Good effort by both.
NXT UK Misses
Isla Dawn vs. Nina Samuels: NXT UK seem to be positioning Isla Dawn as the first main opponent for Rhea Ripley’s championship and this was not a good showing in the ring. Prior to the match was a well produced and unique looking video package promoting Isla Dawn, but the in-ring work was not great.
Sid Scala becomes Assistant General Manager: Don’t get me wrong, I like Scala and in a vacuum this is a good place for him to land. He can certainly hold up his end on the microphone which NXT UK certainly needed, because Johnny Saint has not been great. However, with his look and his size, it is far too similar to Rockstar Spud’s (now Drake Maverick) assistant character to Dixie Carter in TNA. It’s not something to really be inspired by.
Dot Net Members have access to the weekly NXT UK audio reviews hosted by Haydn Gleed and Darren Gutteridge. For more information, visit PWMembership.net. If you wish to get in touch with Haydn, do so via twitter (see above) or via email haydn.gleed@gmail.com
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