By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT UK Television
Taped April 6 in Brooklyn, New York at Brooklyn Pier 12
Aired on April 17, 2019 on WWE Network
The NXT UK opening aired… The broadcast team of Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness checked in and hyped the main event…
1. Joe Coffey and Mark Coffey (w/Wolfgang) vs. Humberto Carrillo and Raul Mendoza. Carrillo performed a moonsault onto Mark, then Mendoza followed up a 450 splash. Mendoza had the pin, but Joe broke it up. Joe tagged in and threw a big clothesline at Mendoza and pinned him clean…
Joe Coffey and Mark Coffey (w/Wolfgang) defeated Humberto Carrillo and Raul Mendoza.
Powell’s POV: A good opening tag match with two members of Gallus going over. The WrestleMania Axxess venue at Brooklyn Pier 12 looks fine on television. They have a small stage, a couple rows of seats on the floor, and more bleacher seating. The crowd is attentive and applauds for key spots, but it was not a hot atmosphere by any means.
Kassius Ohno was interviewed backstage and corrected the interviewer on the pronunciation of his first name. Ohno said things haven’t gone perfectly for him, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. He said he came to NXT UK to show everyone the authentic British wrestling style. He griped about Ligero working 300 matches last year. Ohno said he prefers quality over quantity…
An ad aired for WWE Worlds Collide airing at 8CT/9ET after the weekly NXT television show…
A video package recapped Walter defeating Pete Dunne to win the WWE UK Championship and featured comments from various wrestlers and personalities hyping up how good the match was and hoping for a rematch. Well, except for Marcel Barthel and Fabiane Aichner, who said they don’t have an opinion. Jordan Devlin was shown saying he doesn’t have an opinion only for Walter to show up in the camera shot. Walter glared at Devlin and then walked away…
2. Kona Reeves vs. Dave Mastiff. McGuinness said the NXT UK wrestlers tend to be smaller than their “NXT cousins” but added that Mastiff is not an example of that. Mastiff performed a German suplex and then dropkicked the chest of Reeves and drove him into the corner. Mastiff followed up with a cannonball splash and got the pin…
Dave Mastiff defeated Kona Reeves.
Powell’s POV: A basic yet forgettable match.
Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster cut a backstage promo and spoke about facing Tyler Bate and Trent Seven. They said they want to become the first ever Welsh champions in WWE…
Powell’s POV: Well, we know which team Dot Net staffer and Wales native Haydn Gleed will be pulling for.
Backstage interviewer Radzi caught Dave Mastiff coming through the curtain. Wolfgang showed up and took issue with Radzi referring to Mastiff as a strongman. Mastiff said all he’s seen Wolfgang do is run behind his two friends. The wrestlers pushed and shoved until they were separated…
3. Rhea Ripley vs. Kacy Catanzaro. Joseph noted that Ripley defeated Catanzaro in the second round of the 2018 Mae Young Classic. Catanzaro used the top rope the same way a gymnast uses one of the uneven bars before performing a huracanrana. Catanzaro got a late inside cradle for a two count, but Ripley came right back with her Riptide finisher for the win.
Rhea Ripley defeated Kacy Catanzaro.
After the match, Ripley returned to the ring and applied an inverted cloverleaf on Catanzaro, then released it and headed to the back.
Powell’s POV: Fun while it lasted, but I was hoping to see a longer match between the two future main roster stars. Ripley has good size and is a very good heel, while former American Ninja Warrior star Catanzaro is the girl next door who happens to be an amazing athlete.
Footage aired of Ripley approaching Catanzaro, who was nursing her injuries. Ripley told Catanzaro that she ended up in medical because she ended up in her division. Piper Niven showed up and asked Ripley if she was saying something. Ripley walked away and then Niven checked on Catanzaro…
Footage aired of Jinny being asked about Toni Storm and whether she had a message for her. Jinny walked away without responding… McGuinness hyped Ohno vs. Ligero, and Andrews and Webster vs. Bate and Seven for next week…
Entrances for the main event took place with James Drake and Zack Gibson coming out first. Gibson took the mic and boasted that they are history making NXT UK Tag Team Champions. He said whether they are at Takeover Blackpool stealing the show or at Axxess they are the best tag team in the world. He said they demanded their opponents be from NXT UK. He said it’s as close as their opponents would get to the titles. Amir Jordan and Kenny Jordan made their entrance and tried to pump up the unenthusiastic crowd…
4. NXT UK Tag Champions “Grizzled Young Veterans” James Drake and Zack Gibson vs. Amir Jordan and Kenny Williams in a non-title match. Gibson had Williams held up at ringside, then Drake dove over the top rope and pushed him into a backbreaker. Later, Jordan performed a swanton on Drake and had him pinned, but Gibson pulled his partner to ringside.
Amir Jordan and Kenny Williams defeated James Drake and Zack Gibson via count-out in a non-title match.
Powell’s POV: A decent match that failed to wake up the crowd. The count-out finish wasn’t the most exciting, but obviously it sets up the need for a title match.
Pete Dunne was featured in a video package. He asked asked what’s next. He took offense to the question and said he carried the title for 685 days and built NXT UK from the ground up. Dunne asked if people really thought he would walk away after just one loss. Dunne recalled chasing Tyler Bate for the championship. He spoke about all the things he’s done in WWE over the last couple years and said it was Walter who gave him the fight of his life. Dunne said now he knows what to expect and how to beat Walter. He said he knows what it means to be a champion and Walter hasn’t learned that yet. Dunne said Walter has no idea what it will be like with him breathing down his neck. Dunne said Walter was at the right place at the right time. He said he gave Walter a title match and asked him to show the same courtesy by giving him a rematch…
Powell’s POV: A good and believable promo from Dunne. It was a nice piece of production work too, as they sprinkled in various clips as he was talking. I was actually hoping to see Dunne moved to Raw or Smackdown in the Superstar Shakeup this week, but I’m sure not complaining about seeing a Walter vs. Dunne rematch. It will be interesting to see if they bring that match back to the United States for the Takeover event in San Jose or if they use it as the headliner of the next NXT UK Takeover event. Overall, this week’s television show was fine yet missable at the same time. The UK crowd was missed greatly, as they are familiar with the talent and the storylines and thus far more vocal than this flat Axxess crowd. Haydn Gleed will be by on Thursday with his audio review of this episode.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and Jake Barnett looking ahead to the WWE Superstar Shakeup, discussing AEW television, and more.
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