By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT UK Television
Taped April 20 in Glasgow, Scotland at Braehead Arena
Aired on June 12, 2019 on WWE Network
The show opened with a video package that focused on Imperium and British Strong Style… The NXT UK opening aired… The broadcast team was Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness…
1. Xia Brookside and Isla Dawn vs. Jazzy Gabert and Jinny. Dawn worked the wrist of Jinny to start, then tagged in Brookside. Gabert checked in a short time later and overpowered Brookside. A short time later, Brookside ducked and scrambled to get to her corner to tag in Dawn. Gabert stuffed a kick and then slammed Dawn to the mat. Jinny called for the tag. Gabert tagged in Jinny, who covered Dawn and pinned her…
Jazzy Gabert and Jinny defeated Xia Brookside and Isla Dawn.
Powell’s POV: Gabert showed off her power and Jinny looks manipulative and selfish by taking the pin. In other words, they did a good job of showcasing the heels.
A video focused on Ligero, who noted that he was born with his right eye closed. He said he had an operation at age eight to correct the issue. He said he was bullied in school and felt shy and insecure. He spoke of his mask as being a barrier between him and his shyness. He said the mask and the horns make him stand out to people.
Powell’s POV: It still doesn’t explain why he’s a British luchador, but he came off well and offered good logic for wearing the mask. Now if only those horns could look less like sex toys.
Footage aired of Kenny Williams taking “media” questions about Mark Andrews. He said he’s known him for ten years and their match next week won’t change their friendship…
2. Joseph Conners vs. Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov was shown firing himself up backstage moments before he made his entrance. McGuinness said Dragunov is very dangerous and can put opponents away in an instant. Joseph spoke about how everything Dragunov is done with so much power behind it. Dragunov crashed and burned while diving at Conners, who then took offensive control. Dragunov came back with a Death Valley Driver into a corner of the ring. Dragunov followed up with a pump-handle suplex. Dragunov performed a “submarine torpedo” running headbutt and scored the pin…
Ilja Dragunov defeated Joseph Conners.
Powell’s POV: Dragunov came off well in his second television match. Conners is an asset to the roster in that while he may not be a featured player, he can be counted on to make other wrestlers look good.
NXT UK Women’s Champion Toni Storm met with the “media” and said everyone woman on the roster wants her title. She said she loves the pressure. She said she heard what Kay Lee Ray had to say and she knows where to find her. Storm said belt will stay home sweet home…
Powell’s POV: This promo was fine if you are a regular viewer or have exposure to Storm’s work. On the flip side, she may have actually come off a little cocky and heelish to those who are not familiar with her. It won’t be an issue once she gets in the ring, though, as she’s one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster.
McGuinness hyped a battle royal to determine the No. 1 contender to the NXT Women’s Championship… Joseph hyped a video package on Travis Banks going into a break…
The Travis Banks video feature aired. He spoke about his performance in the WWE UK Championship Tournament, missing three months with a shoulder injury, being attacked by Jordan Devlin prior to NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool, which kept him off the show. Footage aired of Banks winning the four-way match to become No. 1 contender to the WWE UK Championship. He said this is the moment he’s been working toward and the moment he’s been thinking about since he was injured. Banks said it will take more than a chop or a powerbomb from Walter to keep him down…
Powell’s POV: Banks came off really well here as a likable, driven athlete. The video did a nice job of recapping his WWE storylines, which is helpful for new viewers.
Joseph hyped the six-man tag main event heading into a break… Footage aired of “The Hunt” Wild Boar and The Primate leaving a trainer’s office at the UK Performance Center. They addressed Gallus by saying “the hunt is on”… Ring entrances for the main event took place…
3. “British Strong Style” Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Trent Seven vs. “Imperium” Walter, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel. Seven was isolated by the heels for a portion of the match. He eventually made a hot tag to Dunne, who checked in at the same time as Walter. Dunne worked over Walter and performed a nice German suplex before running into a big boot. Walter performed an overhead suplex. Bate tagged in and ended up dominating Aichner and Barthel.
Imperium used their numbers advantage on Bate while his partners were down. The heels had the pin, but Dunne and Seven returned to break it up. Aichner performed a backstabber on Seven, then Barthel came off the ropes with double stomp, which led to another near fall. Dunne tagged in and hit the Bitter End on Barthel. Bate tagged in and performed a corkscrew moonsault on Barthel and had the pin before Walter broke it up. Dunne ran Walter into the steps at ringside, but Walter dumped him onto the ringside barricade.
A man covered from head to toe in black walked from the entrance to the ring without any entrance music. The referee was starting at the man and was hit from behind. REF BUMP!!! The mystery man entered the ring and unmasked, revealing himself as Alexander Wolfe (formerly of Sanity). Wolfe performed a sit-out powerbomb on Bate. Wolfe smiled at Barthel and left the ring. Walter threw the referee back inside the ring and he made the three count as Barthel pinned Bate.
Walter, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel defeated Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Trent Seven.
After the match, Walter, Barthel, and Aichner did their pose in the ring. Wolfe joined them to close the show…
Powell’s POV: A very good debut for Wolfe, who said his farewell to the main roster a while back for this move to NXT UK. Good for him. They clearly weren’t doing anything with Sanity on the main roster before the Superstar Shakeup, and now the German born wrestler is back in Europe. The addition of Wolfe makes Imperium seem even more impressive and gives them a numbers advantage over British Strong Style. Will they eventually work toward a WarGames match between these factions, perhaps with Travis Banks teaming with British Strong Style to even the numbers? Haydn Gleed will be by later today with his weekly Dot Net Members’ exclusive audio review of this event.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and Glenn “Disco Inferno” Gilbertti, who discusses how being a good heel doesn’t stop outside the ring, a trait that big name wrestlers have in common, his male chauvinist persona, why he didn’t work for WWE after the WCW sale, and more.
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