By Haydn Gleed, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@haydngleed)
NXT UK TV
Streamed April 9, 2020 on WWE Network
A video package was shown of the announcement of NXT UK followed by the press conference where William Regal announced the inaugural NXT UK tournament…
The show was introduced by Andy Shepherd, who told us we would be going through the history of NXT UK over the next few weeks. We were then taken to night two of the tournament in Blackpool to determine the first WWE UK Champion…
1. Tyler Bate defeated Jordan Devlin in a quarterfinal match on the 15th January 2017. Before the match, a new selfie style video from Devlin was shown saying that this was the tournament when the world was introduced to the Irish ace.
Gleed’s Ramblings: Both men have had better matches together in NXT UK since this match, but this was the match where I think the wider world started to take Tyler Bate seriously as a huge future star.
Highlights were shown of the semi final matches and then Tyler Bate defeating Pete Dunne in the final to be the first NXT UK Champion…
Following a break, we were taken to June 2018 where we had the second NXT UK championship tournament…
2. Zack Gibson defeated Jack Gallagher in a quarterfinal match. Gallagher was shown sitting at home where he said he battled a decade old foe in Gibson. This was followed by Gibson doing a selfie style promo where he said that he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him winning the tournament, not even his friend Gallagher.
Gleed’s Ramblings: As much as I love the dynamic between James Drake and Zack Gibson in Grizzled Young Veterans, I would love Gibson to get a strong push as a big time heel. In all brands in WWE, they are crying out for anyone who can get true heel heat and Gibson is the man who could do it. As for this match, this was definitely the best match we have seen before and after this show from Gallagher. This is the Gallagher I wish we could get more of in WWE. Also, I have to make a special mention to Mauro describing Gallagher smoking Gibson like a Rasta during this match.
Highlights were then shown of Gibson winning the second tournament as well as Moustache Mountain defeating Undisputed Era for the NXT title on the same show. Footage was shown of Triple H and Johnny Saint announcing NXT UK TV…
3. Joe Coffey defeated Mark Andrews from the first match on the first NXT UK show on October 17, 2018. Mark Andrews did a selfie promo where he talked about how nervous and excited he was to be in the first match of NXT UK. He said he was so excited and pumped he did an extra lap of the ring. Joe Coffey also did a promo and he talked about the birth of a new brand. Coffey came out with his brother Mark Coffey to non-Gallus music (which now sounds odd).
Gleed’s Ramblings: Looking over my notes, I did mention how much I enjoyed this match and it still stands up today.
Next week we will have the NXT UK wrestlers presenting their favourite matches and moments from NXT UK…
Shepherd talked about the one-off show in Norwich, England in May 2017, and how it was capped off by a match for the number one contendership between Pete Dunne and Trent Seven.
3. Pete Dunne defeated Trent Seven to become the number one contender to the NXT UK Championship. Dunne came out with the Progress Title in his mouth. Dunne said that British Strong Style are a pillar of NXT UK, but a lot of their history involves them fighting each other. He said that this match was important as it gave him the opportunity to get to where he wanted to be. Jim Ross was on the call on this match, which I had completely forgotten about and I’m glad they didn’t feel the need to post record a new commentary. Trent was shown on the roof of his house, which he called the cabin at Moustache Mountain. In truth, it looked like a terrace house in Wolverhampton. He simply introduced the match.
Gleed’s Ramblings: Jason Powell called this a very good match and added that it was clear that Pete Dunne would be a star, so he certainly called that right. Remember, this was before the NXT Takeover: Chicago match that introduced Dunne and Tyler Bate on an international level, so it shows the effectiveness by how good Dunne was here. Trent was Trent and hasn’t really changed his style since. The match does definitely hold up three years down the line.
Pete Dunne talked about his match against Joe Coffey at NXT UK’s first Takeover in Blackpool again from a selfie style video as highlights were shown. He said that when they wrestled on that show it felt full circle from when he lost the tournament final two years before. They showed the finish of the match and then Walter making his entrance for the first time. Dunne said in the selfie video that it was inevitable that they would face each other soon. The show ended at that point…
Gleed’s Ramblings and Final Thoughts: I went into this show worried that I was going to struggle to watch stuff that I was either in the audience for or watched live at the time, but I loved the wrestlers giving their 2020 in-character thoughts on what happened three years ago and compare to where they are now. It made the show, maybe not fresh, but at least not as stale as it would be without them.
My biggest gripe is the way Andy Shepherd was playing up that it was WWE and NXT UK that caused the resurgence in British wrestling. It’s a slap in the face of Progress, ICW, Rev Pro, PCW, Fight Club, etc. Those promotions are the real reason for the resurgence and Shepherd would know that. I’m not surprised about the revisionist history by WWE, but I am disappointed. But ultimately, I did enjoy this trip down recent memory lane a lot more than I thought I would and I’m also looking forward to seeing what matches are picked out by the wrestlers next week.
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