By Laurence Gibbons, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@Gibbonsgob)
NXT UK TV
Taped in London, England at BT Sport Studios
Streamed May 6, 2021 on WWE Network and Peacock
Andy Shepherd and Nigel McGuinness were the broadcast team… Ilja Dragunov made his entrance to kick off the show. Dave Mastiff made his entrance…
1. Ilja Dragunov vs. Dave Mastiff. Dragunov leaped at Mastiff with an elbow strike to get things off to a frantic start. Dragunov struggled to hoist Mastiff up for a German suplex. Dragunov hit Mastiff with a stiff forearm and jumped on the back of The Bomber. Mastiff fell backward and the referee called for a stoppage.
Ilja Dragunov and Dave Mastiff wrestled to a no-contest in 1:37.
Gibbons’ Opinion: Mastiff came into this match having lost to Tyler Bate, Jordan Devlin and Rampage Brown in recent weeks. He claimed to want this match to help Dragunov to keep his head in the ring. In reality, he needed a win more than Dragunov. It looked like Mastiff suffered a broken nose. This works well into the storyline that Dragunov snaps and goes too far in the ring. I’d like to see Mastiff return angrier and looking for retribution.
A vignette for Xia Brookside aired hyping her appearance in the NXT UK Women’s Championship No 1. Contenders Gauntlet Match… A video package aired for Stevie Turner, who claimed to be fourth-dimensional and said she would defeat everyone on the women’s roster…
Backstage, Dragunov blamed his lack of self-control for injuring Dave Mastiff… Rampage Brown told Mark Coffey and Wolfgang he wanted to challenge Joe Coffey… A vignette aired for Isla Dawn in which she claimed to have sacrificed her soul for her place in the NXT UK Women’s Championship No 1. Contenders Gauntlet Match…
Supernova Sessions with Noam Dar was up next. Dar, along with Sha Samuels, welcomed Nathan Frazer to the show. Dar seemed confused to see Frazer, expecting to meet someone new, not the man he knew as Ben Carter. Frazer explained he no longer needed to hide behind the Ben Carter name which he had used so his parents didn’t know he was wrestling.
Fraze said he had been enjoying learning the British style of wrestling in the NXT UK Performance Centre. Sha Samuels said he objected to Frazer referring to himself as a British wrestler as he had originally had his training in the US. Dar said Frazer wouldn’t be able to compete with him in a Heritage Rules match. Frazer accepted the challenge…
Gibbons’ Opinion: This is just what Frazer needed. He hasn’t had much of a challenge since his debut match. Dar and Samuels are an entertaining act.
A video package hyped Jinny in the NXT UK Women’s Championship No 1. Contenders Gauntlet match… Sid Scala reminded Amir Jordan that the loser of his match with Kenny Williams would have to leave NXT UK for good… A vignette aired for Subculture in which Dani Luna, Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews were wearing matching jackets…
A video package aired showing A-Kid and Tyler Bate both rewatching their last two matches against each other. The two will meet in a few weeks… A vignette aired for Dani Luna ahead of her competing in the NXT UK Women’s Championship No 1. Contenders Gauntlet Match… Trent Seven made his entrance…
2. Saxon Huxley vs. Trent Seven. The two locked up to start the match. Huxley took Seven down with a big shot to the ribs. Huxley stayed on top of Seven with several knees to his midsection. Huxley scored a two count from a standing elbow drop. Huxley sent Seven to the outside and slammed him to the ground. He followed this up with an elbow drop from the apron to the outside ala Mick Foley.
Huxley missed a splash in the corner, allowing Seven to hit the DDT. Sam Gradwell appeared on the video screen to claim Seven was nothing more than a silly entrance and couldn’t get the job done. Inspired, Seven hit the snap dragon suplex and the Seven Star Lariat for the win.
Trent Seven defeated Saxon Huxley in 6:01.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This was the best Huxley has looked as I don’t think we’ve seen him in control of a match. I enjoyed him doing Foley’s elbow. Sam Gradwell is supposed to be nicknamed “The Thunderstorm” because he ruins people’s day. Here, he improved things for Seven. Seven looked set for a loss until Gradwell provoked him into gear. That aside, it was a nice progression in the Gradwell and Seven feud and I’ll look forward to their eventual match.
A vignette aired for Emilia McKenzie to hype her place in the NXT UK Women’s Championship No 1. Contenders Gauntlet Match… Backstage, we saw Amale viciously attacking Xia Brookside…
McGuinness and Shepherd hyped the NXT UK Women’s Championship No 1. Contenders Gauntlet Match, which will take place next week. They also confirmed Dar vs. Frazer for next week…
3. Kenny Williams vs. Amir Jordan in a No Disqualification, Loser Leaves NXT UK match. The two former tag team partners locked up to start. Jordan went for a quick roll-up victory. Jordan upped the aggression and whipped Jordan from pillar to post. Williams targeted the previously injured shoulder of Jordan.
With the action on the outside, Williams took a chair to the back of Jordan. Williams put Jordan in the tree of woe and trash-talked him before attempting to pull his tooth out with a spanner. Jordan fought back to send Williams over the barricade. The two then battled across the BT Sport Studios floor.
Jordan rammed Williams with a flight case. Williams got his own back by spraying his opponent with a fire extinguisher. He then backdropped Jordan through a table.
Back in the ring, Williams removed the top turnbuckle pad and sent Jordan shoulder-first into it. This only scored him a two fall. The two traded blows on the ring apron as both looked to drop the other on the exposed concrete floor. Jordan eventually hit the suplex on Williams onto the exposed floor.
Back in the ring, Jordan hit the senton for a two-count. Frustrated, Jordan smashed Williams’s head into a chair multiple times. As Jordan went to the top rope, Williams launched the chair at him and then shook the rope. Jordan fell onto the exposed turnbuckle. Williams hit the bulldog onto the chair for the win.
Kenny Williams defeated Amir Jordan in 13:49 to win a No DQ, loser leaves NXT UK match.
Jordan cried in the ring while canned crowd applause was played…
Gibbons’ Opinion: This was an entertaining match. I enjoyed them making use of the whole of the BT Sports Studio and the extinguisher and table spots. The psychology throughout the match was also clever and completed the whole story they’ve told with these two for almost a year. Both Williams using the turnbuckle and exploiting Jordan’s shoulder were callbacks to previous moments in the rivalry.
This has been the best story NXT UK has told this year and in recent weeks they have intensified things. This match was definitely a decent payoff. I’m curious now to see if Jordan stays within the WWE and goes to a different brand. Perhaps Jordan can start his own brand with Daniel Bryan?
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