By Laurence Gibbons, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@Gibbonsgob)
NXT UK TV
Taped in London, England at BT Sport Studios
Streamed September 2, 2021 on WWE Network and Peacock
Blair Davenport made her entrance to kick off the show. The broadcast team of Andy Shepherd and Nigel McGuinness hyped Davenport. As Nina Samuels made her entrance, Davenport knocked her from the apron and threw her into the barricade. Davenport sent Samuels into the ring.
Davenport hit the Falcon Arrow on Samuels to prevent the match from starting. Officials came to the ring to stop any more of a beatdown. Davenport hit the knee strike on Assistant to the General Manager Sid Scala. She followed this up with a Falcon Arrow to Scala…
Gibbons’ Opinion: Poor Nina Samuels just can’t catch a break. She was forced to be Xia Brookside’s assistant after losing to her in a feud and had an NXT UK Women’s Championship opportunity stolen from her by Amale. Tonight, she couldn’t even get in the ring. Davenport looked a million bucks. This was a really shocking start to the show, especially the Falcon Arrow to Scala. There will be mega repercussions for Davenport you would imagine. But the main impact will be this has gone a long way in helping to establish her as a monster heel.
A recap package of Jinny and Aoife Valkyrie’s match aired. It confirmed that Valkyrie had suffered a knee injury during the match. Quotes aired from Jinny celebrating her putting Valkyrie on the shelf… A package aired revealing that Symbiosis will take on Saxton Huxley and two partners of his choice next week… Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff made their entrance…
1. Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff vs. Dan Moloney and Andy Wild. Mastiff and Wild started. Mastiff hit a suplex into a bridge which scored a two count. Starz and Mastiff utilized quick tags to isolate Wild. Wild hit a stiff forearm and tagged Moloney. Moloney worked the wrist of Starz and was on top until Starz flipped out. Mastiff and Starz now isolated Moloney.
With Mastiff and Moloney in the ring, “The Bomber” manhandled him and dropped him on the top rope. Starz tagged in and hit the diving headbutt. Mastiff tagged back in and hit the cannonball for the win.
Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff defeated Dan Moloney and Andy Wild in 05:49.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This was a fun match. I enjoy the enhanced cohesion between Mastiff and Starz each time we see them. They are developing into a decent team. It will have to be a fair while until we see them near the NXT UK Tag Team Championship but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the process of them getting to a title shot.
Pretty Deadly was recreating the iconic Ross and Monica New Years’ dance from Friends for their Tik Tok when Joe Coffey and Wolfgang interrupted them and pushed Lewis Howley in a fountain…
Amale made her entrance. Emilia McKenzie made her entrance…
2. Amale vs. Emilia McKenzie. Amale took McKenzie to the corner but McKenzie took her to the mat with an ankle hold. The two women traded headlocks. McKenzie took control with a dropkick followed by a twisting neckbreaker. Amale eventually turned the momentum with a knee strike that sent McKenzie to the outside.
Amale worked on McKenzie in the corner and locked on a chin lock. “The French Hope” stayed on top, using her power with strikes and punctuating these moves with submissions. Amale hit the kick in the corner and went for her finisher. McKenzie reversed it into a roll-up for the win.
Emilia McKenzie defeated Amale in 06:44.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This match came about when Amale demanded a rematch with Meiko Satomura. McKenzie said Amale would have to go through her to get to Satomura. Amale was on top for the majority of the match which led me to think that she would get the win, but McKenzie got the roll-up win. This makes both women look good as it shows Amale is on the same level as McKenzie, but that “Suplex Millie” had her number tonight. I feel NXT UK is going to take their time with McKenzie and really let her relationship develop with Satomura before they face off at some point. On the showing tonight, there are a lot more people that’ll get a shot first though.
Backstage, we saw Sid Scala having a neck brace fitted following the assault by Blair Davenport earlier in the show…
Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith found Saxton Huxley in the locker room and offered to be his partners in the six-man tag match against Symbiosis set for next week. Huxley said they could ‘count on Saxton’…
A vignette aired for Sam Gradwell vs. Wolfgang, which will be the final first-round match in the Heritage Cup No.1 Contender tournament next week… We were also promised a recap of Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov with special insight next week… Nathan Frazer made his way into the BT Sports Studio. Teoman made his entrance.
3. Nathan Frazer vs. Teoman (w/Rohan Raja) in a Heritage Rules No.1 Contender tournament first-round match.
Round One: The two men locked up with a collar and elbow tie-up but neither could out strength the other. Teoman took Frazer down with a wrist lock. Frazer attempted to backflip out but “The Babo” used his technique to keep him on the mat. Frazer eventually got out of the hold after performing multiple flips. The round ended with Frazer on top.
Round Two: Teoman struggled to get a hold of Frazer who hit a chop on “The Babo” and sent him to the outside. Frazer went for the dive through the rope but Raja pushed Teoman out the way and took the hit.
Teoman sent Frazer into the ring and hit the elbow to win the round.
Round Three: Teoman started on top until Frazer again sent him to the outside. As Frazer went for a baseball slide, Teoman wrapped him in the ring apron and rained down strikes. Teoman, well in control, toyed with Frazer. Frazer hit a springboard dropkick on Teoman and a springboard hurricanrana but as he went for the pin the round ended.
Round Four: Both men came out swinging and exchanged huge strikes. Teoman hit a top rope dropkick to the back of the neck of Frazer but it only put him down for two. Teoman hit the rope but Frazer grabbed him and rolled him up for the snap small package to win the round.
Round Five: Frazer came flying out the corner and took Teoman down. He went for the springboard neckbreaker but Teoman reversed it into a Falcon Arrow. Teoman lifted Frazer but Frazer pushed him to the outside and hit a dive through the middle rope. Frazer sent Teoman back inside and hit the springboard elbow drop. Teoman kicked out at two.
Frazer went to the top rope but was distracted by Raja. Frazer went for the flip from the rope but Teoman rolled away. Teoman hit a flipping reverse headlock driver for the win.
Teoman defeated Nathan Frazer two rounds to one in 11:40.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This was an excellent match full of unique offense and high-risk moves. None more so than the new finisher Teoman executed to win the final fall. I’ve called it a flipping reverse DDT but I’d love to know if it has a better name. The official NXT UK Twitter account seemed as lost for a name for it as me. That aside, this was totally the right result. Teoman has all the makings to be the next top star in NXT UK. If he wins this tournament, which I hope he does, the resulting match with Tyler Bate for the Heritage Cup will be exceptional. This was a fun show that further pushed two stars in Teoman and Blair Davenport. My audio review of this episode will be available for Dot Net Members later today.
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