By Laurence Gibbons, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@Gibbonsgob)
NXT UK TV
Taped in London, England at BT Sport Studios
Streamed November 25, 2021 on WWE Network and Peacock
The broadcast team was Andy Shepherd and Nigel McGuinness… Noam Dar made his entrance to kick off the show…
Backstage, Flash Morgan Webster told Mark Andrews that he couldn’t find her (I imagine he meant Dani Luna). Andrews made his way into the BT Sport Studios without the rest of Subculture…
1. Jordan Devlin vs. Mark Andrews. Devlin went behind Andrews and threw him to the mat. Devlin hit a knee to the midsection and a forearm to the back. Andrews fought straight back with some forearms and a spinning huracanrana followed by a dropkick. Andrews scored an early close fall from a second huracanrana. The two traded strikes and chops. Devlin took control and methodically picked away at Andrews.
After a few minutes of Devlin having the upper hand, Andrews hit a tornado DDT to turn things in his favour. Andrews came close to a win with a sit-down powerbomb. Moments later, Devlin leaped over the rope from outside to hit a cutter in the ring. Andrews kicked out at two. Devlin took Andrews to the top rope and tried to set up a Spanish Fly but Andrews hit the Poison Rana.
Andrews went for a shooting star press but Devlin got the knees up. Andrews hit the Stundog Millionaire and went for the shooting star press again. Devlin rolled outside and Andrews hit a moonsault to the outside. Devlin sent Andrews into the barricade. Andrews just managed to beat the referee’s count but Devlin hit the Devlin Inside for the win.
Jordan Devlin defeated Mark Andrews in 9:49.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This match was set when Devlin insulted Andrews whilst he was putting over Nathan Frazer in an interview. Devlin claimed that Andrews was wasting his vital interview time talking about other people. With Devlin picking up the win, everyone will be talking about him, not Andrews. The closing sequence of this match was really face-paced and exciting. The bout could’ve gone either way. Very good opening match.
We got confirmation that Moustache Mountain will get their NXT UK Tag Team Championship opportunity against Pretty Deadly in two weeks…
A recap aired of Charlie Dempsey alining himself with Teoman and Rohan Raja to take out Gallus last week. Gallus cut a promo on Dempsey and challenged Teoman, Raja and Dempsey to a match…
We saw Sam Gradwell being disrupted by Noam Dar and Sha Samuels backstage partying last week. We then saw Dar and Samuels keeping Gradwell awake with more partying earlier this week in the NXT UK hotel…
Backstage, Gradwell demanded that Sid Scala make his match with Dar a Heritage Cup Championship contest. Dar and Samuels protested this. Johnny Saint arrived and said that Scala could do what he wanted to. Scala made the match for the Heritage Cup Championship…
Aleah James made her entrance whilst we got a recap of Isla Dawn attacking her and stealing her hair band last week. Isla Dawn made her entrance complete with her box of trinkets.
2. Aleah James vs. Isla Dawn. Dawn looked to work the wrist but James cartwheeled out and reversed the hold. Dawn countered into a hammer lock but James soon locked on the headlock. James used her athleticism to leapfrog over Dawn and hit a dropkick. As James went to gain advantage, Dawn pulled her jaw-first onto the ropes.
Dawn took full control and dominated James in the corner. Dawn put James in the half-straitjacket hold. James rallied with diving forearms and a crossbody. James came close to a win with a small package. Dawn hit the fireman carry to side slam for the victory.
Isla Dawn defeated Aleah James in 4:22.
After the bell, Dawn grabbed her box of trinkets and slid James’ hair band back to her…
Gibbons’ Opinion: This was a fun match. With James’s recent two successive victories, it felt like she might pick up the win tonight. It is an interesting development that Dawn gave the trinket she stole from James back to her after getting the win. In previous matches, Dawn has simply wanted to gain a trinket from her opponents and not been fussed about winning. Now, it seems Dawn’s strategy is to take a trinket from someone and return it once she has beaten that person.
Xia Brookside whined to Sid Scala about not having a title shot yet. Scala granted her the match against Meiko Satomura for the NXT UK Women’s Championship for next week…
Moustache Mountain gave each other a pep talk ahead of their NXT UK Tag Team Championship match in a fortnight. We then saw Pretty Deadly talk in anticipation of beating Bate and Seven for a second time…
With Angel Hayze in the ring, Dani Luna’s entrance music played but she failed to come to the ring. Jinny came out and said she had made sure Luna wouldn’t be able to make the match. Jinny also said her relationship with Joseph Conners was over and she was here to get back to winning ways.
3. Angel Hayze vs. Jinny. Jinny took Hayze down and beat on her for a minute. She launched some brutal knees to the ribs of Hayze. Jinny locked on the rear chinlock. Hayze looked to escape but Jinny attacked the stomach. Jinny hit a driving clothesline. Jinny sent Hayze to the corner and hit the Make Over for the victory.
Jinny defeated Angel Hayze in 2:34.
Gibbons’ Opinion: It was nice for Hayze to get a second match on NXT UK as she is one of a number of unsigned talents to have opportunities in the NXT UK women’s division. Jinny looked ruthless here and picked Hayze apart. I will miss the partnership between Jinny and Joseph Conners as it has been entertaining. It’ll be interesting to see how long Dani Luna is off TV after Jinny’s attack. News broke on Twitter today that Flash Morgan Webster needs surgery so it could be bad news for Subculture.
Nina Samuels attempted to interview Meiko Satomura on The Nina Samuels Show but Emilia McKenzie told her to go away as they were training. Samuels took the training news as a scoop and ended the show…
Backstage, Webster left the training room with the news of his surgery. Kenny Williams tried to antagonise him and Mark Andrews told him to watch himself because he wasn’t injured …
Sam Gradwell made his entrance. Noam Dar made his way out for his first title defense along with Sha Samuels…
4. Noam Dar (w/Sha Samuels) vs. Sam Gradwell in a Heritage Cup Rules match for the NXT UK Heritage Cup Championship.
Round One: Dar landed a kick to the thigh of Gradwell and rewarded himself with a swig of the hip flask Samuels was carrying. Dar took Gradwell down with a headlock and worked the arm of his opponent. Gradwell hit a big scoop slam. Gradwell hit Dar with his knee brace and then a fireman carry to slam for the win.
Samuels claimed that Dar had been knocked out by the knee brace shot.
Round Two: The referee started the round with Dar still flat on the mat. When Gradwell grabbed him, Dar rolled him up to reveal he was playing possum. Dar dominated Gradwell for the round. Dar hit the Nova Roller to win the round and bring things level.
Round Three: Dar targeted the knee of Gradwell to start the round. As Dar worked the arm and rained down knee strikes to Gradwell’s ribs, Samuels encouraged him by saying ‘one more fall and we can go for a pint’. Dar attempted to lock on the Champagne Super Knee Bar. He finally locked it on with 10 seconds left. Gradwell managed to hold on until the end of the round.
Round Four: Gradwell removed his knee brace and Dar came flying into his corner to start the round. Dar distracted the referee and Samuels slammed Gradwell’s knee onto the apron.
Dar went for a back elbow but Gradwell caught him and hit the leg sweep. Gradwell looked to gain advantage but Dar again kicked the knee.
Dar went to the top rope. Gradwell kicked Dar and put him on his shoulders. Samuels grabbed his scarf and tossed it to Dar. The two pulled on the scarf to stop Gradwell bringing Dar into the centre of the ring. Dar locked on the Champagne Super Knee Bar. Despite only four seconds being left on the clock, Gradwell tapped out.
Noam Dar defeated Sam Gradwell 2 rounds to 1 in 09:51 to retain the NXT UK Heritage Cup Championship.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This was a fun and interesting match. Samuels at ringside adds plenty of entertainment value and is the Ace in the hole for Dar. Dar targeting the knee also showed his cerebral side. This was a match between two of the most entertaining heels in NXT UK. The fans sided with Gradwell, which could suggest he is on his way to becoming a bonafide face.
As with most weeks, this was a whirlwind of an hour that was jam-packed with entertaining matches and backstage developments. It would appear that the controlling powers are happy with NXT UK as being just a solid weekly 60 minutes. But it would be nice for them to work towards a TakeOver or PPV of some sort.
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