By Laurence Gibbons, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@Gibbonsgob)
NXT UK TV
Taped in London, England at BT Sport Studios
Streamed January 27, 2022 on WWE Network and Peacock
The broadcast team was Andy Shepherd and Nigel McGuinness… Die Familie made their entrance. Gallus also entered the BT Sport Studios…
1. “Die Familie” Teoman, Rohan Raja and Charlie Dempsey vs. “Gallus” Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang. Each faction’s leaders – Teoman and Joe Coffey – started the contest. They started things quickly by trading strikes and kicks. Gallus took control when Mark Coffey tagged in, and the Coffey brothers hit a tandem offense. Quick tags between all three men of Gallus kept them on top, even when Raja tagged in.
Dempsey distracted Mark Coffey as he went to the top rope, allowing Die Familie to swing things in their favor. Now, Die Familie isolated Mark Coffey. Teoman came close to a win after a top rope dropkick to the back. Dempsey slugged it out with Mark Coffey before locking on a twisting armbar and forcing his forearm into Coffey’s face. Die Familie continued to dominate Mark Coffey with fluid tags and double team moves.
Mark Coffey finally hit the hot tag to Wolfgang who whipped Teoman around the ring and came close to a win from a suplex. Wolfgang went for the corner splash but Raja dragged Teoman to safety. Raja tagged in but couldn’t stop Wolfgang from bringing Joe Coffey in. Coffey used his power to control Raja. Coffey hit an overhead belly-to-belly for a close two count. Coffey’s top rope crossbody also came close to ending things.
Dempsey came in and hit a double arm suplex to Coffey. Coffey hit the Glasgow Send Off to Dempsey and tagged his brother in for a clothesline/ leg sweep double team. Mark Coffey and Wolfgang looked to hit another tandem offense but Raja pulled Mark Coffey out of the ring. Teoman hit Wolfgang with a shot to the leg. Dempsey locked on the STF, forcing Wolfgang to quit.
“Die Familie” Teoman, Rohan Raja and Charlie Dempsey defeated “Gallus” Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang in 11:21.
Gibbons’ Opinion: The Gallus feud with Die Familie has built really nicely over the past few months. Gallus originally irritated Teoman and Rohan Raja. They then drew the ire of Charlie Dempsey, leading to him joining the family. Constant interference in each other’s matches ensued. This was the first showdown. Dempsey held a win over Joe Coffey going into this. Getting another win today is a huge statement of intent. I’d expect to see Dempsey really develop over the next year and perhaps emerge as a solo contender to the NXT UK Championship. But this was a really solid six-man tag team war. Great fun and I expect to see the rivalry continue for a short while.
A hype package aired ahead of the NXT UK Tag Team Championship No.1 Contender match between Jack Starz & Dave Mastiff and Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith set for next week…
Jinny made her entrance. Amale made her entrance whilst the broadcast team filled us in on the bad blood between these two women…
2. Jinny vs. Amale. Jinny hit a headlock takedown but Amale reversed into the head scissors. Amale landed a headlock takedown of her own and worked the head on the canvas. The two women traded strikes until Jinny managed to land a succession of knees to the abdomen.
Jinny took full control with a standing wrist lock. “The Fashionista” worked the arm for a few minutes. Jinny dug her nails into the other arm of Amale. Amale fought back but Jinny soon pulled the hair to get back in control. Jinny locked in the Iron Octopus but Amale held on. Amale reversed into the hip toss. Amale followed up with a couple of clotheslines. Amale sent Jinny hard into the bottom turnbuckle and then hit the kick in the corner.
Amale forced Jinny to kick out at two from a bridging suplex. Amale went for the Hope Breaker but Jinny again pulled the hair. Jinny rolled up Amale and put her feet on the rope for leverage to get the win.
Jinny defeated Amale in 6:30.
Gibbons’ Opinion: Amale has been attempting to spread her message of hope going into this match. But you need more than hope to defeat Jinny when she’s in the form she was in during this match. Jinny put on a master class in heel tactics and viciousness. You could argue the referee should have done something about Jinny’s hair pulling which eventually was the deciding factor. This was an entertaining and highly physical match.
We got the news that Meiko Satomura will defend her title again against Blair Davenport next week in a Japanese Street Fight…
The fans emptied out of the BT Sport Studios for the Empty Arena match…
Nathan Frazer was giving an interview when Die Familie entered the dressing room. Frazer claimed Teoman was only keeping Dempsey and Raja around to watch his back. Teoman said something in German and Frazer left…
Andy Shepherd ran us over the rules of the Empty Arena match. Falls count anywhere. No DQ…
Jordan Devlin made his way to the empty Bt Sport Studios. The NXT UK Ilja Dragunov made his entrance…
Devlin hit a cheap shot to Dragunov and rained down forearms before the referee could ring the bell. Devlin held the NXT UK Championship title aloft whilst the referee checked on Dragunov. Dragunov said he was ok and the referee called for the bell…
3. Ilja Dragunov vs. Jordan Devlin in an Empty Arena match for the NXT UK Championship. Dragunov took Devlin down with a German suplex. Devlin soon swung things his way and tied the champion up in the ropes. Devlin grabbed a chair but Dragunov was able to kick him away. Devlin grabbed a screwdriver and charged at Dragunov. Dragunov again kicked him away and then forced himself out of the ropes.
Dragunov clotheslined himself and Devlin out of the ring. Dragunov hit a couple of chops and then backdropped Devlin onto the ring apron. Dragunov hit a scoop slam on the outside and smashed Devlin headfirst into the apron and the barricade. Dragunov stayed on top by using the barricade to inflict pain on Devlin.
Devlin sent Dragunov into the steel steps. As Devlin rearranged the steps, Dragunov shoulder charged him through the barricade. Dragunov tossed Devlin into the chairs and then chucked chair after chair into the ring. The Russian smashed a chair across the back of Devlin. Dragunov hit a suplex onto a pile of chairs. Devlin tried to crawl away from Dragunov. Dragunov went for a Torpedo Moscow but Devlin jumped out the way and the champion went crashing through a table.
Devlin rammed the face of Dragunov into the production crates. He then wheeled a crate into Dragunov before forcing his thumb into his eye. Devlin hit a moonsault off a production crate onto Dragunov. Devlin beat his opponent across the studio floor and launched him back to ringside.
In the ring, Devlin went for Devil Inside through a table but Dragunov evaded and then rained down elbows across “The Irish Ace’s” jaw. Dragunov hit a massive side suplex onto a chair. Dragunov went to the top but Devlin hit him in the ankle with a chair. Devlin came close to winning from a twisting Fireman’s slam. Dragunov hit a death valley driver through the table but Devlin kicked out at two. Devlin headbutted Dragunov and hit a brainbuster.
Devlin whipped Dragunov with cable ties and then bound his wrists together behind his back. Devlin smashed a chair across the legs of Dragunov. Devlin went for a con-chair-to with the ring steps but Dragunov moved and hit Torpedo Moscow for the win.
Ilja Dragunov defeated Jordan Devlin 21:42 to retain the NXT UK Championship.
Gibbons’ Opinion: Wow. That was absolutely brutal from pre-bell to finishing bell. It had everything you would want from a no-DQ match. They made great use of the BT Sport Studios. There were real moments in that match that convinced me Devlin was going to get the victory and that’s a sign of how well the two men worked. On a whole, that was a very, very good episode of NXT UK. Three rivalries coming to a head in three very different but highly entertaining contests.
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