By Laurence Gibbons, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@Gibbonsgob)
NXT UK TV
Taped in London, England at BT Sport Studios
Streamed May 5, 2022 on WWE Network and Peacock
NXT UK began with Lash Legend mistaking Emilia McKenzie for a crew member and asking her to take her bags to her dressing room… The broadcast team was Andy Shepherd and Nigel McGuinness, who introduced Noam Dar’s Supernova Sessions…
Noam Dar, joined by Sha Samuels, welcomed Lash Legend to the set. Dar gifted Legend with some wilted flowers. Samuels presented Legend with a blooming bouquet of flowers. Dar said he and Samuels were legends on the lash. Legend said she was in NXT UK to run through the competition. Dar played a Legend vignette before spilling his bottle of water on himself. Samuels ran through the odds of success for the four NXT 2.0 performers. Legend cut a promo relating her physical attributes to safari animals to end the segment.
Gibbons’ Opinion: Sorry, but I don’t have much positive to say about that. It did nothing to interest me in Lash Legend or set-up any feuds.
Von Wagner and Sam Gradwell had an altercation backstage… Damon Kemp found Samuels backstage and claimed his 400/1 odds for success was disrespectful…
Tiger Turan made his entrance…
1. Tiger Turan vs. Tate Mayfairs. Mayfairs worked the wrist but Turan flipped out and then did some taunting. Turan hit a butterfly suplex and then a crossbody. Mayfairs evaded a corner charge from Turan. Mayfairs enjoyed a few moments on top with some strikes before locking on a stretch.
Turan worked back into the match and hit some chops, a suplex and a dropkick. Turan nailed Mayfairs with a senton bomb from the top rope for the win.
Tiger Turan defeated Tate Mayfairs.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This was the debut of Tiger Turan who is almost certainly Amir Jordan under a mask. Time will tell if this is a permanent repackaging for Jordan or if it will be revealed he has used the gimmick to return to the brand. Kenny Williams forced Jordan to leave NXT UK exactly a year ago when he beat him in a Loser Leaves Town match.
The Coffey Brothers and Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter had an altercation in which both teams claimed they were next in line for a shot at the NXT UK Tag Team Championship…
A vignette aired for Ivy Nile. Nina Samuels revealed she would personally welcome Nile to NXT UK in a match next week… Damon Kemp made his entrance…
2. Damon Kemp vs. Danny Jones. Kemp took Jones to the canvas with a leg takedown before grappling with him on the mat. Kemp worked a headlock until Kemp worked out and put the wrist lock on. Kemp rolled and cartwheeled out of the wrist lock and hit a gut-wrench suplex.
Jones hit a massive clothesline to swing things his way. Jones used a couple of European uppercuts to stay on top. Kemp fought back with a succession of belly-to-belly suplexes. Kemp hit a powerslam for the victory.
Damon Kemp defeated Danny Jones.
After the bell, Sha Samuels hit the ring and attacked Kemp.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This was an ok match between two relatively in-experienced performers. Looks like we will get Kemp vs. Samuels soon which should be more of a competitive match.
NXT UK performers applauded Tiger Turan as he came back through the curtain. Kenny Williams was seen in the background with pieces of paper that had been used to board up his door. He chased Turan off screen…
Die Familie cut a promo outlining their future plans. Charlie Dempsey said he was looking forward to proving his dominance once again against A-Kid. Rohan Raja and Teoman claimed they have their eye on the NXT UK Tag Team Championship…
A hype package aired showing Ilja Dragunov and Jordan Devlin’s rivalry so far ahead of their NXT UK Championship/ Loser Leaves NXT UK match next week…
Isla Dawn made her entrance while Nigel McGuinness explained the rules of the upcoming World of Darkness match. No countout. No DQ. Low lighting in the BT Sport Studios…
Meiko Satomura made her entrance. The lights dimmed and some spooky chants began to ring out…
3. Meiko Satomura vs. Isla Dawn in a World of Darkness Match for the NXT UK Women’s Championship. A fired up Satomura launched at Dawn and whipped her about the ring. Satomura sent Dawn outside and hit some running kicks. Dawn caught Satomura’s leg and swept her to the apron.
Dawn grabbed a chair and a broomstick from under the ring. Satomura hit a baseball slide – smashing the chair into Dawn’s face. Dawn pushed Satomura into the barricade and then summoned some smoke and music. Dawn hit a side suplex on the outside. Dawn sent Satomura back in the ring. She pulled Dani Luna’s hair from her trinket box and used it to gauge the mouth and eyes of Satomura.
The fans in attendance started singing ‘burn the witch’. Satomura stamped on Dawn’s trinket box and then turned the tide of the match with a number of kicks. Satomura went up top but Dawn hit her with a chair. Dawn went for the backdrop driver onto a pile of chairs but Satomura reversed to send her to the outside.
Dawn smashed a broomstick over the back of Satomura and sent her into the ringpost. Dawn whipped the champion with a cable and then tied her to the ringpost. Dawn whipped the hanging Satomura with a rope and then gauged the mouth and eyes. Dawn went for the knees into Satomura but the champion moved and she hit the steps.
Satomura whipped Dawn with a kendo stick back into the ring. Satomura hit the DDT and cartwheel ax-kick. Satomura battered Dawn again with the kendo stick. Satomura sent Dawn to the corner but Dawn then put the Tarantula on.
Dawn hit the double knees from the top rope and got a close pinfall. Dawn hit some kicks but seemed to be feeling the effect of the collision with the steps. Dawn set up some chairs. Satomura hit the Death Valley Bomb onto the chairs. She followed this up with Scorpio Rising for the win.
Meiko Satomura defeated Isla Dawn in a World of Darkness match to retain the NXT UK Women’s Championship.
Gibbons’ Opinion: This match really stood out against the rest of the card. The match was billed as being Dawn’s domain and she controlled it with some interesting use of weapons and her trinket box. The spookiness did get a bit close to being too hammy but the comical ‘burn the witch’ chants helped keep things fun.
As with all her previous opponents, Satomura managed to handle punishment and rally with her ferocious combination finishers. Very interesting to see where Satomura goes from here as – like Dragunov – she has exhausted her list of credible challengers.
Be the first to comment