SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT UK TV REPORT (EP. 84)
FEBRUARY 27, 2020
STREAMED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY CHAD KOENIG, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Todd Phillips, Aiden English
-A vignette of the Kay Lee Ray/ Toni Storm rivalry opens the show.
(1) THE GRIZZLED YOUNG VETERANS (James Drake and Zack Gibson) (c) vs. THE HUNT (Wild Boar and Primate)
Primate lands a clothesline and slam early against Drake before tagging in Boar, who Primate slammed onto Drake for the first pinfall attempt. Boar cornered Drake but Gibson ran over to interfere, and held Drakes hand to their corner for the tag in. After a little cat and mouse, Boar tossed Gibson into the corner but Drake blocked him from hitting the turnbuckle, and kneed Boar in the face. Drake tagged himself back in and worked some double teaming on Boar, with Drake dropkicking Primate to the floor. A take down and two count from Drake followed. Tag back in to Gibson and more double teaming ensued before another pinfall attempt. Gibson kept laying in punches while tagging Drake back in.
Drake worked a headlock on Boar and hit a backbreaker. He rolled outside of the ring, tagged Gibson back in, and he hit another backbreaker on the floor. Gibson rolled him back into the ring and slammed him before another two count. Gibson worked a headlock for a minute before Boar got up and clotheslined Gibson. As Boar went for the tag, Gibson grabbed his ankle and tried to hold him back but was still able to make the hot tag to Primate.
Primate went right to work on both of the Veterans. He speared Gibson for a two-count. Gibson was able to strike quickly and daze Primate in time to take in Drake. The Veterans flubbed a double-team attempt so Primate caught Drake mid air and tossed him. Drake went up on Primate’s shoulders but slid down to tag in Gibson. Drake hit a super kick followed by Gibson’s backbreaker for two. Tag back to Drake. Double teaming followed, but Boar ran in to help and they landed double Germans, followed by a two. Primate went to the top but Gibson interfered, pulled Boar out and tossed him into the stairs. Primate with a double axe handle outside on top of Gibson. He worked his way back to the ring and Gibson back to his corner. Primate put Drake up on his shoulders but was able to get a tag in Gibson. Gibson hits a Ticket to Mayhem for the victory.
WINNER: Grizzled Young Veterans at 9:50.
(Koenig’s Analysis: Two great age teams battling it out. A good match. The Veterans are on a good track to making a name for themselves as they have been being featured a lot recently on NXT in the US.)
-Ridge Holland returns next week.
-Blood Money V commercial
-WrestleMania 36 commercial
(2) JACK STARZ vs. KASSIUS OHNO
Ohno started the match by immediately locking onto Starz’ wrist and working that. Starz countered and flipped Ohno, reversing the wrist lock. Ohno tried to kip up but Starz rolled him up for two. Back up and Ohno grabs the wrist again and landed a backbreaker. He held Starz’ head between his legs and teased a finger break before continuing on the wrist and tossing him across the ring. Ohno kept Starz on the ground and got a near pinfall. Ohno got Starz into a short arm scissor and countered it for a roll up for two. Starz got in a little bit of offense and even got him up for a butterfly suplex. Starz went for a sunset flip but that was countered into another roll up for two. Ohno grounded Starz again and tapped him out with the Kassius Klutch.
WINNER: Ohno at 4:57.
(Koenig’s Analysis: Exactly what I thought. Starz got jobbed out again. Thats his match every time. Ohno did was Ohno does well- acts like a jerk. He’s a favorite heel of mine.)
-Radzi in a backstage interview with Isla Dawn. She commented on Valkerie’s debut as the two of them face off next week.
-NXT Takeover Tampa commercial
-Travis Banks calls out Alexander Wolfe for a match next week.
(3) A-KID vs. THE BRIAN KENDRICK
They lock up and ground the match early on for the first couple of minutes. They then hit the ropes before A-Kid hip tossed Kendrick for two. He went right into an arm bar in Kendrick who powered out of it. A-Kid went for a dropkick to stun Kendrick. Kendrick used the rope to hurt A-Kids arm, and then worked that arm and neck. Kendrick held in a chin lock that A-Kid battled out of. A-Kid with another dropkick, this time sending Kendrick outside of the ring. Of course the obligatory ‘fly through the ropes’ spot followed. A-Kid then moonsaulted off of the stairs onto Kendrick and tossed him back in. A-Kid went to the top for a cross body and a kickout at two. A-Kid with a tilt-a-whirl into an armbar. Kendrick escaped the ring. A-Kid went to the top but Kendrick yanked the top rope, crouching A-Kid. Kendrick to the top and suplexed A-Kid. A two-count followed. Kendrick locked in a Captain’s Hook but A-Kid countered by bouncing off the top rope for a mid-air DDT. One, two, three.
WINNER: A-Kid at 6:44.
(Koenig’s Analysis: Fine match. A-Kid is coming along well and working with some good veterans, such as Kendrick. They really need to do away with flying through the ropes every week.)
-Walter vs. Mastiff next week.
-Brock Lesnar vs. Ricochet at Blood Money V commercial for a battle of the ages.
(4) KAY LEE RAY (c) vs. TONI STORM- I Quit match for the NXT UK Women’s Title
Note- If Toni Storm loses, she can not challenge for the title again while Ray is champion.
They start right off slugging each other and went outside to brawl all around the ring. Storm took an early lead by throwing Ray into everything that she could. She rolled Ray bak into the ring and exchanged kicks. Storm with a German into an STF in the middle of the ring. Storm broke it up after using the bottom rope to choke Ray, leaving her dangling off the apron.
Ray got up and they locked up. Ray used the ropes as a springboard into a DDT, giving her a moment to rest. Ray went for a Gory Special in the middle of the ring, but Storm countered by grabbing the ropes and wrapping an octopus onto Ray and tossing her out of the ring. Storm went under the ring and started to pull out a table before Ray hit her. Storm threw her into the stairs and proceeded to set up the table. The two go to the turnbuckle and Ray was looking for a superplex through the table but Storm reversed the hold and pulled her from the top. Storm placed Ray on the table and went to the top with and executed a frog splash right through it.
Storm pulled Ray back onto the apron by her hair. She went for a Storm Zero but Ray escaped and slid back outside the ring. Storm went for a baseball slide to Ray who was outside of the ring but was met with a knee to the ribs and DDT’ed her to the floor.
Ray went under the ring this time and pulled out some athletic tape, which was under the ring for some reason. Ray kicked Storm to the ground and wrapped Storm’s arms behind her own back. Ray laid in some kicks to the helpless Storm.
Ray went to the timekeepers area and brought in a steel chair. As Ray swung, Storm connected with a headbutt. Ray got up and kicked Storm back down to her knees. She set up a chair and put Storm’s head through the hole. Ray kicked her in the head and rolled her to the floor. Ray started driving the chair into Storm’s neck. She then but Storm’s head and shoulders through the chair and held the chair down with her foot as storm screamed. Sid Scala and Johnny Saint come to the ring to stop Ray from causing more damage. Ray went to the top rope as Piper Niven started to come to the ring. Ray jumped in time to land the attack. Ray went back to the top but Storm yelled out “I Quit” in time. Niven went to Storm’s aid and Ray held her belt proudly on the turnbuckle.
WINNER: Ray at 12:49.
(Koenig’s Analysis: A surprisingly brutal match, especially at the end. This storyline will continue and I’m curious to see why Niven came out to help Storm, as the two of them have had a falling apart recently.)
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