5/14 NXT UK TV REPORT (Ep. 95): Dave Mastiff vs. Jordan Devlin, Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith, A.J. Lee vs. Paige

NXT UK TV REPORT (EP. 95)
MAY 14, 2020
STREAMED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY CHAD KOENIG, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Host: Andy Shepherd (from home).

-Andy Shepherd started the show off announcing that some of today’s NXT UK wrestlers will be giving their picks of some of their favorite matches under the WWE umbrella.

-Eddie Dennis was the first to choose, and he chose the inaugural match for the WWF European Championship. He said that both of them were in their peak and if this match was a painting, then it would be a Picasso.

(1) “THE BRITISH BULLDOG” DAVEY BOY SMITH vs. OWEN HART – Inaugural European Championship Match (From WWE Raw, March 3, 1997)

Smith applied a headlock at the start of the match and quickly grounded Hart for two. He got up, hit the ropes and Hart leapfrogged over Smith and hurt his ankle. Hart was working Smith and took Smith down and stomped on his knee. He went on to apply the sharpshooter but Smith kicked out. Smith and Hart his the ropes but Smith was taken down with a spinning heal kick. Hart with a backbreaker for one, followed by a slam and a leg drop for two. Hart kept the match on the mat but clutching in a headlock. Smith tried to escape but met a knee to the gut.

Hart kicked Smith while he was down and then rolled out. Smith took a breather and as he came back into the ring he landed a sunset flip for two. Hart with a clothesline for two, followed by a suplex for another near pinfall. Hart mounted him for a Camel Clutch, but Smith powered up and held Hart on his shoulders and fell back to dump him. Hart attempted a pinfall with his feet on the ropes. Hart with an elbow from the top for two and went back to a headlock. Smith went to the top with Hart following. Hart attempted a suplex but Smith countered with a cross body, and pinning Hart for another two. Smith riled up the crowd with a series of clotheslines, and a suplex for a near pinfall. Smith then lifted Hart and slammed Hart’s crotch on the top rope. Smith went for a suplex but Hart countered with a German for two.

Back to their feet, they tossed each other around the ring. Smith put him up for a power slam that Hart countered for another near pinfall. Hart pounced off the second turnbuckle but was caught and slammed for two. Smith was hit by an insiguri before Hart would execute (pardon the Bret Hart pun) the sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. Smith valiantly worked his way to the rope. Hart would then put Smith up for a pile driver that was then countered, and Smith put Hart on his shoulders for his patented running power slam. Kickout at two. As Smith was arguing with referee Earl Hebner, Hart came from behind and flipped over Smith, rolling him up before Smith countered and rolled back, pinning Harts shoulders down for the win.

WINNER: Davey Boy Smith at 10:05

(Koenig’s Analysis: An absolute clinic. This was such a great era for wrestling. This match was exciting, and filled with pinfall attempts. The moves used by both, particularly the much smaller Hart, were just impressive. It was great to revisit this.)

-WWE Untold commercial- Triple H-Mick Foley

-Candy Floss explains why A.J. Lee for Paige was her pick. She said that she got chills watching Paige’s debut as the two of them share similar backgrounds.

(2) A.J. LEE (c) vs. PAIGE (From WWE Raw, April 7, 2014)

– Before the match, AJ Lee and Tamina came to the ring to gloat that she was the longest-reigning women’s champion of all time and that she ran through the competition the night before at Wrestlemania in the 14-woman single-fall match. NXT star, and then- current NXT Women’s champion Paige interrupted Lee and challenged her after mockingly thanking her. Lee told her to “go back to NXT” and called Paige “the sweetest little crumpet” before challenging Paige for the title. Lee called for a ref.

Lee attacked Paige at the bell, grounding her and mocking her. Lee hit the ropes but was caught. Paige went for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker but Lee attempted to applied her Black Widow submission. Paige countered, took out Lee’s knee, and pinned her for the win.

WINNER: Paige at 1:19

(Koenig’s Analysis: An historical moment for the Women’s Division which shot Paige to superstardom. the match itself wasn’t much but this was about the moment, which is one of those “Raw after Mania” moments that will live forever. Heck, they even made a movie (“Fighting with my Family”) with that moment being the high point go the film.)

-Total Bellas commercial

-Primate chooses Dave Mastiff vs. Jordan Devlin as his match. He explained that it was a great match of speed vs. strength.

(3) DAVE MASTIFF vs. JORDAN DEVLIN (From NXT UK November 1, 2019)

Note: This is from my initial review

Devlin attackED out of the gate, and the two exchange strikes before Devlin slides outside of the ring. Mastiff grabs his leg as soon as he gets back in and flips him right to his face. Mastiff continued using his power to keep Devlin down before eventually hitting Mastiff in the arm with the rope, stunning the big man while Devlin refreshed.

Devlin continued to work on the injured arm. He grounded Mastiff with a leaping knee strike and continued torturing the arm for a couple of minutes before Mastiff powered out and slammed him to the mat. When the two go to their feet, they exchanged forearms before Mastiff landed a huge belly to belly. Mastiff with a senton and two count. Devlin attempted to pull Mastiff up but he didn’t have the power so he landed a couple of headbutts that seemed to do equal damage to both wrestlers. A whip to the corner then sent Devlin right over the turnbuckle onto the floor. Mastiff made his way out to do some work on Devlin and roll him back into the ring. Devlin grounded Mastiff again after using the rope on his arm again before landing a moonsault from the top rope. Two and a half. He went up for a second moonsault but was met with a pair of knees as he landed. Devlin made it to the corner, but Mastiff was ready and hit him with a cannonball, and his lifeless body just slid out of the ring. Mastiff rolled him back in and lifted Devlin to the top top rope where it looked like he was going to finish him off. However Devlin wiggled his way out and landed an enziguri and a Devil’s Inside for the win.

WINNER: Devlin AT 12:22 via pinfall

(Koenig’s Analysis: A tremendous match. i know this did have a lot of arm holds in it, especially early on, but this match told a better story. Moves and holds were sold well. Dave Mastiff is a great, young big man and Jordan Devlin is one of the top cocky heels in all of NXT.)

-Undertaker’s Last Ride commercial

-Trent Seven chose this match as a highlight of his career, especially since it was wrestled in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall.

(4) MUSTACHE MOUNTAIN (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) vs. UNDISPUTED ERA (Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) (From June 19, 2018)

Bate and Strong start the match off with some lighting-fast offense and counters before a tag was made to Seven. Strong pushed him to his corner and O’Reilly tagged himself in. Bate with a couple of knife-edge chops before O’Reilly grabbed his arm and tossed him into his corner, tagging Strong back in. Seven got him up on his shoulders and Bate tagged himself in, went to the top, and landed a rolling senton. Slam to Strong and tag back in to Seven. All four men were in the ring, and Mustache Mountain clocked both of them in the face, knocking them down. Strong tossed Seven outside of the ring and knocked him down with a wrecking ball dropkick. Seven was rolled back in and the tag was made to O’Reilly, who came in stomping Seven to the mat. O’Reilly laid in several knees and elbows to the ribcage. Undisputed Era kept Seven in their corner and exchanged tags between the two. With O’Reilly now back as the legal man, he kept a face lock on Seven and continued with the knee strikes. Tag back to Strong, who was met with a kick, and sent out of the ring, followed by O’Reilly running in, and meeting the same fate.

The crowd was erupting as Seven crawled to Bate for the hot tag. Unfortunately, O’Reilly thwarted that by pulling Bate off the corner. Strong with a dropkick and a side press for two. Strong dragged Seven back to their corner and tagged in O’Reilly, who went right for knees to the gut and a roundhouse. Seven with a quick DDT to O’Reilly, and both wrestlers tagged in their partners simultaneously.

Bate hit the ropes hard and connected with a high body drop on Strong. An exploder suplex followed and the crowd erupted. Shooting star press for two. O’Reilly jumped in and got in some double team antics on Bate, as O’Reilly held him in a sleeper. Bate powered his way towards Strong, grabbed him, and executed a double suplex for two. Tag to Seven, but Strong pushed him into Bate, knocking Bate out of the ring. O’Reilly gets the tag, hits a roundhouse, and pins for two. More double teaming ensued, but O’Reilly accidentally ran into his partner, giving Seven the chance to lift him up, which Strong countered but Bate tagged himself in, unknowingly. Mustache Mountain with some double teaming of their own and a near pinfall. O’Reilly ran back in and broke it up, leaving all four men on their back in the ring.

Bate and O’Reilly stood up and exchanged punches and leg strikes. A brain buster from O’Reilly got him a near pinfall before tagging in Strong. Undisputed Era both hit Bate with knees to the head and he fell downing got scooped up for a two count, only thanks to Seven diving in. O’Reilly held Bate for a running knee from Strong that Bate moved away from, knocking O’Reilly to the ground. Bate with a Pele kick to send Strong out of the ring. Bate hit the ropes and attacked O’Reilly outside while, Seven tagged himself in and connected with a Seven-Star Lariat. Bate went to the top and stomped Strong off of Seven’s shoulders. One, two, three.

WINNER: Mustache Mountain at 11:46

(Koenig’s Analysis: An exciting match. A great display of high flying, and deceptive strength. It goes without saying that all four of these wrestlers are some of the best out there. The adulation for Mustache Mountain was contagious. A great battle with a backdrop of an iconic venue.)

-NEXT WEEK- NXT UK’s Most Brilliant- Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven vs. Kay Lee Ray.

CATCH UP… 5/7 NXT UK TV REPORT: Imperium’s Walter features against Pete Dunne, Jack Starz, and tag match with Imperium vs. Undisputed Era