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NXT UK TV REPORT (EP. 110)
AUGUST 27, 2020
STREAMED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY CHAD KOENIG, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Hosted By: Andy Shepherd (from home).
-The show starts with Shepherd at home, bringing up the weekend’s announcement that new tapings of NXT UK will be starting up in September, but in the meantime, we will be seeing NXT UK wrestler’s favorite matches of all time.He then show to a special video featuring William Regal. The video cut to Regal announcing he was happy to be there, but sad to announce the passing of British wrestling legend, his friend Mark “Rollerball” Rocco. He emotionally gave a brief history of him and that he pioneered the cruiserweight division and wanted to show his one match in the WWE, from when he was known as Black Tiger, facing the Japanese wrestler, The Cobra.
(1) BLACK TIGER vs. THE COBRA – WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship match. (from Dec. 28, 1984 at MSG)
They lock up and Tiger countered a hammerlock. Tiger slammed him to the mat and quickly held him into a headlock. Cobra grabbed his arm and dragged Tiger around the ring and put him in an arm stretcher. Tiger escaped and put him in a reverse chinlock before tossing Cobra into the ropes and taking him down with a clothesline and front flip into a pinfall attempt so quickly, that he escaped before one. Cobra with a backdrop into a front chin lock. Cobra broke the hold to go to the middle rope. He was caught early on and Cobra escaped the grip. A flying reverse kick took down Tiger and Cobra followed up with a knee to the throat. Cobra with a suplex for two, followed by a crucifix for another near pinfall. Tiger kipped back to his feet but was put into a Boston crab. Tiger escaped but Cobra then put him into a slingshot. Tiger fell into the ropes to break the hold.
Some mat wrestling followed until Tiger lifted him up, threw him in the ropes and executed a backdrop for two. Tiger tossed him into the ropes again and hit an aerial kick that sent him down for another near pinfall.
Tiger tripped Cobra to the mat. He went to slingshot off of the ropes onto him but he face-planted. Cobra with a legdrop for one before dropkicking Tiger out of the ring. Tiger walked around the ring and went to the top rope. Cobra caught him and tossed him across the ring. Cobra then with head scissors that Tiger escaped from. He took Cobra down with a knee and got a couple of two counts on him. Tiger then with a pile driver and went to the turnbuckle for a reverse elbow. Cobra rolled out of the way, tossed him into the ropes and scissor-kicked Tiger for two. Cobra dropkicked him to the floor. Cobra went through the ropes and knocked Tiger onto the concrete. Cobra went back into the ring and Tiger came in meeting Cobra with a right hand and going to the top rope. A frog splash and suplex from Tiger for two. Tiger with another piledriver. Another kick out. Tiger put him up for his third piledriver, Cobra reversed it, he went to the top and dropped on him for the win.
WINNER: The Cobra at 12:31.
(Koenig’s Analysis: Gorilla Monsoon carried the commentary for most of this match as “Mean Gene” had to leave for the most of it. Obviously this was someone who was more well known in the UK than the US but man was he impressive. Both of them actually. This match was lightning fast. It went 50/50 the entire time, and at a breakneck pace. And this was not a spot fest by any stretch. Just classic exciting wrestling action. I recommend this match to clean your pallet after watching a Young Bucks match.)
-WWE Payback commercial
-Toni Storm at home on her computer announcing her match, which was the final match of the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament between her and Io Shirai. She brought up that the match meant so much to her that she has the date in roman numerals tattooed on her wrist.
(2) TONI STORM vs. IO SHIRAI (from WWE Evolution, Oct. 28, 2018)
They shake hands and lock up. Storm with a headlock takedown. Shirai countered into a head scissor that Storm worked her way out of. They go 50/50 on moves in the ring that started to look more like a dance routine than an actual wrestling match. Storm broke from the smoothness of her maneuvers to send Shirai to the ground with a kick to the gut. Storm with a basement dropkick for two.
Storm lifted her up and laid in some strikes before being dropkicked by Shirai. A pinfall attempt followed after dropping a knee on her, followed then by an inverted half nelson. She had the move held on until she fought her way to the ropes. Shirai ran at Storm, who escaped and landed a suplex. Storm went to the top but Shirai followed behind and kicked Storm to the outside from the ropes. A moonsault from the top rope outside of the ring followed, but Shirai seemed to hurt herself in the process. They crawled to the apron where the two teased moves before Storm ultimately suplexed her onto it.
Shirai got herself back into the ring. Storm was already on the mat and went for a quick pin. Shirai broke out at two and went into the corner. Storm lifted her up and the two exchanged forearms. Shirai had the upper hand in that battle, but Storm took her down with a lariat for two. Shirai rolled to the apron to rest. Storm followed and the two fought on the ropes. She tied up Storm and hit a 619. A summersault flip from Shirai followed with a near three count. The two crawled to separate corners.
The two rested for a moment but Shirai ran at Storm and kneed her head. She dragged Storm to the center of the ring, stepped on her as she went to the top for her asai moonsault but Storm had her legs up. Storm then hit her Storm Zero to win the tournament.
WINNER: Toni Storm at 10:06.
(Koenig’s Analysis: A really good climax to this exciting tournament, which was a wrestling highlight in 2018. It was a fun match that featured a hodgepodge of various styles, such as mat wrestling, British strong style, Japanese strong style and even had some great high spots as well. I enjoyed watching it again.)
-Commercial- NXT UK returns this September.
-Vignette on the deep roster of tag teams in NXT UK, emphasizing the countries of origin of the wrestlers.
-Ilja Dragunov makes his pick in a brief selfie video.
(3) CESARO vs. SAMI ZAYN (from NXT Takeover: Arrival, February 27, 2014)
-Cesaro charged early on and struck fear in Zayn. Cesaro put him to the mat and slapped the back of Zayn’s head. The two hit the mat to display some of their legit wrestling skills. Cesaro caught Zayn in the middle of an attack that he flipped out of. Cesaro then escaped from the ring. Zayn flipped over the top rope and onto Cesaro. Zayn rolled him back in and went to the top for a cross body. Cesaro caught him into a slam and Zayn kicked out at two before rolling out of the ring.
Cesaro followed Zayn out of the ring and tossed him back in and sent him out the opposite side and slammed him into the stairs and on the barricade. Cesaro threw Zayn back into the ring for two. He then tossed Zayn out of the ring again and continued the brutality on the ring apron and barricade. Zayn flew through the ropes from outside the ring to dive on Cesaro but was met with an uppercut. He worked Zayn’s leg on the post before getting back into the ring and continuing the damage to the leg, including wrenching it int he middle of the ring. Cesaro then with a pinfall attempt.
Cesaro lifted Zayn up and put him into a leg hold. Zayn fought out of it and got a couple of kicks in on Cesaro continued his beatdown on him. Cesaro got up, smiled and continued the attack, as if he was getting pleasure from his pain, and got him in a Boston crab. Zayn escaped and when Cesaro ran at him on the ropes, he moved to send him flying over. Zayn back flipped from the ropes and was caught and slammed onto the ramp. Cesaro charged back into the ring as the ref counted.
Zayn made it back at nine and a half. The crowd were doing split chants. Cesaro ran at him but Zayn caught him into an exploder into the turnbuckle, followed by a near pinfall. He followed up with a blue thunder bomb for another two count. Cesaro went into the corner to rest before Zayn got him into a koji clutch that Cesaro escaped using his brute strength. He then got Cesaro into the swing position. Zayn countered into a sunset flip pinfall attempt. Zayn wasn’t so lucky the next time, when Cesaro got up as he went right back into position and whipped around in the Cesaro swing for ten trips around the ring. Cesaro tossed him and hit him with a running uppercut for two. Zayn countered the pin with a two of his own. Cesaro hooked a leg and Zayn kicked put.
“This is awesome” chants filled the room as the two took a quick breather. Zayn was winded on the apron and Cesaro took advantage. He climbed to the middle rope and punched Zayn while on the apron. Zayn rebutted and landed a couple of strikes himself. He went to the top rope to flip Cesaro to the mat but Cesaro was having none of that, grabbed Zayn’s legs tightly, and as he was ready to end him, Zayn countered and used his legs to flip Cesaro across the ring. A kick to the corner followed and he pinned Cesaro. Kickout at two.
As the two were lying in the ring, Cesaro stood up first and Zayn started to climb him to get to his feet. Cesaro put him back down with a stiff uppercut. More strikes followed as Cesaro yelled “stay down!”. Another uppercut ensued as the ref counted him down. As he came back up, he was hit with another uppercut but this time struck back., They exchanged some blows before Zayn suplexed him into the corner. He charged at him but Cesaro was there with a boot to the face. Cesaro went for the neutralizer but Zayn countered with a roll up. Another kickout. Zayn then landed an amazing sunset flip for two and a half.
As Cesaro looked weakened, Zayn walked over to lift him up. Cesaro picked him up and uppercut him in mid air. He came down and Zayn kicked out of the pin at one. Zayn went to the rope and looked blatantly exhausted. Cesaro with an uppercut and neutralizer to pick up the victory.
WINNER: Cesaro at 23:04.
(Koenig’s Analysis: This match really cemented my belief that Cesaro has been the most under-utilized talent on the roster for about a decade. The man is a beast, lightning quick and has charisma. He really is the total package. I think most people reading the Torch can agree that he is an immense talent. The match was a great display of his power, and Zayn was a worthy competitor, but the right man won.His display of strength is almost inhuman and he hasn’t seemed to loose a beat even over the past seven years. However, he should have been a major champion. I am still hopefully that we can see a run of him a Universal or WWE champion. I think it would be a great run.)
-NEXT WEEK- “The Champion and His Challenger”- Walter and Ilja Dragunov
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