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NXT UK TV REPORT (EP. 112)
SEPTEMBER 10, 2020
STREAMED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY CHAD KOENIG, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Hosted By: Andy Shepherd (from home).
-Andy Shepherd has a different background for the first time since the pandemic halted tapings. He was in front of an NXT UK drop cloth to once again bring up that new episodes resume next week in London. Shepherd introduced a vignette briefly showing prominent figures of European wrestlers before Sid Scala made a “huge announcement” that was teased last week. Scala then introduced “The Heritage Cup,” an eight-man tournament. He said seven of the eight wrestlers involved will be announced tonight. The video then went to William Regal, who explained the rules of the cup tournament which go as follows.
1. There are six three-minute rounds of two out of three falls matches.
2. Falls count as pinfalls, countouts or submissions.
3. The round ends after each fall.
4. The first person to score two falls wins.
5. The match ends immediately in the case of a knockout or DQ.
6. Whoever leads at the end of the sixth round wins, if the match makes it that far.
-The first three wrestlers were announced for the cup- Flash Morgan Webster, Noam Dar and Alexander Wolfe.
-NXT UK Vignette
-Sid Scala then with another “huge announcement”. He announced that in two weeks, Kay Lee Ray will be defending the NXT UK Women’s championship against Piper Niven.
-Video package on Piper Niven and Kay Lee Ray’s history.
(1) KAY LEE RAY (c) vs. TONI STORM- “I Quit” match for the NXT UK Women’s Title
(This was from my initial review)
-Note: If Toni Storm loses, she cannot 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.)
-Backstage interview from last week from NXT UK tag team champions Gallus. They announced they will be at the show next week. They were donning a new look and were now a duo as Joe Coffey was one of the names mentioned in the #SpeakingOut movement earlier this summer.
-William Regal, Andy Shepherd, Robbie Brookside and Drew McIntyre were in a zoom call to discuss the Heritage Cup Tournament, and their experiences in them while wrestling in Europe where they are known as “British Rounds Matches”.
-The next four wrestlers were announced for the tournament- A-Kid, Dave Mastiff, Joseph Connors and Trent Seven.
-WWE Smackdown commercial
-Gallus vs. Amir Jordan and Kenny Williams next week.
(2) WALTER vs. TRENT SEVEN (from July 24, 2019)
Before the bell rung, Seven dove through the ropes and tossed Walter into the steps and barricade before rolling him back into the ring. They got up and at the bell, Seven was laying in chops to Walter’s chest. He tossed Walter over the ropes and dove at him again. Bate dropped him on his back before they both rolled back in. Trent would pound away at him as soon they were in. Walter powered his way up and tossed Seven with a German. Walter then started throwing forearms and left Seven down and beaten. Seven tried to hulk up, but Walter slammed him back down to the mat.
Seven tiredly got up but Walter slapped him down again. Walter wrapped him in the ropes and reddened his chest before he wrenched Seven in a chin lock. He got the rope, but not without getting exhausted in the struggle. Walter watched him slowly get up and ran at him. Seven moved and countered with a German of his own. He tried to hit Walter with some forearms but he was too weak to do much damage. He broke free and was actually able to take the big man down with a clothesline. Both men crawled to separate corners.
Obviously tired, Seven’s animosity towards Imperium gave him the strength to run at him. Seven laid in a series of rapid fire strikes. The ref pulled Seven away and Walter hit him with one chop that knocked him down for the first pinfall attempt of the match. Walter taunted Seven while he was down, yelling insults. Seven kept getting knocked down to the mat but he wasn’t giving up. Seven got up in time to lay in one strike that sent Walter out of the ring. He went to the top rope but Walter got up there and knocked him down. Seven made it up there again while Walter was on the apron. He hooked Walter’s neck for a superplex for two.
Walter rolled out and again, Seven followed. The two started brawling outside and up the ramp. Chants of “asshole” filled the venue. Walter brought him back into the ring and hit a powerbomb. Instead of pinning him he wanted to send a message to British Strong Style and hit yet another powerbomb. At this time, the rest of Imperium came to the ring and stood at the foot of the ramp, facing the stage in case his teammates wanted to come down to help Seven. Three more powerbomb followed and the ref called the match.
WINNER: Walter at 14:15.
(Koenig’s Analysis: A great David and Goliath match. There was a great story told in the match of Trent’s disdain toward Imperium. There was only one move that I saw that looked unbelievable. When Seven slapped Walter and he went through the ropes- that couldn’t have looked worse. Apart from that miniscule detail, a fun match o watch. )
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