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NXT UK TV REPORT (EP. 126)
DECEMBER 17, 2020
STREAMED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY CHAD KOENIG, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness
(1) ISLA DAW vs. KAY LEE RAY
Ray started the match with an armbar that grounded the challenger. Ray countered and tossed Ray to the ropes, and laying in her signature kicks before hooking Ray’s leg for two. Ray turned the match around after that, but it was short lived as Dawn’s kickboxing background again came into fruition. After a double knee to the head, she got another pair pinfall attempts on the champ.
Dawn started showing a lot of fire and fury, but Ray landed a DDT and a coachina clutch, that she luckily escaped by hitting the ropes. Dawn lifted Ray up, but she slid off and connected with a superkick and Gory Bomb for the win.
WINNER: Ray at 4:16
-After the match, Ray got the mic and explained that she is the longest-raining women’s champion in all of the WWE, and that she planned to keep the numbers going because the rest of the women’s division has been self-destructive as of late.
(Koenig’s Analysis: Dawn has been improving in strides. Every match she gets better and better, which is desperately needed in this women’s division. The match itself was a bit humdrum, but it gave the champion another win, and Dawn another step in the right direction.)
-William Regal, Nigel McGuinness, Seth Rollins (who trained him), Gallus and others interviewed about Ben Carter, who is a young prospect from New Jersey that is coming to NXT UK.
-Smackdown commercial highlighting Sasha Banks’ and Carmella’s rivalry.
-Ilja Dragunov in an emotional video discussing his incredible match with Walter last month. He showed his disappointment in loss and the video ended with him taking out his colorful contact in his eye.
(2) JACK STARZ & LEVI MUIR vs. SAXON HUXLEY
This handicap match came into fruition over the past couple of weeks after Huxley’s loss to Rampage Brown. Huxley laid both men out after saying “better luck next time” to him. Starz opened the match and went for a bearhug, but quickly got tossed into the corner and made the tag in to Muir, who locked up with the physical beast that is Huxley. Muir hit the ropes but was swatted down to the mat. Tag to Starz who got a quick pinfall attempt after some double teaming.
Huxley really took out his aggression on Starz and worked his neck. He attempted to battle his way back up but ended up getting lifted and tossed across the ring. Huxley then went out of the ring and took out both members of the makeshift team.
Back in the ring, he continued to ragdoll Starz, complete with a pinfall attempt. Starz was able to make the tag in to the fresh Muir and he came in pounding away on Huxley. Muir laid in some heavy forearms and uppercuts before catching him. Huxley countered out and tossed him around a little. Muir tagged Starz back in and executed a double dropkick that took Huxley down. Starz then with a sunset flip but Huxley was holding on to the ropes. Muir slapped his hand and Starz got the roll up to take down the big man. After the bell, Huxley beat the hell out of both of them. Dave Mastiff then came down to help and he sent Huxley out of the ring.
WINNER: Starz & Muir at 5:20
(Koenig’s Analysis: I really thought that this was going to be a squash in favor of Huxley, but I imagine it will build a match to Huxley and Mastiff, which should be fun. The match wasn’t anything special. It highlighted how unconventional and powerful Huxley is, and gave a bit of a shine to Muir, who is a powerhouse in his own right.)
-Sid Scala in a video from earlier in the week. Piper Niven shoed him security footage of someone leaving a rolling crate in next to where she worked out. When Niven came back into the shot, she opened the crate to find a steel chair inside with a note attached. Scala said that he was aware. Niven said it was Jinny and that she wanted a match with her and will get it in three weeks time, with the winner becoming number one contender for the women’s title.
-WWE TLC commercial highlighting Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles
-A-Kid in the ring with his Heritage Cup trophy. He said that it was historical for the brand, and his home country of Spain. He said that he wanted to prove that he is the best. Walter then came out and told him to wipe his feet the next time he wrestles in “his ring”. Walter admitted that watching A-Kid in the tournament was great and that he showed his passion. Walter then said that he is nothing like him and is not part of British Wrestling heritage and said that he will prove that when he faces him sometime.
-Kenny Williams in a backstage video explaining that he hurt his knee and that Amir Jordan will have to wrestle solo until he is healed up.
-WWE 24 on Keith Lee
-Trent Seven in an interview piece showing his disappointment in losing to A-Kid in the Heritage Cup tournament. Trent said that he has been looking backwards on his career instead of looking forward. He explained that his focus is to work on himself in the coming weeks and months.
(3) JOSH MORRELL vs. RAMPAGE BROWN
They lock up at the beginning and hit the ropes, with Morrell being tossed in the air and pancaked before rolling out of the ring. Brown followed and rolled him back in. He dropped a couple of elbows on the poor kid before getting speared in the corner, kicked in the back and headbutt. Morrell got a couple of shots in, doing little damage, before Brown hit a vicious lariat and a pair of powerbombs, possibly ending Morrell’s career.
WINNER: Brown at 3:13.
(Koenig’s Analysis: A powerful squash match. Brown is legit. I hope down the road to see a battle between Brown and Walter.)
-Sid Scala announced that after talking to Johnny Saint, Walter will face A-Kid after the start of the year, if all parties agree.
-WWE TLC commercial, highlighting Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens.
(4) GALLUS (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang w/Eddie Dennis) vs. THE HUNT (Wild Boar & Primate)
Primate ran at Gallus at the bell as Wolfgang was getting ready to start the match. He sent Wolfgang into their corner and The Hunt exchanged tags and beat him down before he escaped to make the tag with Boar. Coffey came in and slammed Boar for a pinfall attempt. Wolfgang tagged himself back in and got Boar to the ground in a headlock. He got up and made the tag back to Coffey, who came in to work on his arm. Here, Eddie Dennis caused a distraction on the apron causing Coffey to turn around and be hit in the back by Boar, who sent him back to the corner and made the tag in to Primate.
As Primate came in, both men put a beating on Coffey. After slamming Coffey, Primate made the tag in and tossed Boar on top of the champion, getting a two count in after. Boar then sent Coffey outside. As the ref was distracted, primate rolled him back in, who then got slammed and pinned for two.
Boar kept his elbow on the side of Coffey’s head. Primate then tagged himself back in and laid out both members of Gallus. Another tag back in to Boar, but Coffey fought his way out. Boar then speared him into the corner, but in trying to make a tag, Primate ran over and knocked Wolfgang from the apron. He did get a tag in eventually, and Wolfgang came in on fire, tossing Boar around the ring, and laying out Primate in the process. However, Primate was still able to break the pin that happened after. As Primate was distracting the ref following his shenanigans, Dennis pulled Wolfgang and jostled him on the ropes. Wolfgang retaliated by choking him. but Primate pulled him off of the wily manager. As the fight continued in the ring, Joe Coffey ran down and attacked Dennis. Simultaneously, The Hunt both went up to double splash onto (Mark) Coffey, but Andrews and Webster came down to knock the from their perches. Coffey got the pin on Boar to retain.
WINNER: Gallus at 8:00
As Gallus were celebrating afterwards, Pretty Deadly came out to the ramp, followed by Carter & Smith who pushed them into the ring with the champs, who then sent them back out hurting.
(Koenig’s Analysis: A good match but did seem a little rushed to fi in to this busy episodes. Gallus got the win, and Andrews & Webster got some payback for everything they have been doing. Curious to see where this goes next.)
-Phew! That was a busy episode. Lots of segments, videos and match interferences to set up rivalries going in to the next year. I’m unsure what the next couple of weeks will bring as for content. I assume they will be 2020 recap episodes (all seven months of wrestling), with live action returning on January 7th, so Happy 40th birthday to me on that day. If there are recaps, I will give you the breakdown on here. I want to wish the readers of PW Torch a wonderful and safe holiday season the next couple of weeks and to be safe! I look forward to ending this awful year and hopefully 2021 will be much better!
Follow Chad on Twitter & Facebook @ChadFromAlbany
Excellent episode. The two segments featuring Dragunov and Trent reflecting on their losses really were superb. I like Kenny Williams a lot but I’m going to have to say it – I didn’t understand a freakin word he said.