NXT UK HITS & MISSES 2/18: Kay Lee Ray vs. Meiko Satomura press conference and Coffey vs. Brown

A-Kid vs. Sha Samuels For the NXT UK Heritage Cup – HIT

The Heritage Cup is a unique secondary title with the rounds and rules that make it very different from everything else on the show. This match style fit Samuels who came out strong and aggressive with a first-round win via tap out. This is the first time that Samuels as a character clicked for me in the ring. A-Kid spent the next two rounds fighting from the trail position after being down one round. After evening up the score, the rounds and the match became even more intense. Even in losing, this was the best match I’ve seen Samuels have to date.

Ben Carter vs. Josh Morrell – HIT

Another building block match for Ben Carter. I like the mix of styles Carter uses with the British technical style, high-flying, with the American showmanship. That said, this match wasn’t much to speak on since it was a showcase match for Carter. They allowed Morrell to get some offense in, but Carter was just too much. Another good win for Carter in his run-up the card.

Press Conference for Kay Lee Ray vs. Meiko Satomura for the NXT UK Women’s Championship Match – HIT

This was the first time they had something like this on any of the NXT brands. The press conference itself made the upcoming match feel big and important. They asked both women questions that helped build the rivalry. Kay Lee Ray stated her reason for this match in wanting to face the best and Meiko Satomura let the audience know she wanted the title because she’s the best and needed to confirm that to the world. Just a great way to use a press conference to build a match.

Dani Luna vs. Aleah James – HIT

Dani Luna is called the Powerhouse of the NXT UK Women’s division and she proves it with her style. This was a squash match, but good for Luna to continue showing off her style. She has a different style than most of the other women which is a hit for me. Even though they gave James some hope spots in the match, it didn’t do anything to lower Luna’s perception. NXT UK continues to build Luna and their women’s division is starting to match the main NXT brand’s.

Joe Coffey vs. Rampage Brown – HIT

This match gave the feel of a hoss fight, but neither guy can truly be identified as such. That said, they are two of the bigger heavyweights with a hard-hitting style. The show did an amazing job building up this match throughout the whole show. The aggressive strikes between both guys were memorable and worthy of the main event slot. I must say, NXT UK is starting to be known for these beat-down style main events. These guys were stiff with each other which made the match look like a real war in the ring. The war ended with Brown hitting Coffey with his finish. It was a good win for Rampage Brown and another great main event for the show.

NOW CATCH-UP ON LAST WEEK’S NXT UK HITS & MISSES: NXT UK HITS & MISSES 2/11: Satomura’s debut, Supernova Sessions miss, and Seven’s weight cut