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NXT UK TV REPORT (Ep. 113)
SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
STREAMED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY CHAD KOENIG, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Hosted by: Andy Shepherd from studio
-This is the first show of new matches since the COVID-19 pandemic started
-Shawn Michaels and Triple H featured in a vignette on the return of NXT UK, which is now filmed in the BT Sport studio in London. Many wrestlers were briefly featured in the vignette before introducing their new intro package and theme song which is “God of War” by Wargasm. There are no people in attendance but in a beautiful room.
-Sid Scala introduces the show from the middle of the ring. He started to introduce the show for tonight before Ilja Dragunov’s music hit and he came to the ring. He went corner to corner before yelling in Scala’s face that he’s waited six months for a fight and a battle. Noam Dar then came from the back and said that Dragunov needed anger management for feeling that way. Dragunov jumped out of the ring and tossed him in. Dragunov flipped Dar with a fierce lariat before Scala said that he would move things around tonight and make Dragunov vs. Dar as the main event.
-Shepherd announces the first match of the night.
(1) GALLUS (c) (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) vs. KENNY WILLIAMS & AMIR JORDAN – Non-title match
Coffey and Jordan lock up and run the ropes. Coffey then with a backslide for one and a half. Jordan tagged in Williams and he applied a headlock to Coffey. Coffey grabbed his hair and brought him towards Wolfgang for the tag. Wolfgang with a wrist lock that Williams escaped. He and Jordan exchanged tags, but Wolfgang tossed him to the corner and tagged Coffey again. Coffey worked him so more and tagged Wolfgang back in, who kept wrenching his arm in the middle of the ring.
Coffey was tagged in again and held in a cravat before a trio of two counts. The two continued to exchange tags and beat up Jordan in their corner as Williams watched from a distance. After some double teaming, Wolfgang with a pinfall attempt. Wolfgang then went for a move that Jordan countered and got the tag to Williams. Williams pounded away and displayed his acrobatics. As he tried to prevent Coffey from interfering, Williams was scooped up and attempted to be slammed down but he countered with a roll up for two. He hit Wolfgang again for another two.
Williams ran at Wolfgang but he caught him and slammed him down before tagging in Coffey, where he got a quick bridge pinfall attempt. Coffey went for a chokeslam that Williams countered and then escaped for the tag. Jordan immediately went to the top with a senton and two count that was interrupted by Wolfgang. Coffey then with the tag. Wolfgang picked up Jordan and Coffey dropkicked. Wolfgang slammed him down and got the win.
After the match, The Hunt, Smith and Carter, and Pretty Deadly, as well as a video image of Imperium, surrounded the ring.
WINNER: Gallus at 10:44.
(Koenig’s Analysis: By no means were the wrestlers performances bad in this at all, but this type of match doesn’t play well to no fans. They need at least some crowd to make this work. It was a match that had the heels keep the babyfaces in their corner for a hot tag. A hot tag doesn’t work well when playing to nobody. Everyone looked good and wrestled well. Shame there was no crowd.)
-Chronicle: Jeff Hardy commercial
-Saxon Huxley promo from inside of a cage announcing that he will be fighting next week.
-Kay Lee Ray comes to the ring to remind us that she will be defending her championship next week against Piper Niven. She talked about their past before Niven came to the ring with a mic. Niven brings up the number of times she beat Ray in Japan and the UK and tells her to “tell the truth”. Ray to a swing but was caught before she rolled out of the ring and walked to the back.
-Video package featuring brief vignettes of the women’s division.
-WWE Clash of Champions commercial
(2) ISLA DAWN vs. AOIFA VALKYRIE
Valkyrie grips in a headlock early on. She hip tossed her to the mat and Dawn escaped. They then run the ropes, almost stumbling over each other at one point. Valkyrie then with a crossbody for two. Valkyre kept Dawn grounded until she jumped to the second rope and was caught on Dawn’s shoulders when bouncing backwards. Valkyrie spun and Dawn rolled to the mat. This was executed horribly. Dawn with a stiff kick and took Valkyrie down. She grabbed Valkyrie’s arms and stretched her before taking her the mat for one.
Valkyrie turned the match around a bit went Dawn to the corner and struck her with a series of knees. Dawn countered and stretched her back again. Valkyrie eventually escaped and hit a blockbuster for two. As she saw Dawn getting up, she went for a slow, sloppy kick that Dawn reached up and grabbed (believe me, she had plenty of time to) and rolled Valkyrie for two.
Here, Dawn attempted to toss her out of the ring. Valkyrie ricocheted from the ropes and kicked Dawn down. She went to the top rope and hit a diving split leglock for the win.
WINNER: Valkyrie at 5:45
(Koenig’s Analysis: In the first couple of years of Saturday night Live, the cast was lovingly known as “the not ready for prime-time players,” even though they were groundbreaking and brilliant. These two are “the not ready for prime time wrestlers”. Seriously, these two might literally be the greenest wrestlers on the roster. They were slow and horribly timed. The lack of crowd made for several silent spots. This was brutal to watch. You’d think on their first episode back that we would get something better than this. Just fast forward.)
-A recap of the upcoming NXT UK Heritage Cup
-Next week- Pete Dunne shows up to draw matches for Heritage Cup
(3) NOAM DAR vs. ILJA DRAGUNOV
Dragunov takes Dar down from the start and Dar weaseled his way back up. One strike from Dragunov knocked Dar silly and he went into the ropes to rest. Dar then grabbed Dragunov’s arm and worked that until he escaped out and struck his signature pose. Dragunov then hit a cross body for two. He got up, chopped Dar and hit a senton. Dar rolled out of the ring.
Dragunov came out a few seconds later and rolled him back in. As Dragunov went to the top, Dar jumped to the middle rope and the two battled in the turnbuckle. Dar connected with a kick to shin that knocked Dragunov down before he hooked the leg for two. Dar got up and kicked him right in the throat and Dragunov rolled to the apron.
As Dragunov tried to rest, Dar pulled him out from under the rope and hit a german for two before he started to kick the knee and leg of Dragunov. Dar hooked him for another two.
Dar tossed Dragunov around the ring and continued to work his leg and knee. Dar would taunt him and kick him in his face until Dragunov garnered enough strength to make it to his feet suplexed Dar. Both men laid on their back until Dragunov ran at him and kicked him in the face. Dragunov went for the Gotch lift but Dar countered it into an arm lock. Dragunov escaped and went for the champagne super knee bar but couldn’t quite lock it in. They got back to their feet and exchanged uppercuts. Dragunov then hit a lariat that he calls “the Constantine Special. He went for the pin and almost got the three.
Dragunov slowly made it back to the corner and then to the top rope. He jumped, but Dar dodged him and followed Dragunov to the corner with a punch to the head. He kicked Dragunov to the gut and sent him outside. Dragunov ran back in immediately and took him down with a forearm, followed by a pinfall attempt that made it to two and a half.
Dar pulled Dragunov up and laid in some knees. He took him down for two, followed by an armbar. They both fought their way back to their feet and Dar kept pounding away. Dragunov turned around and sent several slaps and knees to the chest. Dragunov with a Gotch list suplex for two.
As Dar laid in the ring, Dragunov went to the corner and was going for the kill shot. He turned around and Alexander Wolfe was on the outside of the ring. Dar took advantage and rolled him up for two. Dar accidentally bumped into Wolfe, who was on the apron. Dragunov got enough room to execute a Torpedo Moscow for the win.
WINNER: Dragunov at 11:50.
(Koenig’s Analysis: A really good match. This worked well with no crowd noise, which I think they need to find a way to incorporate in to future matches. The action was fast and exciting, and they tied in the story of Dragunov being the #1 contender to Walter by Wolfe interfering. Dar is a tremendous heel and has such great mannerisms to make you hate him. Dragunov is a star in the making.)
Noam Dar is a freakin wrestling GOD. So. Damn. Good.