A Collective Review of WWE NXT UK 1/30/2020 by Lance Augustine

Welcome to the weekly TJRwrestling review of WWE NXT UK. As a lot have you have seen, I started reviewing the NXT weekly TV shows here at TJRwrestling, and as I have been tuning in I have been getting more interested in the performers on the NXT UK brand and I wanted to start doing a deep dive into their weekly TV show as well. The performers have been getting more of a chance to shine, with events like Worlds Collide this past Saturday, and I feel like this is a brand that can’t go unnoticed. I have followed it on and off thus far and though I haven’t checked it out every week, I am going to start now and write my thoughts on it. It’s a one hour show on WWE Network every Thursday. I can only hope you all join me as I venture into the rabbit hole and explore the world that is known as NXT UK.

WWE NXT UK from York, England 1/30/2020

The show opens with a package highlighting the World’s Collide event. It was a show that included all the superstars from both NXT and NXT UK. The opening signature rolls and the shows ready to get underway.

The commentators for the show are Tom Phillips and Aiden English, and they get us ready for the opening match of the night. Normally, Nigel McGuinness is in the analyst chair, but tonight English is in his place.

Danny Birch and Oney Lorcan vs. The Hunt (Wild Boar and Primate)

The match starts with Birch and Wild Boar squaring off in the center of the ring. Birch grabs the arm of Boar and starts to wrench down on it. Boar counters and grabs a waist lock, but Birch overpowers him and takes him over with a headlock. Boar recovers and throws Birch into the corner. He hits a shoulder to the midsection, before making the tag to Primate. They exchange blows, with Birch getting the upper hand. He makes his way over to his corner and makes the tag to Lorcan. Both Lorcan and Birch make quick tags and continue to double team on Primate. Primate fights his way out and gets to his corner to make the tag to Wild Boar. Boar charges into the corner but is met with a huge elbow from Lorcan. High knee by Lorcan, followed by a chop in the corner. He tags Birch back in and they hit a double suplex for a two count. Lorcan and Birch exchange quick tags and continue isolating Boar to their side of the ring. Lorcan locks Boar in the abdominal stretch, but Boar finally fights out and had enough to get the tag in his corner. Primate is in and is a house of fire. He takes out both men and hits corner elbows on everyone. He hits Lorcan with a lariat for a two count. Primate charges to the corner but misses and hits the post.

Birch and Lorcan work together an hit the assisted powerbomb for a two count. Another quick tag into Lorcan and they go for a double team move but Primate fights out and gets to his corner for a tag. Boar is in and hits a series of corner blows, but Birch regains the advantage with a huge headbutt. Birch tags Lorcan back in and he hits Primate with an uppercut as he is coming off the top rope. Birch and Lorcan work together and hit Primate and they hit an elevated DDT and pick up the win in about 6 minutes.

Winner(s): Oney Lorcan and Danny Birch
Match Rating: 2.75/5 Stars

Match Notes: That was a hard-hitting tag team match, with both teams getting a lot of physical offense in. I love how quiet the arena is because it makes every shot sound that much more powerful. Birch is an old school type of wrestler and he works really well with Lorcan. I could see them moving up the ranks and challenging for the NXT UK Tag Team Titles soon enough.

After the match, they show replays before talking a little bit more about the Worlds Collide event last Saturday. They show a clip of Toni Storm being interviewed after her loss to Rhea Ripley. She is asked what went wrong and she says that Kay Lee Ray is still in her head, and this has to end, before walking off.

Eddie Dennis is walking down the aisle and gets in the ring. He grabs the microphone and the fans immediately start booing him. He shows what he did to Trent Seven at Takeover: Blackpool 2 on the big screen. He says that since the referee wouldn’t let him throw him into the turnbuckle, he had no choice but to send him sailing over the top rope. Just as he goes to say more, he is interrupted by Trent Seven. Seven comes out and says that even though he lost, the history books should read something different. Seven challenges Dennis to a match next week where there will be no turnbuckle pads. He says it will be an exposed four corners street fight. Dennis goes to attack Seven but Seven cuts him off and tosses him to the outside. Seven celebrates in the ring as the segment ends.

Segment Notes: That match should be very interesting next week. In all my years watching this sport, I don’t think I have ever seen a match like it. It might limit what they can do, but since it’s also a street fight, I can imagine it won’t be a traditional looking match.

They show Tyler Bate in the performance center and he is joined A-Kid. Kid talks about being blown away by Bate’s performance at World’s Collide. Bate throws down the friendly challenge for next week and Kid accepts as the segment ends.

We are shown a package for Aoife Valkyrie, who will debut in two weeks on NXT UK. We go down to the ring for the next match.

Nina Samuels vs. Isla Dawn

Both women start the match by feeling each other out. Dawn takes the early advantage but it doesn’t last long. Both women trade counters but Samuels gets the momentum in her favor. Dawn recovers and gets back to her feet. She goes to take out Samuels, but Samuels counter and tosses her on the apron. She follows that up with a double foot headstand that knocks Dawn to the floor. Both women are back in the ring, and Samuels continues to get the offense in. She whips Dawn into the corner and hits her with an elbow. She follows that up with a scissor kick and a rolling leg drop for a two count. Dawn starts to make a comeback, but Samuels snuffs her out and throws her head into the second rope. She hits Dawn with knees to the back but misses the third one, which gives Dawn the advantage. Dawn runs with it and hits a flurry of offense. Samuels climbs to the top rope but Dawn is quick to catch her and kicks her legs out from under her. She hits Samuels with the Meteora, followed by a bridging German Suplex and gets the win in about 5 minutes.

Winner: Isla Dawn
Match Rating: 1.75/5 Stars

Match Notes: Samuels dominated most of the match, but Dawn hung in there and picked up the win in the end. It was sloppy at times, but both women fought hard throughout the march. The Meteora is a cool finishing move and Dawn winning with the bridging German Suplex was a surprise because that move rarely ends matches anymore.

Backstage, Ilja Dragunov talks about his loss to Finn Balor at Worlds Collide. He says he is always looking for a challenge and Finn Balor gave him one. He said he won’t focus on that now but will focus on Joe Coffey, who is waiting for him.

Oney Lorcan and Danny Birch are being interviewed and talk about liking to beat people up. They have set their sights on the NXT UK Tag Team Titles and said they will win the belts.

Tyson T-Bone vs. Ridge Holland

Holland is the hometown favorite coming into the match.

They lock up and T-Bone gets an early shot to the face in. Both men trade blows back and forth with neither one gaining an advantage. They continue punching each other before Holland eventually breaks up and hits a belly to belly suplex. Holland continues to pound on T-Bone and hits a clothesline that knocks him to the ground. T-Bone recovers and hits some offense of his own. He hits a suplex, but Holland won’t stay down. Big headbutt by Holland. He hits an Alabama Slam, followed by Northern Grit and picks up the win in about 4 minutes.

Winner: Ridge Holland
Match Rating: 1/5 Stars

Match Notes: That was a physical brawl of a match. Both men hit clubbing offense, and it went back and forth for the whole match. Holland is a stud and looks like a million bucks, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him take on Walter for the NXT UK Championship down the line.

They make the matches between Tyler Bate and A-Kid and Trent Seven and Eddie Dennis for next week official, and we are ready for the main event.

Flash Morgan Webster, Mark Andrews, and Dave Mastiff vs. Imperium (Alexander Wolfe, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel)

Andrews and Barthel start things off. Barthel is the bigger of the two men and tries to use it to his advantage. He works on the arm of Andrews and takes him down to the mat. Aichner makes a blind tag while Barthel was against the ropes and he continues working on the arm of Andrews. Andrews counters and gets a tag into Webster. Webster tries to get some offense in but Aichner is too much and overpowers him. He makes a tag to Wolfe and he continues to take work on the ankle of Webster. Wolfe bounces off the ropes but Webster hits a series of dropkicks and gets a two count. Webster makes a tag to Mastiff and he comes into square off with Wolfe. Wolfe makes a quick tag to Aichner and Mastiff makes the tag to Webster. They hit a series of double team moonsaults before making the tag back into Mastiff. Mastiff picks Barthel up in a delayed suplex and gets a two count. They work Barthel over into their corner and work on him with some triple-team offense. Webster is back in and hits some offense on all three members of Imperium. He hits a hurricanrana on Wolfe, followed by a moonsault on Barthel and a dropkick to Aichner. Just as he was gaining momentum, Wolfe grabs him from behind and puts him right on his neck with a German suplex. He covers for a two count. Wolfe continues to work on Webster and makes the tag into Aichner. He takes Webster to the corner and lights him up with a chop to the chest. He stands over Webster and stomps him into the mat. They put him up in the corner and hit a double team dropkick to the head. Webster is in a bad spot as Imperium is making quick tags in and out. Webster tries to fight back but is met with a spine buster and Aichner gets a two count.

Aichner charges into the corner, but Webster flips over him and makes the tag to Mastiff. Mastiff takes out Aichner and then the other members of Imperium. He hits a senton in Aichner for a two count. Mastiff continues on Aichner and makes a tag to Andrews. Imperium briefly takes control back with a delayed suplex, but Andrews reverses it into a Stundog Millionaire. Andrews and Webster then both hit splashes to the outside taking out Aichner and Barthel. Mastiff is in the ring and Wolfe comes charging in, but Mastiff tosses him to the outside. Mastiff is the last one out and hits a senton off the apron onto everyone. He rolls Aichner and Barthel into the ring but is attacked from behind by Walter. Mastiff takes Walter out but Andrews is in the ring with two members of Imperium. Andrews is caught by Barthel coming off the ropes and he tosses him to Aichner is catches him and hits the Brainbuster and picks up the win in about 11 minutes.

Winner(s): Imperium
Match Rating: 3/5 Stars

Match Notes: This was a fast-paced 6 man tag team match. Both teams utilized their corners of the ring well, and we saw some nice teamwork from both teams. Obviously, Imperium is the more polished of the two teams but Webster, Andrews, and Mastiff definitely held there own throughout the match. Walter’s involvement was the turning point and gave Imperium enough of the edge to pick up the win. The ending sequence of Barthel tossing Andrews into the awaiting arms of Aichner for the Brainbuster was such a cool spot. Overall it was a solid main event.

After the match, Imperium poses in the ring and Walter and Mastiff share a glance with each other as the show goes off the air.

Overall Show Rating: 6 out of 10

Tonight’s show was a mixed bag for the most part. The opening tag team match and the main event really stood out as the matches of the night. Birch and Lorcan have such an old school sense about them. It feels like something fresh and is a welcomed addition in a world full of high spots. Their match tonight with The Hunt was such an old school brawl and the silence of the crowd made the shots ring out that much more. I can actually appreciate how subdued the fans are on these shows because it’s something you don’t see often and every move has that much more of an impact. Imperium brings such a sense of dread to the show and it’s really cool. Walter is such an imposing figure and they couldn’t have anyone better to lead the brand in the future. They may be one of the best stables in all of wrestling. The other matches on the night weren’t anything special, although the slugfest between T-Bone and Holland was a fun watch. Ridge Holland looks like a beast and I wouldn’t be shocked if he is in the hunt for a shot at Walter and the NXT UK Title. Solid night of wrestling.

Did you catch NXT UK this week? What did you think? Follow me over @collectiveheel on Twitter and let me know your thoughts. Support the site. Support each other. I will be back next week with some more Collective Thoughts.