NXT UK- 12/17/20
Recap by: Andrew Hatcher, Rajah.com Reporter
Welcome back to the NXT UK recap show! There are 4 matches on the card tonight. Calling the matches, from the B.T. Sports studios in London, will be Nigel McGuinness and Andy Shepherd. Now, lets get down to business!
The show starts off with Isla Dawn making her way to the ring. She's in the opening match up of the night, and Dawn will be taking on the NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray.
Isla Dawn vs Kay Lee Ray
The match begins with both ladies tying up, and KLR begins to ground Dawn with an arm hold. Dawn reverses the hold, and eventually breaks free. Dawn rams her knees into the stomach of a downed Ray, and quickly goes for a pin attempt. Ray turns things around, and works Dawn into the corner. Dawn fights out of it, and hits a huge knee strike, and follows it up with another one, while Ray leans against the ropes. Dawn continued the momentum, hit another strike with her knees in Rays chest, and follows it up with another pin attempt. KLR kicks out, and then gets hit with a big backdrop driver for a near fall. Dawn continued to take over the match, striking KLR, and Irish whipping her across the ring. The separation allows Ray a brief second to recollect, and Ray catches Dawn with a tornado DDT. Dawn kicks out, and the match continues. KLR immediately switches into a hold, and both women are in the center of the ring. Dawn eventually makes her way to the rope, with her feet, and the referee breaks the hold. KLR then nails Dawn with a super kick, allowing her to place Isla into position for a Glory Bomb, for the 1-2-3. After the match KLR cuts a promo, and tells us she is longest reigning champ in all of WWE, Ray continues, saying "no one can stand up to" her. She finishes by telling the NXT UK Universe that we will see her with the belt "for a long, long time".
After the match is over, we're shown a graphic for the NXT UK Tag Team Championship match, where Gallus will defend their titles against The Hunt. That match will take place in tonight's main event. The announcers then transition into a video package, where we get a look at NXT UK's "hottest new prospect". William Regal appears on the screen, and he tells us about Ben Carter. Other superstars on the brand talk about Ben, and call him "can't miss". Carter trained at Seth Rollins wrestling school, and Seth calls him "dedicated, and athletically gifted". Seth continues by saying Ben "could live in a wrestling ring". NXT UK Assistant General Manager Sid Scala says he's "massively excited to have Carter". Rollins closes the segment, telling us that he thinks Carter will "bring his brand of excitement to NXT UK". The show then goes to a commercial break.
Back from the break, a video package plays, showing highlights from the Walter vs Ija Dragunov match. Ija says the match "redefined violence, but he lost". He says he's gonna start over now, so he can "finally see" himself. He closes the segment by pulling a colored contact lenses from his eye. That's... a strange visual.
Muir and Starz vs Saxon Huxley
The show then returns to the ringside area, and Levi Muir, along with Jack Starz, make their way to the ring. This match is a handicapped match, and they'll take on Saxon Huxley. Huxley attacked Muir and Starz in the training room last week, and that is what set up this contest. The bell rings, and Huxley begins by taking on Starz. Huxley overpowers Starz, and he tags in Muir. The two big men tie it up, and both start to display impressive power. The sequence ends with Huxley hitting Muir in the face with a huge elbow. Huxley continues the momentum, and stars makes a blind tag. Starz leaps onto Huxley, and attempts a pin. Huxley powers out of the attempt, and follows up by knocking Muir off the apron. The distraction allows Starz to hit a few strikes on Huxley, but he quickly turns the tables with some vicious strikes of his own. Huxley applies a shoulder lock on Starz, but Starz tries to fight out. Huxley stops the attempt, hoists him into the air, and slams Starz down with a huge power move. Starz makes his way over to the corner, and Huxley goes to the outside. Huxley hits Starz with a drive-by boot, and takes down Muir for good measure. Huxley takes Starz back inside the ring, and hits another big power slam, before covering for a near fall. Starz briefly gains separation, allowing him to tag in Muir. The big man comes in with forearms flying, and starts to gain control of things. Huxley goes for a Lou thesz press, but he's caught. Muir attempts a slam, but Huxley reverses, and breaks free. Huxley runs muir into each corner, and then Muir reverses the last attempt into the corner. Muir hits a drop kick, tags in Starz, and they hit a double drop kick on Huxley. Starz quickly follows up, but misses a running attempt, and goes out to the apron. Starz comes back into the ring, and Muir slaps Huxley on the back from the apron. This causes a distraction, and Jack Starz rolls up Saxon Huxley, for the 1-2-3. After the match, Starz and Muir celebrate, but Huxley quickly goes back on the attack. Huxley continues the attack, until "Bomber" Dave Mastiff runs in for the save. Mastiff and Huxley try to out power each other, and Mastiff eventually forces Huxley out of the ring.
We're then taken into NXT UK Assistant General manager Sid Scalas' office. Earlier this week, Piper Niven stopped by, and she tells Scala to look at a video. We're then shown the video, where it appears Niven is working out at the NXT UK performance center. Niven walks out of the surveillance cameras frame, and someone wheels in a box. Niven opens the box, and finds a chair. Niven wonders if it's a joke by Jinny, and tells Scala to let her face Jinny. A graphic is shown afterwards, and it's announced that in three weeks, Piper Niven will take on Jinny in a #1 Contenders Match for the NXT UK Women's Championship. The show then goes to another commercial break.
When the ad break is over, Dave Mastiff is shown walking through the backstage area, where he runs into "Liverpool's Number One" Zack Gibson. Gibson tells Mastiff it's good to see him standing, after dealing with Saxon Huxley, and he "will fight anyone in front of him".
A-Kid has something to say
The show then heads back to the ring, where NXT Heritage Cup Champion A-Kid has a few words to say. Kid says he is the first champion of his kind, and that's "a milestone" for him and "the country he represents". He tells us he beat 7 other people to become champ, and last week he defeated Tyler Bate. He tells us Bate taught him he can fight the best, and he wants to prove he is the best. Kid continues, and tells us he wants to face Walter for the NXT UK Championship. Kid claims that's been his dream, and now it's reality. Kid is interrupted by Walter, and Walter makes his way into the ring. Walter says watching Kid in the tournament "was great". He then yells at kid, questioning how Kid "represents the heritage of the sport". Walter tells Kid he's just like everyone else, and "the fairytale will end" when he faces Walter. Walter closes by saying "one thing that will never change, is that I am NXT UK Champion". Walter confidently walks off, as Kid looks on in the ring.
We're then shown a video clip from earlier in the week, at the UK Performance Center. Kenny Williams is shown talking with a trainer. Their interrupted by Amir Jordan, who talks about getting the Tag Titles. Kenny says he's sorry an injury has happened, so they can't make a run at those. Williams wants to help Amir with his singles run, to keep himself busy. Amir accepts, and tells Kenny to meet him in the gym.
When the show returns from another break, Trent Seven joins us for a sit down interview. He talks about the heritage cup, and talks about thinking he had enough in him to win it the tournament. Seven lost on the finals to A-Kid, after tapping out via a submission hold. Trent says he was "looking backwards when he should have looked forward". Seven tells us he can "become better", and that's his current goal. He's questioned about taking time off, and Seven says "it's not goodbye forever", and asks us to "bare with" him. Trent Seven makes his way off camera, and the show transitions into the ring, where there will be a singles match.
Josh Morrell is in the ring, and he will be taking on Rampage Brown
Rampage Brown vs Josh Morrell
The two tie up, and go into the corner, and the ref breaks it up. Both guys go back and fourth again, until Brown sends Morrell flying. Brown follows up with a power slam, and delivers a few leaping elbow drops, after that. Brown runs Morrell into the corner, and then takes him down to the mat. Brown continues to work over Morrell, until Morrell briefly causes separation. Morell goes into the corner, and Brown misses a running attempt. This allows Morrel to make a quick pin attempt, but Brown quickly kicks out at 1. Brown starts holding on to his shoulder, and Morrell continues the momentum. Morrell tries to confuse Brown with an aerial manuever, and he follows up with an attempted hurrican-rana. Brown catches Morrell, and throws him off, but Josh lands on his feet. Morrell attempts another move, but he's cut off, and Brown hits a big clothesline. Brown follows up with a few big slams into the mat, before finishing Josh off with the "Doctor Bomb" for the 1-2-3.
Once the match is finished, Sid Scala has an announcement for the NXT UK Universe. Scala says after the confrontation earlier in the night, NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint has confirmed that Walter will take on A-Kid for the NXT UK Championship "in the new year".
The show makes it's way back from one last commercial break, and we're told that next weeks NXT UK show will be "a special" episode. The Hunt then ominously make their way to the ring, followed by Gallus.
NXT UK Tag Team Championship
Gallus vs The Hunt
The bell rings, and Primate immediately begins working on Wolfgang. Primate quickly tags in Wild Boar, and both work over Wolfgang in the corner. Primate tags back in, and they continue to work over Wolfgang. Boar tags back in, and both members of the Hunt work Wolfgang over. Wolfgang powers out of the attack, and this allows him space to tag in his partner. Mark Coffey works over Primate, and Gallus begin making quick tags. Wolfgang places a downed Primate into a submission hold, and he eventually stands Primate up. Wolfgang backs himself, and Primate into his corner, and Mark tags in once again. They both work over Primate briefly, and Coffey continues the attack. Eddie Dennis interrupts things, and Primate attempts to jump Coffey from behind. Mark fights him off, but Primate eventually regains control. Primate lands a few big strikes to the back, and then slams Coffey back first into the mat. Wild Boar tags in, runs, jumps, and lands on a downed Coffey. Boar quickly goes into a working hold, grabbing the neck of Coffey. Mark begins to fight back, but Boar sends him to the outside. Boar causes a distraction, allowing Primate to toss Coffey back into the ring. Boar hits another leaping move onto Coffey, and quickly makes two pin attempts. Coffey kicks out of both, and Boar continues the working holds. Boar makes another attempt at a cover, before tagging in Primate. Mark momentarily fights back, but cheap tactics allow the heels to take advantage once again. They both force Coffey into the ropes, but Coffey catches himself. He follows up by a kick in the face of Boar, before running the ropes, and hitting a massive spinning clothesline on Primate. This allows Boar to try to take control of things again, but he misses a running attempt into the corner, and both men are down. Coffey attempts to make the hot tag to Wolfgang, but Primate rips Wolfgang off of the apron. Wolfgang recovers quickly, and Coffey tags out. Wolfgang immediately hits a big boot on Wild Boar, and goes to work on the heel. After some huge running maneuvers, and a hip toss, Wolfgang begins cleaning house. Wolfgang goes for a cover on Wild Boar, but it's broken up by Primate. Wolfgang attempts to put away Wild Boar, but Eddie Dennis once again interferes, and that allows Boar to hit a strike to the back of Wolfgang. Joe Coffey then comes in to even the odds, as Primate goes to the top rope. Primate is suddenly pushed off of the ropes by Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews, who the referee never saw. After that sequence, Gallus hits a double team maneuver on Primate, and the champions retain their titles. Replays of the match are shown, and the tag team known as Pretty Deadly make their way out to the ramp. They bicker with Gallus, until Smith and Carter attack them from behind. They toss Pretty Deadly into the ring, and Gallus quickly toss them back out. The show goes off the air with Gallus standing in the ring, and Nigel telling us that the "Gallus boys are still on top".
That's all for this weeks episode of NXT UK! Join me next week for a special Christmas Eve edition of the NXT UK Recap. I've been Drew, you've been the readers, and that was NXT UK!
