NXT UK results: Kay Lee Ray vs. Tegan Nox

Big Takeaways —

• Tegan Nox put up a brave fight against the current NXT UK Women’s Champion in the main event. But after focusing on Nox’s recent injured knee throughout the match, it was Kay Lee Ray who grabbed the opportunity and picked up the victory.
• Piper Niven overpowered the reluctant Isla Dawn in the opening contest and got the win with the Michinoku Driver.
• Alexander Wolfe defeated fan favorite Saxon Huxley with a sit-down powerbomb.

Full Recap —

Nigel McGuinness and Vic Joseph welcomed us to Cardiff, Wales for this episode of NXT UK. 

Piper Niven defeated Isla Dawn

Both women told a great story of the bigger vs. smaller opponent here. A simple and well-executed story of the smaller Isla Dawn trying to gain some sort of advantage over the larger Piper Niven — only for Niven’s size and strength to be too much for her in the end.

The crowd was behind both women from the start of the match. Dawn escaped a hammerlock but couldn’t flip the larger Niven over. Niven dominated the early exchanges, using her strength and size to her advantage. Fighting out of a headlock, Dawn tried to lift and suplex Niven but only got her off her feet for a second.

Niven hit a low crossbody for a two count and then went back in control with an armbar and a short-arm clothesline. Dawn fought to her feet out of a straightjacket submission, powered up, and hit her back suplex this time. She followed up with a big boot for a two count of her own.

Dawn fired up with a low-level meteora and kept Niven on the mat with a front face lock. But the stronger Niven fought to her feet and escaped the hold with a headbutt and finished Dawn off with a Michinoku Driver for the win.

– We saw Ilja Dragunov coming out of the trainer’s room. He is still not medically cleared and still can’t fight. Alexander Wolfe bumped into him and with a sly smile on his face said it was a shame he isn’t cleared. Wolfe said he liked him, and to take a rest because he will take his place in the ring tonight.

Wolfe finished by looking Dragunov up and down and telling him he should think about his future…are Imperium looking to recruit?

– Niven was being interviewed after her victory and was interrupted by Jinny, who called herself the next NXT UK Women’s Champion. This was just a distraction for Jazzy Gabert to jump Niven from behind and beat her down.

Later, we saw a tweet from Johnny Saint letting us know Gabert will take on Niven next week.

Alexander Wolfe defeated Saxon Huxley

What looked like it could have been a quick squash for Wolfe turned into a quite a competitive back-and-forth match. Huxley fired up a few times to the delight of the crowd, but Wolfe got the better and put him away with a sit-out powerbomb.

“Lets go Jesus” chants started immediately for Huxley and continued — in various formats — throughout the match. Wolfe pulled Huxley’s knee pad down early on and booted him right in the face when he bent down to pull it up.

Wolfe blocked a suplex straight into an armbar and continued his assault with an uppercut and a suplex. He then pulled at Huxley’s nose and ground his forearm over his face. Wolfe wore him down some more with a chinlock and then clobbered him with a step-up enzuigiri as Huxley got to his feet.

With the crowd cheering him on in different biblical ways, Huxley fired back with a big Thesz press. He hit a dropkick as the crowd was on its feet chanting “Jesus,” but the glory went to his head and he missed a big boot and got caught on the rope.

Wolfe jumped at the chance and smacked him with a pump kick and then a German suplex (or I guess he just calls it a suplex?). He then finished off Huxley with a sit-down powerbomb. 

– Ashton Smith was interviewed earlier in the day. The Grizzled Young Veterans interrupted and started talking about win-loss records, slagging Smith off in the process.

Smith fired back by stating that the Veterans had lost their last two NXT UK Tag Team title matches. Smith said they are not locker room leaders as they have no followers. He walked off after saying he will see what happens next.

Mike Bird vs. Jack Starz never got started

Bird came out as the hometown hero here, but the match did not take place as his opponent, Jack Starz, was then dragged out unconscious by Gallus members Wolfgang and Mark Coffey.

Mark had a mic and said the match wouldn’t be taking place as “Jack is seeing Starz.” He listed off Bird’s accomplishments, including training NXT UK Tag Team Champions Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews. He sarcastically tried to shake Bird’s hand, but Wolfgang jumped Bird and began beating him down. 

The aforementioned tag champs ran in for the save, but they were followed by Joe Coffey. Joe grabbed Webster before he could slide into the ring. This let Andrews get beat down two-on-one in the ring by Wolfgang and Mark while Joe put the boots to Webster. They then threw Webster into the wolves and finished the planned assault three-on-two.

NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray defeated Tegan Nox in a non-title match

Both wrestlers would have known all about each other as they have previously crossed paths numerous times, but it was the champion’s unrelenting focus on Nox’s injured knee that got her the win here. 

KLR tried to leave early on, but Nox caught her on the entranceway and dragged her back to the ring. KLR went low and attacked the knee, which would be the story of the match. KLR wrapped Nox’s leg in the bottom rope and started kicking away at the knee. A face-first suplex got KLR her first two count. 

KLR went up top but took too long and missed a senton bomb. She then speared the ring post when Nox moved at the last minute. The momentum looked like it was shifting. 

They exchanged right hands to “Boo/Yay” chants from the crowd. Nox fired up with clotheslines, a back elbow, and a running uppercut in the corner. Nox then went up top and hit a Molly-Go-Round for a close two count. 

In a great exchange, Nox missed her Shining Wizard, KLR hit a superkick, and Nox then reversed a Gory Bomb and hit a superkick of her own for another close two count. 

KLR then hit a step-up tilt-a-whirl DDT and locked in a guillotine choke with a leg scissors, but Nox eventually fought up and slammed KLR out of it.

The initial lock took too much out of Nox, so KLR had the opening to lock it in again straight away. But Nox again courageously dug deep and dragged them both to the ropes to break the hold.

Out of nowhere, Nox caught the champ with a chokeslam for a big near fall. She went up top, but KLR crotched her this time, twisted her knee around the top rope, and gave her a kick for good measure. KLR then picked her up for the Gory Bomb. Nox fought out once more and hit a Canadian Destroyer — but KLR kicked out at the last moment. 

The crowd was getting right into this main event now and right behind their Welsh hero. Nox hit the Shining Wizard and it looked like she had the win in the bag, but KLR at the last moment got her foot on the bottom rope to break the referee’s count.

They fought to the apron, with KLR dodging a running kick and causing Nox’s leg and knee to collide with the steel ring post. KLR then quickly dragged her back into the ring and hit the Gory Bomb for the win. 

Next Week —

• Piper Niven vs. Jazzy Gabert