NXT UK results: NXT UK vs. NXT Hidden Gems

By Markus Gronemann
Published: 28 May 2020, 16:29

Quick results —

This was a fun show with an NXT UK vs. NXT stars theme. The matches were various dark matches, taped at shows between June 2019 and March 2020. Though they were mostly good, this was not on the level of the previous Hidden Gems episode.

Finn Balor pinned Kenny Williams after the 1916 DDT in a good opener
Rhea Ripley pinned Nina Samuels after Riptide in her last-ever NXT UK match
Killian Dain pinned Travis Banks after a Vader Bomb
Matt Riddle & The Street Profits beat Joseph Conners & The Grizzled Young Veterans when Riddle pinned Conners after Bro Derek

Full rundown —

Andy Shepherd welcomed us to another episode of “Hidden Gems” and threw us right to our first match:

Finn Balor defeated Kenny Williams after the 1916 DDT (8:30)

Taped on March 7, 2020 in Coventry, England

Balor immediately attacked Williams and threw a running knee, screaming “this is for Jordan.” He took Williams down with a headlock and tightened the vice. Williams eventually escaped and came back with a springboard back elbow, then started working over Balor’s arm and hit a hurricanrana. Williams threw a running kick to Balor’s face, but Balor came back and began stomping Williams.

Balor threw a number of running chops, then hit a running kick of his own. The crowd chanted “you killed Kenny,” to which Balor replied “I killed Johnny, I killed Matt Riddle, and I’m gonna kill WALTER.” Williams staged a comeback and hit a number of forearms, then hit a springboard shotgun dropkick, followed by a see-saw lariat.

Williams went for an attack out of the corner but was hit by a slingblade. Williams recovered and threw Balor to ringside, then hit a dropkick through the ropes and followed with another dive. He rolled Balor back into the ring and hit a top rope spinning uppercut for a near fall.

Williams went for a wheelbarrow roll-up, but Balor countered and then hit the Coup de Grace, followed by the 1916 DDT for the victory.

Rhea Ripley defeated Nina Samuels after Riptide (4:31)

Taped on October 5, 2019 in Brentwood, England

This actually was Ripley’s final match in NXT UK. She backed Samuels into the corner right away, then worked over her arm. Samuels tried kicking her way out of an armbar but received a hip toss for her troubles. Ripley hoisted Samuels on the top rope and patted her on the head, then caught a crossbody and transitioned into a deadlift vertical suplex.

They ended up at ringside and Samuels got the upper hand. She hit Ripley’s head in the corner and followed with a snapmare and a choke. Ripley powered out. Samuels avoided her with a cartwheel but got hit with a dropkick. Samuels came back with a head kick off the apron and a spinning senton for a near fall.

Ripley then quickly came back with Riptide for the win and followed up by kicking Samuels out of the ring.

Killian Dain defeated Travis Banks after a Vader Bomb (8:26)

Taped June 16, 2019 at Download Festival

They locked up and Dain immediately used his power to keep Banks at bay. Banks came back with a leg kick, but Dain no-sold the attacks. Banks tried shoulder blocking Dain but couldn’t move him. Banks attacked the legs some more and actually got Dain down on the mat and attempted a cover.

Dain threw Banks across the ring, then hit a senton on Banks’ back and kept manhandling the Kiwi Buzzsaw. He wedged Banks between the turnbuckles, then hit some running double knees into his ribs. Dain locked in a reverse chinlock and then hit a suplex for another two count.

Dain locked in another chinlock, then body slammed Banks as he was on the verge of escaping the hold. Banks came back with a kick to the face and then hit a few more leg kicks. He followed up with a dropkick into the corner, then hit a running senton off the apron, followed by a dive.

Banks hit a double foot stomp from the top for a two count and went for Slice of Heaven, but Dain averted the move and hit a running crossbody for a near fall of his own. Banks hit another dropkick into the corner, followed by a double foot stomp off the turnbuckles onto a sitting Dain.

Banks ended up on Dain’s shoulders and used a victory roll for a near fall, but Dain came back with a forward Samoan drop, a senton, and the Vader Bomb for the pinfall victory.

Matt Riddle & The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) defeated Joseph Conners & The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) when Riddle pinned Conners after Bro Derek (13:42)

Taped July 19, 2019 in Plymouth, England

The segment started with the GYV and Conners in the ring and Gibson cutting a promo. Gibson complained about the fans making the show about themselves. He handed the mic to Drake as the show cut to a break.

After the break, Conners was on the mic and said they wanted the best NXT UK has to offer. He then corrected himself and said they wanted the best the world has to offer.

This prompted The Street Profits’ music to hit and they told GYV to shut up. They said since the GYV had friends, they also had a friend and were going to give him a call. This led to Matt Riddle coming out and joining The Street Profits, which was much to the crowd’s delight.

GYV and The Street Profits posed with their respective sets of Tag Team titles, which both teams held at the time. Riddle and Conners started out and Riddle immediately took him down off a waistlock. Conners escaped a headlock by grabbing Riddle’s hair and locked in a leg vice. Riddle quickly came back with two float-over gutwrench suplexes until Conners tagged Gibson.

Riddle immediately locked in an armbar, then, when Drake tagged in, locked in an ankle lock. Dawkins tagged in and quickly managed to get both members of GYV in position for a leapfrog backbreaker for Ford to hit. Gibson managed to get the upper hand once more and the heels took turns working over Ford, isolating him in their corner.

Ford was in trouble as everyone took turns working him over. Ford hit a sunset flip on Drake, but he managed to tag Gibson before falling down in the move. Gibson locked in the Cobra Clutch, after which Drake worked Ford over. Ford finally managed to hot tag Dawkins and hoisted Conners on his shoulders.

Riddle hit a top rope knee Doomsday Device, but Gibson made the save. All six men brawled in the ring until Dawkins hit a double spear on GYV. Ford and Drake were the legal men and traded punches. Ford got the upper hand, but Gibson blind tagged in. Ford evaded a Doomsday Device by GYV, hit a superkick on Drake, and small packaged Gibson for a two count.

Ford hit a somersault senton on all three heels, then rolled Conners back into the ring. Dawkins hit a spinebuster, followed by a frog splash by Ford and Bro Derek by Riddle for the win for the NXT team.

Next week —

A special look at Gallus.