NXT UK results: The relaunch begins

Quick results —

NXT UK is back after more than five months, taping from BT Sport studios in London, England. A good show with three fun matches picked up where things left off back in March.

• NXT UK Tag Team Champions Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) defeated Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams in a non-title match. Good action and Williams continues to look impressive. After the match, most of the NXT UK tag team roster surrounded the ring.
• NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray and Piper Niven had a confrontation ahead of their title match next week.
• Aoife Valkyrie defeated Isla Dawn in a rematch from earlier this year.
• Ilja Dragunov defeated Noam Dar in a very good match. Both men look more jacked than before and had a stiff back-and-forth outing. Alexander Wolfe came out near the finish, but Dragunov thwarted him and picked up the win via Torpedo Moscow. NXT UK Champion WALTER then came out for a staredown.

Full rundown —

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to events in March, NXT UK returned this week with a show taped at BT Sport studios, the home of the brand’s UK television partner.

A cool video opened up the show, with Shawn Michaels and Triple H talking about the hiatus and how hungry the talent is. A video ran down some of NXT UK’s top stars, interspersing match highlights with some of their thoughts.

A brief shot of the very cool looking studio setup was shown before the new intro video to the tune of Wargasm’s God of War aired.

Nigel McGuinness (remotely) returned to the commentary booth and called the show alongside Andy Shepherd (in the arena), instantly making this one of the best commentary teams on WWE television — if not the best.

After the intro, NXT UK assistant general manager Sid Scala was in the ring and welcomed us back. He was about to say what would kick off the show when Ilja Dragunov’s theme played and the Mad Russian walked to the ring.

Dragunov played to the very small crowd of probably local talent before apologizing to Scala, although in a very loud and direct way. Dragunov said he had been waiting for six months. He had been caged and isolated and was waiting for a battle. Noam Dar walked out and told Dragunov he needed some anger management therapy, which prompted Dragunov to dive on top of him and beat the ever loving hell out of the Scotsman. He took Dar’s head off with the Konstantin Special before referees broke the fight up.

Scala said he’d shuffle things around and Dragunov would face Dar in tonight’s main event.

Non-title match: NXT UK Tag Team Champions Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) defeated Kenny Williams & Amir Jordan when Wolfgang pinned Jordan after an enzuigiri/powerslam combo (10:53)

Coffey and Jordan started out and Coffey immediately took him down with a shoulder block. Jordan tried going for a hip toss, but he found himself on the wrong end of a backslide for a two count. Williams tagged in and came off the top onto Coffey’s arm. Coffey also tagged out and Wolfgang found himself worked over by both men. Wolfgang came back with a clothesline on Jordan before tagging in Coffey. He landed a flying European uppercut on Jordan, who found himself in peril in Gallus’ corner.

Wolfgang worked over Jordan’s arm and snuffed out any kind of counter attempt. Coffey was back in, stepping onto Jordan’s neck before trying a number of successive pinfall attempts. The champions kept working over Jordan, cutting the ring in half and keeping him on their side of it. Gallus hit a double-team monkey flip on Jordan before Wolfgang went for a slam but got hit with an enzuigiri, allowing Jordan to make the hot tag.

Williams hit a cool looking rope-assisted hurricanrana before kicking Coffey in the face and then in the chest, sending him to ringside. Williams then scrambled out of a gorilla press and countered into a sunset flip before Wolfgang got the upper hand again and slammed The Luckian to the mat. Coffey hit a German suplex for two before Williams went for a crucifix pin, followed by a slingblade. Williams took down Coffey, then Jordan hit a Swanton off the top and would have picked up the victory if Wolfgang hadn’t made the save.

Gallus then quickly came back with the enzuigiri/powerslam combo on Jordan for the victory.

After the match, Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster, The Hunt, Pretty Deadly, and Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter came out and all surrounded the ring. Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) also appeared on the screen, so it looks like they were not in the UK for the tapings after all.

– A Saxon Huxley video aired, with him pushing his own face against a fence. He said his mind had begun to wander during isolation and it was a big mistake releasing him. He said he will be bringing a flood next week. It will be WALTER vs. Huxley on the show.

NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray in-ring segment

KLR said she’ll be defending her title next week. She said this would be a day to rejoice, if she didn’t have to face Piper Niven. She said the two of them defined women’s wrestling in the UK and now they will face off for the title in a WWE ring. She said people will find out why KLR is just that little bit better than Niven.

This prompted Niven to walk out. Niven said she couldn’t remember a time when KLR talked so much. She said since KLR liked talking so much, she should tell everybody how often Niven had beaten her in Japan and in the UK already. Niven said she has KLR’s number.

KLR said that this was what Niven wanted to believe and that she would prove to the world that she’s better than Niven. She said that Niven had never beaten this KLR. She said that Niven should have known better than to trust her.

KLR went to hit Niven with the mic, but Niven blocked the shot and knocked KLR down. KLR immediately slunk away.

– A video on Isla Dawn and Aoife Valkyrie aired ahead of the next match.

Aoife Valkyrie pinned Isla Dawn after a leg drop off the top (5:44)

Dawn was looking to avenge her loss from earlier in the year here in this rematch. Valkyrie locked in a side headlock and took down Dawn. She countered with a leg vice before Valkyrie quickly escaped. Valkyrie connected with a spinning heel kick and went for a hip toss, but Dawn blocked it. Valkyrie hit a reverse crossbody block off the ropes and then went back to the side headlock. They ended up back on their feet and Valkyrie took Dawn down with a headscissors.

Dawn was quickly back on offense, locking in a double-arm submission. She then transitioned into a crossface attempt until Valkyrie powered out. Dawn went back to her initial submission attempt, then Valkyrie countered and hit a head kick. Valkyrie followed with a flurry of kicks, then hit a blockbuster for a near fall. Dawn rolled her up with a near fall of her own, but Valkyrie came back with a unique springboard kick off the ropes.

Valkyrie then went to the top rope and hit her axe kick leg drop to the back of the neck for the pinfall victory.

– Scala talked about the eight-man Heritage Cup tournament. There will be seven announced participants and one wild card entrant. A-Kid, Dave Mastiff, Noam Dar, Flash Morgan Webster, Joseph Conners, Alexander Wolfe, and Trent Seven are the confirmed participants.

– The Heritage Cup drawing was announced for next week, with it also being revealed that Pete Dunne will be a special guest for the drawing.

Ilja Dragunov defeated Noam Dar after hitting Torpedo Moscow (11:49)

Dragunov immediately took down Dar with a single leg, then looked for some ground and pound. Dragunov was using a fighter’s stance and they grappled for position for a bit. Both men seemingly used their time away from the ring during the pandemic to get even more jacked than before.

Dragunov took down Dar with a chop and hit a senton, then sent Dar fleeing to ringside off a charge. Dar tried getting the upper hand, but Dragunov would have none of it. They briefly battled on the top turnbuckle before Dragunov knocked Dar down, but Dragunov then fell victim to an attack on his leg, which sent him tumbling down into the ring.

Dar hit a Northern Lights suplex on Dragunov for a two count before working over Dragunov’s leg which he had targeted just moments before. He also worked over Dragunov’s arm for good measure, looking to dismantle the number one contender bit by bit. They traded strikes before Dragunov hit an Inoki-style dropkick to the head, followed by a wheelbarrow suplex. Dragunov hit a stiff lariat and went for a suplex, but Dar countered into an omoplata. Dar followed with an ankle lock attempt, but Dragunov broke free.

Dragunov hit the Konstantin Special for a close near fall before going back to the top rope, but he missed a foot stomp. Dragunov went for the Konstantin Special once more, but Dar had him scouted and countered, then kicked Dragunov to ringside. Dar followed up with the Super Nova, but Dragunov kicked out at 2.9. Dar tried another pin attempt and then locked in an armbar, but Dragunov powered out of the hold. Dragunov came back with chops to the neck.

Dragunov hit an impressive Gotch-lift suplex and then rolled backwards from a bridge to cover Dar, but Dar narrowly kicked out. Dragunov set up for Torpedo Moscow, but Alexander Wolfe then came to ringside and grabbed Dragunov’s leg. Dar used the distraction to try and roll up Dragunov. He kicked out, then sent Dar into Wolfe and followed up with Torpedo Moscow to get the win.

As Dragunov celebrated his victory, Imperium’s theme hit and WALTER walked out, staring down Dragunov, who dared him to step into the ring with him as the show went off the air.

Next week —

Kay Lee Ray defends her NXT UK Women’s Championship against Piper Niven, NXT UK Champion WALTER faces Saxon Huxley in non-title action, and the Heritage Cup drawing with special guest Pete Dunne takes place.