NXT UK results: Two title tournament matches

NXT United Kingdom title tournament first-round match: Joe Coffey defeated Mark Andrews (7:40)

Both wrestlers cut in-set promos on their way to the ring. Coffey said it would be good to have two Gallus boys on top. Andrews said he had been in the original title tournament and would win this time.

Coffey blocked Andrews’ offense early on (including an arm drag, a hurricanrana, and a body press attempt) and then finally slammed him. Andrews hit a top rope hurricanrana but quickly got thwarted again.

Coffey locked in a full nelson and they ended up in a backslide battle. Andrews eventually hit a DDT. He hit a springboard crossbody for a near fall, but Coffey came back with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.

Andrews hit the Stun Dog Millionaire but got caught with an uppercut just seconds later, followed by a spear in the corner and All the Best for the Bells for a Coffey victory.

– Backstage, Coffey celebrated his win.

Amale defeated Nina Samuels (6:31)

Amale started out strong and hit a number of running kicks and dropkicks to score a near fall early on. Samuels fought back and locked in a chinlock.

Samuels hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, then started attacking Amale in the ropes. Amale moved out of the way when Samuels went for a dropkick in the ropes. Amale then scored another near fall with a bulldog, followed by a running kick in the corner and the Hopebreaker for the win.

– Backstage, Oliver Carter was asked about his injured knee. Trent Seven came up and gloated about Carter’s leg being bandaged and braced. Carter said the last time they were in the ring together, Carter & Ashton Smith made Seven & Tyler Bate ex-champions. Seven admitted to that and said that was the pivotal moment of his career — people got to see the real Trent Seven now and he would break Carter’s leg.

– Ilja Dragunov cut a pre-taped promo where he said he was curious to see who would take his place — but Dragunov also pointed out it was “his place.” Dragunov said he would be back and would recapture his title.

Chase U (Andre Chase & Bodhi Hayward w/ Thea Hail) defeated Eddie Dennis & Saxon Huxley (6:49)

Chase and Dennis started. Dennis took Chase down, then yelled at Huxley to pay attention and see how it was done. Chase then took Dennis down using the same hammerlock takeover. Chase made the crowd spell “Chase U” and he stomped away on Dennis.

Chase U tagged in and out in order to isolate Dennis. Denis tagged in Huxley, who accidentally hit Dennis on a double axe handle off the top. Huxley hit a Thesz Press on Chase and slammed him into the mat. Dennis took over, but Huxley blind-tagged himself in once more.

Huxley beat Chase from corner to post but then missed an elbow as Dennis kept screaming at him from the apron. Dennis and Hayward both tagged in and Hayward beat Dennis down with tackles and a big splash. Dennis managed to tag out, then Huxley hit a top rope clothesline on Hayward.

Dennis yelled at Huxley that Dennis was the star and told Huxley to get out of the ring. Huxley walked up the entranceway as Chase U hit a double-team flatliner on Dennis to pick up the victory.

After the match, Dennis kept yelling at Huxley, who took him out with a powerbomb. Huxley celebrated with Chase U and shook Andre Chase’s hand.

– A very good video on the upcoming Heritage Cup rematch between Noam Dar and Mark Coffey aired. Both men were confident they would pick up the victory. The match airs next week. Also next week, both semifinal matches in the NXT United Kingdom Championship tournament take place.

NXT United Kingdom title tournament first-round match: Tyler Bate defeated Kenny Williams (13:19)

Both men cut in-set promos. Williams said he would win the title, while Bate said he would win and crush Trent Seven’s dreams.

They traded wristlocks early on and Bate rolled Williams up for a two count. They traded slaps and Bate was aggressive in his offense, but Williams poked him in the eye.

Bate picked Williams up with a bridge off of a test of strength. He then went for a dive, but Williams evaded it and hit a back elbow off the top. They ended up at ringside and Bate picked up Williams for an airplane spin. Williams grabbed the ring post, then threw Bate into the barricades to take over the match.

After some more back and forth, Bate picked Williams up for another airplane spin in the ring, which left both men dizzy until Bate hit a lariat. They traded offense until Bate threw Williams out of the ring and followed with a huge plancha.

Back in the ring, Bate hit a bridging German suplex. Bate went for the Tyler Driver ’97, but Williams escaped it and rolled Bate up for a near fall. Williams went for a backspring elbow from the rope, but Bate caught him in another German suplex, hit a lariat, and then the Tyler Driver ’97 to pick up the win and advance in the tournament.

Final Thoughts —

A strong show with good matches and very few angles/promos, which probably is more than just a bit of foreshadowing that the future of this show looks bleak.

WWE spoiled the results of the tournament recently when Tyler Bate appeared as champion on NXT 2.0 to call out Bron Breakker for the Worlds Collide show that was announced today.

WWE also cut a number of NXT UK wrestlers today, ranging from some who were injured or not featured recently (Flash Morgan Webster, Dani Luna, Ashton Smith) to some who were prominently on this show as part of the title tournament (Mark Andrews), some who were part of stables or ongoing (title) storylines (Rohan Raja, Sha Samuels, Emilia McKenzie, Amir Jordan), and some who were mostly used in the mid-card (Wild Boar, Primate, Dave Mastiff, Jack Starz, Nina Samuels). It will be very interesting to see where NXT Europe is headed and if any of the talent that was released today will be brought back or where the focus of this new brand will lie.

On the off chance any of the released wrestlers read this: Thank you for your hard work and some great and entertaining matches over the years — and all the best for your future. The UK/European indie scene will certainly be better off for it in the long-term, with the possible influx of great talent becoming available shortly.

Next Week —

• NXT United Kingdom title tournament semifinal match: Tyler Bate vs. Joe Coffey
• NXT United Kingdom title tournament semifinal match: Trent Seven vs. Oliver Carter
• NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion Mark Coffey defends against Noam Dar