It’s awful weather over here in the UK. I’m cold and wet but excited to give you this week’s NXT UK Inclination! Why am I excited? The main event is the epitome of British Strong Style. Kassius Ohno vs Tyler Bate! I can’t wait to get to it. Enough of my faffing, here we go!
Kay Lee Ray vs Xia Brookside
While we wait for that main event of Bate vs Ohno, the ladies of NXT UK weren’t going to be left out of the proceedings. They put on a great show right here.
Xia felt very aggrieved that KLR stole her title opportunity at the Download Festival this past Summer. Xia looked like she was about to win the battle royale when KLR snuck in and dumped her out the ring. Taking the opportunity and eventually winning the title from Toni Storm. And from the get-go, you could see that Xia wanted to exact her revenge in this match. And in the process stake her claim as the number one contender.
This match started a theme for the evening’s events. And that theme was BRUTALITY!
https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1195070798626578432
Admittedly you wouldn’t think that at the beginning of the match. Both women were playing one up-manship. Technical ability reigned supreme until KLR seemingly had enough and let fly a nasty right hand. It connected on Xia’s chin and all of a sudden the gloves came off!
Xia went hell for leather and toe to toe with KLR. But it ultimately wasn’t enough. A Dirty Bomb from the champ put an end to Xia’s resistance. A great showing from the youngster but just slightly not enough.
Winner – Kay Lee Ray
More Piper Niven promo time. More is shown about her personal life. Again, where was this when she debuted?
Travis Banks vs El Ligero
The eagle-eyed amongst you will remember that these two met each other a few weeks back. No winner was declared as the match finished in a double pinfall. Great booking there by the way. This match, unfortunately, went the same way as the first – tainted.
Oh yeah, the BRUTALITY continued in this match too! It was a total strike fest. Punches, kicks, chops, elbows, forearms. If there was a body part to use to strike, they used it.
That’s not to say there wasn’t any wrestling at all. Oh no, no, no. There was, and then some! Ligero played up to his Lucha background, even hitting a C4L to Banks on the outside. It looked….brutal. Travis didn’t want to feel left out, so he hit a picture-perfect Kiwi Crusher for the nearest of near falls.
https://twitter.com/NXTUK/status/1195074435553742848
And here comes the tainted-ness – Joseph bloody Connors. Yup, he decided upon himself to interrupt this great match. He threw Ligs into a post while the referee’s attention was elsewhere. That allowed Banks to hit his Slice Of Heaven finisher to pick up the win.
Winner – Travis Banks
After the match, Connors (yawn) kicked the crap out of both men, leaving them laying in the ring. He then picked up the mic and began to bore…sorry talk to the crowd. He basically said that he was done being looked over. And if he has to suffer, he’ll make sure that everyone else suffers too.
Ridge Holland – the ex Rugby League player Luke Menzies – will make his debut on next week’s show.
https://twitter.com/WWENetwork/status/1195077481591492608
NXT GM William Regal is shown at the NXT UK PC with NXT UK GM Johnny Saint. He bumps into The Axeman, Alexander Wolfe. He asks him for a match against Ilja Dragunov. Saint makes the match for next week.
Tyler Bate vs Kassius Ohno
Oh yes. Oh yes. A thousand times yes! This match….wow! Honestly, you all need to watch this match. It is a thing of beauty. Yeah, it’s brutal (I may have told you that) but there are flashes of technical genius, amazing submissions, and just WRESTLING!
https://twitter.com/NXTUK/status/1195080888406560776
The storytelling was perfect. The match started slow, both men finding their feet. It soon picked up when Ohno turned to his dastardly heel ways when he demolished Tyler using a ring post. That soon sparked not only Bate but the crowd too. Ohno literally blasted repeatedly the injured shoulder of Tyler. Even using a British submission, a Cravate, to push his advantage even further.
Tyler came back time and again, always feeding off that great crowd. And time and time again Ohno cut him off. Until a beautiful Exploder Suplex from Bate turned the match. He used that momentum all the way to the finish. Tyler finished Ohno off with his Tyler Driver 97 finisher. This was a Takeover quality match. You have got to watch this if you loved the WALTER vs Bate match – much like I did.
Winner – Tyler Bate
After last week’s damp squib of a show, this has been a breath of fresh air. Easily one of the best episodes in the company’s history. Three good to amazing matches, showcasing the very best the UK has to offer.
Yeah, there wasn’t much in the way of storyline progression, and I’m usually the first to admonish officials. But with the amazing quality of the matches, plus Ridge Holland debuting next week, along with Wolfe vs Dragunov announced…I’ll let them off this once.
https://twitter.com/UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR/status/1195079974086152193
Hopefully, next week will be just as good as this weeks. And you can hear all about it, right here on my NXT UK Inclination!
So until next week, ta ta!
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