TV Review // NXT UK #1 // Pete Dunne vs. Noam Dar

It feels like we've been waiting a long long time for NXT UK to finally begin. The rumours, the non-starts, the Takeover classics, Pete Dunne battering Enzo Amore on RAW, the three sets of tapings with no episodes aired...it had been almost two years since WWE UK first began to take shape. But on 17th October 2018, WWE finally aired the first episode of NXT UK on the WWE Network, with footage coming from the 28th July taping at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England. 

The premiere episode brought us a United Kingdom Championship main event as Pete Dunne put the title on the line against 205 Live regular Noam Dar, whilst Moustache Mountain's Tyler Bate & Trent Seven, Toni Storm, Mark Andrews, Dave Mastiff and Joe Coffey all appeared. But was it any good? Lets take a look. 

A big ol' pompous opening that felt very Triple H, as it discussed building an empire and showed some of WWE's history with the UK. 

The first match of the show saw ICW's Joe Coffey get the better of PROGRESS' Mark Andrews in a battle of UK Championship Tournament semi finalists. The pair had a rock solid bout, that played to their strengths, with Coffey able to display his power and Andrews pulling out a lot of very pretty fast paced offence, with a healthy dollop of the underdog babyface fire that made him a top name on the BritWres scene. Mark Coffey's distractions at ringside worked well to develop the dynamic between the brothers, whilst also building to the spot of the match nicely when Andrews nailed a moonsault onto both men at the same time. Cambridge was super hot for Mandrews from the very beginning and I think that had a massive impact on my enjoyment of this one, as it bought a new dimension to the dynamic and meant that every fight back from the smaller man felt that little bit more important. I'm still unsure whether WWE realises how much of a diamond they have in Mark Andrews. On that note, Coffey would pick the win moments after the moonsault spot, nailing an overhead belly to belly suplex and the Aw'ra Best for the Bells lariat to earn the first ever victory on NXT UK. 

Stat - The only other match between the pair had the same result when they battled at Discovery Wrestling in Edinburgh, Scotland back in November 2015.

After the match, the Coffey Brothers began to lay into Andrews, with "Flash" Morgan Webster heading out for the save. A nice early bit of storyline and what could a fun feud between these two teams. All good so far. 

Moustache Mountain were seen wheeling their suitcases through Cambridge, looking like a pair of b i g s t r o n g b o i s. 

Eddie Dennis made his debut in a video package, discussing his history with Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews, with some classic pictures of all three flashing on screen, before Dennis revealed he had some stories to tell. This has a lot of potential and was one of the elements of this episode that made me most excited to see what was to come from the brand.

Former NXT Tag Team Champions Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) came out to say a few words. I don't really know what else I can say here, because nothing really happened, with the segment seemingly acting as a way to simply shoe-horn Bate & Seven onto the first episode without having them compete. I mean, there was nothing wrong with the pair interacting, they're both entertaining to watch and managed to hold the crowd with their banterous chat, but there also wasn't anything resembling substance. There was no feud to push or surprise interruption, this was just a thing that happened for a bit. Even the discussion of the NXT Tag Team titles ended up abruptly, because at this point there's not enough teams to have a division, which is an odd thing to have to point out on your first episode. The rest of the promo was a bit circle-jerky, discussing the achievement of NXT UK and how the fans had been a big part in it happening. I'm hoping NXT UK doesn't continue this habit of repeatedly patting it's own back, because it will get old fast. 

Dave Mastiff is in action next, so we get a little look at what Mastiff is all about, which is basically bodying lads. 

A recap of how Noam Dar earned his WWE United Kingdom title shot last June, with his four-way victory over Travis Banks, Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews.

Dave Mastiff picked up his first victory on WWE TV in a quick, one-sided match with the debuting Sid Scala (IPW:UK). Mastiff looked very impressive here, showing off not only his range of power moves, but also his innate charisma as he laughed at any offence that Scala managed to get in on him. The 16 year veteran owned the space, showing off his range of agility with a wicked closing sequence of moves that included a front dropkick, release german suplex and a 315 lb cannonball. Scala is someone who could offer a lot to NXT UK in the future and his bumping performance here should have put him in good stead to do just that.

Match stat - This was Dave Mastiff's first televised victory since defeating Grado to win the vacant World of Sport Wrestling Championship on New Year's Eve 2016.

Blue Peter presenter Radzi Chinyanganya (strangely uncredited) interviewed Nina Samuels backstage as Samuels said she wanted to make a name for herself at the expense of Toni Storm. For me, the promo felt a little forced, with Samuels coming across as nervous throughout, whilst it also taught me very little about Samuels or her character, with a general "insert name" here feel. This could have been anyone. 

Considering Toni Storm's only previous WWE losses have come against NXT Women's Champions Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler, it was no surprise to see her pick up a clean victory over the debuting Nina Samuels (Pro Wrestling EVE) here. This match didn't click for me, with Samuels looking awkward when on both attack and defence, whilst she also struggled to stand out as anything other than a generic heel foil. Obviously the match was designed to showcase Storm, but considering the amount of offence Samuels got in, I felt like I learnt next to nothing about her from this performance, with the character coming across your basic wrestling villain. This wasn't helped by some sloppy offence, including a poor tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. That isn't to say that the match didn't have it's bright spots, because some lovely stiff forearms from Storm as part of her comeback and an early tease of the running double knee smash that would later help Storm on route to her victory. The finish felt a little familiar with a similar set-up to how Dave Mastiff went over Sid Scala a few minutes earlier, as Storm hit a German suplex into the corner to set up the knee smash, with the addition of a Storm Zero adding a little differentiation. 

Stat - These two had previously faced off at WrestleForce in Southampton in 2015, British Empire Wrestling in Tooting and Westside Xtreme Wrestling in Tufnell Park both in Greater London in 2017, with this match leaving Storm with a 3-1 record. 

Next week - Tyler Bate vs. Wolfgang in a 2017 United Kingdom Championship tournament semi-final rematch.

The main event saw Pete Dunne successfully retain the United Kingdom Championship in a very good match with Noam Dar. A strong example of the meshing of a classic British technical outing and WWE style main event, this clash gave plenty of hope that NXT UK will be able to find its own distinct style, whilst still appealing to a wider audience. The match managed to be both all-action and storyline-based with the early part of the match showing this off perfectly as whilst numerous threads for later in the match were being woven we also got a great spot as Dunne's trademark backflip out of the corner was thwarted by a chop block, before Dunne also used his signature X-Plex and then a sitout powerbomb for a near fall. Dar worked as the matches aggressor, targeting Dunne's knee in anticipation for the Champagne SuperKneeBar, but the crowd split about 70/30 in favour of Dunne, which created a cool football match type atmosphere on the screen. A series of delicious back and forth strikes, followed up by a superb submission exchange seemed to have the Cambridge Corn Exchange rocking and would be my pick for the best wrestling in the match, although the gorgeous Bitter End reversal into the CSKB by Dar was also a major contender. I'd have loved to see these two go another ten minutes, because their work was so crisp and precise and it felt like they'd only scraped the surface of their creativity together. The finish had been hinted at all match with Dunne attempting the finger snap on Dar multiple times and Dar repeatedly flashing his pinkies up with cocky swagger, so therefore it was only fitting that Dunne would eventually bend Dar's pinky back and stomp it right into the mat. The spot looked horrible but in the absolute best way and set up for the Bitter End to seal the victory.  For me, this was the best that Dar has looked in his time with WWE, given the opportunity to work a type of match that suits his style with an opponent capable of helping him to raise his game when needed. 

I was half expecting a big attack angle to close the show and lead into next week, but instead the commentary posed the question of who could possibly take the belt off Pete Dunne. This was a pretty cute way to end the first episode, especially because, as of now, it's rather difficult to pick someone from the pack as the person who could do it. Building the show around a dominant champion is an interesting move to kick off the brand with, but one that should provide plenty of scope for storytelling, as well as a number of top class matches. With the thought that it can surely only be a matter of time before Dunne finds himself on an even bigger stage, I can't wait to see who will the one chosen to step up from the pack and take over his role as the face of the brand.

Stat - Pete Dunne continues to be undefeated in singles action on WWE TV since losing the final of the 2017 United Kingdom Championship tournament. With the run now at 16 matches, Noam Dar joins a list that includes Roderick Strong, Ricochet and Adam Cole, Dunne's overall singles records stands at an impressive 19-1.

A strong debut episode for NXT UK, booked ended by a good opener and a very good main event. The middle of the episode could have been tighter, with the women's match and the Moustache Mountain appearance not really working for me. There's certainly lots of space for improvement, which will come as the wrestlers become more acclimatised to regularly working with WWE and WWE becomes more aware of the performers it has on it's books and what they are capable of both in the ring and within the various storylines and feuds that we'll hopefully see develop. It's clear that this isn't the finish product, just like the early episodes of NXT only showed glimpses of what that show would become and Iooking forward to seeing how the show finds it feet and who from the roster of talented performers steps forward and takes this considerable opportunity by the horns.

Written by James Marston 

WWE 205 Live Review // 6th March 2018

This week on 205 Live saw the conclusion of the Quarter Finals of the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament as Mustafa Ali tangled with Buddy Murphy and Mark Andrews faced Drew Gulak. But how did it all go down in Green Bay? Lets take a look! 

Commentary - Nigel McGuinness & Vic Joseph 
Ring Announcer - Greg Hamilton
Interviewer - Dasha Fuentes 

Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Quarter Final // 

Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy

Before the match - In one of the best selfshot promos to date, Mustafa Ali let Buddy Murphy know that the most dangerous man in this world, doesn't fight for himself, he fights for others, in what looked like a gritty back alley. - WWE accidentally aired Drake Maverick fluffing his lines and resetting as he told Buddy Murphy that he'd made weight for his Quarter Final

In what might have been my favourite match of the tournament so far, Mustafa Ali pinned Buddy Murphy with a crucifix to take his place in the final four. The psychology and storytelling in this one were superb and considering the match didn't go all that long, Ali and Murphy packed it with narrative and worked extremely hard to create a rich and creative match-up. The start was all well and good, working with the idea that Ali was thrown by Murphy's pace or power with Murphy outmanoeuvring the Illinoisan and then nailing a wicked lariat, but it was once Ali changed tactics on focused on the Melburnian's left arm that the match truly hit its groove. The original 450 splash onto the arm as Murphy tried to pull himself up using the ropes looked brilliant and finally bought a crowd that had previously been shouting amongst themselves previously into the match as they got behind the former DREAMWAVE talent. The two then crammed in a number of beautifully done moments, using the arm as a catalyst, including Murphy being unable to hit a vertical suplex because of the arm, so instead dumping Ali to the outside and nailing a Tope con Giro. Murphy's selling was spot on and the injury really came into play down the stretch as despite coming off on the better end of a hard strike sequence, Murphy was unable to hit Murphy's Law, then attempted a backslide, only to be unable to keep Ali down, because of the injury, before Ali quickly took advantage and trapped the arm in a crucifix to get the win. The finish was right up my alley and each step along the way was done beautifully. It was great to see some more depth out of Mustafa Ali, who managed to fit his agility-based offence into a "working a body part" type story, working as a nice mirror image to his match with Gentleman Jack Gallagher a few weeks ago. Based on this display, both these men should have bright futures on the purple brand.

Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Quarter Final // 

Mark Andrews vs. Drew Gulak 

Before the match - Drew Gulak revealed he hasn't opened Microsoft Office in weeks in the saddest turn of events this year. 

A dragon sleeper saw Drew Gulak advance to the semi-finals of the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament, with Mark Andrews tapping out, after a good match. This was a much better showing from the ATTACK! star, who got to show off a much broader range of offence, whilst selling well for Gulak's brutal strikes. The match was a relatively standard technician vs. high-flyer bout, with a couple of nice highspots to accent the narrative. Gulak's reversal out of a Code Red and the rana off the apron from Andrews stand out as highlights, whilst the two also included a number of their signature spots in what was a short match for this tournament. I think that the briefness was the thing that ended up holding the match back from being one of the more memorable contest in the tournament, as the guys didn't have enough time to really explore Gulak's renewed viciousness and build upon his brutal victory over Tony Nese three weeks ago and whilst there were teases throughout like Gulak going to throw Andrews into the announce table, it never really developed into what it could have been with another five minutes. This was a good match and the nature of Gulak's victory continues to build his momentum in the tournament, but I feel that it had the potential to be very good to great with a little more time and perhaps a little extra smoothness as well in places.

Drew Gulak vs. Mustafa Ali will happen on the 20th March episode.

Hideo Itami & Akira Tozawa vs. Nemeth Alexander & Scott James 

Before the match - Drake Maverick explained to Hideo Itami & Akira Tozawa that he'd put them together as a tag team, because he thinks they can bring the best out of each other. 

A quick squash victory for the newly formed Hideo Itami & Akira Tozawa tag team over Nemeth Alexander (former FUW wrestler James Alexander) & Scott James, with Tozawa pinning James with a diving senton. This was a solid showcase for both Itami & Tozawa, with Tozawa hitting a wicked backdrop driver and Itami with a nice release fisherman's suplex as well. We've seen a few teams begin to form over the last few months on 205 Live, so perhaps WWE is considering introducing a Cruiserweight Tag Team titles, which should allow for more storyline depth on the show.

Also this week 

- Cedric Alexander cut a generic sit-down promo, ahead of his Semi-Final next week, claiming he'd be going to WrestleMania etc. 

- We saw Roderick Strong working hard in the Performance Center as he prepares for his Semi-Final match next week. 

ATPW Scale Rating // 6.00 out of 10 

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale 

WWE 205 Live Review // 13th February 2018

The first round of the Cruiserweight Championship tournament continued on 205 Live this week, with former 'Zo Train members Drew Gulak and Tony Nese colliding in the main event. But how did it all go down in Bakersfield, CA? Lets take a look! 

Cruiserweight Championship Tournament First Round Match // Drew Gulak def. Tony Nese // Submission

Drew Gulak found himself in the Quarter Finals of the Cruiserweight Championship tournament after a brutally dominant victory over former 'Zo Train partner, Tony Nese. A real different match to your typical WWE outing, full of unique offence, hard strikes and some lovely technical wrestling. The match was paced really well, with Nese initially trying to match Gulak's technique and striking game, often coming out on the losing end, before later on the match picked up the pace as Nese hit a beautiful Fosbury flop dive and went on to miss a 450 splash attempt. As much as Gulak looked dominant, Nese was particularly impressive here, there was also a lot of action that felt super fresh, Nese put on a gorgeous submission that seemed to wrap himself all over Gulak, whilst he also later hit an Alley Oop into the top turnbuckle and escaped an armbar attempt with a running powerbomb into the bottom buckle. Both men also sold the hard-hitting bout, with Nese out on his feet for much of the last third, whilst Gulak did some lovely detail work, moving his fingers to suggest a nerve issue towards the end of the clash. 

The finish was superbly done, making Gulak look like a real force to be reckoned with in the tournament going forward. Drew's facial expression after getting a slap from Nese on the outside told the whole story of what was about to happen next and then delivering on it. Gulak viciously threw his former friend into the lower half of the announce table twice, with Nese appearing to be completely out of it. The referee being unable to stop Gulak from assaulting Tony upped the drama and made Drew look like a bastard as he hit a massive lariat, two powerbombs and then locked on the Gu-Lock to seal the deal. As much as I enjoyed Gulak's powerpoint gimmick, it was great to see him return to this vicious and commanding in-ring style that made him a stand-out in places like CHIKARA and CZW. Gulak hadn't won one-on-one since October, but it appears he's set for a much brighter future under Triple H's watch.

Cruiserweight Championship Tournament First Round Match // Mark Andrews def. Akira Tozawa // Pinfall 

Mark Andrews made his return to 205 Live, picking up his first singles match win in WWE since the United Kingdom Championship Tournament, with an upset win over Akira Tozawa. For me, this was the first match of this tournament that failed to live up to expectations. That isn't to say this wasn't an enjoyable match, because there was some very good action in the second half, but the first portion of the match didn't do a great job of setting out the stall and letting what would have been an unfamiliar audience know what Andrews is all about. A technical start followed up by a number of submission attempts from Andrews was alright, but it wasn't what I wanted to see between these two pacy highflyers and put Andrews in a weird position of looking like the stronger competitor, when perhaps he has always worked better as the underdog fighting from underneath. Considering the type of match that Gulak and Nese had in the main event, I would've preferred to see this match take on a much different tone to how it started, with a little bit of sloppiness on Mandrews part also not helping get the crowd onside. The conclusion was much improved however, with a series of lovely reversals, with the highlight coming as Andrews went for a frankensteiner, which was blocked by Tozawa who looked to counter with a powerbomb, only for Mark to hit a wicked rana from the middle rope. I'm happy to see Mark Andrews head to the Quarter Finals and hopefully we'll get to see him at his best next time round. 

Also This Week 

- A special look at Buddy Murphy, who'll be making his debut next week against Ariya Daivari.

- Drake Maverick told Gentleman Jack Gallagher that he was no longer allowed to wrestle in suits, telling Gallagher to "sort himself out" before next week's match with Mustafa Ali.

ATPW Scale Rating // 7.17 out of 10

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale

WWE 205 Live Review // 6th February 2018

The new era of 205 Live continued this week in Kansas City, Missouri as the tournament to crown a new Cruiserweight Champion continued. The show was main-evented by a clash between Hideo Itami and the debuting Roderick Strong, but how did it all go down? Lets take a look. 

Cruiserweight Championship Tournament First Round Match // Roderick Strong def. Hideo Itami // Pinfall 

In somewhat of a surprise, Roderick Strong handed Hideo Itami his first 205 Live defeat to advance to the Quarter Finals, winning with End of Heartache, in a wonderfully physical match. Down the spine of the match was a series of delightful strike battles, as the pair threw forearms, elbows, chops and kicks at each other with the back and forth nature of the contest always seeming to lead back to the two wailing on each other with hard blows. Each time round the pair seemed were selling the effects of the match more and throwing the strikes with more desperation and purpose. Of course, this back and forth sequence would play a big part in the closing sequence as the two went back to what they knew after both coming close with big moves, but the strongest use of this motif came on the outside of the ring. As the action spilled to the apron, Strong's attempt to pull Itami off the apron into a backbreaker was escaped by the former NOAH star, before the pair threw forearms, chops and kicks at each other and Strong, unlike Bono, finally found what he was looking for as he ducked a roundhouse kick, caught Hideo's leg and lifted him into a brutal looking backbreaker onto the apron. A gorgeous sequence. 

It was clear from watching the bout that these two were pretty familiar with each other, they knew how much they could lay in their strikes and produced some slick reversal sequences, with Strong able to transition into a number of moves with ease, which makes him stand out on the current roster. Obviously, the two have history in NOAH and ROH, as well as an NXT bout last April, but they also had a run on NXT house shows in September/October that would have certainly helped to create the comfortableness with each other that was important to creating such an enjoyable match in this style. This was a PPV quality encounter, that managed to draw the audience in, getting a good reaction from the live crowd by it's conclusion. With a little more time, there's no doubt that Itami and Strong could've produced something next level and in fact, I think these two would be able to create something special in pretty much any time limit. It's a shame that we had to lose one of them in the tournament, but it was great to see the tournament already throwing up surprises in it's second week, even if that means we might not see Itami for a while.

Crusierweight Championship Tournament First Round Match // Kalisto def. Lince Dorado // Pinfall

205 Live was on fire this week, with another good match to kick off the show as Kalisto booked his placed in the Quarter Finals with a victory over Lucha House Party mate, Lince Dorado with a second Salida del Sol. With the show finally beginning to show the variety of Cruiserweight wrestling, we got a completely different match from the main event, as Dorado and Kalisto put on a mad lucha thing match, full of flips, tricks, dives and big highspots. Despite having not won in singles competition since December 2016 (Main Event - vs. Tony Nese), Dorado was made to look like a threat to the former Cruiserweight Champion, through a well done story that he was over-performing because he was desperate to get the Cruiserweight title and prove himself, bringing out a more aggressive side that drove the match past a flippy showcase to something else. The match was jam-packed with big moments, like Dorado's top rope frankensteiner, Kalisto hitting a wheelbarrow situation off the middle rope, Dorado seemingly having the match won with the Golden Rewind and Shooting Star Press only for Listo to roll under the bottom rope before the cover could be made and a sublime near fall for the favourite off Salida del Sol when Dorado got a hand on the bottom rope. It was a shame that the rewind reverse rana from Kalisto that was part of the finish ended up looking real nasty with Dorado somehow landing head first on Kalisto's back, but the slip-up didn't hurt the match all that match and it appeared like Dorado wasn't seriously hurt, so it wasn't the end of the world.

Also this week

- There was a recap of last week's show, including Daniel Bryan introducing Drake Maverick as the new 205 Live General Manager, Maverick announcing a tournament to crown a new Cruiserweight Champion and TJP and Cedric Alexander winning First Round match-ups in that tournament against Tyler Bate and Gran Metalik respectively. 

- In his office, Drake Maverick ripped into Drew Gulak and Tony Nese for becoming comedy acts and wasting their potential, booking them in a First Round tournament match next week. 

- TJP cut a promo about the fans not believing him anymore and not giving a shit, it was good. 

- A package looking at Mark Andrews, ahead of his match with Akira Tozawa next week, using the same UK Tournament package from January last year.

- Akira Tozawa threatened to fire a man, when he suggested Mark Andrews could beat him next week.

- Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali had a friendly chat about the tournament backstage, they're good pals.

ATPW Scale Rating // 7.67/10

Written by James Marston (@IAmNotAlanDale) 

NXT 276 Review // Tyler Bate & Trent Seven vs. Pete Dunne & Mark Andrews

The last month on NXT...

272 Review // saNItY vs. The Authors of Pain
273 Review // Roderick Strong vs. Adam Cole
274 Review // Andrade Almas lays out Drew McIntyre in the middle of the ring
Takeover: WarGames Review // The Undisputed Era vs. saNIty vs. Roderick Strong & The Authors of Pain
275 Review // Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano

On 30th November 2017, WWE aired its 276th episode of NXT, taped at the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, TX on 17th November. Our main event saw the United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne reforming Flips and Forearms with long-time rival/frenemy Mark Andrews again the team of Tyler Bate and Trent Seven or as we know them, Moustache Mountain. The card also featured Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane taking on The half of the Iconic Duo she hasn't beaten, Peyton Royce & a rematch between Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) and Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss. But was it any good?

Street Profits def. Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli // Pinfall

It was only at NXT 274 that we last saw these two teams and much like that match, it's Dawkins and Moss who start, they lock-up to begin as Dawkins powers Moss to the corner, clean break but Moss slaps Dawkins who pushes Moss out of the ring, it's at this point I need to point out how bad Moss' facial hair is but if we take continuity, it's impressive that he grew it in two weeks, waistlock takedown by Moss but Dawkins responds with two of his own, one more time chants lead to another waistlock takedown, whip and a shoulder barge into a bodyslam from Moss but Dawkins follows with one of each for the goateed dickhead, tag to Ford and Dawkins uses a back body drop to allow Ford to hit an elevated spinning splash but a leapfrog and a slam from Sabbatelli takes him down, I guess Sab is tagged in now, they run the ropes and Ford hits a double dropkick before Moss and Dawkins are back in allowing the Profits to hit a double flapjack sending Moss out of the ring while the audience adore the Profits, giving us a convenient time to go to some ads, back from the break and Ford is about to do a springboard when Sab elbows him off the apron, rolling Ford back in, Sab keeps him grounded and indeed, pounded, whip to the corner and in comes Moss as the former American Footballers hit tandem strikes and flying forearms, Moss taunts Ford by grinding above him, he tries to get up but just gets punched, Moss taunts Dawkins by doing the pudding-stir thing, Ford is back up and tries to escape, hitting some nice slaps but Moss levels him with a running back elbow for a 2, Moss keeps Ford down till he goes for a charge, Ford dodges, using the opening to hit a hot tag to Dawkins as Moss tags in Sab, Dawkins brings the swag like nobody can hitting forearms, dropkicks and a bulldog to Sab, spinning stinger splashes to both men, Sab hits a back elbow and rushes straight into a mega punch from Dawkins for a pin but Moss breakes it up and knocks Ford off the apron, Dawkins fights off both men, throwing Moss out and rolls up Sab for a 2, a quick elbow by Moss staggers Dawkins allowing Sab to pin him as Moss holds down the feet from outside but Drake Wuertz notices and disallows the pin, Ford takes out Moss outside, heads back in, Dawkins tags in Ford and they hit the Spinebuster-Frog Splash combo for the pin . 

Street Profits continue to impress with their ability to get the crowd behind them and Ford, if handled right, could be a mega-star in waiting. This as tag matches go, was as standard as they get, not really seeming all that different from the last time the two teams faced each other. It might be that I'm still struggling to be impressed by the heel team but this is a feud that has managed to only really successfully put the winners any higher in my rankings. Let's hope as a rivalry, this is either going to kick up a notch or move on.

Moustache Mountain are backstage being interviewed about their match later with Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews, Trent talks about how just a few weeks ago Peter had a chance to save Wolfgang from the Undisputed Era but just took his title and did one, it didn't sit well with them and they want to teach him a lesson, in regards to Mandrews, well, they aren't even a real tag-team but Moustache Mountain are.

Mandrews is asked why he's teaming with Peter, it's because if they win, he gets a title match. Simple as. 

There's a Lars Sullivan hype-up package. He sure is a big lad.

Kairi Sane def. Peyton Royce // Pinfall

The Duo are in matching I Heart Billie/Peyton vests, they're adorable, bit of tussling into a straight forearm from Royce to start and a whip into a hip toss, Royce goes for another but Sane transitions into a wheelbarrow roll-up by Sane for a 1.5, they run the ropes as Sane catches Royce with a headscissors and a dropkick for a 2, a spinning heel kick by Royce gets a 2 but a roll-up by Sane also gets a 2, Royce beats down Sane, leaving her lying on the floor into the ad-break, back from the break and Royce has Sane's head on lock, Sane powers to her feet and rolls up Royce for a 2, Royce puts her down with a kick, she whips Sane to the corner but Sane dodges, hits a gutpunch and a spear , gutpunch and a spear, she follow with forearms and a running blobkbuster sending Royce to the corner for the baseball sliding elbow, goes up top, possibly for a standing elbow drop but Royce dodges and hits a knee strike for a 2, she tries to follow with kicks but Sane catches and lays into Royce with axe kicks, stomps and rolling forearm, Kay is up on the apron but Sane knocks her down and hits the (*sigh*) Insane Elbow for the pin. 

Yeah, sure, it's another win. Sane, while hyped up as an insane talent from Japan has been having to work too much of the standard from-below babyface match and has yet to be given a real chance to impress with much of her offence in this match being leverage pin attempts. I wanted to like this a lot more, especially because The Iconic Duo's heel act is superb when on form but this didn't utilise their strengths enough and while it gives another win to Sane, didn't really improve anyone's standings.

Next Week: Ruby Riot v Sonia Deville: No Holds Barred & Andrade Almas has a Championship Celebration.

Tyler Bate & Trent Seven def. Pete Dunne & Mark Andrews // Pinfall

This is surprisingly a first-time recorded match between these four, though F&F have taken on Bate along with fellow UKCT competitor Dan Moloney under their Young Wolves guise in Southside Wrestling previously. Dunne and Bate start and they lock up, Dunne powers to a front chancery, Bate tries to escape but Dunne rolls with, Bate escapes and gets a lateral press for a 1, they break with begrudging respect, Dunne backs off going for a tag to Mandrews but uses it as a fakeout to punch Bate's lights out, like a prick, actual tag to Mandrews who goes for a craat hold, roll through snapmare into flips, yet more flips and a dropkick by Bate, Euro uppercuts force Mandrews to the Mountain's corner to give Trent a tag, fireman carry slam sets up Bate for a shoulder lift reverse meteora and a senton from Trent for a 2, he whips Mandrews to the corner but Mandrews flips away hitting a dropkick for a 2 and immediately going for an armbar, tag to Trent who goes for the fingers in a manner much like a prick, Trent escapes with some of the best chops in the game, he goes for another big chp but as Dunne blocks, he uses the fake-out into a DDT for a 2, Dunne is back up and Trent walks into a back elbow for a 2, tag to Mandrews who comes in but the ref didn't see it and sends Mandrews back, DUnne uses the distraction to hit a thunderous forearm on Trent into the ad-break, back from the break and Dunne is doing what Dunne does and wrenching the fingers, tag to Mandrews and an arm-trap legdrop earns the Welsh high-flyer a 2, back into the transitional armbar and Mandrews powers Trent to the corner but Trent forearms Mandrews away, Dunne tries to tag but Trent blocks him, Mandrews runs back for a monkey flip but Trent catches him, blind tag by Dunne and he hits a backstabber on Trent into an unintentional diving double knees combo, some painful joint manipulation as Dunne kicks at the shoulder joint, tag from Mandrews who takes over on the shoulder, slapping tag from Dunne who tells Mandrews to fuck off out his ring and keeps kicking Seven's shoulder but Wolverhampton's finest powers out and hits a Seven Star Lariat giving him the opening to tag in Bate, who grapples Dunne in the corner with his feet and hits a knee, second-rope diving uppercut and a running corner uppercut, a whip by Dunne sends Bate to the corner, he runs at him but is caught into a delayed exploder suplex and a standing SSP for a 2, picking up Dunne, he goes for a Tyler Driver but Dunne escaps and tags Mandrews who kicks Bate on the apron, flips over him, grabs him into a wheelbarrow roll-up double stomp and a standing corkscrew moonsault for a 2, rushing Bate in the corner he hits another grappling knee before climbing up but Mandrews hits an enziguri before going up top, setting up for a rana but Dunne tags from behind, throw him he says, 'k' says Mandrews as they hit a frankensteiner-tiger driver combo for a 2, Dunne slaps and kicks Bte on the floor till he's picked up and Bate introduces Dunne to Bop-BANG allowing for a tag to Seven for a snap dragon suplex, tag to Bate and they hit a STO-powerbomb combo, Bate gets a jacknife cover but Mandrews breaks it up, Trent goes for a slap but Dunne catches it and throws it at Bate with a slap of his own before hitting a step-up enziguri on Trent but Bate hits Dunne with a rolling kick, Dunne crawls to the tag, Bate tries to stop him getting him in a deadlift, Dunne gets the tag but not before Bate Germans him, Mandrews hits a moonsault for a 2, back up top and he goes for an SSP but Bate dodges as Mandrews lands on his feet running into a long-ass aeroplane swing from Bate, Dunne tags in, rolls up a dizzy Bate for a 2, forearms Bate into the ropes but Bate hits a shoulder rebound forearm and a Tyler Driver '97 for the pinfall. 

This could not have really been more fun, there can be gripes about this, namely it could have done with more Trent Seven, it had a lot of Trent Seven but you can never have enough Trent. For the second week in a row, they've let Pete Dunne take the main event and the UK talent has been really excelling with every opportunity they've been given creating a fast-paced, exciting tag match and the storytelling, especially between Dunne and Mandrews was superb with Mandrews trying to win because he wants his title shot but not wanting to go full-heel because, well, he's not there yet. While presumably with a win here and no televised rematch yet, we have to assume there's a Dunne-Bate singles match on the horizon, I'm going to keep saying it, NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, can we please have Dunne v Seven v Bate v Mandrews? Please?

Post-match, Mandrews goes to help Dunne up post-match but Dunne rushes him with a forearm to the back of the head and sulks out like a prick but he's back in and hits a Bitter End before posing with his title, like a prick.

On The YouTubes

So it's not too much of a spoiler to say that there'll be a match to determine a new no.1 contender to Andrade Almas' NXT Championship is it? Well tonight, there's going to be a battle royal to determine who gets a spot in a singles match to get a spot in a fatal four-way to get a singles match. That's not complicated right?

Finally...

A mixed bag this week as the first two matches ranged moment-to-moment from serviceable-to-disappointing but that main event was so much damn fun. At this point, I don't know why they don't just go all out and make a weekly show. I know it's because money but still. This was nicely stitched together, taking some house show matches and using them to create space until NXT proper returns next week. Do seek out that main event but maybe skip straight to it.

Review by Jozef Raczka (@NotJozefRaczka)

205 Live 50 Review // Enzo Amore welcomes the UK Championship Division to "The Zo Show"

On 7th November 2017, WWE aired the 50th episode of 205 Live on the WWE Network, taped earlier that day at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, Greater Manchester. The show featured Enzo Amore inviting six members of the UK Championship to the show and subsquently facing off with Tyler Bate, as well as appearances from Kalisto, Gentleman Jack Gallagher, Cedric Alexander, Mark Andrews and Joseph Conners...but was it any good? Lets take a look!

Enzo Amore welcomed the UK Championship Division to "The Zo Show" // 13:10 // 

Enzo Amore def. Tyler Bate via pinfall // 8:15 //

As cool as it was to see Tyler Bate (Fight Club: Pro), Mark Andrews (PROGRESS Wrestling), Joseph Conners (Southside Wrestling Entertainment), Jordan Devlin (Over the Top Wrestling), Tucker (Pro Wrestling Ulster) and James Drake (Futureshock Wrestling) on WWE television, I didn't get much out of their 205 Live debuts. That's mostly down to the make up of the segment, which had Enzo Amore auditioning them for a spot on "The Zo Train", with his regular crew not appearing on the show.  This almost felt like a segment from the original NXT, with the six men having to do their own versions of "How you doin'?", before asking each individual questions. Drake's deadpan "choo choo" line was probably the highlight until the end, whilst low moments included a confused Andrews being told to lose weight and Tucker telling Amore that Finn Balor was twice the man Enzo is. Luckily, things finished on a high, when Bate getting a good reaction for his promo and then hitting bop and bang on the Cruiserweight Champion to set up the show's main event.

Enzo Amore spoke to Dasha Fuentes, saying something about bar tabs in reference to Tyler Bate.

An initially hot crowd quickly cooled on Amore vs. Bate, losing interest almost as soon as Enzo took control. Bate appearing to suffer an injury in the stretch then killed the bout further, as his knee got caught in the top rope when taking a bump from the turnbuckle to the floor, with Amore then spending time mocking the crowd before Jordunzo sealed the victory for the Cruiserweight champion in a flat finish. It seemed like we were scheduled to see more from Bate, who never really got a satisfying comeback sequence once Amore took control. The earlier part of the match featured the hottest crowd of the evening, with Bate having them eating out of the palm of his hand as he out wrestled his opponent, causing Enzo to bail to the floor. The sequence with Bate holding onto a wrist-lock whilst bantering with Amore was a particular highlight, as was the Exploder suplex that followed. Hopefully, Bate's injury wasn't too serious, but at just 20 years old he'll have more opportunities to show the wider WWE fanbase what he has to offer well into the future.

Amore laid some more punches in on Bate post-match before Kalisto made the save.

Kalisto def. Jack Gallagher via pinfall // 5:07

On the way to the ring, Jack Gallagher cut a promo on the Manchester crowd, calling them dole scum with chavy children, before putting himself over as "bigger than Britain".

There was some lovely wrestling on display here, it's just as shame that Manchester wasn't particularly interested in it. Kalisto got a fun shine included a wicked modified somersault plancha and the rough and tumble Gallagher making the #1 Contender's wrist his focus. There wasn't really enough time to fully make it work and the pair could have done more to bring the crowd into the action, with Kalisto's ridiculous selling of a shoulder tackle not helping the cause. Kalisto did, however, sell his wrist and arm well later in the bout and having Gallagher dodge a second rope moonsault and then lock on a Fujiwara armbar was a nice piece of work, which would've garnered a good reaction in a different environment and with a little more time. The finish with Kalisto rolling through the armbar and straight into Salida del Sol was smoothly done, as well, setting him up for his title challenge a week on Sunday.

Cedric Alexander & Mark Andrews def. Joseph Conners & James Drake via pinfall // 4:34

The crowd didn't care, but Mark Andrews, James Drake and Joseph Conners all gave good showings of themselves in their 205 Live debuts, whilst regular Cedric Alexander glued the bout together, setting up Andrews to pin Conners with a Shooting Star Press with a double Neuralyzer (Handspring 540 Kick). Minus a slightly awkward headscissors from Alexander to Drake, the action was all quality in this simple tag contest, with Drake tagging Conners whilst on the apron to cause a distraction was my personal favourite moment!

Watch // 
N/A 

Avoid // 
N/A

Review by James Marston

Review: WWE NXT #236 (Aired - 22/02/2017)

On 22nd February, WWE aired the 236th episode of NXT, taped at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida on 1st February. This week's episode was main evented by NXT Champion Bobby Roode facing off with No Way Jose in Non-title action, before Kassius Ohno [Chris Hero] made his triumphant return whilst Pete Dunne, Ember Moon [Athena], Mark Andrews, Peyton Royce and Liv Morgan were also featured. How did it all go down and was it any good? Let's take a look.

Match 1

Peyton Royce 

def.

Liv Morgan, Ember Moon 

to become #1 Contender to WWE NXT Women's Championship

(9:09)

A real solid television three way here, as Peyton Royce (with some wonderful dummy work by Billie Kay [Jessie McKay]) earned herself a shot as Asuka's Women's Championship. Having Kay on the outside gave the match a tidy dynamic and drove the contests narrative, as after an explosive opening, including a slingshot crossbody from Moon, Royce was able to control with help from The Femme Fatale on the outside. Once The Venus Fly Trap started running things, the match was mostly one in, one out, which is where the trio could have been afforded more time to develop, as whilst we got a nice tower of doom spot, I would've liked to have seen the three show a little more creativity to take things to the next level. The finish protected Moon for a potential title challenge down the line, as after The NXT War Goddess had dispatched of an interfering Kay with an Eclipse, Royce sent Moon tumbling to outside, before Morgan took the pin off a Bridging Fisherman's Suplex. 

Match 2 

Pete Dunne

def. 

Mark Andrews

(10:03)

Since 2011, Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews have faced off in ATTACK! Pro Wrestling, Pro Evolution Wrestling, Combat Sports Federation, Absolute Intense Wrestling, Pro Wrestling eXpress, Tidal Championship Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Kingdom, Over The Top Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and the WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament and now they've finally made it to NXT and they did not disappoint. This was two of the best professional wrestlers anywhere on the planet right now, getting ten minutes to showcase their greatest hits to a worldwide audience. Some of the things these guys can do in the ring are quite frankly unbelievable, they're so comfortable and snug, fluid but solid, but their slick transitions, flash near falls and constant feeling of build and momentum weren't my favourite parts of the match. The things that I absolutely adored, and the things that make both stand out from an already impressive pool of UK talent, were all in the little touches and added details. Andrews sold his arm wonderfully after getting forearmed in the steel steps and taking taking an X-Plex on the apron, whilst Dunne's facial expressions throughout were the sort of gritty, angry and bitter visuals that will make him so easy to hate. After Tyler Bate and Trent Seven tore it up last week, Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews delivered and then some here.

• Dasha Feuntes interview The Iconic Duo of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay about Royce's upcoming title shot (taking place on #237), with both managing to toe the line between extremely annoying and incredibly watchable.

• "Earlier this week" Tye Dillinger was interviewed by Andrea D'Marco at the Performance Center, with the Perfect Ten saying that he had other priorities than SAni†Y, which was intriguing wording. 

Match 3 

Bobby Roode

def. 

No Way Jose

(7:40)

Kassius Ohno is back! The former PWG World Champion made his first appearance on NXT since losing to Alexander Rusev on #78 (Aired 12/12/2013), to make the save for No Way Jose, after a post-match assault from Bobby Roode. Obviously, the return wasn't as impactful as it could've been and why Ohno gives a shit about Jose is unknown, but KASSIUS OHNO IS BACK BABY! The bout itself wasn't a particularly good match and it's certainly not a match that I'd go back and watch again, but it the duo did their particularly jobs well, with Roode looking like a dominant champion, whilst Jose played the fiery underdog rookie role fairly well. It was lovely to see the Full Sail Crowd getting behind the Domincan as he battled against a bruising Roode and whilst the 2 time TNA World Heavyweight Champion still had plenty of crowd support of his own, because he's GLORIOUS, the tide did seem to be turning towards the more home grown talent towards the end of the match. The finish was a clever piece of business, with it looking like Jose might pull out the upset, as he caught Roode his Fastball punch as The It Factor came off the top, only for Roode to roll to the outside and nail a Glorious DDT as soon as Jose got him back in the ring. Jose was protected in his defeat, but Roode's character and run at the top was enhanced.  

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.5/10

Show in a Sentence - Two good matches and one very good match (Dunne v Andrews), one of the strongest regular episodes of NXT in a while.

Review: James Marston

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