Tonight at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool, Gallus’ Joe Coffey looks to make good on his word that NXT UK is his kingdom when he gets a WWE United Kingdom Championship shot. Standing between him and his throne is the “Bruiserweight,” champion Pete Dunne. Who will leave NXT UK’s first TakeOver event as champion? Plus, Toni Storm gets her rematch against NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. All that and more at NXT TakeOver: Blackpool!
We are LIVE from the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England. Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness have the call for tonight.
NXT UK Tag Team Championships: Moustache Mountain vs. Zack Gibson & James Drake
Gibson and Bate start off. The crowd chants for Bate and Gibson with a standing armbar takedown. Bate kips up, but gets taken down with a top wristlock. Bate with a headscissors and the crowd all takes their shoes off with the “if you hate Zack Gibson, shoes off” chant. Gibson presses the arms to the mat for a nearfall and Bate bridges up. Gibson puts him back down, but Bate reverse bridges to a straitjacket choke. Stalemate and reset sees Bate worked back to the Gibson and Drake corner. Bate moves outside and comes back in around his own corner. Seven in against Drake. Drake forearms out of the corner and Seven with chops for a nearfall. Bate back in and he hits an assisted Swanton Bomb off the shoulders of Seven. Gibson pulls Drake out to regroup. Bate with stepover and leapfrog counters in a grappling exchange to hit a dropkick for a nearfall. Gibson sneaks a tag, but gets taken down by a hurricanrana. Seven returns and works the arm of Gibson. Gibson reverses, but gets hit with a running crossbody from Seven for a nearfall. Gibson gets a tag to Drake and Seven takes both down. Gibson sneaks a tag and Drake leads Seven on a chase outside. Dive from Seven lands and Drake stumbles around ringside, leading Seven into throat chops by Gibson to drop Seven.
Seven worked down inside by Gibson and Drake. Gibson and Drake hit the flying chop and backbreaker combo on the floor and Gibson works Seven down now. Drake with a nearfall. Seven tries to work out of the corner, but Drake grabs Seven on the crawl and Gibson in to work Seven down. Suplex nearfall for Gibson and he applies a Million Dollar Dream. Drake tags in, but a slingshot bounces off Gibson and he falls outside. Seven sent out by Gibson and they exchange chops. Seven fights out of the corner and able to push Gibson out far enough on a dive to make the hot tag to Bate. Bate with punches and a double airplane spin on Drake and Gibson. Bate and Drake fight on the apron and Bate hits an exploder suplex on Drake onto Gibson on the floor. Bate with a standing shooting star press off the apron on both. Bate rolls Gibson inside and looks for the Tyler Driver ’97. Gibson out, but Bop and Bang land. Running powerslam from Bate and Seven tags in for a flying headbutt in a British Bulldogs tribute that matches their attire. Nearfall and Bate takes Drake out with a dive outside. Seven with a Burning Hammer on Gibson, but Drake makes the save on the pin attempt. Gibson kicks the knee to get away from Seven inside and Bate and Drake in to trade in a pinning predicament. Bate with a rolling koppu kick for a nearfall. Gibson catches Bate on his rebound with Ticket to Ride. Seven hit with Grit Your Teeth, Helter Skelter, and a 450 splash off the top by Drake. Seven able to kick out.
Seven fights up with chops, but Drake with an enzuigiri. Gibson gets Seven down and locks in Shankly Gates. Drake blocks Bate with a headlock and locks in Shankly Gates on Bate. Seven reaches out for Bate and wants to tap, but Bate able to lift Drake and hit an Attitude Adjustment onto Gibson to break his submission on Seven. Bate and Drake tag in and Bate boxes up Drake and Gibson. Forearm from Drake, but Bate rebounds for a double rolling koppu kick. Seven with a tiger suplex as Bate hits the rebound lariat. Drake able to kick out. Gibson holds onto Bate as he tries to get up top. Bate on the shoulders of Gibson outside and Drake hits a suicide dive Doomsday Device. Seven goes for a dive and Drake sideswipes him with a dropkick to the knee. Ticket to Mayhem lands inside.
Winners by pinfall and NEW, INAUGURAL NXT UK Tag Team Champions: Zack Gibson & James Drake
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
They might have stole the show from the start with that opener. A little bit of everything to enjoy and an insanely hot crowd for both Moustache Mountain and hating Zack Gibson made this a classic.
NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint and Assistant to the GM Sid Scala raise the hands of the new tag team champions post-match.
Video from earlier today shows Jordan Devlin attacking “The Kiwi Buzzsaw” Travis Banks in the lobby.
Banks hits a suicide dive before the match as Devlin makes his way down to the ring. Banks favors the knee that Devlin injured earlier in the day and Devlin sends him into the steps on his knee. Banks with forearms as he fights up, but Devlin chopblocks the knee. Devlin stomps the knee on the steps over and over. Sid Scala comes down to ringside with officials and Devlin says he told Banks that you don’t bet against “The Irish Ace.” Devlin wants to do interview time with himself, the greatest Irish wrestler in the world, since there won’t be a match tonight, but Sid Scala and Johnny Saint confer. Scala says they suspected Devlin would pull something like this and they had a backup plan. The lights go out and Finn Balor takes the roof off the place.
Jordan Devlin vs. Finn Balor
Devlin slaps Balor and Balor laughs it off before landing punches and a basement dropkick. Sling Blade connects, but Devlin moves outside before Coup de Grace. Balor brings him back inside, but Devlin rolls back out. Balor with a running forearm. Devlin kicks the rope below the belt as Balor triees to enter the ring. Devlin knocks him off into the barricade and lands body punches. Double stomp inside by Devlin and he mocks Balor. Devlin works Balor down. Balor comes back with a dropkick and a head kick off the apron. Balor goes up top and Devlin lands a dropkick that knocks Balor off the top and to the floor. Balor beats the count with a second to spare and runs into ground-and-pound from Devlin. Devlin with chops in the corner, but Balor chops back from corner to corner. Devlin comes back with a uranage and standing moonsault for a nearfall. Abdominal stretch applied by Devlin. Balor hits a hip toss out and an abdominal stretch of his own. Devlin gets out of an inverted DDT position with an enzuigiri, but Balor comes back with a Pele Kick to put both down. Balor kicks out of the corner and lands a clothesline and double stomp. Bloody Sunday connects for a nearfall.
Devlin comes back with a headbutt and a ripcord back drop driver for a nearfall of his own. Devlin with kicks to the body, but Balor fights up and sends Devlin out for an apron penalty kick. Devlin sent inside and Balor goes up top. Devlin crotches him. Roll and feet on the top rope from Devlin unable to put Balor down. Devlin hits a moonsault on the knees of Balor and Balor with 1916 and Coup de Grace.
Winner by pinfall: Finn Balor
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
This didn’t need to be a great match after the reaction Balor got, but it was very good anyway and added a cherry on top of the surprise moment that pitted trainer vs. student.
Video package for Eddie Dennis vs. Bomber Dave Mastiff.
No Disqualifications: Eddie Dennis vs. Bomber Dave Mastiff
They exchange punches and forearms to start. Dennis doubles Mastiff over, but Mastiff comes back with a running crossbody. They exchange forerarms outside and Mastiff sends Dennis into the steel steps. Mastiff puts the steel steps into the ring, but Dennis rolls under the ring and gets a kendo stick. Dennis works him to the body with the kendo stick and strips the protective mat off the floor outside. Russian legsweep with the kendo stick gets Dennis a nearfall. Mastiff catches a shot from the kendo stick and beats Dennis with it. Powerbomb on Dennis lands and Mastiff sets the steps up in the middle of the ring. Dennis able to catch Mastiff with a Black Hole Slam onto the ring steps for a nearfall. Dennis brings in a chair from ringside. Mastiff ducks it for a Finlay Roll and goes to the second rope. Dennis gets Mastiff up for a Razor’s Edge for a nearfall. Dennis brings out a table and corners it. Mastiff blocks the powerbomb and sits down on Dennis. They go to the apron and Mastiff tries to suplex him onto the exposed floor. Mastiff lands a Finlay Roll and senton on Dennis on the floor. Back inside, a split-legged moonsault misses for Mastiff and a Next Stop Driver lands for Dennis. Mastiff able to kick out and Dennis hits him in the back with a chair. Razor’s Edge blocked and Mastiff and Dennis exchange strikes. Mastiff with a release German suplex and he cannonballs Dennis through the table.
Winner by pinfall: Bomber Dave Mastiff
Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
This actually turned out to be a fun match that won the crowd over after a bit of a slow start. Both guys got energy off their high-impact spots down the stretch and brought it all together in the end.
Video package for NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm.
NXT UK Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Toni Storm
Ripley tries a big boot and Storm catches it to land punches and forearms. Ripley presses Storm up and drops her, but Storm comes back with ground-and-pound. Storm chases Ripley around ringside and hits a suicide dive outside. Storm with chops and Ripley pulls the hair of Storm against the ropes and kicks Storm into the barricade outside. Ripley stomps Storm down in the corner and locks in a bodyscissors. Storm turns around and lands forearms, but Ripley kicks her away. Stalling suplex gets Ripley a nearfall and scoop slams land for another. Inverted Texas Cloverleaf blocked as Storm kicks Ripley into the ring post on her shoulder. Storm misses a splash in the corner and Ripley with a dropkick for a nearfall. Leg drops for a nearfall by Ripley. Ripley runs into a headbutt from Storm. Storm and Ripley have a hockey fight exchanging punches and Storm with two German suplexes. Storm has Storm Zero blocked, but counters out of Riptide from Ripley for a nearfall. Pinning predicament favors Storm, but Ripley gets the inverted Texas Cloverleaf. Storm tries for the bottom rope, but rolls through and gets the ankle lock. Ripley able to fight up and Storm gets a hip attack in the corner. German suplex gets Storm a nearfall. Storm with forearms and punches, but Ripley pulls her down by her hair. Riptide lands and Storm kicks out. Short-arm clotheslines from Ripley connect, but a third sees Storm duck out and land a headbutt. Storm Zero connects. Ripley kicks out. Ripley gets Storm up for the Riptide again after they exchange strikes, but Storm falls out and pulls the hair to get Storm Zero.
Winner by pinfall and NEW NXT UK Women’s Champion: Toni Storm
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
A nice crowning moment for Storm with the comeback win in a very good match. The match had some emotion to it and Storm ended up getting what many thought she would win in the first place.
Video package for WWE United Kingdom Champion “Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne vs. Joe Coffey.
WWE United Kingdom Championship: “Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne (c) vs. Joe Coffey
Dunne presses Coffey against the ropes off the lock-up. Dunne works the left arm of Coffey and Coffey spins out to an armbar on the mat. Dunne spins out and lands a forearm. Coffey absorbs it and they reset. Knuckle locks and Dunne stands on the hand of Coffey. Dunne wrenches back on the fingers of Coffey on the other hand. Dunne with a legsweep for a figure-four leglock and he twists the ankle of Coffey. Coffey sneaks the arm under the chin of Dunne for a side headlock. Coffey catches Dunne trying to leapfrog and Dunne grabs a cross armbreaker. Coffey stacks for a nearfall and they reset once more. Coffey with a side headlock and he drops Dunne with uppercuts. Dunne avoids Coffey coming off the ropes and lands a Pounce. Regal Stretch applied on Coffey and he just gets to the bottom rope for the rope break. Dunne kicks the left wrist. Coffey catches Dunne, but Dunne works on the Kimura lock. Coffey able to cradle him up to the suplex position. Dunne with knees to the top of the head and he falls back into the bear hug for a Kimura attempt. Coffey drops Dunne for a butterfly suplex that gets a nearfall. Dunne dropped on the apron by Coffey. Dunne flips over Coffey on the steps and lands an enzuigiri. Dunne runs into a pop-up powerslam from Coffey on the ramp. Coffey catches his breath inside as Dunne avoids the countout. Back inside, Coffey with backbreakers on the knee and a sidewalk slam for a nearfall. Coffey stomps Dunne down. Dunne fights up and fishhooks the nose of Coffey, but runs into a belly-to-belly throw from Coffey that gets a nearfall. Coffey misses a splash in the corner and Dunne works the comeback, flipping over Coffey in the corner and landing forearms and a head kick. Coffey sent out and Dunne with a moonsault outside. Coffey lands a forearm as they return to the ring, but Dunne reverses to the X Plex for a nearfall.
Dunne flips over Coffey in the corner, but Coffey follows through to land a crossbody out of the corner. Coffey tackles and splashes Dunne in the corner. Powerbomb gets a nearfall on Dunne. Coffey applies a Boston Crab. Dunne struggles and looks for the bottom rope. Dunne looks to have passed out, but gets one more wind to get the rope break. Dunne holds onto the fingers of Coffey and they exchange headbutts until they knock each other down. Dunne catches Coffey rebounding off the ropes for a German suplex and locks in a Koji Clutch. Coffey picks him up and lifts out, but Dunne gets the ankle lock. Coffey able to fight out with a German suplex. A diving tackle is met by a knee from Dunne. Coffey gets up top and goes for a crossbody, but Dunne with a forearm to knock him out of the air. Bitter End lands and Coffey kicks out.
Coffey moves outside. Dunne goes up top, but Coffey pulls him down to the apron. Dunne tackled into the ring post and powerbombed on the apron by Coffey. Both able to get to the ring before the count ends and Coffey with ground-and-pound punches. Coffey stomps Dunne down. Dunne grabs the hands and stomps Coffey down as the crowd fires up. Dunne stomps the hands and lands a head kick. Pop-up uppercut from Coffey. Discus lariat blocked and kicked away by Dunne twice, but Coffey connects on it. Dunne able to kick out. Coffey goes for a discus lariat, but the triangle from Dunne locked in. Coffey able to lift him and sit him up on the top rope. Dunne doesn’t release the triangle. Coffey with a super powerbomb to break the triangle. Both down, but they pick themselves up in the corners. They stare each other down and take the center of the ring to exchange punches. Dunne connecting with punches and Coffey stumbling around the ring. Coffey held up by the ropes and Dunne punches himself out. Coffey rakes the eyes and punches Dunne down, taking out his mouthpiece in the process. Mount Everest German suplex from Coffey only gets a nearfall. Coffey lands punches and tries to get Bitter End on Dunne, but Dunne counters with a DDT. Dunne lands Bitter End, but he struggles to sit up for the cover. He rolls over, but Coffey rolls away from the extended arm to avoid the pin. Coffey lands the discus lariat from the apron and both put down. Coffey runs Dunne into the top turnbuckle and takes him up top. Coffey tells Dunne this is his kingdom, but Dunne shoves him from the top rope to the floor. Dunne meets him on the floor and gets hit with a discus lariat. Coffey with a powerslam inside for a nearfall. Coffey up top, but Dunne meets him. They both fall off the top. Dunne lands a discus clothesline inside. Bitter End lands and Coffey kicks out. Dunne rolls him to a triangle choke and snaps the fingers.
Winner by submission and STILL NXT UK Champion: Pete Dunne
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Initially just as good as the opening tag, this seemed to drag on near the end and felt like a couple of spots had to be redone for the finish. Still, one of the best matches in NXT UK and nearly a classic.
Post-match, Dunne celebrates, but music hits and Walter stands atop the stage. Walter makes his way to the ring and walks to Dunne. Coffey gets in the ring and Walter kicks him out with a big boot. Walter and Dunne pose at each other and stare each other down before Walter leaves the ring.
Overall: You couldn’t have really asked for more from the first NXT UK TakeOver. Everything was good to great and the big debut at the end plus the surprise Finn Balor appearance might make it one of WWE’s best shows of the year.
Nolan Howell can be reached at nth993@gmail.com for any questions or comments.