At NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II, WWE United Kingdom Champion Walter and challenger Joe Coffey go to the main event with the title on the line to finally settle the Imperium vs. Gallus feud once and for all! Plus, a triple-threat for the NXT UK Women’s Championship and a four-way ladder match with the NXT UK Tag Team Championships on the line. All that and more at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II!
Andy Shepherd, Tom Phillips, and NXT General Manager William Regal host the pre-show.
We are LIVE from the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England. Tom Phillips and Nigel McGuinness have the call for today.
Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis
Dennis tries a corner big boot and Seven gets a one-armed powerbomb for a nearfall. Seven with a chop and a hesitation DDT. Dennis put up top, but he ducks out for a Razor’s Edge. Dennis works Seven down. Ground-and-pound gets a nearfall for Dennis and a suplex gets another. Seven chops back and tries another DDT, but Dennis catches it. Seven with a snap dragon suplex. Suicide dive and Seven slams Dennis on the floor. Phoenix Splash by Seven misses. Backhand from Seven lands, but Dennis catches him and lifts him into a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall. Razor’s Edge fails, but Dennis with a forearm. Emerald Flowsion from Seven gets a nearfall. Dennis escapes to the apron and levels Seven with a forearm. Dennis undoes the turnbuckle wrench cover and the turnbuckle cover. Seven catches him for a superplex. Seven Star Lariat sees Dennis duck and Seven gets sent into the exposed turnbuckle. The crowd chants for “VAR” and Dennis sets up for a Razor’s Edge into the turnbuckle. The referee stands in his way and threatens a DQ. Dennis throws Seven into a ringside assistant with the Razor’s Edge. Nearfall inside and Dennis with the Next Stop Driver.
Winner by pinfall: Eddie Dennis
Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
A decent opener with an insane Seven bump to the outside that really turned it up for the finish. The finish was sort of rushed and sudden after the more deliberate pace until that point though.
Video package for the NXT UK Women’s Championship Triple Threat.
Triple Threat for the NXT UK Women’s Championship: Kay Lee Ray (c) vs. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven
Storm attacks Ray as soon as the introductions are done. Niven picks Storm up and away as Ray moves outside. Storm chases Ray outside and gets thrown into the barricade. Niven with a suicide dive crossbody on Ray. Barricade cannonball on Storm and steel steps cannonball on Ray by Niven. Ray pulls Niven down face-first onto the apron and Storm and Ray land ground-and-pound inside. Niven squashes both with a senton for a nearfall. Storm and Ray exchange and Ray ducks away as Niven hits Storm with a crossbody. Ray with a superkick on Niven. Ray stops a Storm rally with a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Ray looks for a Gory Bomb on Niven. Niven sent into Storm by Ray. Ray superkicks Niven into a German suplex from Storm. Front suplex on Storm by Ray. Saito suplex from Niven on Ray puts all three down. Storm and Niven exchange forearms and Ray sends them into each other again. Storm dropped in the corner and Ray gets a chair. Ray neckties the chair on Storm and Niven saves Storm with a Pounce on Ray. Storm gets the chair and stares down Niven. Ray laughs on the apron and Niven challenges her to do it. Storm turns and knocks Ray to the outside instead. Suicide dive from Storm and apron cannonball by Niven puts all three down outside.
Storm and Ray up first and Storm and Niven argue at ringside. Ray takes advantage with a Swanton Bomb to the outside and her leg clips the barricade on the way down. Ray back up top inside with Storm in the ring. Niven gets in with a powerbomb on Storm. Ray with a Swanton onto Storm to break the cover. Niven with a powerbomb on Ray and a Michinoku Driver gets a nearfall. Ray catches Niven with the Gory Bomb. Nearfall broken by Storm rolling under the referee’s arm and stopping the count. Ray with a suicide dive on Storm outside. Ray gets Niven set in Pedigree position, but Niven spins out for a Canadian Destroyer. Storm rolls in with a Storm Zero on Ray. Niven barely breaks the pin. Storm powerbombs Ray onto Niven. Storm can’t get Storm Zero on Niven, so she settles for a Pedigree that gets a nearfall. Storm up top and a Frog Splash lands. Ray superkicks Storm off of Niven and covers.
Winner by pinfall and STILL NXT UK Women’s Champion: Kay Lee Ray
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
This match was perfectly structured, with Ray having an early advantage and attempting to play the former friends against each other. Once Storm and Niven started working together, the match hit an insane pace and worked the crowd into a frenzy. The finish wasn’t quite to the standard of everything before it, with Storm’s moves to put Niven away not delivering as big as a Storm Zero would have. Ray’s opportunist superkick was a good recovery of the moment though and capped off an excellent match.
Video package for “The Irish Ace” Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate.
Tyler Bate vs. “The Irish Ace” Jordan Devlin
The crowd chants for Bate to start. Devlin works him into the corner and clips him with a headbutt as he pushes away. Devlin with an armlock and he tries to keep Bate down. Bate spins and monkey flips, but Devlin holds the wristlock. Bate unable to break the submission until Devlin tries a Devil Inside and Bate counters it to a side headlock. Bop and Bang blocked by Devlin and they stare each other down. Exchange leads to a pair of back body drops from Bate. Military press lands and sends Devlin outside. Bate runs into a uranage from Devlin on the apron and an Asai moonsault gets a nearfall on Bate. Devlin works Bate down. Belly-to-back suplex nearfall for Devlin. Double underhook suplex from Devlin and he taunts Bate with a mustache pose. Devlin tries to ripcord Bate up and Bate reverses the whip to send Devlin into the corner and over the top to the floor. Bate with a dive over the top rope and he goes up top inside. Bate dives into a double-knee gutbuster from Devlin for a nearfall. Devlin with a surfboard stretch and he hooks in a dragon sleeper with the surfboard. Bate rolls Devlin for a nearfall and they knock each other down on dueling crossbodies.
Bate works the comeback. Boot and a standing shooting star press from Bate gets a nearfall. Bate misses in the corner and Devlin tries a slingshot stunner. Bate gets Devlin up on his shoulders and lands the airplane spin. Bate works off the dizzy spell for a brainbuster nearfall. Tyler Driver ’97 turned into a hurricanrana nearfall for Devlin. Bate for a victory roll and Devlin wheelbarrows him back up into a half-and-half suplex that gets a nearfall. Bate cornered and Devlin slingshots into the cutter for a nearfall. Slingshot stunner on the apron lands for Devlin and puts both down outside. Devlin up first and he kicks Bate against the apron. Devlin begs for the countout, but Bate beats it at the last second. Forearm exchange inside and Devlin drops Bate with a straight right and it turns into a boxing brawl. Bop and Bang countered by a Devlin punch. Rolling koppu kick from Bate. Devlin headbutt. Bate rebound clothesline turned into the Spanish Fly from Devlin. Bop and Bang puts both down.
The crowd chants, asking if Vince McMahon is watching. Devlin goes up top and gets crotched. Bate gets up there and Devlin counters to an avalanche Spanish Fly. Devil Inside lands for a nearfall. Devlin kicks the head of Bate and stomps it. Bop and Bang lands for Devlin and he looks for Tyler Driver ’97. Bate counters out to the apron and lands a jumping headbutt. Bate with a springboard tornado DDT. Tyler Driver ’97 lands. Devlin kicks out. Bate with a corkscrew splash off the top.
Winner by pinfall: Tyler Bate
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Pretty much pitch perfect for this crowd, Bate and Devlin had the crowd jumping around and chanting by the end. This built intensity throughout and never went over the top, with maybe one or two finisher nearfalls and no real risky spots. The crowd was hot for Bate to start and got worked back into a fever pitch during the punching brawl. Everything else was just gravy from then on. This was a sure thing and somehow still delivered more than expected for what could be WWE’s match of the year.
Triple H, NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint, and NXT General Manager William Regal shown in the balcony giving the match a standing ovation post-match.
Video package for the NXT UK Tag Team Championship ladder match.
Ladder Match for the NXT UK Tag Team Championships: Gallus (Wolfgang & Mark Coffey) (c) vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) vs. Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel)
Gallus go after Imperium and Grizzled Young Veterans go after Andrews and Webster. Gallus and Imperium go to the outside. Grizzled Young Veterans clear the ring and Gallus take them out inside. Imperium next and Andrews and Webster return to clear them out. Grizzled Young Veterans snap their arms on the second rope and bring a ladder out, but settle on chairs. They drop Andrews and Webster and Imperium with them. Gallus in with a Wolfgang tackle and Drake put in the tree of woe. Gallus look to double dropkick both chairs into his face, but Imperium trip Gallus and do it themselves. Webster and Andrews with a flip dive onto Imperium and they bring the first ladder in. Imperium toss them outside and climb together. Gallus knock them off with a bigger ladder. Wolfgang tries to attack Barthel in the corner, but gets hit with the ladder. Webster moonsaults off the cornered ladder onto Barthel. Webster gets a wedged ladder dropkicked into his midsection and gets catapulted into it from underneath by Imperium. Double Pele by Andrews onto Imperium. Grizzled Young Vets attack Andrews in the corner. Gallus take them out and Gibson chokeslammed onto a ladder on the first rope. Drake hit with a Samoan Drop on the same ladder. Gallus try to make the climb, but Imperium send them outside. Imperium whipped into the steps.
Webster and Andrews make the climb. Webster pulled down by Gallus, but Andrews with a shooting star press off the ladder on Coffey. Barthel tries to climb. Webster stops him and gets hit with a Saito suplex onto the second rope ladder by Barthel. Aichner with a springboard moonsault onto Webster. Imperium tries the climb. Vets get a bigger ladder next to the Imperium ladder. Gallus with a third, smaller ladder. Andrews makes a ladder bridge on the top rope and Webster brings a fifth ladder that he lays against the back of Gibson to climb. Ladders and competitors start to fall, with Webster taking a springboard fall off the top rope to the outside. Gibson with a Ticket to Ride on Andrews. Drake climbs the ladder bridge for a 450 onto Andrews. Vets climb the ladder with Drake on Gibson’s shoulders. Aichner pulls Gibson down and European Bomb lands on Drake. Imperium left to make the climb. Gallus pull them down and sandwich Imperium with two ladders. Enzuigiri powerslam combo on Drake and Wolfgang launches Coffey into the field outside. Gibson hit with an enzuigiri powerslam onto the ramp by Gallus. Webster and Andrews hit a double Stundog Millionaire on Gallus back inside. Gallus drag them back out.
Tables brought out by Gallus and they are bridged on the apron and barricade. Webster and Andrews put Gallus on the tables, but one breaks under Coffey. Andrews and Webster climb the ladder together and hit a double Swanton onto Wolfgang and through the table. Webster and Andrews make the climb and Vets come in to knock them down. Webster dumped outside, but Andrews brings out a kendo stick. Gibson begs off, but Andrews unleashes and breaks the kendo stick over the Vets. Barthel and Aichner pull Andrews down into a brainbuster. Barthel makes the climb, but Coffey in. Coffey almost gets hit with the European Bomb, but Wolfgang runs in and tackles Aichner through the ladder in the corner. Coffey tips Barthel off the ladder and into the field outside, leaving Gallus to climb.
Winners and STILL NXT UK Tag Team Champions: Gallus
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
This match was really uneven and the atmosphere suffered because of it. Early high-impact offense had the crowd going, but things slowed and the Webster and Andrews vs. Gallus build to the table spot took forever to set up after the accidental table break. Andrews going crazy with the kendo stick put some energy back into it and Gallus rallying to the win seemed to win the crowd back over. When a match is based on creating moment after moment, it may suffer if any of those moments don’t live up to the hype. That’s what happened here.
(Commercials)
Ridge Holland shown ringside.
Video package for the WWE United Kingdom Championship match.
WWE United Kingdom Championship: Walter (c) vs. Joe Coffey
Walter tries a big boot and Coffey avoids it and shakes his finger at him. Coffey prsses Walter against the ropes and slaps him. Walter with a forearm and he looks for a sleeper. Coffey with a slam out and Walter moves outside. Torpedo off the apron by Coffey. Walter with a body shot, but Coffey sends him into the barricade. Walter sends him into the crowd and Coffey comes back with a torpedo dive back to ringside. Coffey works Walter into the corner back inside. Coffey tosses Walter across the ring and lands an uppercut. Coffey up top and a tornado DDT lands for a nearfall. Suplex attempt blocked by Walter and they exchange forearms. Coffey connects with a stalling suplex for a nearfall. Coffey chops Walter and Walter challenges him for more. Walter drops Coffey with a chop and works him in the corner. Chops outside from Walter and a big boot. Senton inside gets Walter a nearfall and he looks for a crossface. Coffey fights up and they exchange strikes. Walter drops him with an uppercut. Coffey fights up and Walter puts him down for a neck wrench with his leg twist. Walter with clubs to the chest, but Coffey catches one. Forearms from Coffey and he goes up top. Walter catches him for a Boston Crab.
Coffey gets out, but Walter with the arm wringer and he lands chops. Coffey ducks one for a lariat. Walter with a forearm. Shoulder blocks lead to a stalemate. Big boot from Walter caught, but he brings the leg down to land a suplex on Coffey for a nearfall. Coffey lifts Walter to a backpack slam on the sleeper attempt and both are down. Walter in the electric chair position and Coffey with a tackle to the back in the corner. Lifting German suplex with a bridge gets a nearfall for Coffey. Coffey with a moonsault press out of the corner for a nearfall. Walter with a big boot. Coffey with a clothesline and he looks for the discus lariat. Walter with a forearm and powerbomb for a nearfall. Glasgow Sendoff into the corner by Coffey. Walter looks for the John Woo dropkick, but Coffey ducks it and the referee gets launched out of the ring.
Coffey with a powerbomb and the crowd counts to three. Alexander Wolfe comes to the ring and hits a big boot. Wolfe tries to wake Walter up and Ilja Dragunov comes down. Dragunov takes out Wolfe and hits Torpedo Moscow, but Wolfe falls back and takes out Coffey’s knee in the process. Walter with a clothesline that turns Dragunov inside out and sends him out. Walter with a big boot ringside and he tosses Coffey into the steps. Apron powerbomb and clothesline inside from Walter. Walter with the cover and a referee comes out, but only a nearfall. Dragunov and Wolfe fight to the back. Walter to the top and Coffey meets him. Walter chops him down. Coffey comes back with an uppercut. Samoan drop off the top lands for Coffey. Coffey punches Walter down into the corner. Walter kicks the knee and sweeps the leg. Splash off the top gets a nearfall on Coffey. Powerbomb attempt turns into two All the Best for the Bells by Coffey for a nearfall. Coffey looks for it one more time and Walter gets the sleeper. Walter with a kick to the back and a forearm to the back of the head. Sleeper suplex lands and Walter with a powerbomb. Chop to the back and another powerbomb set up a crossface sleeper.
Winner by submission and STILL WWE United Kingdom Champion: Walter
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This went on way too long for two guys who are more known for power than pushing the pace. It never really felt like it got off the ground, the interference was expected, and there wasn’t really any sort of electricity in the ring or in the stands for a Coffey upset. Both the match and the feud felt more transitional and best left to main event a series of TV tapings. This probably spells the end of Gallus as anything big and Walter desperately needs something to regain monster status.
Post-match, Imperium join Walter in the ring. The trademark symbol hits, but the crowd explodes. The Undisputed Era charge through the crowd and take out Imperium. Walter left in the ring with NXT Champion Adam Cole, but Undisputed Era corner him and lay him out. Last Shot from Cole lands and the show closes with Undisputed Era standing tall.
Overall, this didn’t really have the consistency of a TakeOver special, but it was more disappointing than out and out bad in some spots. Bate and Devlin delivered something special and the women had one of the best UK women’s matches in the brand so far, so the peaks were there at least.
Nolan Howell can be reached at nth993@gmail.com for any questions or comments.
