NXT UK: TakeOver: Blackpool Coverage: Welcome Walter

The wait is finally over. The first NXT UK: TakeOver special is here. Since its inception in October, the UK Division has been exceptional in every way. Tonight’s card is going to tear the house down. The roster is too talented to do anything else. The biggest question of the night is; will Pete Dunne retain his title and continue his historic reign? Or will the “Iron King” Joe Coffey beat the Bruiserweight and take his throne as the new United Kingdom Champion?

Matches:

Moustache Mountain vs. James Drake and Zack Gibson: The crowd was white hot as Bate and Gibson locked up to kick off the night. A nasty Elbow from Drake busted Seven open early on. After taking Bate out on the ramp, the Grizzled Young Veterans hit Ticket to Mayhem to become the first ever NXT UK Tag Team Champions in an instant classic. 

Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin: Devlin attacked Banks earlier in the night and injured his knee. The Kiwi Buzzsaw got some payback, jumping Devlin before the bell, but the Irish Ace immediately went after the injured knee rendering Banks unable to compete. 

Devlin then got in the ring and cut a promo claiming to be the best Irish wrestler in the world, but one Finn Balor, the man who trained him, had something to say about that.  

Finn Balor vs. Jordan Devlin:  Quick thinking from Devlin gave him control early, but his former mentor knew him too well. After a hellacious battle, a Coup De Gras from Balor won him the match.

No Disqualifications Match: “Bomber” Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis: 
These two big men took things hardcore quickly. Mastiff brought the steel steps into the ring and Dennis grabbed a Singapore cane. This was a brutal fight, and both competitors looked fantastic. Especially Dennis who showcased surprising strength throughout the bout. Eventually, an Into the Void through a table gave Mastiff the victory.

NXT UK Women’s Championship Match: Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley: The crowd was slightly in favor of the challenger for this one. Both of these women are immensely talented wrestlers, and that showed in this epic bout. Ripley delivered a hell of a beating, and Storm fought just as hard. After 25 minutes of non-stop action, the Mae Young Classic winner planted a second Storm Zero to become the new NXT UK Women’s Champion. 

NXT UK Championship Match: Joe Coffey vs. Pete Dunne: This match has been building since the very beginning. Will Coffey’s power overcome the Champ’s mean streak? Dunne brought the fight early, targeting his opponent’s limbs to wear them down. Eventually, Coffey was able to Powerslam the Bruiserweight onto the entrance ramp to gain the upper hand. After kicking out of the Bitter End, the Iron King managed a to plant Dunne with a Sit Out Powerbomb on the apron, nearly ending the match with a double count out. As the bout entered its final acts things devolved into a slugfest. These two left it all in the ring, but the Bruiserweight held onto his title, forcing Coffey to tap after snapping his fingers. 

After the match, the Ring General, Walter made his NXT UK debut. He made his way out to the ring and stared down the champ.