Typically the only frightening thing about Cinco de Mayo is the hangover some participants wake up with the following day. But NXT UK substituted sombreros and cervezas for debuts and darkness this week. We saw the first UK bouts of Tiger Turan and Damon Kemp and then ended the night with the culmination of a feud between “The Final Boss” and the “Unholy Enchantress”. This was tale of magic and mayhem. Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, we call this main event a World of Darkness match. Now let’s see where that ranks!
Honorable Mention: Everyone else. Die Famile revealed Dempsey accepted Kid’s challenge and Raja & Teoman are going to target the tag gold because “The eye sees success for Die Famile” Sam Gradwell said he’s the only one who can do that to Sid Scala when Von Wagner tried to intimidate him and Smith & Carter jawed with Gallus earlier in the week before we learned that they’d meet in one of the 2 tag matches to qualify the 2 opposing teams for Moustache Mountain’s upcoming triple threat title defense. And Lash Legend played her role well enough as the arrogant new star in the Super Nova sessions even if some of her wording was odd at times. She’s “bringing the heat and size like an elephant” “savageness of hyenas” and “speed of a cheetah” and that when she’s done “there won’t even be much left for the vultures”
5. Jordan Devlin. We got a package where Devlin & Ilja talked about their clash next week. Devlin told us that his father told him starting when he was maybe 3 years old that he could do anything he wanted but to rise in whatever he did. If he wanted to join the army; be a general. If he wanted to be an artist; be Picasso. And here he stands as the Irish Ace. He reiterated that when he wanted an empty arena match it was just to get rid of the crowd, not so they could brawl all over and use weapons because “Any pig can roll around in the mud. (He’s) a professional athlete.” and finishing with “You’ve gone all in and you never bet against an ace” He’s come a long way on the mic and I’m excited for his match with Dragunov on the big 200th episode.
4. Sha Samuels. This guy is always on and tonight was no different. First, during the Super Nova Sessions with Lash Legend a clearly smitten Sha outdid Dar by cleaning off a chair with his hat after Dar got it for her and then getting her a beautiful bouquet of flowers (which she placed in the Heritage Cup like a vase) after Dar presented her with wilting, dying ones. He and Dar fawning over Legend was great stuff and later in the back he told Legend that the Cup is basically “both of ours” Following it all up by standing tall over Damon Kemp made this night an overall win for everyone’s favorite book maker.
3. Tiger Turan. The masked superstar from the Himalayas made his debut against Tate Mayfairs tonight and got the win a Senton Bomb. Commentary had a funny exchange when Nigel said of Mayfairs “I’m not sure I’s be so confident if I was named after that particular body part” and Shepherd responded “It’s TATE Nigel” The later debutant comes across as early in career mode create-a-superstar with an amatuer wrestling base and Turan comes across as in that same place but with a Lucha/high flying base. There wasn’t a lot to judge here but he did land a great looking tilt-a-whirl suplex type move and did a headstand in the corner only to flip out to the apron. I’d like to see more of him but this was a good enough introduction.
2. Damon Kemp. He made his NXT UK debut tonight taking on the star maker Danny Jones. I’m still confused at Jones seemingly only ever being in this role. He has the size, a decent look and can go in the ring. Kemp didn’t do anything incredible here. He has a lot of room for growth but he did get to exchange verbal barbs with Sha Samuels in the back prior to his match when he embarassed Sha in front of Lash Legend after seeing Sha gave him 400/1 odds (Despite never explaining what the odds were for. To have success I guess?), by far the worst on his board of all the NXT “exchange students” (Ivy Nile & Lash Legend were 2/1 and Von Wagner was 5/2) In the ring the alumni of the same school that gave us Brock Lesnar and Gable Steveson landed a couple of nice overhead bell to belly suplexes and a rolling shoulder block as well as a rolling fireman’s carry (which I won’t call a standing Green Bay Plunge out of respect to Minnesotans) before winning with a running power slam. After the match he got attached by Samuels and hit with the betting sheets to set up what I assume will be his next match. Kemp feels like a great fit for Diamond Mine and if I had my way I’d have Nile recognize his talents as they’re in UK together abd bring him in to the fold back in the states.
1. Meiko Satomura. Defeating Isla Dawn in a “World of Darkness” match for 8th successful Women’s title defense brings Meiko’s reign to 330 days and counting and brings her to the #1 spot in this week’s rankings. A “World of Darkness” match was just a no DQ/no countout match with the arena lights dimmed and there wasn’t a whole lot done with the concept to differentiate it from any other hardcore type match but they did have the lights flicker a few times and smoke start at one point to help give it a bit of a spooky feel as Dawn tried to conjur up a win. Early in the match Dawn took some of Dani Luna’s hair from her trinket box and used it to stretch around Meiko’s mouth and eyes (a strategy she’d later repeat with a bullrope while Meiko had her hands tied from the ring post on the outside). Dawn tried to grab more souveniers from past victims but Meiko got her foot on the box to prevent that from happening. Dawn broke a broom over Meiko’s back before tying her to the ring post and unleashing a whipping to her mid-section with a bull rope. Meiko evened the odds with some kendo stick shots to Dawn but Dawn hit Meiko’s leg with a chair. Dawn then locked Meiko in the tarantula and hit a meteora into a pile of chairs but only got a 2 count. Dawn went for a half-nelson suplex into 2 open chairs but Meiko countered with a death valley driver into them and then hit a Scorpio Rising for the win. The lights came up in the arena and the sun went down on any hopes Dawn had at becoming champion. I’m interested in seeing where Meiko goes from here. Cagematch spoiled her next opponent but I’ll just say it’s not somebody I expected and I’m curious what the build and match are like.
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