It’s Father’s Day weekend in the States so it was only fitting that the UK’s favorite British babushka became one grumpy gramps on this show. So let’s get to ranking!
Honorable Mention: NXT 2.0. The British Brand has already been visited by Roderick Strong, Ivy Nile, Damon Kemp, Von Wagner and Lash Legend the past few months. Well next week we get 3 more people from 2.0 when Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen face Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter for the NXT UK Tag Team Championship and Sarray takes on Nina Samuels. Fallon Henley is also making the trip but as of this writing her opponent has not been announced. On one hand I love having my NXT UK be a sacred secret, tucked away from the eyes of the WWE overlords. I like it being a place where I can get NXT “Black and Gold” with accents. But on the other I understand that these 2.0 stars need as much experience as they can get, especially those newer to the mainstream fans like Brooks Jensen, so getting them in there with talented, capable UK stars is always a good idea. And Sarray could be a blast because Meiko needs more credible challengers after seemingly running through the whole NXT UK women’s roster.
5. Blair Davenport. We got a package and the announcement she’s returning soon! This is a bit of a surprise. I thought she’d be out longer but with the way NXT UK tapes the actual injury may have occurred back in 2018 for all I know. I’d have rather she shown back up as a surprise but it’s still nice to see her back.
4. Tiger Turan. Turan got a win in a really short match. He hit a crossbody off the top for 2 but then the ref held up the X and signaled that Josh Morrell couldn’t continue giving Turan the win via ref’s stoppage. From a fan’s perspective nothing looked too bad on the finish but the way it happened so quickly and randomly makes me believe it was a legitimate injury or concussion. I was a little surprised to see no Kenny Williams here or anywhere on the show though. I’m starting to wonder if he’s somebody we already know and that’s part of why his showings have been short and his moves rather generic. It would make for a fun twist on the Williams saga. But if he isn’t, if he is a new person, I hope he can show more soon.
3. Lash Legend. Like Wolfgang, Sam Gradwell and Red Vlevet Lash Legend is starting to grow on me. It helps that her opponent tonight, Myla Grace, is somebody I think is genuinely good in the ring but still, Legend is showing some improvement. Early on Legend draped Grace over the top rope and nailed her with a running uppercut that sent Grace to the floor. Back inside Legend caught Grace coming off the top with a crossbody and then with Myla cradled in her arms bounced Grace’s head up and down like a basketball between the middle and top rope. That made for 2 unique pieces of offense tonight and that head dribble fits her character so well. She better keep that. Legend did struggle a bit with a gorilla press slam that Shepherd oddly said she had no trouble at all with. Grace started to come back when she hit a dropkick then a tiger feint kick to the small of the back of Legend against the ropes and followed it up with a tornado DDT for just 2. Legend got the win when she ran off the ropes with a pump kick on Grace who was bouncing off the opposite side.
2. Wolfgang and Damon Kemp. My new favorite odd couple picked up a win over Noam Dar and Sha Samuels on this show. There were some fun sequences in this match that saw Dar and Sha try to take advantage of the inexperienced Kemp and isolate him from the best member of Gallus. The finish came when Kemp tried to German Suplex Sha but Samuels grabbed Dar on the apron. As Kemp pulled back Dar was stretched fully parallel to the mat in a really funny looking visual. Dar dropped down distracting the ref so Sha could rake the eyes of Kemp but before he could take advantage of a blinded Kemp Wolfgang took Sha’s scarf and while on the floor wrapped it around Sha’s foot inside in what commentary pointed out was a call-back to Dar doing the same to Kemp to cost him a singles match against Sha a few weeks ago. Kemp hit the running powerslam for the win. After the match Wolfgang put the scarf around Kemp’s neck but Damon wiped his armpits with it instead. Sha tried to run in after the match despite Dar attempting to stop him and Wolfgang delivered a spear for his troubles. Knowing Kemp is in Diamond Mine I don’t expect this pairing to last much longer but they are so much fun and I hope they at least get a tag title match before Kemp fully leaves UK TV.
1. Trent Seven. Johnny Knoxville may have competed at WrestleMania but tonight was the night Trent Seven went from Handsome Granny to Bad Grandpa. A very sad Seven came out to close the show. He told us that he made his decision and he wanted Tyler Bate to be there for it. When he said he was done if they lost the titles he meant it. Trent talked about all the opportunities he, Bate and “the other one” (which got a chuckle from the crowd) have had together. Whether it was crazy nights in Canada, Australia or even a circus tent in Kuala Lampur they got to travel the world together doing what they loved. But there’s no place like home. He loves telling people about how they sold out Royal Albert Hall and won the tag team championships there. He said “From the top of Moustache Mountain to the bottom of my heart” (he) wanted to thank everyone for being a part of the ride. He and Bate did the “Jinkies” high five and then had a long hug. If you remember when Ciampa turned on Gargano they waited until the graphic came up on the corner of the screen to do it. It made the turn feel that much more shocking. Tonight’s felt more obvious but there was a beautiful shot where Bate is left standing in the ring and Seven is ready to step out but hesitates. In that moment that we’ve seen a thousand times you just KNOW Seven is going to blast Bate! But he doesn’t. He goes back in and hugs him from behind. Trent kisses his head. Wow. “Maybe this is really real?” might be a thought for a split second but NOPE, Seven low blows Bate. Trent pulls Bate up by his moustache and says “I never needed you!” before paintbrushing him with a big slap and delivering a Burning Hammer. Seven draped the Moustache Mountain towel over his former partner and put one foot on him and did the moustache twisting pose. Andy Shepherd had the line of the night as with his voice crackling and a genuine sound of sadness ge said “Moustache Mountain has crumbled to the ground!” Trent exits to boos and one guy even leans over the railing to get in his face but Seven blows a kiss at him. This was perfection! I say it all the time but I mean it now more than ever, this match NEEDS a UK TakeOver for it’s stage. Or to be stretched out and put on Clash at the Castle even. But this story has been too well told to not get that moment. A detail that hadn’t even hit me until I was writing this is Seven always just said he’d be “done” if they lost the belts. He never said done with wrestling or NXT UK. Now we see he meant done with Moustache Mountain.
Leave a Reply