It’s a lucky day, at least on paper for this week’s July 7th episode of NXT UK. And a lucky day for me as I found out Ilja Dragunov was issuing a challenge to Wolfgang who it’s no secret has really grown on me over time. But that challenge didn’t make the list. So what did? Let’s find out!
Honorable Mention: Amale, Noam Dar and Jordan Devlin. Amale wasn’t taking crap from anybody this week as she confronted Blair Davenport in the parking lot. She assumed like I did that the “Hope” comment was directed at her and it better not have been. Davenport said it wasn’t but a message to the women’s locker room that any plans they had just got changed. Stevie Turner laughed in the background and Amale said she’d kick her ass too. Dar said he’s a victim of his own success and Mark Coffey was a lucky boy as we got a montage of Sha Samuels taking bets from anyone and everyone. He said that money everyone is betting on Mark is going into Dar’s retirement fund. Devlin makes the list for showing up on NXT 2.0 and wrecking Breakker. That’s now A-Kid, Frazer, Pretty Deadly and Devlin all across the pond. About time the UK got to represent on the rainbow brand!
5. Oliver Carter. In the gym Carter puts a plate on one side of the bar but Charlie Dempsey puts on the other side. Dempsey said he’s helping but Carter doesn’t want it. Die Famile aporoach. “Why should I join a crew where one guy wants to poke his eyes and the other 2 can’t even say the name right?” Carter asks. Raja says the titles are gone. Dempsey says if it wasn’t for Ashton he’d still be tag champ. Carter says he will run through all of them. Raja steps up to challenge him but Teoman says he’ll handle this. Later we got Teoman v. Carter officially announced for next week. In Wes Lee on NXT and Carter here I’m so happy to see WWE FINALLY using tag team guys when 1 partner goes down rather than leaving them to rot. If it’s up to me I give Carter the singles run I mentioned last week but end it all in him beating Trent Seven in a big singles match where Bate returns to stop Seven from cheating and everything comes full circle.
4. Tiger Turan. “The Scum of the Earth” finally got his hands on “The Masked Bozo” and he was ready to not only get the win but prove to the world Turan’s true identity of former partner Amir Jordan. Well 1 out of 3 ain’t bad, right? It’s terrible. Andy Shepherd reminded us that a lot of people have issues with Williams so it’s no guarantee Turan is Jordan, though commentary did say that a rolling flat liner Turan hit was a move in Jordan’s arsenal. Williams chopped out the leg and tried to remove the mask but Turan fought back and delivered a missle dropkick from the 2nd rope and a tope suicida. He tried to follow up with a senton but Williams got the legs up and scored a 2 count of his own. “Amir! I know it’s you! You can take off that silly mask now!” Williams said as he taunted Turan but teasing a Tiger never ends well as Turan rolled him up for 3. After the bell an irate Kenny hit the Bad Luck and ripped off Turan’s mask! He did it! He lost the battle but won the war! Tiger Turan proved to be none other than…a man wearing a 2nd, all black mask under his regular mask. Officials dragged a furious Williams to the back when he realized he still didn’t get the validation he was after.
3. Sam Gradwell. “The Thunderstorm” wasn’t in action this week but did get a couple of big spots. First in an “after the show” clip from last week we saw him confront Trent Seven as he has being forced from the arena. “I’ve done some horrible things and I know some horrible men. And you’re the worst,” said Gradwell. Seven responded “And you’re no one. Jog off.” Gradwell was clearly not fond of that comment and got to show his feelings towards the UK’s Bad Grandpa when after Seven put away Tate Mayfairs with a 7 Star Lariat Trent locked in a Figure 7 only for Gradwell to come down and run him off. Gradwell tried to challenge him but Trent again told him to “Jog off” I was accidentally spoiled on some major UK news that could allow this match to be easily facilitated with some stakes behind it and I hope that’s the route they take.
2. Josh Morrell. NXT UK’s younger, more athletic Barry Horowitz can finally pat himself on the back getting a big upset win over a lone Primate. Nigel reminded us “Chimpin’ Ain’t Easy!” and I now need a Primate and Godfather tag team. Morrell’s elite athleticism was on display here when he was monkey flipped (GET IT?!) but landed on his feet. He also hit a twisting plancha on the now solo symbiote before trying for a 450 which Primate avoided but Morrell quickly recovered from. Morrell flipped out of a powerbomb hold and rolled onto the apron only to come back in by leaping split-legged over the ropes and nailing a Code Red to finally get his first win on NXT UK! I’m not sure where Primate goes from here. Does he reunite with Wild Boar? Take loss after loss and lose direction? Or simply end up forgotten about? Time will tell but the hands of that clock are set at 12:00 because the arrow on Josh Morrell are pointing all the way up like a Fat Joe song!
1. Meiko Satomura and Sarray. The first-ever all-Japanese team to grace an NXT UK ring got the win over the longer-tenured (albeit not by much) pairing of Xia Brookside and Eliza Alexander in this week’s main event. Early on the common thread was Sarray trying to tag Meiko but Brookside and Alexander cutting her off. Brookside and Alexander’s chemsitry was on display when Brookside held Alexander in the ropes during an Irish Whip attempt so they could take over the match. Eventually, after escaping a camal clutch by Alexander right in the middle of the ring Sarray tagged “The Final Boss” in who came in like a house of fire. She flattened Alexander with her handspring kick then knocked Brookside off the apron and hit Eliza with a frog splash but Xia broke up the pin and dragged Alexander to the corner to make the tag. They hit a combination double-footed backstabber by Xia into a running knee from Eliza on Sarray but Satomura broke it up. Xia sent Sarry into the ropes and distracted the ref so Alexander could work her over in the ropes but Sarray swept Alexander’s legs out with a kick and then just murdered poor Brookside with her basement dropkick against the ropes followed by Meiko tagging in and hitting the Scorpio Rising for the win. Sarray’s jovial personality always makes me forget that she has THE MOST VICIOUS LOOKING MOVE IN THE GAME! That dropkick is the most beautifully brutal thing on my TV whenever it’s hit and her and Satomura meeting is now a match that like Seven and Bate I want held off for a TakeOver. Because Sarry is a killer who might finally be the one who can take out “The Final Boss” and win the game.
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