NXT UK returned with a Christmas special, featuring WALTER vs. Joe Coffey from back in January.
Quick Results
From NXT TV: Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – First Round: Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne beat Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster in 18:20 (***½) (match clipped)
From NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool 2 – WALTER defeated Joe Coffey in 27:31 to retain the NXT UK Championship (***¼)
It looks like we’ve got ourselves a pick ‘n’ nix show this week. We open with the titles, sadly not bedecked with jingling bells, fake snow or even CGI holly. We do have a “happy holidays” banner as we’re back in Andy Shepherd’s living room for the first time since the pandemic clip shows.
He’s in a twinkling Roddy Piper shirt as he throws to the first match…
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – First Round: Broserweights (Pete Dunne & Matt Riddle) vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster
This is from NXT TV on January 15 – the debut of Riddle and Dunne as the “Broserweights”…
Dunne and Andrews start off with some rope running, but a blind tag from Riddle sees him come in, before Webster got the tag as everyone feinted out moves ahead of the indy stand-off. We’ve a jump cut as we return to Webster flipping out of a German suplex, before Riddle tagged in to hit a back senton.
Dunne’s back in after some double-teaming on Webster, which is eventually fought out of as Webster flips over them both and tagged in Andrews, who flew in with a ‘rana. Riddle reverses a whip, but Andrews knee slides under a clothesline before a double Pele kick took them down. A gamengiri on the apron awaited for Dunne, before Andrews slingshotted in and wheelbarrowed his way into a DDT on Riddle. Double dives follow on the floor from Andrews and Webster, before they returned to the ring as an assisted standing 450 splash from Andrews got a near-fall.
Webster goes for a powerbomb, but Dunne counters out and swats away a springboard attempt with a forearm smash. Andrews tags in, but can’t hold Dunne back, with Dunne backflipping out of the corner before he dumped Andrews with a release German suplex. A stomp to the fingers followed before an X-Plex/powerbomb double-team and a pair of kicks gets Riddle and Dunne a near-fall. Dunne throws Webster outside as Riddle looked to pick up Andrews for a German suplex, bridging it for a near-fall. A ripcord knee from Riddle gets a near-fall, before a back senton flattened Andrews, with Dunne returning to stomp on Andrews’ ankles. An ankle lock followed, but Andrews gets free and chains in a Northern lights suplex with a stomp.
Another cut as we’re back with Webster tagging in to backflip into Dunne and Riddle, then dropkicked them off the apron ahead of a senton from the top rope to the floor. They roll back inside, where Riddle catches a crossbody from Andrews… but it’s turned into a reverse ‘rana after Webster threw in a knee strike as the Welsh lads almost take home the win. Andrews keeps going with a moonsault off the apron into a tornado DDT to Dunne on the floor, while a 450 splash in the ring from Webster misses. That leaves him open for a spear from Riddle, who then took out Andrews too, before a suplex was countered into an inside cradle for a near-fall. Riddle returns with an overhead kick, then brought Duinne back in for a double-team Go 2 Sleep… but it’s only enough for a near-fall.
We keep piling on the near-falls before tags got us back to Dunne and Andrews. A head kick from Dunne led to nought as a Bitter End was countered into a Stundog Millionaire by Andrews. Webster tries to take out Riddle with a low-pe, but it’s caught and turned into a tombstone, before Andrews’ shooting star press was swatted away with a forearm from Dunne, as a Bitter End/Go 2 Sleep combo got the win in 11:25 after edits. This was fun, even in clip form, and just reminded me how much crowds can elevate matches across the board. ***½
We get Merry Christmas messages from Tyler Bate, Xia Brookside, Jordan Devlin, Amale, Levi Muir, Aoife Valkyrie, Tyson T-Bone (I thought he was gone), Flash Morgan Webster (with eggnog). A lot of folks didn’t mention their names in these promos… they’re clearly out of media practise.
More messages, this time from A-Kid, Isla Dawn, Joseph Conners, Pretty Deadly, Piper Niven, Sam Gradwell and Eddie Dennis. The difference in video quality among these is startling – c’mon Paul, pay them enough to get a decent phone and not a potato to record on.
Jinny’s got her “Queen’s speech” now, telling us to be proud of our accomplishments. Her accomplishment? Being more ruthless than ever. The new year’s going to be a clean slate, but for her it’s going to be “the year of the fashionista” as she’s going to take the NXT UK Women’s title.
Back to Andy now, who pitches to “Banter Claus” Dave Mastiff. He’s got a wishlist: for Jack Starz – some life insurance, because he’s always getting squashed. Tyson T-Bone wants new crayons “to colour himself in”, while Noam Dar’s getting a gobstopper. Ilja Dragunov? Some decaffeinated coffee and a meditation guide. And for “the gaffer”, Triple H? A multipack of flavoured water. Who’s writing this material? Joe Coffey wants a cricket bat, because Dave broke one over him a while back. Do you get it?!
More video messages, with Mark Andrews taking time out to do a song against Eddie Dennis and the Hunt. Ashton Smith doesn’t sing, sans Oliver Carter, Aleah James, Amir Jordan, Dani Luna, Kenny Williams and Oliver Carter.
Even more messages after a break, with Nina Samuels, Gallus, Noam Dar, Rampage Brown, Jack Starz, Wild Boar (who kept the gimmick up), and the Assistant to the Regional Manager as well. Saxon Huxley throws one in too, as does a rather heart-felt Ilja Dragunov.
They show a promo for our “main event,” which is a re-airing of WALTER’s defence of the NXT UK title from Takeover: Blackpool 2.
WWE United Kingdom Championship: Joe Coffey vs. WALTER (c)
WALTER tried to boot Coffey at the bell, just like he did a year ago, as the challenger slapped the Austrian, then hit a spinning back suplex to force WALTER to the outside.
Another boot takes WALTER back to the outside as Coffey’s shoulder tackle off the apron finds its mark, before WALTER responded with some strikes before he just lifted Coffey into the crowd… from where the Scotsman returns with another leaping shoulder tackle. Back in the ring, WALTER’s almost cowering in the corner as he was met with some body blows, before a rebound belly-to-belly off the ropes almost went awry. Coffey followed up with a running uppercut, then a tornado DDT for a near-fall, as he then went for a regular suplex, but instead he batters WALTER with forearms before he hauled up the Austrian for a suplex. That’s good for a two-count, before Coffey just pissed off WALTER with a chop. You know what’s next. WALTER asks for more, gets more, then kills the Scotsman with his retort.
A punt to the back leaves Coffey down, as more gunshot-like chops rang around the Ballroom as they fought on the outside. A big boot nearly took Coffey’s face into the crowd, before the Austrian grounded Coffey with a half crab, then a STF back in the ring. There’s another chop to end a strike exchange after Coffey had freed himself in the ropes, before WALTER followed up with a neck twist. Coffey rolls outside for respite, but got pulled back in by the hair as WALTER threw in some crossface punches in on the apron. One of them’s caught, with Coffey fighting his way back in, knocking WALTER down as he went up top for a missile dropkick… which is nonchalantly caught and turned into a Boston crab. They’re trying to get Coffey across as a heroic good guy, but the crowd just isn’t buying what’s on offer, as WALTER rolled in for a Kassius Ohno-like inverted cravat… then a chicken wing that ended in the ropes. WALTER gets the crowd going again with a series of chops, before Coffey ducked one and hit a clothesline instead. From there, they upgrade to the shoulder charges, before WALTER’s big boot looked to graze Coffey, as WALTER eventually settled for a suplex for a two-count.
A mounted sleeper’s broken as Coffey falls back, before Coffey lifted WALTER into an electric chair position before shoving him into the buckles. Coffey pushes on with a bridging German for a near-fall, before a double-jump moonsault off the top gets another near-fall. A powerbomb from WALTER gets a two-count, before he grounds Coffey with another sleeper… it’s thrown off by Coffey, who charges WALTER into the corner… and the crowd wakes up again when ref Chris Sharpe’s killed with a shotgun dropkick. With no ref, Coffey goes for a powerbomb, which gets him a visual pin… my favourite babyface spot ever (yes, I’m being sarcastic). Out comes Alexander Wolfe to boot Coffey, before Ilja Dragunov came out to neutralise things. Except his Torpedo Moscau sent Wolfe into Coffey, who tweaked his knee it seemed, and WALTER’s right in with a clothesline to Ilja.
On the outside, WALTER hurls Coffey into the ring steps, then went for an apron powerbomb. That led to a visual pin for WALTER, but a second ref came out to make a delayed near-fall count, while Ilja and Wolfe brawled to the back. WALTER makes a rare trip up top and gets caught, but those Blackpool ropes are cursed for Coffey, who slips before he’s chopped down. He gets back to his feet and returned to land an uppercut. A belly-to-belly superplex just about comes off, but Coffey has to crawl over to WALTER, and by the time he does, they’re back to striking. Coffey threw a forearm to avoid a chop as he then boxed WALTER into the corner. WALTER kicks out the knee though, then… YES! HE KICKED HIS LEG OUT OF HIS LEG! A big splash off the top rope follows as WALTER’s barely up there long enough to get a nose bleed, but Coffey kicks out again!
Coffey hits back with Awra Best for the Bells, then goes for it again… but WALTER ducks and takes him down with a side headlock, before switching into a grounded Gojira. A kick to the back rocks Coffey, before another Gojira led to a sleeper suplex. WALTER adds a powerbomb and more chops, before a powerbomb and a crossface forces Coffey to tap. That felt a little abrupt, but this was beginning to spin its wheels as a match. It didn’t feel as arduous a match as last year’s main event, but man… if Joe Coffey went off the rails after losing last year, does he turn into Frank Grimes for 2021?! ***¼
Next week, we’ve got a special New Year’s Eve episode – which I expect to be the same sort of format as this. Happy Holidays!