The NXT UK Heritage Cup is on the line in this week’s main event, as Noam Dar defends against Mark Coffey.
Quick Results
Ashton Smith pinned Teoman in 7:24 (***)
Amale pinned Stevie Turner in 4:15 (*¾)
Heritage Cup Rules: Mark Coffey beats Noam Dar by 2 rounds to 1 at 2:49 of Round 6 to win the NXT UK Heritage Cup (***)
We’ve a cold open and once again we’re back at the BT Sport Studios in London, with Andy Shepherd and Nigel McGuinness on commentary.
Oliver Carter vs. Teoman
Carter’s back in the singles ranks while Ashton Smith’s on the shelf… and he’s up against someone whom he turned down an offer from last week.
The opening lock-up sees the pair go to ground, countering in and out of a side headlock as Teoman later found his wristlock countered out of. Carter snaps back with an armdrag, before Teoman tried to punch his way out of a sunset flip. We’re back with the Carter armdrag and armbar, which Teoman broke as he stood up and headed to the ropes. Carter ducks a swing as Teoman ends up kicking at his leg, only to get taken down with some wacky headscissors. Charlie Dempsey distracts as Teoman attacks Carter from behind, following with a chinlock… then a gutshot as Carter powered out. We’re back to the chinlock of doom, which Carter again escapes, only to get wrapped in a sleeperhold, then bounced off the rope for a forearm to the lower back.
A big quebrada gets Carter back into it, as do some clotheslines and forearms, before a scissors kick nearly put Teoman away. Out of nowhere, a Gedo clutch nearly got the win for Teoman, as did a sliding forearm, before Carter countered an Evil Eye… and rebounded with a Koppo kick. Teoman slumps to avoid a follow-up, as Rohan Raja’s distraction just earned Dempsey a PK off the apron… Carter followed with a springboard dropkick back to Teoman, then a running spinning heel kick for the win. Unlucky, kid. A decent TV match that took a little while to get going, as I hope this is the start of something of a push for Carter. ***
Post-match, die Familie mug Carter as Teoman nailed him with the Evil Eye flip stunner.
Mark Coffey’s shadow boxing backstage…
Sam Gradwell’s interviewed at the UK Performance Centre… and is instantly attacked after he called Trent Seven the “dirt worst.” I’m meant to want to boo Trent for that? I mean, given how quick he jumped him, Trent must have been a foot off-camera…
Fallon Henley lies about British food at the UK PC when Isla Dawn interrupts her interview. You know what that means…
Josh Morrell’s congratulated by Dave Mastiff after his win last week… and sets up a match between those two next week, in the name of competition.
More pre-tapes as Wolfgang’s kicking a football against a wall outside… he’s asked about the Ilja Dragunov comments from last week. Wolfgang threatens to take the NXT UK title from Ilja, because “why not Wolfie?”
Stevie Turner vs. Amale
Hamster wheel booking time, I suspect… and there’s a lot of booing for Stevie from a crowd noticeably clapping her…
Blair Davenport’s on commentary, so we’re likely going to get a lot of camera shots of her interrupting the match. Amale’s defending a waistlock early, then tried for a roll-up before a front facelock grounded Turner. Stevie gets out, but can’t avoid a running neckbreaker from Amale, nor a low dropkick, before Turner returned with a pump kick.
Turner sets up for a facewashing kick, taking down Amale in the ropes, getting a near-fall before we go split-screen as a neckbreaker from Turner gets a near-fall. The trope NXT UK seems to do of having a guest commentator overshadow the match is the dirt worst. A boot out of the corner from Turner just fires up Amale, who hits a series of back elbows and clotheslines, then a bulldog out of the corner… which nearly wins it. Amale knees Turner ahead of a face-washing boot in the corner, before a Hope Breaker got the win. Okay match, but rendered utterly inconsequential by the presentation. *¾
Blair Davenport golf claps Amale from the commentary desk afterwards…
Backstage, Sha Samuels is reminded he’s banned from ringside for the main event, and bribing the referee doesn’t help things.
After the tag team main event last week, Sarray challenged Meiko Satomura to a title match (in Japanese), before Nina Samuels ran out to try and quiz a crestfallen Emilia McKenzie.
THEN… we’re backstage with Mark Andrews and Wild Boar as they’re looking to take on Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen as they try to bring the NXT UK tag titles back to the home roster.
The assistant to the regional manager confirms Ilja Dragunov vs. Wolfgang in a RESPECT-DRIVEN NXT UK title match in two weeks’ time.
Next week: Fallon Henley vs. Isla Dawn… and Sam Gradwell vs. Trent Seven
NXT UK Heritage Cup: Mark Coffey vs. Noam Dar (c)
This is Dar’s sixth defence… and Sha Samuels is shadow boxing backstage while watching on TV, worried about those 100/1 odds he’d been giving. He’s not watching from a jaunty angle, so at least that’s something.
Round 1: Dar dresses up his cornerman like he’s Sha, as we open with a lock-up that knocked someone’s gum out of their mouth. Dar grabs a wristlock, but the counter sees Noam head to the ropes for a break… we’re getting a lot of the split-screen here in the early going as Dar took Coffey to the ropes, but missed with a kick, before a waistlock takedown looked to have Coffey slightly ahead. Dar’s kick to the quad stung the challenger, but follow-up attempts miss as we’ve swinging, missing and shoulder tackles before the first round ended with a chinbar… and some slaps after the bell.
Round 2: Coffey pulls Dar down at the bell for a Gator Lock… and pulls ahead with a submission just 15 seconds into the round. Sha’s apopletic with rage backstage…
Round 3: Dar dives for the leg, but gets caught with a roll-up for a two-count before a clothesline took him down. A throw has Dar back into the corner, while a bulldog out of the corner nearly led to the whitewash. Dar rolls onto the apron and kicks out Coffey’s knee through the ropes… following up with a Judas Effect-ish back elbow en route to a near-fall. Coffey’s kept down with stomps to the wrist, before more kicks laid him out for another near-fall. Danielson-ish elbows follow, along with hooking from Dar, before he kicked out Coffey’s leg… only for time to run out as Dar went for a Nova Roller.
Round 4: Dar fakes out a Nova Roller, but Coffey stuffs a roll-up for an early two-count. Keeping hold of the wrists, Dar pulls Coffey down for a Champagne Super Knee Bar, forcing Coffey to tap 38 seconds into the round. Because these ALWAYS END 2-1. Sha’s happy backstage, at least…
Round 5: A running dropkick from Dar caught Coffey at the bell for a two-count, but Coffey’s able to retaliate with a back suplex for a near-fall. Coffey looks for a running kick, but Dar staggered out of harm’s way, then ran in with a Helluva kick into the corner. A second one’s caught, but Dar countered back with a guillotine… only for Coffey to suplex his way out of it. The pair exchange right hands before Dar’s knee strikes earned him some clubbering from Coffey. An downward elbow to Coffey’s head lands, as does a kick to the back of the leg, before Dar climbed the ropes… he’s caught by Coffey, who hits a superplex right at the bell.
Round 6: Dar just needs to last the round to retain the title on a draw… and he instantly plays keepaway with Coffey, rolling outside before baiting him back in for a Champagne Super Knee Bar. Coffey fights out, but runs into a boot in the corner as Dar tried to win with his feet on the ropes. Coffey returns with another Gator Lock, forcing Dar to scramble into the ropes for a break. Dar heads outside again, where Coffey followed… chopping the ring post before he ate a Nova Roller on the outside. We’re heading into the final minute as the ref’s well into the count-out, but Coffey rolled back in in the nick of time. Another Judas-ish Effect gets Dar a near-fall, before Dar ran into a forearm… then ate a lariat as Coffey’s uranage and sliding punch earned the title-changing (and Sha-bankrupting) win. This had a lull in the middle, but a heated final round-and-a-bit made this a decent-enough TV main event. ***
Sha Samuels appeared in the aisle afterwards, sobbing with all the betting slips he’d (presumably) taken on Coffey to win at 100/1. The babyface roster come out to applaud Coffey, and collect their winnings… Sha’s got nothing, as he begs off. Next week he’d better be shirtless, you know, because he’s lost his shirt on this…
…oh, and there’s Joe Coffey returning out of nowhere to celebrate with his brother to close the show. To mangle an analogy, NXT UK these days continues to be not much sizzle, and a rather questionable steak. Is it time for a new menu, or is this going to be our lot for the time being?