NXT UK wrapped up its stay in Plymouth as Joe Coffey and Travis Banks squared off!
You know the drill – a wild crowd, a sign or two, and we’re welcomed by Nigel McGuinness and Vic Joseph as we go straight to the action.
Toni Storm vs. Charlie Morgan
Holy overdub, Batman!
Surprisingly this was only the second time these two have ever faced off one-on-one, with the first being at Super Strong Style 16 earlier this year for PROGRESS. The opening lock-up doesn’t produce a clear victor, so Charlie slaps Toni… only to be quickly met with a big boot! A low dropkick gets Toni just a one-count, before she grounds Morgan with a STF that forced the (former) EVE champion to drag her way to the ropes. Someone in the crowd didn’t quite like that, nor Morgan’s response of an enziguiri that draws barely a one-count. Charlie takes Toni into the corner for a back elbow, before she followed up with elbows to the neck ahead of a camel clutch in the middle of the ring.
After getting free, Toni begins a fight back, blocking Charlie’s right hands and throwing some of her own before ragdolling Charlie into the corner with a German suplex. A hip attack’s next, before a Storm Zero Tiger Driver gets the win. That was pretty much a SPLAT, with Charlie getting precious little offence in. That’s step one on a new title chase, I feel… **
Vic and Nigel are in front of the green screen, getting drowned out as they introduce a video on Gallus. It’s an introductory promo piece as everyone is EVIL… I mean Gallus. Apparently gallus is a colloquial term, like jobbie. Don’t Google that unless you’re prepared to turn it into a chant.
Travis Banks and Joe Coffey are warming up…
Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews vs. James Drake & Zack Gibson
You know the chants at the bell, as Plymouth stood up for Zack Gibson… who didn’t care as he laid into Mark Andrews early on.
Andrews hit back with a wheelbarrow armdrag off the middle rope, as he tried to work over Gibson’s arm… in comes Flash, who helps with a double-team hiptoss, before James Drake got the tag in and looked to turn things around. He struggled at first, as Flash crashes into him with a Rude Boy moonsault block. Gibson distracts Webster by throwing some used wrist tape at him, and this was the cue for the Grizzled Young Veterans’ double-teaming, as they hit a backbreaker/flying knee on the floor. Shoes come off for Gibson as he held Flash in a Million Dollar Dream, keeping him in place as Drake tagged in for a big forearm that drew the former PROGRESS tag champions a near-fall.
Drake switches to a chinlock, synching it in, before Gibson returned to try a suplex. Flash slips free, but can’t get a tag out as Gibson throws a knee into the gut. Eventually though, Flash outwits Drake and Gibson, then makes a tag out as Andrews flies in with headscissors to Gibson… then throws chops at Drake before he knee slid underneath them ahead of a double overhead kick! Andrews looks such a different prospect here than he does in PROGRESS – yet it’s largely the same guy and the same moves. A satellite DDT gets a near-fall on Drake, who blind tags out to Gibson as they worked together for a corner dropkick, then a Ticket to Ride out of the corner… but Andrews kicks out at two!
Webster tags back in, low bridging Gibson to the outside before another Rude Boy turned into a reverse ‘rana for a near-fall. Gibson comes back in, but takes a Webster headbutt before the Eton Rifle is blocked, with Flash turning into a lawn dart on Andrews. Webster’s then dealt with with a Deftones enziguiri before he was tossed outside, as Andrews – who was tagged in moments earlier – managed to catch them unawares with a double Stundog Millionaire.
Andrews looked to finish off Drake with a shooting star press, but Fabian Aichner comes out and throws Webster into the ring steps… Andrews gets distracted by that, and he misses whom the legal man was. Despite hitting Drake with a shooting star press, Gibson takes advantage by dragging Andrews off his partner and locks in the Shankly Gates for the win. This was the best match on the two episodes so far this week, with Drake and Gibson looking solid, and have to be a shoe-in for the tag tournament, no? ***½
Post-match, Aichner puts the boots to Mark Andrews before the Welsh pair recovered, with a leaping knee from Webster sending the (former) EVOLVE champion packing.
Killer Kelly vs. Nina Samuels
Surprisingly, this ISN’T a first-time match – they first met in May 2017, some months before Killer Kelly’s career had a rocket strapped to it. Nina won on that day in Portgual… will it be 2-0?
Nina gets in Kelly’s face early, and quickly has to scramble for the ropes as Kelly looked for a German suplex. A slap from Nina earns some forearms from Kelly as we get some random “UK wrestling” chants from the crowd. Huh? Kelly sends Samuels onto the apron, but a swing and a miss left Kelly open for a reverse hotshot, as Nina takes over with some blows to the back.
Those barely get Nina a two-count, so she followed up with a full nelson that Kelly fought out of, only to be met with a snapmare and a neck whip a la Mr Perfect. Nina followed up on that by stretching Kelly in the ropes, with a dropkick adding extra whiplash before another near-fall. There’s another full nelson, but Kelly slips out and rolls up Samuels for a near-fall, before a pump kick gets caught… but it just leads to an enziguiri! Kelly followed up with a suplex into the corner ahead of a Shibata-ish dropkick for a near-fall, as we got those “British wrestling” chants again. I swear those were meant to be “women’s wrestling”…
A Fisherman’s suplex looked to follow, but Nina grabs Kelly by her pigtails, then throws her into the corner before an ushigoroshi gets the win. An even, TV-style match, with Nina Samuels proving she’ll do anything to win… but I do worry about Kelly continuing to rack up losses on this brand. **¾
Fabian Aichner is backstage complaining about the attack he got at the hands of Webster and Andrews. He promises to ruin their shot at the tag team tournament, and he’ll get a partner to help.
Joe Coffey vs. Travis Banks
Banks shoots out of the gates early on with kicks and forearms as he looked to wear out the Scotsman, taking him into the corner with a shotgun dropkick.
Coffey rolls outside, but only into the path of a PK off the apron as Banks kept up on him… except a low-pe effort is stopped with an uppercut, as Coffey then swung Banks into the guard railings, shoulder-first. Back in the ring, Coffey continued to target Banks’ shoulder, going for a full nelson which Banks powered out of… only to roll back into the hold.
Coffey keeps up with some elbow drops, then a single-arm DDT as he looked to reinjure Banks’ shoulder. Stomps are next in the corner as the Scotsman put the boots to Banks once again, then dragged him down with an arm whip as a claw to the injured shoulder came next. Shoulder charges follow as the focus remained almost laser-like, but a desperation leaping knee sent Coffey flying (as did a loogie from his mouth). We get a recap of that too, but Coffey’s back to his feet, only to get tripped into the corner as Banks followed in with a low dropkick, then a diving knee for a near-fall.
Coffey’s right back in with a pop-up slam out of the corner as the focus went back to the shoulder briefly. An attempted German suplex is avoided, but Banks ends up in a swinging bear hug ahead of an overhead belly-to-belly as Joe used his strength to ragdoll the former PROGRESS champion for a near-fall. The right arm of banks is once again worn down on in the ropes, before Banks got lifted up top for an overhead wristlock… but Banks shoves him down then followed in with a diving stomp as Coffey was on all fours!
Another stomp follows in the corner as Banks looked to follow up with a Kiwi Krusher, but instead he has to make do with a suplex for a near-fall as Coffey rolled onto the apron for respite. Banks tries to follow Coffey outside with a low-pe, this time connecting with his target, before putting Coffey back inside as yet another flying double stomp drew a near-fall. Banks teed up for a Slice of Heaven, which misses before Coffey charged him into the corner… Banks tries one more fight back, but he’s quickly caught with Awra Best For The Bells, and that discus lariat gets the win. A fun main event, as I was worried that Banks was going to overcome Coffey’s offence – but it was not to be as Joe Coffey came away with a pretty big win. ***¼
Usually these double-headers are a mixed bag – one good show, one bad show. Luckily, we avoided anything overtly bad this week as they wrapped up the Plymouth tapings. Next week, the Liverpool tapings begin, and with the focus really sharpening on Takeover: Blackpool, we should be avoiding getting any late coal in our stockings on Boxing Day!