NXT UK came to us from Brooklyn this week. It featured a smaller crowd and smaller matches but also offered a few unique brawls as the stars of 205 Live, NXT and NXT UK collided for a trio of matches before the Tag Team Champions took over for the main event. It was an odd show for matches so let’s get into breaking them down.

The Coffey Brothers defeated Raul Mendoza & Humberto Carrillo via All the Best for the Bells

NXT UK opened with a reminder of why you shouldn’t mess with the Coffey Brothers. They had a ten minute or so match that showcased the powerhouse style and wily veteran instinct that they are known for. The Luchadores managed some offence and nearly scored a near fall with a Moonsault/450 Splash combo but that was broken up by Joe Coffey. For the most part, this match was a controlled pace and power moves from the Gallus stablemates. Mark controlled Mendoza early on and Joe stopped the momentum of Humberto Carrillo with a Pounce into the turnbuckle. He trapped Carrillo in a Full Nelson then transitioned into a Butterfly Lock and Suplex. From there was the aforementioned comeback from the NXT/205 Live team that ended when Joe Coffey broke up the pin. An O’Connor attempt was reversed into a launch at the ropes, an Uppercut connected and Mark Coffey hit an Enziguiri. There was one last tag then Joe Coffey quickly finished the match with All the Best for the Bells. It was a short and mostly dominant performance from the Scottish outfit.

Dave Mastiff defeated Kona Reeves via Into the Void Cannonball

The next match followed a similar vein to its predecessor by also being a mixed promotion squash match. This time NXT’s Kona Reeves was destroyed by Bomber Dave Mastiff. A short feeling out process gave way to domination from Dave Mastiff. He threw Reeves around like he was nothing until Kona came back with a Rope Hang. Reeves took the advantage and continued to wear down Mastiff with a Straight Jacket. Mastiff broke free and delivered a flurry of offence back. That flurry was a Running Cross Body, Lariat and a deadlift German Suplex. The finish came soon after as Mastiff followed that with a Shotgun Dropkick and ended with the Corner Cannonball Senton. It was another quick slice of brutality where the NXT UK star dismantled the talent from the other promotion. No one believes in Kona Reeves so the second he appeared; it was just a question as to who would be putting the next nail in the coffin. Mastiff still looks like a beast and needs to find his next feud… and Wolfgang may have just answered that call by confronting the Bomber after the match.

Rhea Ripley defeated Kacy Catanzaro via Riptide

Three for three on squash matches as we next got Rhea Ripley destroying the Ninja Warrior and Mae Young Classic standout Kacy Catanzaro.

Kacy tried to use speed to compensate for the massive size disadvantage but was unable to muster much out of the gate. She made a brief comeback in the corner but was caught and put out of the match with the Riptide. It was another strength showcase as Rhea demolished Catanzaro with delayed Suplexes, throws and strikes. It was over fast and just to add insult to injury she put Catanzaro in an inverted Cloverleaf after the match. There’s not a whole lot to talk about here, Ripley looked unbreakable and Catanzaro showed off some athleticism when she got the chance. All interest is really focused on the impending clash with Piper Niven.

The two clashed in medical after Rhea went to mock Catanzaro for needing medical attention after the match. It seems Ripley has no interest in talking to Niven just yet.

Kenny Williams & Amir Jordan defeated Grizzled Young Veterans via Count Out

The main event saw the Grizzled Young Veterans return to action after Zack Gibson went out with an injury. They had issued an open challenge that had been answered by the hot team of Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan. This was a mostly one-sided match as a lackadaisical Gibson and Drake took their time working over the smaller team and then it became Drake alone trying to hold down the fort as a kick from Williams took Gibson out of the match. Up until then Gibson and Drake had worked over Williams, locking him in holds, grounding him with moves and further damaging him with double team moves. Williams mounted a comeback that took Gibson out and managed to outlast the solo efforts of Drake to bring Amir back into the match. He brought the fight to Drake and worked with Williams to nearly defeat the current tag champs with a Swanton Bomb. Gibson saved the match by dragging out his partner and the two left the arena deciding the match wasn’t worth it. This was the longest match on the card and offered the most drama as the heel team worked over the plucky babyfaces. The finish whilst anticlimactic did make sense as it granted Williams and Jordan a title shot without having the champs actually lose. It was a decent finishing match but the long stretch of heel work seemed to drain the crowd.

The Pete Dunne Package

The final act of the show was a short video package from Pete Dunne addressing his loss to WALTER and what he planned to do going forward. He reminded watchers about his chase to the title originally and how this loss wouldn’t stop him from regaining the title. He referenced the record-breaking reign and called WALTER’s win a case of being at the right place at the right time. He asked WALTER for the rematch and the show ended with a lingering camera shot.

So there you have it, another hour of NXT UK in the dust. It was a decent enough show but it lacked a big moment. There were a lot of little moments and matches but nothing that set the world on fire. Next week’s show looks better as we get Ohno vs Ligero and potentially a Mastiff vs Wolfgang match. Hopefully, the crowd is more into it and the match has more substance. It’s nice to see familiar faces but there just wasn’t enough to get excited about.

 (All images courtesy of wwe.com)