The time has come for the next contender to take their shot at the NXT UK title. This week was Travis Bank’s time to try and dethrone WALTER. He had a hot Download crowd to spur him on but was he able to topple the giant leader of Imperium? Alongside that, we saw Mark Andrews and Joseph Conners come to blows, Xia Brookside attempt to get revenge on Killer Kelly and Ligero locked horns with Noam Dar. Let’s get into it, shall we?

Mark Andrews defeated Joseph Conners via Fall to Pieces

How does everyone forget about the Stundog Millionaire? Joseph Conners had a lot of control over the match but made the mistake of going for a Vertical Suplex and getting caught by the set-up move for Mark Andrews flying finisher the Fall to Pieces. That being said, there was a lot to enjoy as Conners was ever the innovator, finding new means to attack the neck of Andrews as well as showcasing another offence. Andrews was the same, taking the abuse dished out to him and fighting through to find spots where he could fight back or fly. It was an exciting opener for the Download crowd that saw two NXT UK regulars battle it out because they could. It won’t progress any stories but it was enjoyable and competitive with Mark Andrews finally getting a long-needed win. 

Grizzled Young Veterans Hated on Download

Once again, a suited and booted Grizzled Young Veterans came out to run down the crowd. They were still annoyed that they would have to defend their titles in front of a bunch of sweaty goths. Zack Gibson took aim at their hygiene, festival life and the Download’s selection of music. The crowd were fully against him and once again Zack Gibson proved he is a top dick. He rubbed in the fact that they were stopping in a 5-star hotel and retreated before the crowd could pelt him with anything. It’s safe to say that Zack Gibson hurt a lot of feelings ahead of the Grizzled Young Veteran’s match against Moustache Mountain next week.

Xia Brookside defeated Killer Kelly via Codebreaker

This wasn’t that much of a match. It was set up since Killer Kelly scarpered when Jazzy Gabert appeared during their match a few weeks back and now Xia was out for revenge. She started strong but got caught in a German Suplex and pummelled. Momentum swung when Jinny and Jazzy came out as a distraction but when Kelly went for a roll up, Brookside kicked out and hit Kelly with a Codebreaker to win. It was short, sharp and furthered the Brookside vs Gabert/Jinny storyline which is all it really needed to do. Not a lot else to report on other than that.

Ligero defeated Noam Dar via Roll Up  

Kenny Williams appeared at ringside halfway through this match and screwed over Noam Dar. Other than that, this was a fun and creative match where Dar went from wind up artist, playing with Ligero’s horns, before upping the ante and going after the legs of Ligero. Despite this Ligero kept going and fought back at every chance with cavalcades of kicks and dodges to ensure the crafty Dar could not put him away with the Nova Roller. He even managed to flip Dar out of an Ankle Lock. It was a technically and strikingly sound match that saw Ligero win because Kenny Williams refused to aid Dar when he wanted the chair to hit Ligero with. Instead, Williams refused and Ligero rolled up Dar for the win. Williams was not corrupted and Dar learnt that crime doesn’t pay the hard way.

WALTER defeated Travis Banks via Powerbomb

One word to describe this match, ouch. It was a very physical affair filled with strikes galore. Others may wrestle but WALTER kills as he pummelled Banks with chops, fist strikes and Powerbombs be them in the ring or on the apron. Banks didn’t slouch though as he came back for more continuously, taking every strike and stretch to attack WALTER with knee targeted strikes. He also dived at WALTER and almost won with the Slice of Heaven Kick but WALTER had the wherewithal to roll to the apron. This would allow WALTER some breathing room and come back to Powerbomb Banks onto the apron. That would be the set up for the end. It was a bit of a shock to see WALTER win without Imperium at his side but I suppose it keeps him looking like the dominant monster he is meant to be. It was an excellent, if short, slugfest of a match that was just the fuel to further fire up the hot Download crowd.

So, there you have it, the latest NXT UK episode reviewed. Again, it was a solid episode that had less story continuity but offered some fun spectacles and kept the show moving fast. I’m still impressed that they used Download as a means to progress stories instead of just filming some throwaway episodes to satisfy a crowd. That continues next week as Grizzled Young Veterans defend their NXT UK Tag Titles against Moustache Mountain and we finally get the first proper match between Piper Niven and Rhea Ripley. It should be another fun show for sure.

(Images courtesy of wwe.com)