The Download Festival train keeps rolling on as we reach another episode of NXT UK. This week saw Imperium take on the odd team of Saxon Huxley and Tyson T-Bone, Xia Brookside try to get revenge on Jinny, Toni Storm call out Kay Lee Ray and Mark Andrews take on one of his idols in Kassius Ohno. It promised to be a strong show, but did it deliver? Well, let’s get into it and find out.

Imperium defeated Saxon Huxley & Tyson T-Bone via Powerbomb/Uppercut Combo

Well, NXT UK started with a murder. Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner took on the team of Saxon Huxley and Tyson T-Bone in a total slaughter of a match. Huxley and T-Bone barely managed anything as they were systematically picked apart and destroyed by Imperium. Whenever it looked like a hot tag or comeback could be made Imperium shut it down. It was a constant losing battle for Huxley who was stuck alone against two monsters. There were feats of strength everywhere as Aichner caught T-Bone in a thunderous Powerslam. It was an Imperium slaughter but hey it was fun to watch and a solid enough opener to the show. I still think Barcel and Aichner are a strong team with amazing chemistry.

Jinny defeated Xia Brookside via Roll Up

Never underestimate the power of backup, especially when that backup is Jazzy Gabert. Xia came out of the gates hot and for about 80% of this match had Jinny exactly where she wanted her. She had the strikes advantage most of the time, the speed advantage most of the time and was only ever taken out by the stiff strikes of Jinny, the Rowboat Submission and Jazzy Gabert interfere when the referee was distracted. It was a pretty straightforward match that saw Jazzy trip Xia so Jinny could roll her up. Nothing too special but it was great to see Xia so fired up especially in the face of such a smug heel like Jinny. Hopefully, this feud continues as it keeps all three women on TV and could lead to a big push for Gabert or Xia. Also, bonus points to Aiden English for comparing the unit of Gabert and Jinny to the Mountain and Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones. I do appreciate a good and accurate pop culture reference.

Toni Storm Addressed the Kay Lee Ray Situation

Current NXT UK Women’s champ, Toni Storm took to the ring next to admonish Kay Lee Ray for her attack on Candy Floss and for her change in attitude from the woman she used to know. She claimed Ray was just desperate to get her attention. At the mention of her name, Kay Lee Ray came out and teased a title match since she already has her opportunity. Instead, she changed her mind and set the match for NXT TakeOver: Cardiff and made the solemn promise that between now and then she’d make Toni’s life a living hell. A clear and direct message was sent to the champ. However, off the back of this announcement, Sid Scala announced a six-women tag match for next week where it will be Toni Storm, Xia Brookside and Piper Niven taking on Kay Lee Ray, Jinny and Jazzy Gabert. That should be fun.

Mark Andrews defeated Kassius Ohno via Roll Up

Once again, NXT UK delivers a main-event that lives up to its name. Whilst the roll-up finish is a tad annoying, the match, on the whole, was excellent from start to finish as Ohno wanted technical superiority over Andrews. It was a mix of underdog pluck, throat-based offence and stiff strikes that pushed this match into the next level. Ohno winded Andrews early on by throwing him throat first into an exposed turnbuckle. From there he went after the throat with a mix of cravats, attempted neck breakers and multiple strikes. This was a longish match that didn’t feel it as it was slow for the Ohno sections but Andrews would pick up the pace and inject his high-flying style into the match. The styles mixed well and the surprise finish saw Ohno once again get his comeuppance for being too overconfident and cocky. For the technical wrestling fans, this was right up your alley.

So, there you have it another week of NXT UK in the dust. It was a shorter episode but it did deliver a lot of drama and set up for a massive episode next week. Throughout the show, we had announcements for the six-woman tag match, a match between Noam Dar and Kenny Williams and the big match between WALTER and Trent Seven. Download Festival has been an excellent setting for NXT UK as the crowd has always been excited no matter the episode. Next will be huge and I cannot wait to see the reception to it. WALTER vs Trent Seven will be an excellent match and I am intrigued to see if Kay Lee Ray lives up to her promise. All this and more will happen on the next exciting episode of NXT UK.

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