Tonight marks a very special night for NXT UK. It is the return of a traditional British Wrestling Classic match type, the British Rounds match. It comes about following Kassius Ohno humiliating assistant GM Sid Scala two weeks again on the post-TakeOver edition of NXT UK. He was out to get his revenge in the most British way possible. But would the diminutive Scala be able to deal with the powerhouse that was the wrestling genius and just what else was lurking on tonight’s episode? Let’s get into the action and find out.

Travis Banks defeated Tyson T-Bone via Roll Up

NXT UK has some weird matches. Tyson T-Bone has gone from tag team jobber to sudden hard as nails singles star giving up mid-card talent a hard time. First, it was Dragunov, now he was working over Banks to the point that Banks couldn’t win unless it was with a roll-up. Tyson used his size and strength to take advantage of Banks’ over aggression and punish him with a series of strong strikes and power moves. He was made to look like a domineering badass despite being a total jobber before. I mean, he still lost but he lost in a quick way after beating up one of the top guys in the company. Banks is in a weird place right now as the TakeOver loss has jarred him. Hopefully, this leads to a comeback and redemption angle as he consistently seems to lose the big matches, he’s in. Travis needs to get a big win eventually, well again at least. Right now, he seems to be giving everything he’s got but it’s a struggle to stay invested in him.

After the match was an interview about Toni Storm that was interrupted by Gallus who were still furious they lost their tag title match without being pinned. It would seem that they are gunning for a title shot.

Rhea Ripley defeated Debbie Keitel via Riptide

Fans of Irish wrestlers would have been happy to see Debbie Keitel make her NXT UK debut lasting about three minutes against Rhea Ripley. She tried to lift Ripley on two occasions and failed, batted away like she was nothing. The only strikes she got in, were two slaps that just pissed off Rhea Ripley. After being tossed around and made a fool off, Ripley killed Keitel with the Riptide and that was that. Until she got a microphone and happened to make public her intentions to get her title back from Kay Lee Ray. However, instead of Ray coming out to have a go, it was Jinny backed up by Jazzy Gabert. She stated how she was the future of the company and that Rhea belonged in the past. She tried to sick Gabert on her but Rhea squared up and kicked Gabert of the apron. Despite Ripley being ready for a fight, Jinny retreated, taking Gabert with her.

Joseph Conners defeated Kenny Williams via Don’t Look Down

Joseph Conners’ murder spree continues as he now has the scalp of Kenny Williams in his collection. This was an excellent match marred by the fact there were no stakes in it. These were just two guys thrown together to have a match. Williams is on the losing streak, continuously suffering from bridesmaid syndrome whilst Conners is on the rise again, racking up some nice victories. Other than that, there is very little to say. Both men are very impressive to watch, both had some excellent offence to display and both deserve to have a push but in a pointless match, it’s just hard to care.

Kassius Ohno defeated Sid Scala via round Count Out (1-0)

Last but not least, the main event. A throwback to a British tradition and a match that consists of six three-minute rounds where you need to score two pinfalls or submissions to win or just knock your opponent out. This is British Rounds. It was a mix of stipulation and a David/Goliath storyline as Scala was drastically outsized in this bout. He was also facing someone who is very proficient in knocking people out. This was an incredibly tense match. The first two rounds were for feeling out and Ohno picking on Scala. It was a mix of Ohno cockiness and some good old-fashioned heart and technique from Scala. On round three, Ohno got his one and only pinfall, blindsiding Scala with a forearm. From there it became an uphill battle for Scala, who came back from throat punches, submissions and more to last the full six rounds. It was heart-breaking for Scala as in the last two seconds of the final round he finally managed to get Ohno into a pinning predicament. It was waved off though as the countdown ran out on the final round. Ohno won but only just, scraping by with a 1-0 victory and a time out.  It was a nail-biting final round and despite his small stature, Scala was very convincing as an underdog.

So, there you have it, another week of NXT UK done and dusted. It was a solid show with some random matches for sure but enjoyable random matches none the less. The main event made NXT UK history and definitely delivered on the tension and uniqueness that British rounds matches can offer. Ohno won in a brilliantly crafted way that didn’t leave Scala looking like a fool, just unlucky. There was also a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. We are getting Noam Dar against Trent Seven next week as the main-event and Kay Lee Ray defends her NXT UK Women’s Title against Tegan Nox in two weeks. There is a lot to get excited for and we have the ever-looming Gallus title match on the horizon. Let’s hope that the show keeps gaining momentum. The show should be getting a boost soon as NXT UK stars will be appearing more and more on NXT. This can only be a bonus since, as of tonight, NXT is going live.

 All images courtesy of wwe.com