FanPost

NXT UK recap & reactions (Sept. 9, 2021): Added insight

WWE.com

Welcome to BT Sports Studios!

This week we get a replay of Dragunov/Walter II with added insight, the final opening round Heritage Cup #1 Contender's Tournament between Wolfgang and Sam Gradwell, and a 6-man tag team match between Oliver Carter, Ashton Smith, and Saxon Huxley versus Symbiosis.

Wolfgang versus Sam Gradwell - Heritage Cup #1 Contenders Tournament match

All right you yogurts! Get ready for the Founding Father of NXT UK to show you how it's done.

Round 1: Wolfgang controlling things early with some good old fashioned wrestling. Eventually Gradwell gets knocked out of the ring and does some trash talking with Mark Coffey. No decision. Round 2: The pace picks up with Wolfgang giving Gradwell a high energy hip toss. Gradwell grovels as he tries to get away and turns this to his advantage to take control mid-round. Wolfgang gets back on top and gives a huge back body toss, a big splash in the corner, then a flying clothesline. Gradwell escapes to ringside and hides there to end the round. Still 0-0.

Round 3: Gradwell gets Wolfgang with his knee brace almost immediately in the round and scores a pin fall within the first half minute. Gradwell leads 1-0. Round 4: Wolfgang is really selling the injury from the knee brace. However he gets Gradwell in the corner and rocks him with big blows. Wolfgang gets a headbutt into a vertical suplex and cover combo for the pinfall. Tied 1-1. Round 5: Both men showing injuries here. They get up to scratch and exchange blows. Gradwell eventually gets the upper hand and scores a near fall. Wolfgang goes for the spear but Gradwell dodges the first 2 attempts but not the third. Wolfgang with the pinfall victory! Wolfgang wins 2-1.

So in the semi-finals it'll be Kenny Williams versus Noam Dar and Wolfgang versus Teoman. My opinion is that we're building up to a Noam Dar versus Teoman match in the finale.

This Week's Promos

Sid Scala breathing looking serious: Davenport has been suspended from competition effective immediately for her attack on him last week.

Noam Dar versus Kenny Williams promo: speaking of the Heritage Cup tournament we get a promo from these two about their match next week.

Pretty Deadly versus Gallus: We're told that Pretty Deadly will be defending their belts against Gallus next week.

Stevie Turner at the PC: She had a title match after only being there for a few months and she'll beat her in a rematch. Emilia McKenzie interrupts to defend her mentor Meiko Satomura. I think we have a match between these two coming up.

Pretty Deadly promo: They have a big case of deja vu because 6 months ago they were in this same spot but this time Pretty Deadly are the champions and Gallus the challengers. Last time they beat them and they'll beat them again this time. Really good heel work here.

Oliver Carter, Ashton Smith, and Saxon Huxley versus Symbiosis

This one's been in the making for a few weeks now. After Symbiosis lost to Mustache Mountain they encountered Huxley backstage who was yelling "BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!" This angered Symbiosis so Eddie Dennis took on Huxley to show him who's who's around NXT UK. Funny enough Dennis lost to Huxley which led to Symbiosis challenging Huxley to a 6 man tag match with two partners of his choice. Last week Carter dragged a reluctant Smith to the locker room that Huxley was demolishing to ask to be his partners. Huxley agreed yelling "YOU CAN COUNT ON HUXLEY!"

This was a pretty good match. T-Bone and Primate had a cool double team where Smith was suspended from the top rope and then hit with an aerial. Carter lands a sprinboard moonsault that looked gorgeous as usual. He hits a pele kick during some shenanigans but Primate sends him up and over the top turnbuckle for his troubles. T-Bone gives Carter an absolutely brutal back breaker. Carter finally hits a super kick to make the hot tag to Huxley who proceeds to beat the tar out of Dennis who thought he had a beat down baby face to pick on. Smith and Huxley double team Dennis with a big suplex.

Ultimately it is a double team neck breaker from Smith and Carter that score the pin fall victory in spite of Symbiosis constantly cheating. Smith and Carter are really good in the ring together so hopefully all this recent work means they're getting a push.

Ilja Dragunov versus WALTER -- NXT UK Championship match

We get a full replay of their match at TakeOver 36 with Ilja Dragunov on commentary. We actually get some words from Rhea Ripley, Cesaro, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, Sheamus, Toni Storm, and . Some nuggets below:

Balor: I've wrestled Ilja but haven't been able to with WALTER.
Ripley: I once saw him warm up for a match by head butting a wall until he bled.
Cesaro: WALTER makes the simplest of holds so effective.
Storm: This must be the closest thing to wrestling a bus...wrestling WALTER.
Balor: (Ilja's) energy is just captivating.
McIntyre:

The Ring General is dead! Long live the Tsar! Unbesiegbar!


Overall: C+

Reminder/introduction: A+ is a near perfect show, B+ is a good show, C+ is an average show and anything below that is not good.

We only got the two matches, which were enjoyable but were nothing terribly special. Ilja Dragunov versus WALTER was of course spectacular but it's a replay of the Takeover match so doesn't really count.

Let everyone else know how you feel about this one in the comments below, Cagesiders!

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Cageside Seats readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cageside Seats editors or staff.