Video: Mark Andrews is from Cardiff, Wales and the only Welsh person in the tournament, looking to put his country on the map for wrestling. Winning the UK Title would mean representing a new generation of UK wrestlers and that’s exactly what it needs. Dan Moloney doesn’t come from a good place and has done things that shouldn’t be done, explaining he’s very brash and just goes into the ring to get the job done.

Backstage: Charly Caruso is joined by Mark Andrews, Andrews feels he’s like a little wolf in the tournament as the only welsh guy, but he’s been an underdog his whole life. He states that he will high-five and stage dive his way to the finals, becoming the first UK Champion.

Match #7 – First Round: Dan Moloney vs. Mark Andrews
Collar & elbow tie-up to begin, Moloney goes to a waistlock and brings Andrews down with an armbar, Andrews works to a vertical base, uses the ropes to flip through and then arm drags him away. He scores with another arm drag, attemps a third that’s blocked, switches arms and tosses Moloney away regardless. Moloney comes right back with a kick to the abdomen, fires away with a stinging chop, shoots Andrews to the corner and follows in, Andrews springing to the 2nd rope and backflips over the top of him. He baits Moloney into attempting a sunset flip, rolls through it for a basement dropkick that gets 1, then hooks in an armbar.

Moloney switches out into a waistlock, Andrews fights it off, hits the ropes, but gets elevated into the air for a flapjack that finds a 1 count. He whips Andrews hard into the turnbuckles for a count of 2, puts the boots to him, sends him to the corner again and follows in, this time catching Andrews trying to hop up-and-over. Andrews slips off Moloney’s shoulders for a jawbreaker, runs into the ropes and hits a 619 into the ribs, flips back inside from the apron, then rushes in for a victory roll into a Stomp 182. He measures Moloney in the corner for running double knees, delivers a northern lights suplex and rolls through, connects with a standing moonsault, but can’t put it away.

Andrews drags him up and gets pushed to the ropes, Moloney misses with a wild clothesline attempt, Andrews sends him outside with a running hurricanrana, then hops to the apron and comes off with a moonsault. He rolls Moloney back into the squared circle and climbs up top, Moloney rolls across the ring to get away, Andrews hops down, gets powered up onto the shoulders and Moloney looks for a sit-out fireman’s carry facebuster. Andrews lands on his feet to avoid it, misses with a kick and gets rolled up for 2, charges in for another Stomp 182, Moloney blocks it, pulls him back in for the sit-out fireman’s carry facebuster, then follows with a boot to the face that almost finishes it. He lifts him up for a vertical suplex, Andrews counters into a stunner, ascends the corner for a Shooting Star Press and gets the 1-2-3.
Winner: Mark Andrews (Shooting Star Press)

Video: Tucker is from Northern Ireland who prides himself on being a technical wrestler that loves to brawl. After a devastating knee injury, this could be his last opportunity to show anybody anywhere what he’s capable of in the squared circle. Tyler Bate believes that when his opponents meet his fists named ‘Bop’ and ‘Bang’, the other competitors will find out that his 19-year-old punches hit just as hard as anyone else’s.

Match #8 – First Round: Tucker vs. Tyler Bate
They tie-up and Tucker quickly goes to a side headlock takedown, Tyler uses a headscissors to counter out, Tucker kips up to his feet and Bate does the same. They lock-up again and Tyler flips through an arm wringer attempt, ducks a clothesline and hits the ropes, Tucker sweeps the leg, tries a standing moosault, Bate avoids it, but misses a follow-up elbow drop. Tucker looks for a superkick, Bate rolls under it and we have a stalemate, then hase some words for Tucker. He surprises him with a stiff left hand for a count of 2, sends him to the ropes and charges in, Tucker hops up-and-over, ducks under a clothesline attempt, springs to the top rope and comes off with a back elbow for a 2 count.

Tucker with stiff chops now, looks to whip Bate to the ropes, Tyler reverses into a side headlock, smacks Tucker in the head with his foot, then delivers a body slam. He follows with a somersault senton for 2, snapmares him over and locks on a cravate, Tucker makes his way back up, but gets snapmared back down and into the cravate again. Tucker works to a vertical base and tries to roll through it, Bate maintains his grip, Tucker finally breaks free, but walks into a big right hand. Tyler goes to hit the ropes and runs into an enzuigiri, both guys struggle to their feet, Tucker fires away with right hands and chops, Bate returns the favor and sends him to the ropes for a clothesline. Tucker ducks under it, connects with a running hurricanrana, lines up Tyler in the corner for a flying forearm, rushes in again and gets elevated over the top.

He lands on his feet on the apron, drills Bate with a right hand, slings in using the bottom rope for a Metallic Shot and almost puts it away. Tucker wants to fly and heads to the top turnbuckle, flips over the top of Bate as he gets to his feet, turns around and rushes him in the corner, but runs into a back elbow. Tyler comes off the 2nd rope with an uppercut, hooks him for the Tyler Driver, Tucker counters with a double leg takedown, jackknifes into a cover and almost steals it. Both guys back up quick, Tucker back body drops Bate over the top to the floor, builds a head of steam for a suicide dive, but gets clocked by an uppercut in mid-air. He sets for a suplex on the floor, Tucker slides out of it, looks to push him into the steps, Bate hops over them to avoid the steel, but Tucker jumps off of them with a hurricanrana instead.

He tosses Tyler back inside, surprises him with an enzuigiri from the floor, climbs to the apron, and springboards in with a crossbody, Bate rolls through it and powers him onto his shoulders for an airplane spin. Bate starts to get dizzy, reverses course, drops him for the cover, but Tucker just kicks out at 2. Tyler pulls him to his feet, Tucker explodes up with a superkick, Bate spilling to the outside through the ropes. Tucker goes out and rolls him inside, hooks both legs for a near fall, then climbs to the high rent district for a senton bomb. Bate gets the knees up, delivers a kick to the face, eats a forearm shot, comes right back with a rolling kick, then delivers the Tyler Driver 97 to advance.
Winner: Tyler Bate (Tyler Driver ’97)

In The Arena: William Regal & Nigel McGuinness are on the stage with the United Kingdom Championship, Regal calls for a round of applause for all the competitors tonight, then speaks about what we have to look forward to tomorrow night. Nigel introduces the competitors and match-ups for tomorrow’s quarterfinals, Regal wishing them all luck, but Dunne rocks Sam Gradwell out of nowhere to leave him laying.

EA’s Finisher: This was a great way to open what we now know will become the dawning of NXT UK. I’m personally not a big fan of the tournament events because there’s so much repetition, especially when it’s all guys I’m completely unfamiliar with. However, I don’t think there’s really a better way to launch something new than with a tournament style format. This was fun to go back and watch seeing where guys like Bate, Seven and especially Dunne have now gone. They started essentially as nobodies and now, those three are bonafide Superstars and played an enormous role in NXT UK even being a thing.

Top Three To Watch
1 – Tyler Bate vs. Tucker
2 – Danny Burch vs. Jordan Devlin
3 – Wolfgang vs. Tyson T-Bone

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