It’s NXT UK VS NXT USA as the Grizzled Young Veterans defend their tag team titles for the first time! Will the One Two Combination get a Ticket to Mayhem?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Tyler Bate VS Jack Gallagher; Bate wins.
• WALTER VS Kassius Ohno; WALTER wins.
• NXT UK Tag Team Championships: The Grizzled Young Veterans VS Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch; The Grizzled Young Veterans win and retain the NXT UK Tag Team Championships.

PLAY BY PLAY

Tyler Bate VS Jack Gallagher!

It’s the Big Strong Boy against the Ungentle Gentleman in a crossover match between NXT UK and 205 Live! Who will make the biggest impact towards both brands’ singles divisions?

The bell rings and Gallagher circles with Bate. They tie up and Gallagher waistlocks. Bate reverses to a wristlock but Gallagher gets up. Bate wrangles him back down but Gallagher stands up again. Gallagher flips and pushes Bate away. They go again and Gallagher puts Bate on the ropes. Gallagher goes after a leg but lets go at 4. Bate is cornered but makes a move, only for Gallagher to get a takedown. Cover, ONE, but Gallagher stays on Bate with a waistlock. Fans rally up as Bate reverses to an armlock. Bate pulls back on a modified Fujiwara and then shifts to a hammerlock. Gallagher endures as they go around on the mat. Gallagher rolls, headscissors and spins! He has Bate down on the mat and shifts to get an arm.

Fans rally and Bate works up and around. Bate headstands and pops out, to cover Gallagher. Gallagher headscissor counters again! Gallagher grabs Bate’s leg and pulls but Bate pulls himself free. Fans rally up as Bate slowly bridges back to roll back. Bate hops and hops and pops out! Fans applaud and even Gallagher seems impressed. Gallagher approaches from the mat and Bate’s on the defensive. Bate takes the bait and Gallagher spins to a Heel Hook! Gallagher laces the legs for a deathlock snare! Bate grits his teeth as Gallagher shifts to a Heel Hook take on the cloverleaf! Gallagher twists and pulls but fans rally as Bate endures. Bate headlocks but Gallagher reverses to a wristlock. They stand and Bate has the double wristlock on Gallagher. Gallagher scoop slams but Bate holds onto the hold!

Fans rally for the “Big Strong Boy!” as Bate hammerlocks the arm and digs an elbow into Gallagher’s ribs! Bate wrenches the arm and pulls the fingers! Gallagher kicks Bate in the teeth and gets the foot again. Gallagher gets the legs hooked for stomps! Bate staggers away but Gallagher’s on him again. Gallagher gets the legs laced to another deathlock! Gallagher falls back to tweak the legs, and then again. He shifts and pulls Bate into a Bow ‘n’ Arrow! Bate endures being pulled back, then pops out to a cover! ONE, and Gallagher has a leg. Gallagher trips Bate and laces the legs for another tweak! Bate’s up and guards, but Gallagher kicks at the leg. Bate rolls and wrenches Gallagher down, back to the Fujiwara! Gallagher rolls right out and goes for the legs again.

Gallagher clubs the thighs and knees the knee, then pulls Bate back for another Bow ‘n’ Arrow. Fans rally for Bate as Gallagher kicks away on the leg. Bate gets up and throws European Uppercuts. Gallagher kicks back and sweeps the leg! Gallagher puts Bate’s leg on the ropes but Bate elbows him, so Gallagher rams the knee with another knee! Bate gives more EuroUppers, and even elbows and knees to Gallagher’s arm. Bate lifts Gallagher for the arm lever into the fireman’s carry! Airplane Spin! But Gallagher slips out to get the legs for a House of Pain! Bate endures being bent way back, and fans rally again. Bate crawls, reaches, but Gallagher grabs the arm! Gallagher pulls on Bate but Bate manages the ropebreak with his other arm! Gallagher lets go at 4 then stomps Bate’s legs.

Fans rally up as Bate grabs Gallagher’s arm. They end up grappling and Gallagher reels Bate in! Gallagher pops Bate to a cover, ONE and Bate sits on Gallagher! ONE and Gallagher sunsets, ONE to Bate, ONE! ONE, ONE, ONE as they around and around and around! The ref can barely keep up! They slow down, ONE, ONE, ONE, but then speed up again! Bate, Gallagher, Bate, TWO!! Fans applaud for that dizzying exchange but they’re not through yet! Bate rolls Gallagher, and WINS!

Winner: Tyler Bate, by pinfall

A shocking and sudden end to this top technical display! Bate comes away with the win and Gallagher is dumbfounded. Will Gallagher be back to get a more decisive end to a match?

NXT UK shares Performance Center training footage.

Jack Starz helps Amir Jordan and Kenny Williams with some tag team sparring, straitjacket to dropkick! Travis Banks is on the apron watching, when Jordan Devlin attacks! Devlin throws Banks around but is immediately pounced on by the trainers and other superstars! But the Kiwi Buzzsaw wants at Devlin! The two were separated quickly, but we all know it’s only a matter of time before one finds the other again. Therefore, Johnny Saint makes a decision: next week, it will be Banks VS Devlin, Falls Count Anywhere!

NXT UK takes a closer look at Nina Samuels.

The Rose Pink Devil uses her classical dance training to help her be a better fighter, because it teaches her how to anticipate another’s movements. Samuels says the NXT UK fans will see a performance from “the rightful leading lady”. When will the spotlight shine on the Nina Samuels Show?

Eddie Dennis speaks.

“Everybody wants to know what happens to Eddie Dennis after NXT UK TakeOver, and defeat to the Bomber in Blackpool.” Dennis has a little story: this time last year, Dennis ruptured his right pectoral and could not wrestle. He couldn’t feed his family. Dennis signed a contract with the biggest wrestling company in the world. Adversity motivates Eddie Dennis. His return was “more violent, more vicious and more vindictive”. And when he returns to NXT UK, he will take out the roster one by one.

WALTER VS Kassius Ohno!

The Austrian Anomaly is big, hits hard, but says little. He lets his actions speak for him, so what will he have to “say” against the Knockout Artist of NXT USA?

The bell rings and Ohno does his best to ignore the fans chanting for Walter. Ohno and Walter circle and tie up. Walter powers Ohno to ropes but Ohno pushes back. They circle and feel out another grapple. They go for a test of strength and push shoulder to shoulder. Walter knuckle locks but Ohno brings him down to a knee. Walter powers his way back up and again pushes Ohno to ropes. Ohno pie faces Walter but stays in a corner. Ohno and Walter circle and tie up again, and Ohno gets a headlock. Walter lifts Ohno but Ohno grinds the hold. Walter pries his way out to an arm wrench! He shoves and wrings Ohno out and down to the mat! Fans applaud as Walter stays on top of Ohno with the armlock.

Ohno works his way back up and hooks Walter’s leg to chop! But Walter comes back. Ohno chops and chops and chops, but Walter just gets mad. Ohno runs but Walter runs him over! Fans cheer Walter on as he stalks Ohno to the ropes. Walter pulls Ohno against the ropes but Ohno breaks free. Ohno elbows Walter back but Walter boots Ohno out of the ring! Walter goes out to club Ohno on the apron. Ohno throws a forearm back, so Walter boots Ohno again! Walter back suplexes Ohno onto the apron! Ohno gets up and gets moving but Walter pursues. Walter grabs Ohno’s feet but Ohno stomps Water out! Ohno drops a back senton on Walter’s hand!

Walter rolls into the ring but Ohno is on him with forearms in the corner. The ref has to back Ohno off, but Ohno’s back to rock Walter with a right! Ohno grinds his boots into Walter but lets up at 4 to boot Walter. Ohno drags Walter up in a cravat and wrenches the neck. Fans rally up for Walter and Walter feeds off the energy. Ohno wrangles Walter back down with the cravat. Fans continue to chant for “Walter! Walter!” and Walter powers up again. Walter scoops and slams Ohno! Both men are down while fans fire up. Ohno and Walter stand, and Ohno throws a big haymaker! But Walter just grits his teeth and forearms back. Ohno chops, Walter forearms. Ohno throws a haymaker, Walter CHOPS! Walter deflects the boot and gets a sleeper hold! Ohno resists but Walter powers through.

Ohno gets the ropes, so Walter waistlocks! Walter tries but Ohno denies the German Suplex, so Walter CHOPS! Now Walter German Suplexes Ohno! Walter aims from across the way, and runs in for a boot! He throws Ohno out to drop a seated senton! Cover, TWO! Ohno survives but Walter keeps his cool. Walter drags Ohno up and clubs away on Ohno’s chest. He puts on the sleeper but Ohno rolls back to a cover! TWO, and Ohno boots the chop away. Ohno spins but into Walter’s boot! Ohno punches Walter’s punch away, then rams a forearm into Walter’s face! Fans fire up for these heavy hitters as they both slowly sit up. Ohno is on Walter first and drags him to a drop zone. Ohno climbs, MOONSAULTS, but flops! Walter DROPKICKS Ohno! Walter drags Ohno out, WALTER BOMB! Cover, Walter wins!

Winner: WALTER, by pinfall

This was perhaps Walter’s toughest test since joining NXT UK, but he passes with flying colors! Will Walter climb all the way to the top of NXT UK and claim the WWE United Kingdom Championship for his own?

El Ligero speaks.

“Joseph Conners, you want to make excuses about why you lost the first time?” Conners didn’t have a bad day. He is so obsessed with the “shiny new toys” and took his eyes off the ball. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been around, you’re only as good as your last match. But the Leeds Luchador would be more than happy to prove he can beat Conners again. This match will happen next week! Who will win the rematch of the Light and the Righteous Killer?

NXT UK Tag Team Championships: The Grizzled Young Veterans VS Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch!

Liverpool’s Number One and Mr. Mayhem are the inaugural tag team champions, and feel they are soon to be recognized as the best tag team in all the WWE. But Zack Gibson & James Drake will have to beat a lot of other teams to do that, and their first defense is against the One Two Combination! Will Gibson & Drake defend the NXT UK tag titles as well as the pride of the brand? Or will the Boston and British brawlers surprise everyone in Phoenix?

Introductions are made, the belts are raised, and teams sort out for this crossover main event. We start with Lorcan and Drake, and they circle to tie up. They push each other around and Drake gets the wristlock. Drake wrenches and brings Lorcan down to then jam the shoulder. Drake gives Lorcan shoulder breakers, and wrenches more. Lorcan endures and spins through to reverse. Lorcan wrings Drake but Drake rolls through, only to turn around into an arm-drag! Burch tags in and the One Two double wrench and CHOP! Burch wrenches and brings Drake down to the mat. Drake endures and snapmares out to a chinlock. Burch spins through to a hammerlock counter. Drake gets up and Burch gets him in a facelock. Drake headlocks but Burch powers out.

Gibson tags in, things speed up and Gibson throat chops Burch! Gibson stomps Burch out then drags him up for stiff forearms! Tag to Drake and Gibson scoop slams Burch down. Gibson then scoop slams Drake onto Burch and Drake covers, ONE! Drake keeps on Burch with a half nelson and chinbar. Drake thrashes Burch around but fans rally up. Burch feeds off the energy and fights his way up. Drake knees low and whips Burch to a corner. Burch goes up and under and shoves Drake away, tag to Lorcan! Lorcan chops away on Drake and whips him corner to corner. Lorcan hits a Euro Upper then whips him again. Drake goes up and over to the apron to tag Gibson, but the referee says that’s not allowed! Gibson protests, but it’s all to distract the ref as Drake rakes Lorcan’s eyes! Drake throws Lorcan into a post!

Gibson gives a thumbs up to Drake, and now they tag for real. Gibson drags Lorcan up, Drake slingshots, ax handle backbreaker combo! Drake taunts Lorcan while fans boo and jeer. Gibson drags Lorcan up and into the ring, and keeps between Lorcan and Burch as he fires off with forearms and stomps. Fans boo as Gibson reels Lorcan in for a big clothesline. Cover, ONE, but Gibson’s on Lorcan with a cobra clutch. Fans rally up as Lorcan endures. Lorcan fights his way up but Drake tags in. Gibson reels Lorcan out for Drake’s forearm! Cover, TWO! Drake keeps on Gibson with a nerve hold. Lorcan flails as Drake digs his fingers in.

Fans rally and Lorcan feeds off the energy. Drake lifts Lorcan for a backbreaker! Drake tags Gibson and GYV stomp a mudhole into Lorcan. Gibson drags Lorcan up and wrenches to a back suplex. Cover, TWO! Gibson tries again, TWO! Gibson stays on Lorcan with another half nelson chinbar. Burch and fans rally up as Lorcan powers up. Lorcan throws body shots but Gibson knees low. Gibson forearms Lorcan back and tags in Drake. GYV mugs Lorcan but fans keep chanting. Drake stomps Lorcan then covers, ONE! Drake wraps on another cobra clutch and wrenches him around. Lorcan still endures and fans rally up again. Lorcan fights his way up but Gibson tags in. Drake reels Lorcan out but Lorcan dodges. Lorcan dodges Drake then Gibson then hot tag to Burch!

The Governa rallies on Gibson! Burch whips but Gibson reverses. Gibson leaps but into a flapjack! Burch German suplexes Gibson, Drake tags in. Drake gets a German Suplex! Burch runs corner to corner for a big clothesline then an enziguri. Burch rolls Drake and leaps for a missile dropkick! And kip-up! Burch rocks Gibson but Drake is ready. Drake misses his enziguri, Burch powerbombs him! Burch rolls Drake for a knee trigger! Cover, TWO!! Fans cheer Burch on as he works on what to do next. Burch puts Drake on the top rope but Gibson comes over. The ref keeps Gibson back but this allows Drake to throw Burch into buckles. Tag to Gibson but Burch boots back. Burch hops up, but Gibson sweeps the legs! Drake runs in and dropkicks Burch, Gibson hits a draping Ticket to Ride! Cover, TWO!! Burch lives and Gibson is furious!

Gibson grits his teeth while fans rally for “One Two! One Two!” Drake tags in and climbs while Gibson Electric Chairs Burch. Burch slips out and shoves Gibson. Drake jumps over but into Burch’s headbutt! Gibson returns to forearm Burch, but Burch returns with another headbutt! Burch staggers and tags in Lorcan! Lorcan DOUBLE blockbusters the Grizzled Young Veterans! Tag back to Burch, and Burch Electric Chairs Drake. Lorcan climbs, EuroUpper Doomsday! Cover, but Gibson throws Lorcan onto it! All four men are down but Phoenix loves it! Fans build to a rally while all four men regroup. Burch and Drake crawl for their corners, hot tags to Lorcan and Gibson!

Lorcan gets Gibson’s leg for a Half Crab! Drake comes in but Lorcan goes after him! Burch goes after Gibson’s arm, but Gibson rolls through to put Burch in Shankly Gates! Gibson and Lorcan glare at each other with dueling submission holds, but Burch and Drake aren’t legal! Gibson SLAPS Lorcan over and over, so Lorcan grabs Gibson’s jaw! Lorcan SLAPS, SLAPS, SLAPS! Drake tags in, but he runs into Lorcan’s EuroUpper! Lorcan fires up and builds speed, to DIVE onto the GYV! Lorcan puts Drake in fast and Burch joins in. They combine, draping DDT! Cover, TWO!? Drake survives but Lorcan keeps focus.

Lorcan tags Burch and Lorcan hops up. Burch drags Drake up, but Gibson shoves Lorcan down! Drake rolls Burch and puts his legs on the ropes, with Gibson holding them in place! TWO!! Burch still escapes, and flounders up to rock Drake with a right! Gibson tags back in, but gets right hands. Burch and Gibson trade haymakers, but then Drake tilt-o-whirls Burch into Ticket to Mayhem!! Gibson covers, the Grizzled Young Veterans win!

Winners: The Grizzled Young Veterans, Zack Gibson pinning; still NXT UK Tag Team Champions

It was by the skin of their teeth, but Gibson and Drake come away with the titles! Are they truly soon to be recognized as the best tag team in the world?

My Thoughts:

A really great episode for NXT UK to wrap up their time in Phoenix, little time wasted getting to action. Bate VS Gallagher was great, very technical as it should be. I was really surprised for Bate to win with a roll-up, but it gives the potential of more between him and Gallagher, and just more Gallagher in NXT UK in general. Hopefully Gallagher being on NXT UK means he can do more of his innovative technical ability as seen in other promotions. Walter VS Ohno was great, with big hits and surprising agility. Naturally Walter wins, he needs to stay strong if he’s going to face Pete Dunne for the title at the next UK TakeOver. We’re also getting great rematches once NXT UK returns to the UK, Conners VS Ligero is going to be good, Devlin VS Banks in Falls Count Anywhere is going to be amazing!

The NXT UK tag title match was amazing, too, almost TakeOver level in itself. Even though it was clear the Grizzled Young Veterans were going to win, Lorcan & Burch really made it feel like they could have a chance. But Gibson and Drake retain because it’d be a bit weak to lose in their first defense, and they’re meant to lose those titles to Mustache Mountain or Gallus. As for Lorcan & Burch, they don’t need the UK tag titles yet, they’ve got an outside shot at the NXT USA tag titles with the coming return of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

My Score: 8.4/10