TakeOver: Blackpool II draws ever closer! Who makes big impressions tonight?

In order to prove to NXT UK General Manager, Johnny Saint, that he is worthy, Noam Dar takes on Tyler Bate in the main event! Can Mr. Supernova 11 turn it up to 11 against the Big Strong Boy?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams VS Pretty Deadly; Jordan & Williams win.
• Jinny w/ Jazzy Gabert VS Amale; Jinny wins.
• Tyler Bate VS Noam Dar; Bate wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams VS Pretty Deadly!

The Bhangra Bad Boy is back! He and the Lucky Yin are ready to get back on track, but will Sam Stoker & Lewis Howley knock them off course?

The teams sort out, Williams starts with Stoker. Fans rally up as Williams and Stoker tie up. Williams has the wristlock and a unique bridging arm-drag. Williams goes after the arm then drops a knee on it! Williams whips and wrings Stoker out, then things speed up. Williams hurdles over then drops down to sunset flip Stoker on the return, TWO! Williams gets Stoker’s arm again and whips him into the corner. Tag to Jordan and snapmare feeds to the dropkick! Jordan handsprings and dances, showing he’s doing pretty great. Stoker tags out to Howley, and Jordan dodges the boot to hip toss! Howley scrambles up and whips Jordan but Jordan dodges to crossbody! Cover, TWO! Jordan keeps on Howley to wrench, tag to Williams and Williams springboards to ax handle.

Williams whips, Howley reverses, but Williams redirects to knock Howley down with a back elbow! Howley gets up but Williams knees him out of the ring. Jordan tags in as Williams builds speed, Williams wrecks Howley with a dropkick! Jordan meanwhile builds speed, he DIVES to take Howley out! Fans fire up as Jordan puts Howley in. Jordan slingshot somersaults for a splash! Cover, TWO! Howley gets to a corner and dodges Jordan. Jordan elbows Howley but Howley distracts the ref, Stoker hotshots Jordan’s bad shoulder! Howley comes back to ram his shoulder into Jordan’s, then Stoker comes in. Pretty Deadly goes after the shoulder and Stoker wrenches to a lift! Fans rally while Stoker wrings Jordan out and drops a knee to the bad shoulder. Cover, TWO! Jordan toughs it out but Howley tags back in.

Pretty Deadly stomps the shoulder, then Howley brings Jordan around to throw into buckles! Roll up, TWO! Howley keeps on Jordan with a high keylock. Fans rally up, Jordan endures and fights back. Howley suplexes but Jordan slips out to waistlock. Stoker tags in as Jordan rolls Howley, another arm wringer brings Jordan down! Stoker throws wrist tape at Williams just to rile him up, the ref has to keep Williams back as Stoker stomps away on Jordan! Stoker drags Williams up, wrenches the arm and throws him into buckles. Howley tags in to mug Jordan, then drive elbows into the shoulder! Jordan suffers as Stoker tags back in. Howley keeps Jordan trapped, Stoker runs in to throw a big uppercut! Cover, TWO! Jordan grits his teeth and endures another keylock.

Fans rally and Jordan fights, jawbreaker frees him! Tag to Howley and he whips Jordan away. Howley pops Jordan up, but Jordan forearms Stoker first! Howley doesn’t realize until Jordan trips him up and sends him out! Fans rally as Jordan crawls, hot tag to Williams! Williams springboards in to elbow Howley down! Williams sees Stoker coming and slides out to trip him up! Williams hurries around the way, baits Howley into a BOOT! Williams rallies with double hand chops! Williams whips but Stoker holds ropes so Howley tumbles out to join him! Risky business but Williams DIVES! Williams hits both Pretty Deadly boys and puts Howley in fast. Rewind through the ropes, SLINGBLADE! Cover but Stoker breaks it!

Jordan gets in and goes after Stoker, only for Stoker to throw him out. Williams CHOPS Stoker with both hands! But Howley rolls Williams up, handful of the waistband! TWO but Howley bell claps Williams. Tag to Stoker, Pretty Deadly coordinates. Fireman’s carry feed into the GUT BUSTER DROP! Cover, TWO!! Williams still lives and Pretty Deadly can’t believe it! Tag to Howley and they try again. Another fireman’s carry, but Williams slips out to send Pretty Deadly into each other. Springboard, double back elbow! Williams throws Stoker out and tags in Jordan! Williams wheelbarrows Howley to go Back to the Future! Jordan is up, SWANTON BOMBAY! Cover, Jordan and William win!!

Winners: Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams, Jordan by pinfall

The return is a success! Will Jordan and Williams finally be dancing to the tag team championships?

NXT UK shares footage from after last week’s major tag title announcement.

Imperium’s Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel were very upset. “Every single person in that crowd knows that Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner had Gallus beat in the middle of that ring! It is a disgrace that we have to prove we are the rightful tag team champions in a ladder match!” Barthel adds that if it’s a ladder match, that’s fine. It goes against Imperium’s beliefs, because pro-wrestling is SACRED. But if this is what they have to do to change things for the better, then that’s fine. Imperium will leave Blackpool as the NXT UK Tag Team Champions. Will Aichner and Barthel take over at TakeOver?

El Ligero speaks.

“The first time I ever met Kassius Ohno was back in 2004.” At the time, he was just a skinny kid barely wrestling for two years. On that night, Ohno was gracious enough to give some advice. Ever since then, Ligero had nothing for respect for him. For years, he just wanted to face off with him. That happened this past April, and Ohno won. But Ohno won by turning Ligero’s mask around and giving him an elbow to the back of the head. That was when Ligero realized that it didn’t matter how much respect Ligero had for Ohno, when Ohno had no respect for Ligero. So when they face off again next week, Ligero promises to knock some respect into the Knockout Artist!

Trent Seven is here!

The Man from Moustache Mountain smiles and high-fives fans but is here tonight to speak. “Now, I’ve been around this business for quite some time now.” Seven likes to think he’s had a pretty good grasp of how things work. So it seems pretty obvious that Eddie Dennis wants Seven’s attention. They both grew up in the same wrestling circles, watching each other, cheering for each other. They know each other. Seven has been in the crowds cheering for Eddie. But when Eddie grabbed Seven’s hand from the crowd and they locked eyes, that was not the Eddie that Seven knew. Then Michael May, that young wrestler just trying to make it into NXT UK last week, had his chance taken away by Eddie, as some weird gift to Seven. “It’s just weird, Eddie, I don’t understand it.” Just come out so this can be sorted.

Eddie Dennis appears! But he doesn’t go to the ring. What is he doing? Seven wants Dennis to join him in the ring. Eddie surely remembers being the guy that quit being a teacher to follow a dream, and he did it! He’s here in NXT UK! But Seven knows that opportunity was taken with that injury. Being out must do things to someone, and maybe that’s what we’re seeing. Seven gets why Dennis would target him, as someone here at the start of this brand. Seven is proud to be a pillar of the UK brand. Now Dennis gets in the ring with a mic of his own. And he HITS Seven with it! “I’ll see you at TakeOver: Blackpool.” Dennis finally gives us a clear message, but the motivation is still unknown. What will Seven’s response be when NXT UK returns to the Empress Ballroom?

Things have caught up to Kay Lee Ray.

She beat Toni Storm at TakeOver: Cardiff, and now she owns the “one thing that mattered to her most,” the NXT UK Women’s Championship. It isn’t part of Toni’s identity anymore, but KLR’s. KLR thought it was the last we’d see Toni in NXT UK. “Playing nice never got me what I deserved. Playing nice never got me what I wanted. Playing nice never got me the NXT UK Women’s Championship.” Every storm comes to an end.

But Piper Niven was storming up after her! They also have known each other for years. KLR says a lot of things, but makes sure to say what will hurt the most. And when words wouldn’t work on Piper, KLR SLAPPED her. Only for Piper to hit back! And then, so did Toni! Toni came out of nowhere, back for revenge. Toni admits she did let the NXT UK Women’s Championship define her. It gave her a sense of purpose, and then she lost it. Without that, what is she? She got angry at Piper for helping her out. Piper struggles seeing how her friends have ended up. Toni is angry and obsessed, KLR is vindictive. Toni says Piper was a very good friend for a long time, but so was KLR. Who can Toni trust?

In the end, all three women will fight for the NXT UK Women’s Championship in a Triple Threat! Piper is in the match because she’s earned her spot, and because she’s just as good, if not better, than both KLR and Toni. Toni vows that she won it once, she can win it again. Toni will be the first two-time NXT UK Women’s Champion. But KLR vows to carve her legacy once and for all. Who wins this historic match when NXT UK returns to Blackpool?

Next week gives us the Best of 2019!

NXT UK will relive the last 12 months to highlight the best men, women, matches and moments! What favorites of yours make the cut?

Jinny w/ Jazzy Gabert VS Amale!

The French Hope makes her NXT UK debut, but will she be hoping it was against someone other than the Spoiled Princess?

The bell rings and fans taunt Jinny as she circles with Amale. They tie up, Jinny SLAPS Amale then rams in knees! Jinny brushes herself off before bring Amale up. Amale hits back with body shots but gets another big knee! Jinny throws Amale by her hair then rains down angry rights and even lefts. The ref backs Jinny off and she cools off, only to come back with ferocity and bump Amale off buckles. Jinny bumps Amale again but Amale blocks and elbows back! Amale bumps Jinny! Amale whips Jinny to ropes, Jinny slips under to trip Amale up into the Fashionable Surfboard! Jinny rocks back and forth but Amale endures to pop free and get the ropebreak! Jinny lets go at 4 and argues with the ref.

Jinny scowls but Amale pushes her away. Jinny stomps away at the ropes! She lets up at 4 when the ref backs her off, but Jinny glares from across the way. Jinny runs in corner to corner but Amale dodges! Amale shotgun dropkicks! Side to side, BOOT WASH! Amale grabs at the legs but Jinny pushes her away. Jinny gets up and slips out to the apron to then KICK Amale and sweep the legs! Slingshot senton! Cover, TWO! Jinny is on Amale and DECKS her with a right! Jinny hooks Amale up in the ropes, draping FACEBUSTER! The Makeover hits hard, Jinny covers, Jinny wins!

Winner: Jinny, by pinfall

Jazzy nods and smiles. The Alpha Female and the Fierce Fashionista are both going strong, but they’re not done. Jazzy drags Amale up and reels her in for a LARIAT! Fans boo and jeer but Jinny isn’t satisfied. She tells Jazzy to do it again. Jazzy drags Amale up for another LARIAT! Wait, another? Even Jazzy is surprised by this. Jazzy grabs Amale’s arm, but lets go? Jazzy refuses to be ordered around, and storms out of the ring! Is this the end of the alliance between beauty and beast?

Radzy tries to get an interview with Imperium this week.

We knew from last week that they weren’t in a good mood over the Fatal 4 Way Ladder match being made, maybe they’re feeling better tonight? Walter answers and Radzy asks about the TakeOver: Blackpool II WWE United Kingdom Championship match. Walter doesn’t care about Joe Coffey right now. What is important to him right now is that in two weeks, Alexander Wolfe beats down the “puppet,” Ilja Dragunov. Imperium will then have the advantage going into Blackpool. Walter leaves it at that, even wishing Radzy a good day. But will it be a bad day for the Moscow Madman on the first NXT UK episode of 2020?

Tyler Bate VS Noam Dar!

The Big Strong Boy has been to quite a few TakeOvers, but the Scottish Supernova wants to go to the next one. Will Dar prove himself worthy by beating the inaugural United Kingdom Champion?

The bell rings and fans are strongly behind Bate as they sing. Dar just shrugs it off as he and Bate circle around the ring. They tie up, they go around, and Bate puts Dar in a corner. Bate lets up cleanly to check the mustache. Dar circles with Bate again, waistlocks and drags Bate down, then switches to a facelock. Bate works his way up and slips out to go after the arm. Dar reverses to keep wrist control, fans sing for both men as Bate and Dar fight for control. Bate rolls, kips up and pries free to snapmare Dar down. Dar slips out to get the arm again for an armlock. Fans cheer the technical exchange, and Dar keeps Bate down as he changes position. Fans rally up, Bate gets up but Dar wrenches again. Bate squats and pries free to get another wristlock. Dar gets to ropes fast and Bate lets up.

Dar and Bate circle again, tie up with knuckle locks, and Dar drags Bate in to get the waistlock. Bate standing switches but so does Dar, and again, and again, and again, until Bate drops down to shove. Dar holds ropes, baits Bate in but Bate saw the table top coming. Bate waistlocks and lifts but Dar resists and arm-drags free. Bate kicks low, underhooks but Dar slips out. Dar misses his leg sweep and his clothesline, but he avoids Bate’s rebound lariat! Bate grins as he almost had Dar, and fans cheer for this great exchange. Dar and Bate reset and circle again. They tie up again, Dar gets an arm and pushes Bate to a corner. The ref counts, Dar lets up only to sucker punch! Dar shouts “I’m the Big Strong Boy now!” as he flexes. Fans boo because they disagree. Dar whips Bate corner to corner, but Bate goes into a headstand a la Jack Gallagher!

Bate keeps Dar away with a foot, then the other foot. Bate bicycles and headscissors then arm-drags and dropkicks! Dar bails out as Bate kips up. Bate hurries out after Dar and puts him in the ring. Fans chant for the real “Big Strong Boy!” as Bate headlocks Dar for foot bops! Bate throws European Uppercuts as fans rally up. Bate whips Dar corner to corner but Dar reverses. Bate goes up for another headstand, but Dar doesn’t hesitate as he dropkicks Bate down! Dar mocks the fans and even Bate’s pose. Dar drags Bate around to stomp the leg, then the other leg. Fans rally but Dar stomps Bate’s arms down now. Cover, TWO! Dar keeps on Bate’s arm and even fish hooks the face. Fans rally for Bate as he endures and works his way up. Bate powers up but Dar snapmares him into ropes!

Dar dares Bate to get up before he stomps him down. Fans rally again as Dar chokes and fish hooks Bate at the ropes. Dar lets up, only to throw down hands. Dar shows his claws but Bate kicks from the mat! Dar clobbers Bate with an elbow drop, then drags Bate up for a back suplex TOSS! Cover, TWO! Dar is upset and stomps Bate more. Fans still sing for Bate as Dar wrenches the neck. Bate endures as Dar goes the other direction. Bate fights his way back up, elbows out, but Dar holds on with a sleeper hold, only for Bate to back suplex him down! Both men are down as fans rally up again. Bate sits up first but Dar uses the ropes to get to his feet. Bate runs in, Dar puts him on the apron. Dar dodges Bate’s counter punch to sweep the leg! Dar runs to baseball slide and wreck Bate! Dar goes out to fetch Bate and throw him into steel steps! Bate writhes while Dar leaves him behind.

The ring count begins and climbs to 5 before Bate sits up. Bate crawls at 7, but springs in at 9.5! Dar is seething and he gives kicks to Bate’s chest. Fans rally as Bate takes more Number 11 Kicks, and catches them! Bate throws hands! He has Dar in the corner! Bate whips corner to corner but Dar reverses, only to run into the boot and knee! Bate hops up, flying uppercut! Dar flounders and Bate runs at him with big elbows! Corner uppercut! EXPLODER! Bate doesn’t kip up right away, that bad leg bugs him. But he still does get up, to standing Shooting Star! Cover, TWO!! Dar lives but Bate won’t let up. Bate stands and hobbles but he brings Dar up. Dar gets the leg and has the Ankle Lock! Bate pries free but Dar rolls him to a cover, TWO! Bate prawn hold, TWO!

Dar goes for a leg, Bate walks around to get the roll-up, TWO! Dar has the Rings of Saturn! Dar rains down rights as he pulls the arms as far back as he can! Bate endures, kicks and pulls an arm free. Bate elbows Dar in the face until Dar lets him go! Fans rally and cheer as both men rise. Dar kicks at the leg and the chest! Bate blocks to figure four and back suplex! Cover, TWO! Fans know “This is Awesome!” but also far from over! Bate gets to a corner and runs again, Shooting Star gets knees! Cover, TWO!! Dar uppercuts then runs, but Bop is put up. Dar doesn’t care, he gives Bate a Complete Shot! Cover, TWO!! Bate lives and Dar is beside himself. Fans rally and sing but Dar puts pinkies out. Dar aims from a corner as Bate rises. Dar runs out, but he gets an enziguri! Bate runs, rebounds, but Dar catches him! CHAMPAGNE SUPER KNEEBAR!

Bate endures, flails, crawls, drags himself and Dar but Dar kicks away with his heel. Bate keeps trying, Dar keeps twisting, ROPEBREAK! Dar lets go reluctantly at 4, and fans are rallying for the Big Strong Boy again! Dar gets up and watches Bate rise. Bate hits back with elbows, but Dar SWEEPS the legs! Then BUZZSAW! Cover, TWO!! Bate survives and Dar is furious! Dar grabs the leg and drags it to the ropes. Dar climbs up top and leaps! Bate gets clear of the stops, rolling heel kick knocks Dar down! Bate drags Dar into position and now he climbs up top. Dar bails out but Bate hops down to build speed. Bate BOOTS Dar down! Then he FLIES! A big strong TOPE CONJILO!

Bate puts Dar in, underhooks, but Dar drops down to go after the legs, only for Bate to sit on him! TWO, and both men slowly rise again. Bate throws a forearm but Dar gives one back. Bate throws more forearms, reels Dar in, but Dar breaks out to sweep the leg! Dar kicks but Bate ducks it to come back with an uppercut! Dar kicks, tortures the bad arm, but Bate fights and ROCKS Dar! Bate runs, rebounds, LARIAT! Cover, TWO!! Fans rally up as both men are down again! Bate gets up first, drags Dar up and wants the underhooks. But wait, Jordan Devlin appears on stage. The Irish Ace distracts Bate, Dar rolls Bate up, TWO!! Dar runs back in, to get ROCKED!! Bang was better late than never! Bate underhooks, TYLER DRIVER ’97!! Cover, Bate wins!!

Winner: Tyler Bate, by pinfall

Devlin slides right in, but Bate has Bop and Bang at the ready! Devlin slides back out, and fans mock him with “Nana na na, Hey Hey Hey, Good Bye~!” Bate says if Devlin wants him so bad, how about at TakeOver: Blackpool II? Devlin doesn’t give an answer, but surely Johnny Saint will consider it. Will Devlin and Bate finally settle things when NXT UK returns to where it all began?

My Thoughts:

A really good episode overall, but with not as much Blackpool set up as I thought. Trent Seven and Eddie Dennis had a great segment, because while Seven did a lot of good stuff talking, Dennis had the perfectly short and sweet and sinister move to just hit Seven and make the challenge. Seven VS Dennis should be a great opening match for that event, if not second match on the card. We also got a great Triple Threat promo for the NXT UK Women’s Championship match. I love that this is also a story of three friends where the title and success has tainted KLR and is starting to do that to Toni, with Piper being the pure Face in this. It just furthers how I can’t be sure who comes out of this, just knowing that all of them will have a strong showing. Then the Imperium promos tonight were good, both Aichner & Barthel being upset but determined, and I like that Walter is taking things one match at a time.

Jordan & Williams VS Pretty Deadly was a fun tag match, but of course Jordan and Williams win to make their return worth it. Their possibilities are very open, but perhaps they just end up losing to whatever Heel tag team champions come out of Blackpool. Jinny VS Amale was good for a slight squash match. The best part to come out of this is that the break-up of Jinny and Jazzy is happening already. And not because Jinny was being too brutal, but too bossy. The Alpha Female will obviously want to be the alpha, so maybe these two fight to see who has control of Jazzy: Jinny, or Jazzy herself. Maybe winner of that is also the next challenger to the Women’s Champion. Bate VS Dar was incredible, practically TakeOver worthy in itself! I figured Devlin would show up, but I expected a direct interference. Bate still winning was still a great move, and now we’re likely to get Bate VS Devlin at Blackpool, which will be a really great match. If only it was for a micard title.

My Score: 8.3/10