NXT UK begins the Heritage Cup Tournament with a bang!

Pete Dunne is back in the ring, but not to wrestle! He’s the special guest referee for NXT UK’s Heritage Cup tournament opening match! Plus, a Triple Threat to determine who is the tournament’s wild card!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• NXT UK Heritage Cup Wild Card Triple Threat: ???; Kenny Williams wins and advances to the tournament.
• Jinny VS Xia Brookside; Jinny wins.
• NXT UK Heritage Cup Tournament Opening Round: Noam Dar VS Alexander Wolfe, special guest referee Pete Dunne; Dar wins and advances to the next round.

PLAY BY PLAY

NXT UK Heritage Cup Wild Card Triple Threat!

Trent Seven is lucky number 7 who gets to face the eighth man in this tournament! But that eighth man still needs to be determined! Who are the lucky participants? First, the Lucky Yin, Kenny Williams! Second, The Prestige, Ashton Smith! And… Wait a minute, Amir Jordan?! Williams’ tag partner is now his opponent! Will he and the Bhangra Badboy be able to remember this isn’t personal, it’s just business? Or will Smith WOOP a tag team all on his own to get into the tournament?

The bell rings, Williams and Smith tie up, Smith pushes Williams away. Smith and Jordan tie up, Smith pushes Jordan away. Smith stares Williams down so Williams stays back. Smith dares someone to step up, Jordan and Williams knuckle lock. Smith joins in, but then the tag partners double wrench and whip! Smith breaks through the line, but they dodge his clotheslines to double dropkick him out! Williams and Jordan high five to then tie up. Williams spins Jordan, snapmares, but Jordan dances out of it. Jordan and Williams circle, tie up, Williams wrings Jordan out but Jordan rolls to his feet. Williams rushes but Jordan side steps to whip him away. Jordan hurdles, Williams O’Conner rolls, TWO!

Williams rebounds but Jordan ducks the kick to roll him up! TWO, Jordan snapmares but Williams rolls up with crossed fingers. Smith returns to CLOBBER them both! Smith drags Williams up to club him down, then whips him at Jordan in the corner. Williams hits hard, bounces off, but Jordan sunset flips Smith! Cover, Williams ghost pins Jordan! TWO, Smith runs in but Williams boots him away. Jordan asks what that pin was about but Williams brushes that aside for them to go after Smith again. But Smith pushes Jordan away and throws hands on Williams. Williams gives them back but Smith KNEES hard! Smith reverses Jordan’s whip, Jordan dodges the clothesline and crossbodies! Cover, TWO!

Smith powers Jordan into Williams, DECKS him, then arm-drags Williams down hard. Smith scoops Jordan and pops him up for a suplex! Cover, Williams breaks it! Williams fires off forearms, Smith pushes him away but Williams baits him in! Smith ends up on the apron, springboard back elbow from Williams rocks him! Williams builds speed to wreck Smith with that dropkick! Williams skins the cat to PLANCHA, but Smith catches him! Jordan DIVES to topple them both over! Jordan puts Smith in to cover, TWO! Jordan tries again, TWO! Jordan keeps his cool while the audience fires up. Jordan drags Smith up, Smith shoves and dropkicks him down! Smith grits his teeth as he CLUBS Jordan! Williams returns but Smith DECKS him!

Jordan hits back but Smith ROCKS him with European Uppercuts. Smith throws forearms and haymakers but Jordan gives them back. Smith kicks and stomps Jordan down then hammers away with haymakers! Williams is back again but Smith again knocks him down! Smith hoists Jordan up top, throws haymakers then climbs up to join him. Williams returns again as Jordan resists. Jordan fights back. Williams grabs at Smith but Smith hits him down! Jordan fires off on Smith, sunset but no bomb! Williams clubs Smith’s arms away, EURO-UPPER BOMB!! Jordan covers, but Williams leaps, Jordan gets clear and Smith takes those stomps! Cover, Jordan drags him off!

Jordan whips but Williams reverses and sends Jordan out hard! Williams throws big forearms on Smith, kicks a leg out, but Jordan is back in! Jordan kicks at Williams, but Williams blocks it and sends it into Smith! Williams whips Jordan at Smith but Smith DECKS him! Smith DECKS Williams, too! Smith glares at Jordan as he clubs him down! Jordan hits back, Smith clubs him again! Williams BOOTS Smith, whips but Smith reverses to EUROUPPER! Williams yoyos, Smith dodges, Jordan takes the LARIAT! Smith gets Williams for a BLUE THUNDER BOMB! So many rotations! Cover, TWO!! Smith stands back up while Williams flops out. Jordan is up, he avoids Blue Thunder to roll Smith, ONE! ENZIGURI!

Smith flounders about, Jordan runs in but is put on the apron. Jordan slingshots and somersaults, for the COMPLETE SHOT! Cover, TWO!! Smith survives and Jordan can’t believe it! All three men are down but Williams stands first. Williams and Jordan know this has to be done, and they start brawling with forearms! Williams ROCKS Jordan but Jordan hits back! Williams kicks, slaps, SLAPS and EuroUppers! Williams winds up, Jordan ducks the pitch to waistlock and O’Conner Roll! Smith breaks that up to throw Jordan out! Williams headbutts low, whips but Smith reverses, Williams springboards but into Smith’s arms! Smith pops him up, HURICANRANA COUNTER! Cover, TWO!!

Williams dodges, tilt-o-whirls, but the DDT is blocked for a flapjack! Smith pops Williams right up, SAMOAN DRIVER!! Cover, JORDAN SWANTONS OUTTA NOWHERE! Cover on Smith, TWO?!? Smith survives and Jordan can’t believe it! Jordan hurries to an apron and dares Smith to get up. Smith rises, Jordan slingshots again, into a SUPERKICK! Williams returns, TILT-O-WHIRL DDT! Cover, Williams wins!!

Winner: Kenny Williams, by pinfall; qualifies as the Heritage Cup Wild Card

Only one man could make it in, and only one man in the tag team of Williams & Jordan could be that man! Will Williams be THE man to win the Heritage Cup?

NXT UK hears from Eddie Dennis.

“Stephen Hawking once said that intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” Dennis is our teacher, and NXT UK has “clearly changed.” As an intelligent man, Dennis was adapting. His talk with Pretty Deadly is a sample of his machine-like mind always processing. “But like a hadron collider, you just can’t understand it.” What schemes is Professor Dennis plotting for NXT UK?

NXT looks back to March.

Mark Andrews was hurting from a blindside attack, and we still don’t know who! The Hunt, Trent Seven and a few others were in the area, but are they in the suspect pool?

NXT UK Media talks to South Wales Subculture.

Flash Morgan Webster is in the Heritage Cup tournament, how does he feel about that honor? “I’m absolutely buzzing.” They were just talking about these exciting few weeks, the Modfather is ready to show A-Kid what European Wrestling is all about. Andrews says Flash has got this. 2020 has sucked, but the way to get back on top is this tournament.

Jinny VS Xia Brookside!

The Spoiled Princess wants after the NXT UK Women’s Championship, but so does the spirited second generation superstar! Will Jinny get her way and take the first step towards Kay Lee Ray? Or will we all fly with Brookside to the top of the Women’s Division?

The bell rings and Jinny clearly doesn’t take Xia serious. After all, she’s already beaten her twice. Xia rushes Jinny, they tie up, Jinny wrenches but Xia rolls and rolls and rolls away. Xia and Jinny circle as Jinny mockingly applauds. They tie up again, Jinny headlocks but Xia headstands and pops out to then shimmy and shake. They tie up again, Xia arm-drags Jinny to a keylock but Jinny scuffs Xia with a boot. Xia cranks harder on the hold, with a knee in Jinny’s face. Jinny pushes the knee off, rolls back, but Xia wrenches. Jinny steps through, wrenches a wristlock and keeps Xia from ropes. Xia gets to the other side, uses the ropes to flip through and then she wrings Jinny out! Jinny gets up but Xia dropkicks her down!

Jinny gets to a corner, the ref keeps Xia back but Jinny eggs her on and pie faces her! Jinny knees low, hits a backbreaker and covers, TWO! Xia gets up, Jinny CLUBS her back down! Jinny talks trash and dribbles Xia’s face off the mat! Jinny grabs Xia’s hair and reels her into a STOMP! Jinny brings Xia back up, whips her hard into a corner, and Xia bounces off buckles to hit the mat! Jinny eggs Xia on before scraping her face on the ropes! The ref counts, Jinny lets up but Xia boots her back! Xia goes up to huricanrana Jinny away! Jinny flounders, Xia leaps, the monkey flip is blocked but just becomes a code breaker! Xia throws forearms, then runs to get that monkey flip! Xia drags Jinny up, Jinny ROCKS her with a right!

Jinny brings Xia up, whips her to a corner but Xia reverses. Now Jinny hits hard, and Xia ROCKS her back! Xia snapmares, ghost pins, TWO! Xia tries La Magistrol, TWO! Jinny barely escapes but Xia has a leg! Xia stomps away, steps through for the toehold and the DEATHLOCK! Xia even stomps the other leg! Jinny pries at the hold, Xia stomps her down and sits up for a butterfly deathlock. Jinny and Xia brawl, Jinny reaches for ropes, but Xia drags her away! Jinny kicks at Xia but Xia holds on. Jinny gets up, tries to slap, so Xia kicks the leg! Jinny gets a rope, Xia lets go at 4, and Jinny DECKS her!! Cover, TWO!! Xia survives but Jinny drags her back up.

Jinny bumps Xia off buckles, then the bottom buckles! Jinny drags Xia to a cover, TWO! Jinny grows frustrated with Xia as she drags Xia. “This isn’t a ring for little girls.” Xia jawbreakers back! Xia ducks the punch, headscissors Jinny away, then runs corner to corner for the BROKEN WINGS! Xia waistlocks, Jinny holds ropes and elbows away. Xia CLUBS Jinny, hoists her up top, and CHOPS her into ICONOCLA- NO! Jinny kicks her away, but then Xia pushes Jinny down. Jinny blocks the punch, pulls hair and tells Xia to never mess with her! HOTSHOT! Jinny drags Xia into the toehold and chinbar, modified STF! Xia taps, Jinny wins!

Winner: Jinny, by submission

Jinny holds on until she is satisfied Xia has learned her lesson! “For far too long, the Fashionista has been playing nice in NXT UK. But anyone involved in fashion knows exactly what our best side is. And you haven’t seen anywhere NEAR the best of Jinny yet. If you thought I was ruthless before, you’re about to experience a whole new side of Jinny.” Bow down and witness the QUEEN of NXT UK make history! Will the Spoiled Princess ascend to the throne that the Scary Queen of Scots holds?

NXT UK profiles A-Kid.

El Nina Anonymo promises the world will see what European Wrestling is all about. It’s a dream come true, really. He wants to inspire people with his style and his roots. He is WWE’s first Spanish born wrestler, and has been training for a moment like this his whole life. He has the responsibility of showing what Spanish wrestling is capable of. A-Kid’s life showed him how to wrestle around other styles. He will use strikes, submissions and flying to prove a kid from Spain is as good as anyone in the world.

NXT UK will hear from Kay Lee Ray next week!

The NXT UK Women’s Champion will give her “State of the Union” address to the world, but what will KLR have to say?

NXT UK Heritage Cup Tournament Opening Round: Noam Dar VS Alexander Wolfe, special guest referee Pete Dunne!

The Bruiserweight was back last week to help with the tournament bracket drawings, as well as to keep order. He already showed the Scottish Supernova and Dresden Hatchet Man what they’ll get if they step out of line, will he have to straighten anyone out by bending their fingers? Or will Dar and Wolfe stay within the British Round rules and see this through?

The bell rings and we start the first three-minute round! Dar and Wolfe circle around the ring, tie up and Dar kicks. Wolfe gets the leg, trips Dar up but Dar counters to get his own leg pick and facelock. Wolfe gets up, spins out, facelocks but Dar returns it. The two separate and Dar uses the ropes for defense. Fans cheer the exchange as the two go again. Dar and Wolfe feel out the grapple, knuckle lock, Dar rolls back but Wolfe chinbars. They go around and Dar wrangles Wolfe down to wrench and club the wrist. Wolfe gets up, goes for a leg but Dar holds the arm to drag Wolfe down. Cover, ONE, Wolfe is up but Dar has the arm again. They end up on the ropes, Dunne calls for the break and the two scrap until 4. Dar and Wolfe talk some trash before going again.

Wolfe hammerlocks and adds a chinlock but Dar moves around. Wolfe headlocks, cravats and cranks. We’re at a minute left as Dar clubs at Wolfe’s arms. Dar cravats, snapmares and chinlocks but Wolfe is right out to hammerlock and wrench Dar’s arm again. Wolfe has it tight but Dar stands up and counters with a cording hold. Dar snapmares, 30 seconds as Wolfe reverses back to the hammerlock. Wolfe claws Dar’s face but Dunne reprimands. Wolfe facelocks, Dar wrenches to a wristlock, 10 seconds! Dar snapmares and mule kicks Wolfe down! Dar knows time is up as he eggs Wolfe on, and Dunne keeps things from firing off.

Dar: 0, Wolfe: 0

Corner men come out to check on each man, as well as offer water. Dar basically lounges for this 30 second break, and we’re back at it!

Dar and Wolfe circle with the new three minutes. They feel out the grapple, Wolfe shoots in but Dar facelock counters. Dar has an arm and wrangles Wolfe down. Wolfe gets up but Dar stays on the arm. Wolfe tries to chinlock but Dar stomps a foot! Dar wants after the arm, he stomps the other foot then wrenches to an armlock. Wolfe resists, Dar makes it a cover, TWO! Dar throws body shots, they end up in the corner as Wolfe clubs back. Dunne counts, the two separate at 3 and go again. Wolfe and Dar tie up, Wolfe reels Dar in for a waistlock to a fireman’s carry and chinlock. Dar keeps his shoulders up as he pushes Wolfe’s face.

Wolfe gets the hands to force a knuckle lock cover, TWO as Dar gets an arm up. Wolfe puts that arm down, TWO as Dar brings the other up. They stand, Dar uses the knuckle locks to get a straitjacket! Wolfe endures, bumps Dar off buckles and arm-drags at one minute! Headlock takeover! Dar keeps his shoulders up so Wolfe gets an arm. Dar fights up, pries free and kicks low. Dar whips but Wolfe blocks to reverses! Dar goes up, under, baits Wolfe in for a headbutt! Spin and spin and North Sea Backslide! Cover, TWO!! Dar whips with 20 seconds left but Wolfe fireman’s carries! Dar slips off, rolls Wolfe up with the recliner bridge, Dar gets a fall!

Dar: 1; Wolfe: 0

The second round ends with 11 seconds to spare, perfect for Mr. Supernova 11! Wolfe is furious but cools off in the new break. Dar figures he’s already won but there’s still FOUR rounds left!

Round three begins, Dar just plays defense in the ropes. Wolfe drag shim from the ropes to clamp on with a clinch. Belly2belly slam! Cover, TWO! Wolfe keeps on Dar with the facelock and a crank. Dar endures, Wolfe shifts to a cravat and cover, ONE! Dar gets up, pries free of the cravat to then get a leg trip! Wolfe goes after Dar in the toehold with a chinbar! Dar elbows the knee, Wolfe pulls hair, Dunne counts but Wolfe lets up at 4. Wolfe short arm scissors and stomps away! Dar pops free to roll Wolfe, TWO! Dar scrambles away and Wolfe stands back up. Dar complains about the hair pulling but Wolfe is after him. Dar uses the corner as defense again so Wolfe just waits.

Wolfe and Dar circle, feel out the grapple. and Dar resists the wrench. Wolfe rolls Dar, TWO, Wolfe has a facelock for a HALF HATCH! Cover, TWO! Wolfe stays clamped on with only a minute in this round. Wolfe pulls on the facelock but Dar fights up. Dar stands on a hand and pulls the other arm to then elbow Wolfe hard! Dar gets both hands, brings the arms back for a motorcycle stretch! Wolfe endures, fights up, and turns things around onto Dar! Dar gets to ropes, Dunne counts, Wolfe lets up. Dar ducks the sucker punch to kick! Wolfe and Dar brawl but they’re down to 10 seconds! It’s fast and furious but has to stop at the bell!

Dar: 1; Wolfe: 0

Dunne gets in to stop the scrapping but he can’t before Wolfe sucker punches Dar! Dunne pushes Wolfe back and reprimands him! Dar uses the whole break to recover, and we’re on to round four!

A new three minutes and Dar manages to stand. Wolfe walks into his LEG SWEEP! Dar rusn side to side to BOOT! And BLINDSIDE FOREARM! Cover, TWO!! Wolfe survives to stay alive in the match! Dar complains about the count, but he cools off to put pinkies out. Dar aims again, runs but Wolfe ducks the Nova Rolla! Wolfe BOOTS and SNAP GERMANS! Bridging cover, Wolfe gets a fall!!

Dar: 1; Wolfe: 1

That round was over fast, and now it could be over in round five! Dar barely gets back up in time before the new bell!

Wolfe runs in but Dar dodges the boot! Wolfe keeps after Dar but Dar table tops him! Dar kicks Wolfe, reels him in but Wolfe hits the ANARCHY SUPLEX! Cover, TWO!! Dar survives and Wolfe is losing his cool! Wolfe drags Dar around, turns him over and dead lifts him, but Dar elbows against the German suplex! Dar drops down, kicks away on Wolfe’s face then drags Wolfe into the omoplata! Dar wants the other arm but Wolfe powers out to a cover, TWO! Wolfe drops on Dar, Dar slips out, FUJIWARA! Wolfe endures, rolls, smothers Dar and uses a half straitjacket! Dar elbows free, rolls Wolfe, TWO!!

Wolfe swings but Dar boots him away! Dar kicks, Wolfe blocks and elbows the leg! Dar kicks with the other leg, gets Wolfe’s arm but Wolfe EuroUppers free! Dar cross counters with an elbow! Cover, TWO!! But into the FUJIWARA! Wolfe endures as we reach one minute! Wolfe rolls Dar to a cover, TWO! Wolfe LARIATS Dar! Dar gets up, Wolfe body scissor takedown to the KNEEBAR!! Dar clubs and claws at Wolfe, pries the fingers, but Wolfe breaks free to EuroUpper! Wolfe wants to bomb, Dar back drops him and sits on the cover, but also grabs ropes! Dunne sees that and reprimands Dar. Dunne KICKS Dar’s arm! Both men back off but there’s less than 20 seconds! Dunne checks on Wolfe, Dar comes running in! Dunne moves, Wolfe takes NOVA ROLLA!! Just 10 seconds left at the cover, Dar wins!!

Winner: Noam Dar with 2 falls; advances to the second round

Dunne won’t raise Dar’s hand, he feels like Dar was aiming for him with that kick. Dar shrugs and takes his leave. Will Dar continue to walk the line all the way to the finals?

As for Wolfe, he blames Dunne for blocking his view! Dar only hit that finish because of it! Dunne says Wolfe doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Wolfe goes after Dunne but Dunne DECKS him! And enziguris him! And BOOTS him down! And gives him Danielson Stomps! Pump handle, but here comes Walter! The Ring General doesn’t like his soldier being beat down. Dunne dares Walter to do something about it then! Walter gets on the apron, gets in the ring, but Wolfe CLOBBERS Dunne! Imperium mugs Dunne!

Wolfe kicks Dunne around, feeds him to Walter, but here comes ILJA! The Moscow Madman DECKS Walter, Dunne ENZIGURIS Wolfe! Ilja clotheslines Wolfe out, Dunne clobbers Walter!! The Bruiserweight and UNBESIEGBAR dare Imperium to come back for more! Will Ilja have someone watching his back as he goes after the NXT UK Champion?

My Thoughts:

A great episode to open the Heritage Cup. The Triple Threat was a great opener, but I did not expect those three to be the three put in. As much as I wanted Tyler Bate in the tournament, I suppose it would’ve been a given he wins the Triple Threat to face Seven. Giving us unpredictability over a story like Seven VS Bate is fine, and I’m sure Williams VS Seven under British Rounds will be just as good. Jinny VS Xia was good, and I suppose Jinny winning was a given since she was lurking around when KLR defended her title. A more ruthless Jinny is hard to imagine but in a feud against KLR, that sounds like a lot of fun.

Flash Morgan Webster VS A-Kid is going to be really good next week, and both had good promo work tonight. I feel like A-Kid wins based on him getting that vignette, and because they reminded us about the mystery of who attacked Mark Andrews. I have a feeling it is The Hunt, so that means SWSC will team together to face them in a tag match. Dar VS Wolfe with Dunne as ref was a great opening match for this tournament, and going deep into the rounds was a good move to show how much can happen in this kind of match. Dar moves on because he’s definitely got a lot of charisma to bring into this tournament, and the story of him bending rules in a way will make for good story overall. Dunne and Dragunov standing against Imperium was good, too. Maybe once Imperium is fully reunited, there is a second try of Imperium VS British Strong Style, with Dragunov helping them like he did Gallus.

My Score: 8.5/10