NXT UK was Pretty Deadly in 2021!

The holiday retrospective continues as former NXT UK Tag Team Champions, Pretty Deadly, take over and give us more of the Best of 2021!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• 2/25/21 – NXT UK Tag Team Championships: Gallus VS Pretty Deadly; Pretty Deadly wins and are the new NXT UK Tag Team Champions.
• 6/24/21 – Triple Threat: Joe Coffey VS Rampage Brown VS Ilja Dragunov; Dragunov wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

“Yes, boy!”

Pretty Deadly welcome us to the New Year’s Eve edition of the “Pretty Deadly Power Hour,” aka NXT UK. And what a year! They’re taking a look back at the greatest moments of 2021, and honestly one of the greatest moments of all time. And of course, they’re talking about themselves!

NXT UK Tag Team Championships: Gallus VS Pretty Deadly!

Markus and Wolfie have held onto these belts for a long time, and admittedly from circumstances out of their control. But after a long road, Lewis Howley & Sam Stoker have found their way to challenging that status quo! Will it be Gallus Boys or #YESBOY on top after tonight?

The introductions are made, the belts are raised, and the make-or-break on a near 500 day reign begins!

The teams sort out, Mark Coffey starts with Sam Stoker. They circle, tie up, and then break. They tie up again, still a deadlock, so they break again. They circle, tie up, and now Coffey pushes Stoker to a corner. The ref calls for a break, they do let off, but both have their dukes up. Coffey backs off, circles with Stoker again and they tie up. Stoker tries to push Coffey but Coffey pushes him back. Stoker and Howley talk and decide to tag. Howley and Coffey tie up now, Coffey throws Howley down and has the arm. Tag to Wolfgang, he takes the hand-off and wrenches. Howley waistlocks, Wolfgang switches but Howley switches back to CLUB Wolfgang on the back.

Wolfgang just glares at Howley, but Howley waistlocks him again. Wolfgang throws Howley off and wrenches the arm to then arm-drag him! Wolfgang has the arm, fights off Howley’s headscissor attempts, and he tags Coffey back in. Coffey takes the hand-off to wrench and yank the arm, but Howley rolls to ROCK Coffey! Tag to Stoker but Stoker runs into an arm-drag! Coffey grinds the arm, Stoker gets up, tags Howley back in but Coffey reverses the whip to arm-drag! Howley runs in to snapmare but Coffey boots from below! Coffey arm-drags again, grinds the arm, and wrenches Howley. Tag to Wolfgang. he gets the hand-off and wrenches to an elbow breaker!

Howley endures, rolls, and gets a headlock. Wolfgang endures the grind, powers up but Howley thrashes about. Howley hits the takeover but Wolfgang gets a cover! ONE, Wolfgang gets the leg and tags in Coffey! Gallus give Howley a DOUBLE MONKEY FLIP! AKA, a Cornish Toss! Howley bails out, Stoker runs in, but Gallus sends him right out! Pretty Deadly regroups to cool off while Gallus stands tall in the ring. The ref counts, Wolfgang goes back to his corner while Stoker coaches Howley up. Howley gets in, circles with Coffey, and Coffey headlocks. Howley powers out, Coffey runs him over but Howley drops then hurdles to hip toss! Howley runs and rams Coffey!

Coffey drops to a knee, but drops lower to then come back with a hip toss! Cover, TWO, but Coffey tags Wolfgang. Gallus mugs Howley, Wolfgang ROCKS Howley with a EuroUpper, then whips him to a corner! Stoker saves Howley from the corner splash! Wolfgang ends up stuck on the top rope, Howley runs in to TOP SHELF KNEE! Tag to Stoker, Pretty Deadly double whip Wolfgang to DOUBLE LARIAT him! Pretty Deadly coordinate but Wolfgang fights off their combo move! Wolfgang scoops Stoker but Howley makes the save before Coffey tags in! The ref keeps this from turning into a scrap, but Wolfgang is ready for Stoker’s sucker punch!

Wolfgang throws hands then TOSSES Stoker! Stoker grabs at a buckle pad but Wolfgang CLUBS him, then TOSSES him the other way! Stoker still wants after a buckle pad but Wolfgang yanks him out of the corner. Howley goes after that open corner’s pad but Wolfgang goes after Howley! Stoker runs in to KNEE Wolfgang out of the ring! Wolfgang falls hard, Coffey backs Howley off but the ref tells them all to go to their corners. Howley POSTS Wolfgang in the distraction! Howley drags Wolfgang up, puts him in, and then Stoker stomps Wolfgang! Tag to Howley, Pretty Deadly bring Wolfgang up but Wolfgang fights them again! But they give Wolfgang a DOUBLE BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO!

Howley stomps Wolfgang over and over, tags Stoker back in, and they drag Wolfgang back up for a mugging. Stoker rains down hands and stomps, then tags Howley back in. Stoker sits Wolfgang up for Howley to BOOT him! Howley drops ax handles and a leg, then covers, TWO! Howley drags Wolfgang up with an arm and wrenches to an elbow breaker! Howley hammerlocks an arm and RAMS Wolfgang into buckles! Howley chokes Wolfgang at the ropes, the ref counts and Howley lets off. Cover, ONE, and Wolfgang throws body shots. Howley rams Wolfgang into the Pretty Deadly corner, Stoker tags in, and Stoker runs in to UPPERCUT Wolfgang! Cover, TWO!

Stoker facelocks Wolfgang, grinds him down, gets the arm and pulls on it. Tag to Howley and he elbows Wolfgang in the ribs. Wolfgang gets up to ROCK Howley, but Stoker swipes at Wolfgang! Wolfgang DECKS Stoker but Howley attacks! Howley throws knees, hauls Wolfgang up the corner, but Wolfgang hits back, and hits a SPLASH to Howley while he’s standing! Howley is pancaked, but he anchors Wolfgang’s feet! Wolfgang boots Howley but Stoker tags in to intercept! Wolfgang back drops Stoker away! Stoker tags Howley, both Pretty Deadly leap for Wolfgang, but Wolfgang gets the hot tag to Coffey! Coffey rallies on Pretty Deadly with forearms and shoulders!

Wolfgang hits a FULL NELSON SLAM on Howley, then a SNAP SUPLEX on Stoker! Howley runs into a clinch, Coffey throws body shots then whips Howley corner to corner for the running EuroUpper! LARIAT! Coffey shoves Howley to hit a FLYING BULLDOG! Cover, TWO! Howley lives but Coffey drags him up to wrench and Russian Leg Sweep! Cover, TWO! Coffey drags Howley up, wrenches and crotch lifts but Howley turns that suplex into a sunset flip! TWO, Howley ducks Coffey to tag Stoker! Stoker runs but into a BOOT, and a BIG back suplex! Cover TWO! Stoker survives and BT Sports Studio fires up! Coffey drags Stoker up, choke grips but Stoker slips out of the slam!

Coffey standing switches, but Howley tags in! Coffey covers Stoker but Howley BOOTS him! Howley fireman’s carries Coffey to the ASSISTED GUT BUSTER!! Cover, TWO!! Coffey survives but Howley drags him back up! Coffey wrenches out, whips and GAMANGIRIS Howley down hard! Howley sits up in a daze, Wolfgang is back on the corner, Coffey tags Wolfgang in! Gallus coordinates, CATAPULT SAMOAN DROP! Wolfgang MOONSAULTS!! Cover, but Stoker breaks it in time!! Wolfgang throws Stoker to the apron, Coffey runs in but Stoker jumps the baseball slide! Wolfgang DECKS Stoker and Coffey catches him, for an APRON CHOKE SLAM!

Wolfgang goes back to Howley, but into a small package! TWO!! Wolfgang SPEARS Howley down! Cover, TWO!?! Howley is still in this and so is Pretty Deadly! Wolfgang tags Coffey in, Gallus drags Howley up to feed to a scoop. Somehow, Stoker is back up and in! Coffey DECKS him, but Howley slips off Wolfgang and dodges him to CLOBBER Coffey! Wolfgang LARIATS Howley outside, Stoker SLAPS Wolfgang! Wolfgang chases Stoker out of the ring, they go around and Howley POUNCES Wolfgang over the barriers!! Howley tags Stoker but Coffey dodges his corner attack to kick Howley low!

Coffey whips Howley at Stoker, but Stoker goes up. Howley gives Stoker a boost to hit a CODE BREAKER on Coffey!! Cover, TWO!?!? Coffey survives that Pretty Deadly combo, but Howley has an idea! He tosses Stoker a tag title belt! The ref is busy with Stoker while Howley has the other belt! Coffey dodges the belt shot to POLISH HAMMER Howley! The ref is busy putting the one belt away as Stoker runs at Coffey, TORNADO DDT on the second belt!! Pretty Deadly hides the evidence and Stoker tags Howley in!! SPILT MILK!!! Cover off the neckbreaker spinebuster combo, Pretty Deadly wins!!

Winners: Pretty Deadly, by pinfall (NEW NXT UK Tag Team Champions)

#YESBOY indeed! Because yes, boy, Gallus’ reign ends at 497! Is this going to be the beginning of a Pretty Deadly Era?

Pretty Deadly reacts to their win.

Yes! The greatest achievement of their careers: winning the NXT UK Tag Team Championships. Though starring in the west end hit of Magic Mike was pretty good, too. Then there was starring on Celebrity Mash-Up, and being voted GQ’s co Sexiest Man Alive 2021. The cameraman says that last one didn’t happen, but they tell him to shush. Just roll the video. It’s of course a video tribute to Pretty Deadly during their time as NXT UK Tag Team Champions. But then the video takes a turn into the rise of Moustache Mountain towards those titles.

Tyler Bate & Trent Seven climbed up to get a rematch with Pretty Deadly, and on December 9th, history was made! Moustache Mountain took the NXT UK Tag Team Championships for their own!

NXT UK superstars wish us a Happy New Year!

Dave Mastiff is first to wish us all a Happy New Year. He knows many people will be making resolutions this year in an attempt to become better people. He’s no different. TO SE TEAMING WITH Jack Starz, he’s learned he needs to smile a little bit more. And that will be his resolution. He does his best but obviously he still needs to work on it. And speaking of Starz, he’s getting in another workout before the year is over. Starz says even though it’ll be a new year, it’ll be much of the same. Same drive, same vision, same dogged mentality. But there will be one thing that changes: he and Mastiff will become NXT UK Tag Team Champions!

Ashton Smith wishes us a Happy New Year, and 2022 won’t have resolutions. The goal remains the same! Ready and forward, always forward! Saxon Huxley says he’ll stomp his way into the new year, and the NXT UK Universe will be saying, “There he goes.” Primate says Christmas has come and gone, now we’re on to New Year’s. And his resolution is to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible! A-Kid wishes a Happy New Year in English and Spanish, and says his resolution will be to get back to the Heritage Cup.

Next week starts the year off big!

The first NXT UK of 2022, and the NXT UK Women’s Championship is on the line! Will Ichiban Gaijin, Blair Davenport, be the one to dethrone the Final Boss, Meiko Satomura? Or will it be easy peasy for the Best in the World to stay on top?

More NXT UK superstars wish us a Happy New Year!

THE NXT UK Champion, Ilja Dragunov, wishes everyone the very best and С новым годом (S novym godom), aka Happy New Year in Russian. Oliver Carter is ready to show why he and Ashton are “the freshest flavor on the brand and the hottest tag team under the sun.” Rohan Raja says, “What is Rohan Raja’s New Year’s resolution?” Well in 2021, Die Familie destroyed Gallus, so in 2022, they’re going to destroy the whole roster! Sam Gradwell says he has some resolutions: he vows to become a master of the paranormal and a certified exorcist so there won’t be any demons running around; and he vows to rattle ya jowls, wobble ya kidneys, and become top of the NXT UK roster. So Happy New Year, and don’t be a yogurt.

Nathan Frazer supposes his resolution is to take that next step. He won’t just be another guy on the roster, he will be THE guy. He knows he can do it, so he’ll do it. And Amale wishes us a Happy New Year, and that all our dreams come true.

Pretty Deadly returns!

The special continues, and this is the only show not hosted this year by James Gordon. Good one, Sam. But this will be the last of them for today as they move on to THE NXT UK Championship. This year started with the dominant reign of Walter! A video tribute plays to Walter’s reign, but also notes the Triple Threat that eventually led to his TakeOver 36 challenger.

Triple Threat: Joe Coffey VS Rampage Brown VS Ilja Dragunov!

Each man in this main event have faced the Ring General, Walter, in the past. Each man has proven their merit, as well as their toughness and aggression, time and time again. But now, all three will collide in one match! Who will prove they are the most fearsome, most violent, and perhaps most worthy of another round with the NXT UK Champion?

The bell rings and the three circle. Coffey and Rampage focus on each other in the stare down, but Dragunov cuts in with a shove. Coffey HEADBUTTS Dragunov but Rampage ROCKS Coffey! Rampage whips, Coffey whips him back, then back drops Rampage! Dragunov knees and CLUBS Coffey then fires off body shots in a corner. Coffey swings but into a waistlock. Coffey wrenches free, whips Dragunov but Dragunov elbows him away. Dragunov runs but into a pop-up EuroUpper! Coffey runs to EuroUpper Rampage in a corner, then runs corner to corner, into Dragunov’s BOOT! Rampage BOOTS Coffey down, then catches Dragunov’s leap into a SPINNING POWERSLAM!

Rampage goes back after Coffey with CHOPS! Rampage whips, Coffey reverses, clinch and OVERHEAD Belly2Belly! Rampage gets to a corner. Dragunov JUMP KIJCKS Coffey! Dragunov KNEES Coffey in the corner, then hits a HALF HATCH SUPLEX! BT Sports Studio fires up as Rampage and Dragunov stare down now. Dragunov rushes in but into a scoop. Dragunov slips free, goes after an arm, but Rampage holds him off. Dragunov uses a leg to hook and roll Rampage, and then he throws down hammering elbows! Dragunov floats to a facelock but Rampage tosses him to Coffey! GERMAN SUPLEX! Coffey tells Rampage to finish this themselves!

The two behemoths ram shoulders again and again, but Rampage gets the edge and dropkicks Coffey down! Rampage runs in but Coffey TACKLES him to a corner! And then hits a SPINEBUSTER! Coffey has the legs and turns Rampage for a BOSTON CRAB! Rampage endures as Coffey shouts, “NO MERCY!” Dragunov gets back in and he throws forearms on Coffey! Coffey holds onto Rampage so Dragunov gives boxing elbows! And a CHOP! Coffey eggs Dragunov on so Dragunov runs to BOOT Coffey! Rampage gets free, Dragunov gets Coffey’s arm for a knuckle lock and he CHOPS away on Coffey’s neck and shoulders!

Coffey throws body shots back! Body shot for CHOP, back and forth! They ram shoulders, Rampage barges in but he gets DOUBLE CHOPS! Rampage comes back to DOUBLE LARIAT! BT Sports Studio is thunderous already as Rampage gets both men in facelocks! Both Dragunov and Coffey fight back but Rampage fights off the double suplexes to GIVE DOUBLE SUPLEXES! Rampage’s strength might be the most of all three, and he gets Coffey up. Coffey resists the Doctor Bomb but Rampage CLUBS him! Rampage tries again but Coffey back drops Rampage out of the ring! Coffey steadies himself, dodges Dragunov’s clothesline!

Coffey comes back but Dragunov hip tosses to a cover! ONE, but Dragunov keeps on with a chinlock. Coffey fights free, but Dragunov hits an URAKEN! Then Dragunov spins to CHOP Coffey’s leg! Dragunov pump handles Coffey for a GOTCH LIFT GERMAN!! Bridging cover, TWO!! Coffey narrowly escapes that perfect form but Dragunov stomps him down. Dragunov snarls and sputters as he goes to a corner but is side won’t let him climb. Dragunov STOMPS Coffey to keep him down, and he tries to climb again. Coffey UPPERCUTS him first! Coffey climbs, CLUBS Dragunov on the back, but Dragunov forearms back! Coffey stays up but Dragunov CHOPS him!

Rampage slips in as the other two brawl. Dragunov HEADBUTTS Coffey down, Rampage SAMOAN DROPS Coffey! Rampage sees Dragunov get up so he gets out of the way, SUPER BACK SENTON crashes down on Coffey! Rampage runs in but Dragunov goes Matrix to PELE Rampage! Coffey gets Dragunov’s leg, Rampage hauls Dragunov up, Rampage SPINEBUSTERS Dragunov onto Coffey! Coffey writhes but Rampage covers him, TWO!! Coffey survives and BT Sports Studio rallies back up. Coffey drags Dragunov up to ROCK him with a right! Dragunov CHOPS back! Rampage CHOPS Dragunov off his feet! But Dragunov gets up to egg him on! Rampage DECKS Dragunov!

Rampage drags Dragunov up but Dragunov fires off point-blank lariats! Rampage DECKS Dragunov again! Rampage swings, Dragunov blocks, runs and fires off clotheslines! Rampage SUPERKICKS?! Rampage whips but Dragunov tiger feints for the CONSTANTINE SPECIAL! Rampage falls and BT Sports Studio fires up again! Dragunov sees Coffey’s Spear coming and KNEES him down! Dragunov’s berserker rage is boiling back up! Rampage staggers up, Dragunov is up top and he leaps for a COAST2COAST MISSILE DROPKICK! “GALLUS BOYS ON TOP!!” GLASGOW SENDOFF sends Dragunov into Rampage!

Rampage falls out of the ring, and Dragunov flops out after. Dragunov goes after Rampage, they brawl, but Coffey goes up and up and CROSSBODIES onto them!! Dragunov and Rampage are down but Coffey is up first. Coffey puts Dragunov in, gets up the steps, and then up top again! Coffey leaps to SHOTGUN MISSILE DROPKICK! But he has to crawl to the cover, TWO!! Both Coffey and Dragunov are down but the BT Sports Studio rallies up. Coffey stands to throw hands on Dragunov. Dragunov ENZIGURIS back! Dragunov writhes from landing hard, bot he and Coffey just glare at each other. They go forehead to forehead, then fire forearm after forearm!

Coffey ROCKS Dragunov but he stays up! ALL THE BEST- NO! Dragunov JUMP KICKS Coffey! But Coffey stays up to rebound and EUROUPPER! Dragunov tumbles and sits up in a daze. Coffey is up on the opposite end and BT Sports Studio is electric as the two fire up! Dragunov runs in, but Torpedo Moscow gets ALL THE BEST FOR THE BELLS! Coffey wants a leg but Rampage POUNCES Coffey and himself right out of the ring! Coffey and Rampage ram each other again! And fire off forearms! Coffey BOOTS, Rampage SPINNING POWERSLAMS!! Coffey writhes on the ground, Rampage gets into the ring.

Rampage grins as he has Dragunov alone now. Dragunov slumps over from the pain in his side, but Rampage gets him back up. Dragunov fires off KNEES into Rampage! Step over KNEE, then an ENZIGURI! Rampage staggers about, comes back, but into a SPIENBUSTER! Dragunov rains down furious forearms, then gets Rampage in a waistlock for a GERMAN SUPLEX! Dragunov holds on! Rampages with headlock punches, but Dragunov still gets the second GERMAN SUPLEX! And again Dragunov holds on! Rampage RAMS Dragunov into buckles, but Dragunov hops on to rain down elbows! Coffey slides in, adds on, but Rampage holds ropes!

Rampage elbows Dragunov, switches to get Coffey, DOUBLE GERMAN SUPLEX! Dragunov flops all the way to the apron, and Coffey flounders to a corner! Rampage staggers to an opposite corner as BT Sports Studio says, “This is Awesome!” Rampage runs corner to corner, Coffey dodges and the boot hits buckles! Rampage is stuck, Coffey Electric Chair lifts! Coffey hits an ELECTRIC CHAIR SLAM!! But he can’t make the cover! Coffey slowly rises, Rampage gets up and then Dragunov. ALL THE BEST to Rampage WHILE Dragunov hits Coffey with TORPEDO MOSCOW!! That actually saves Rampage from the worst of Coffey’s attack!

Rampage gets Coffey up and gut wrenches for the DOCTOR BOMB!! Cover, Dragunov breaks it in time! Rampage clamps onto Dragunov, reels him in and gut wrenches, but Dragunov slips free! Dragunov dodges a clothesline to go up a corner, FLYING TORPEDO MOSCOW?!? Cover, DRAGUNOV WINS!!

Winner: Ilja Dragunov, by pinfall

Udivitel’nyy! Russian for amazing, because that reckless, relentless Russian IS amazing! UNBESIEGBAR bests two of the toughest men in the brand, and wait! WALTER is here! Dragunov doesn’t realize it until Walter stands in the ring with him. The NXT UK Champion holds up his belt and wonders if he wants it. Dragunov stands up, and Walter SLAPS him right back down!! Walter stands over Dragunov, and puts him in a SLEEPER!! Walter swings Dragunov up and then drags him right back down to put him out! The Ring General smothers Dragunov but makes him look at the belt. Walter vows he will always be champion, has this preemptive strike made sure of that?

Pretty Deadly reacts.

“What we witnessed there, was what everybody thought was the end of Ilja Dragunov.” Sam Stoker falls back and Lewis Howley says it was not the end! There was a fire lit inside the Czar and he rose from the ashes! Stoker stands back up to note that that moment led to a more dominant Ilja Dragunov, and he was truly UNBESIEGBAR. NXT TakeOver 36, August of 2021, truly a battle for the ages! And in a truly historical moment, Dragunov dethroned the Ring General! And now, The Czar has the Irish Ace coming for him. Jordan Devlin wants to end Dragunov’s reign already, but does he have the grit to stop the man who stopped Walter?

More superstars wish us a Happy New Year.

Kenny Williams says 2022 will go just as 2021: everyone ending up under the boot of the Scum of the Earth! Sha Samuels says, “Oi, oi! What a year, 2021!” Sha makes his NXT UK debut, Noam Dar wins the Heritage Cup, how could it get any better? Sha will tell us how! The odds say 2022 is gonna be an even bigger one. “Happy New Year, mugs. Have a good one. EAST~!” And Xia Brookside says, “You wanna know my New Year’s Resolution? I can’t tell you, because then it won’t come true! Ugh.” Wolfgang says, “New Year, new year. All the best for the bells.”

Eddie Dennis says he’d rather forget 2021, because you’re only as good as your last performance. But all it’ll take is Symbiosis running through Smith & Carter and they’re just a match from getting another dig at Moustache Mountain. He and Trent have a storied history, and Dennis can’t think of a better final chapter than HIS Symbiosis ending this fairy tale of a title reign! Nina Samuels hopes 2022 brings the fans everything they need, because we all know the world needs more Nina.

Pretty Deadly wrap this up.

The dandy highwaymen enjoyed seeing those resolutions and wishes from their fellow superstars, but Sam points out everyone is just hoping for their own fairy tale endings. This isn’t High School Musical, or even High School Musical 2. It’s not even High School Musical 3: Senior Year, or the episodic series, High School Musical: The Musical! But hey, they’re soaring, they’re flying, and we’re all in this together. So thank them, Pretty Deadly, for making this and every episode of NXT UK truly unmissable. Cheers!

My Thoughts:

A really good NXT UK recap episode, though it seems rather odd that they played the Triple Threat match rather than an actual NXT UK title match. But I suppose they already encored Walter VS Dragunov II some time ago so it’d be redundant to do it here. But seeing Gallus VS Pretty Deadly again was a great choice. All good stuff, and we’re jumping right into great stuff next week with the women’s title match and the start of the short tag team tournament.

My Score: 8/10