NXT UK Takeover Blackpool Honest Review
This weekend was yet another big one in the world of professional wrestling and we kick-started the action over in Blackpool England for NXT UK Takeover and what an evening it was. With a better-suited start time for us UK fans, every title on the line and some truly brilliant matches there was plenty to enjoy during the first WWE Live special of the new decade but just what were the very best moments and could the WWE have done more to make this a stronger show?
I’ll be honest, Trent Seven vs Eddie Dennis was the match I was least looking forward to on the NXT UK Takeover card this Sunday. I wasn’t sold on the build and Eddie Dennis is a man who I believe is still trying to connect with fans and find that thing that makes him a true standout. The match was a decent opener but for a Takeover event just not strong enough. It’s clear we could have seen much better from these two with an extra ten minutes and a stipulation attached. With that being said Seven brought plenty of heart as always and Dennis pulled off a few awesome moments that really made this match, without the turnbuckle spot and the powerbomb over the top this wouldn’t have gone down as well.
Changing the energy in the room completely was the women’s championship triple threat. What was so brilliant about this match was how well these three women know each other. All former friends, all working together before in the careers there was so much heart, so much passion and so much story here that made this even more special. The action itself was brilliant with Piper Niven shining in what was arguably her breakout WWE performance and where we got to truly see her as the future champion she is while Kay lee Ray got to prove more than ever why she is the current titleholder and had the time to showcase more of her move set and character and Toni Storm stood out as the superstar who really wanted it the most. This was an action-packed bout with so many awesome moments that kept everyone gripped and totally on the edge of their seats. It was difficult to pinpoint who would walk out with the win but Kay Lee Ray stealing the victory last minute was very fitting indeed and I look forward to is to come in the future between Ray and Niven in particular as well as Storm’s character moving forward.
Tyler Bate vs Jordan Develin was sure to be a must-see contest. This is the definition of long-time storytelling and it was done ever so well. This was a brilliant way to show not only how far these two stars have come but also how far NXT UK has come over the past three years. The bitterness and frustration from Devlin were so clear from the offset and it made this match so much more intense and inviting. This was such a personal collision between two incredibly talented superstars and that was all on show throughout. There were so much history and back story that separated this bout to the rest on the card. There some really intense moments during this encounter that looked absolutely brutal but made for a standout message. We all know how amazing Tyler Bate is but this was another match that highlighted the incredible talent of Devlin who continued to prove to be a future champion. Despite his unlikable personality Devlin is an entertaining talent who knows how to steal the show and together these two stars of the future proved a huge point! Again, this is was another match that really could have gone either way and this was a fight where both men really wanted to prove they were better than the other, so the fight was a lengthy back and forth one, however, in the end it was Tyler Bate who walked away with the win which I’ll be honest was disappointing considering I do believe Devlin needed the win far more.
Don’t we all love a good tag team ladder match? And when you include four of the best on the scene today, of course, everyone is going to be complexly hooked. There was a lot going on in this match and we saw some brave, high-risk moves that added to the entertainment here. There were several unique spots that raised the risks and the standards while contributed to why this NXT UK Takeover event was so standout. Each team had their moment however, I did feel as though Grizzled Young Veterans were the team that got a little lost here. Mark Andrews was a brilliant standout throughout this match and when you felt as though the bout was going on for too long he was one of the names that wowed you and had you invested yet again. I’ll admit that I was surprised with the end result seeing the titles not change hands but with such a great performance and all-round brilliant match you couldn’t be mad at the result at all.
And we finally have the main event and with monsters, WALTER and Joe Coffey colliding this were sure to be an epic bout you didn’t want to miss out on. Both superstars are known for the strength, power and dominance but with the athleticism of Coffey in play we had an interesting match here that promised some strong strikes and intense moments. Coffey is a completely fearless talent and while WALTER towered over the challenger the Scottish star delivered a fight to the champ. Of course, WALTER was completely ruthless throughout this main event as to be expected and with Coffey not holding back in pushing the buttons of his opponent WALTER looked to punish Coffey arguably more than any man, he has shared the ring within the WWE so far. WALTER’s use of submission holds was an interesting factor this match also but those echoing chops were just something else! Now, there were moments where I started to lose interest a little and the fact that I wasn’t expecting a title change did make it harder to remain completely invested but the performances from both these men were just so strong and so powerful you had to be impressed.
The drama during the end of this match added what was needed to the main event and changed the feel of the bout while capturing the attention of fans once again. It was following all this that we saw a new level of heart from Coffey that had everyone behind him rooting for the challenger but in the end, we saw Coffey tap out to WALTER after an incredible showing. Now, the action was not quite over after the final bell… with THE Undisputed Era taking out Imperium the moment I have been waiting for finally happened I have to say I couldn’t think of a better moment to close the night
To conclude, NXT UK Takeover was a brilliant first LIVE special for the WWE this year. The opening contest was the weakest bout of the night but the NXT UK Women’s title match changed the energy altogether and raised the bar. There was such a personal feel to the majority of the matches of the card which added to the story being told during these bouts. The main event was full of action and the referee spot made for the added element it needed to draw fans back in. This was overall a fun night that reminded the world why we should be watching NXT UK.
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A weaker Opening
I’ll be honest, Trent Seven vs Eddie Dennis was the match I was least looking forward to on the NXT UK Takeover card this Sunday. I wasn’t sold on the build and Eddie Dennis is a man who I believe is still trying to connect with fans and find that thing that makes him a true standout. The match was a decent opener but for a Takeover event just not strong enough. It’s clear we could have seen much better from these two with an extra ten minutes and a stipulation attached. With that being said Seven brought plenty of heart as always and Dennis pulled off a few awesome moments that really made this match, without the turnbuckle spot and the powerbomb over the top this wouldn’t have gone down as well.
Kay Lee Ray Steals the Victory
Changing the energy in the room completely was the women’s championship triple threat. What was so brilliant about this match was how well these three women know each other. All former friends, all working together before in the careers there was so much heart, so much passion and so much story here that made this even more special. The action itself was brilliant with Piper Niven shining in what was arguably her breakout WWE performance and where we got to truly see her as the future champion she is while Kay lee Ray got to prove more than ever why she is the current titleholder and had the time to showcase more of her move set and character and Toni Storm stood out as the superstar who really wanted it the most. This was an action-packed bout with so many awesome moments that kept everyone gripped and totally on the edge of their seats. It was difficult to pinpoint who would walk out with the win but Kay Lee Ray stealing the victory last minute was very fitting indeed and I look forward to is to come in the future between Ray and Niven in particular as well as Storm’s character moving forward.
Long term Storytelling
Tyler Bate vs Jordan Develin was sure to be a must-see contest. This is the definition of long-time storytelling and it was done ever so well. This was a brilliant way to show not only how far these two stars have come but also how far NXT UK has come over the past three years. The bitterness and frustration from Devlin were so clear from the offset and it made this match so much more intense and inviting. This was such a personal collision between two incredibly talented superstars and that was all on show throughout. There were so much history and back story that separated this bout to the rest on the card. There some really intense moments during this encounter that looked absolutely brutal but made for a standout message. We all know how amazing Tyler Bate is but this was another match that highlighted the incredible talent of Devlin who continued to prove to be a future champion. Despite his unlikable personality Devlin is an entertaining talent who knows how to steal the show and together these two stars of the future proved a huge point! Again, this is was another match that really could have gone either way and this was a fight where both men really wanted to prove they were better than the other, so the fight was a lengthy back and forth one, however, in the end it was Tyler Bate who walked away with the win which I’ll be honest was disappointing considering I do believe Devlin needed the win far more.
An Epic Tag Team Collision
Don’t we all love a good tag team ladder match? And when you include four of the best on the scene today, of course, everyone is going to be complexly hooked. There was a lot going on in this match and we saw some brave, high-risk moves that added to the entertainment here. There were several unique spots that raised the risks and the standards while contributed to why this NXT UK Takeover event was so standout. Each team had their moment however, I did feel as though Grizzled Young Veterans were the team that got a little lost here. Mark Andrews was a brilliant standout throughout this match and when you felt as though the bout was going on for too long he was one of the names that wowed you and had you invested yet again. I’ll admit that I was surprised with the end result seeing the titles not change hands but with such a great performance and all-round brilliant match you couldn’t be mad at the result at all.
A Battle between Two Big Men
And we finally have the main event and with monsters, WALTER and Joe Coffey colliding this were sure to be an epic bout you didn’t want to miss out on. Both superstars are known for the strength, power and dominance but with the athleticism of Coffey in play we had an interesting match here that promised some strong strikes and intense moments. Coffey is a completely fearless talent and while WALTER towered over the challenger the Scottish star delivered a fight to the champ. Of course, WALTER was completely ruthless throughout this main event as to be expected and with Coffey not holding back in pushing the buttons of his opponent WALTER looked to punish Coffey arguably more than any man, he has shared the ring within the WWE so far. WALTER’s use of submission holds was an interesting factor this match also but those echoing chops were just something else! Now, there were moments where I started to lose interest a little and the fact that I wasn’t expecting a title change did make it harder to remain completely invested but the performances from both these men were just so strong and so powerful you had to be impressed.
The drama during the end of this match added what was needed to the main event and changed the feel of the bout while capturing the attention of fans once again. It was following all this that we saw a new level of heart from Coffey that had everyone behind him rooting for the challenger but in the end, we saw Coffey tap out to WALTER after an incredible showing. Now, the action was not quite over after the final bell… with THE Undisputed Era taking out Imperium the moment I have been waiting for finally happened I have to say I couldn’t think of a better moment to close the night
To conclude, NXT UK Takeover was a brilliant first LIVE special for the WWE this year. The opening contest was the weakest bout of the night but the NXT UK Women’s title match changed the energy altogether and raised the bar. There was such a personal feel to the majority of the matches of the card which added to the story being told during these bouts. The main event was full of action and the referee spot made for the added element it needed to draw fans back in. This was overall a fun night that reminded the world why we should be watching NXT UK.
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