NXT UK Takeover: Nine Things We Learned

This past weekend the NXT UK brand took over in Blackpool yet another first ever for the company. With a stacked card promising new champions to be crowned, must see bouts and gripping action this was a show not to miss! In today’s blog post we are going to be taking a look back at the action and discussing the best and worse moments from the first WWE Live special of the year!

British Events Are a Must on Your To Do List

While this section isn’t about claiming shows held in the UK are the best nor that UK fans have the best crowd reactions in the world, however, one thing that did become very clear from the moment the camera’s started rolling was how important it is to experience being in a UK crowd at a British Wrestling event. The energy, the intensity, the fan interaction all contributed to exactly why this show felt so damn electric and watching it became clear that attending an NXT UK show is a must on any wrestling fans to do list!

Zack Gibson Has a Big Year Ahead

I tweeted out during this show that I wasn’t a fan of Zack Gibson being involved in a tag team and while I stick by that believing he could do so much more as a singles competitor the opening contest that saw him and his tag team partner James Drake take on Moustache Mountain in a historic bout was noted by many as a very early yearly standout, raising the bar for tag team wrestling in the UK. Now, I did personally feel as though James Drake was the stronger standout in this matchup however, Gibson brought a great deal of character, a fantastic performance, and the crowd reaction to him spoke volumes! This historic win along with his performances last year means fans have every reason to believe, Liverpool’s number one has an epic twenty nineteen ahead.

Could There be a Better Home for Finn Balor?

The best Irish Wrestler in the world did you say? While Jordan Devlin most certainly has been making an impact since the launch of the NXT UK brand he finally met his match this past weekend when former NXT and Universal Champion, Finn Balor came out to go one on one with the rising star. The story of mentor vs trainee here was pretty freaking epic and both the crowd and everyone at home marked out for Balor when the lights went out and his music hit. The reaction from fans and the decision to feature Balor really did have me wondering if the NXT UK roster may, in fact, be a better home for Finn. Despite huge fan popularity and amazing in-ring ability Balor has been lost on the main roster for quite sometime but with the UK fans treating him like a king and so many epic storyline’s awaiting him on the UK shows it may just be the best long term career decision to see Balor make the transition from RAW to NXT UK benefiting both the brand and Balor himself.

The WWE Must Change How it books Certain Talents

I really enjoyed Balor’s appearance at the NXT UK Takeover show this weekend and the match we saw between him and Devlin however, how the bout was booked was something I wasn’t too pleased with. If Banks was to be considered unable to compete then the WWE should have made sure he appeared as though he couldn’t even walk! Now, I do believe we will get much more work between Jordan and Travis Banks but how weak Banks looked and how he was so quickly and easily replaced and outshone by Balor concerned me. There must be more hope in talents such as Banks who when given enough time could prove to be a top main event star on the roster.

Hardcore Wrestling Should Be Re-invented in NXT UK Shows

This one may seem a little… controversial but after the one on one no disqualification match between Dave Mastiff and Eddie Dennis I was left desperate to see the WWE use its NXT UK brand to explore hardcore wrestling. Growing up with ECW and going on to be a huge fan of promotions such as CZW and ICW I am forever waiting for the WWE to make hardcore wrestling work in their PG era and the NXT UK brand may be exactly what they have needed to do so. Mastiff and Dennis had a fantastic showing and despite this being the match I was least anticipating it became one of my favourites of the night as the two demonstrated very well how a hardcore division in the PG era could work. Hardcore wrestling is so popular here in the UK and there most certainly are ways to make this work.

The NXT UK Women’s Division Needs Work

I don’t want this to come across as a negative point. This past weekend Toni Storm and Rhea Ripley engaged in an epic matchup sure to go down as a highlight bout for women’s division in twenty nineteen but what is very much clear is just how much the WWE has relied on these two women to lead the NXT UK Women’s division. With former Mae Young Classic competitors Kay Lee Ray and Jazzy it’s evident there is growth on the horizon which is very much needed, however, moving forward, it’s vital the WWE focus on building the characters and momentum of other female talents on the NXT UK roster diving into new feuds and a stronger generally on the women’s division with hope that at the second big live event we see more than one women’s matchup.

Rhea Ripley Has Proven Herself & Toni Storm is the face of NXT UK

The NXT UK Women’s Championship match was for me a major highlight of the overall show but it was also extremely revealing about the women’s division, these superstars and what their roles are within the roster. She may have shocked the world when she became the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion but this past Saturday Ripley proved exactly why she was given the push and opportunity to make history. Showcasing her strength, power, dominance, youth and character this was her best in-ring performance to date and despite dropping the title earned a great deal of respect from fans. Toni Storm on the other hand finally picked up the big win many have been waiting for and seeing her with the title was a truly amazing moment. Her star power, the love fans have for her, her skill and now position as champion has highlighted Storm as the possible face of the entire brand.

NXT UK Is Ready for a New Champion

If this past Saturday’s Takeover show proved anything it is that the competition on the roster is extremely high! Every single match delivered in its own way and what was massively evident was just how many potential future champions sit amongst the roster. From Jordan Devlin to Joe Coffey, from Dave Mastiff to the debuting and new arrival of Walter, the roster is stacked and there are plenty of options when discussing who could be the next WWE United Kingdom Champion.

Things Are About to Get A whole lot bigger

The standard of Saturday’s main event was insane! Coffey and Dunne tore the house down in a match which will be considered the one to beat in the WWE this year but the show overall proved things are about to get a whole lot bigger. The arrival of Walter has promised a potentially major shift in the main event scene and possible next champion while the women’s division looks to grow and with tag team champions now crowned, we are about to see more there also! NXT UK is growing and what a brand it is growing to become.

My Match Rating:

Moustache Mountain vs Gibson and James Drake – 4.5

Finn Balor vs Jordan Devlin – 2.5

Dave Mastiff vs Eddie Dennis – 2.5

Rhea Ripley vs Toni Storm – 3.5

Joe Coffey vs Pete Dunne – 4.5

To conclude, I was very much satisfied with the first NXT UK Takeover event. I genuinely felt as though every single match brought something different to the night which truly was refreshing and exciting to see. The show presented fans with a title change, first champions, historic moments, a debut, and an appearance from a top major WWE RAW superstar. It’s clear this is a brand that is still growing but none the less this was a fantastic and well put together show, not perfect but as close as can be expected.