After the roaring success that was NXT TakeOver: Blackpool we are back at the Empress Ballroom for the regular broadcast of NXT UK. The first match of the night sees a battle between two different styles as the high flying luchador from Leeds in Ligero takes on the more physical brawler from Hartlepool in Saxon Huxley.

The match was able to show the big contrast in styles as Saxon Huxley had control throughout the majority of the match overpowering his opponent on many occasions. However Ligero would fight his way back into the match using his speed to his advantage and would go on to win the match after hitting the C4L (a Springboard DDT) to gain the victory.

The next contest saw Isla Dawn taking on Jinny. Now don’t get me wrong after the amazing match at TakeOver between Rhea Ripley & Toni Storm i wasn’t expecting this match to be up to the same level; however the pace of this match was very slow at times and felt flat.

Isla Dawn clearly had the strength advantage over Jinny who on the other hand… well i can’t really say she had any advantage that i could tell of.

Knowing of Jinny on the independent scene if this is NXT UK’s way of trying to build her up as a credible opponent to Toni Storm they’ve got a way to go. On the positive side however she does come off as a more cocky and very narcissistic.





The main event saw Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster team up to take on Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner and what a match it was. This could have fit easily in to the TakeOver Blackpool special and it wouldn’t have looked out of place.

All four men left it all in the ring with much a much similar feel to the Ligero/Huxley match earlier in the night a battle of strength vs speed. But this had impressive feats of strength with Fabian Aichner catching Mark Andrews mid-air to hold him up and drop him down for a Brainbuster.

We also saw Mark Andrews with his impressive skills transition somehow from a suplex in mid-air to be able to hit a head-scissors takedown on Fabian Aichner.

I was thoroughly impressed by both teams in this match and want to see more from them. Ultimately the team of Aichner and Barthel would pick up the victory as the overpowered Flash Morgan Webster setting up for a Powerbomb/European Uppercut combo to secure the pinfall.

This was a decent show to have post TakeOver special, however i’m left feeling that there was more needed from the women’s match; where as the tag match could have continued much longer and i wouldn’t have been disappointed.