BRM Reviews the 11/4/2021 NXT UK (disappointing)

[Big Red Machine]

RAMPAGE BROWN vs. “FLASH” MORGAN WEBSTER- 6.75/10
Webster kept coming, no matter how much punishment Brown put him through. This was supposed to earn our respect in defeat, but it’s a much higher hill to climb when you’re an asshole who has been running around slapping people in the face just to pick fights with them.

EARLIER TODAY, TRENT SEVEN INTERRUPTS TYLER BATE’S INTERVIEW TO APOLOGIZE TO HIM (AGAIN) FOR COSTING HIM THE HERITAGE CUP AND TELLS HIM THAT JOHNNY SAINT HAS ADDED THEM TO THE #1 CONTENDERSHIP MATCH NEXT WEEK- The tag champs started the brawl that wound up costing Bate the Heritage Cup, so I guess this is fine

XIA BROOKSIDE ASKS SID SCALA IF SHE CAN FACE THE WINNER OF TONIGHT’S TITLE MATCH- terrible
Xia was whiny. She even said “that’s not faaaaaaaiiirrr!” At the end she called her father to complain. Even if Xia’s acting had been good this still wouldn’t have worked, as we haven’t seen or been told that Robbie Brookside has any sort of pull

ISLA DAWN vs. ANGEL HAYZE- no rating, okay segment
Isla destroyed Hayze but lost via excessive punishment. Nigel pointed out that she was using Dani Luna’s fall-away slam and Luna was one of the people she stole stuff from.

SAM GRADWELL PROMO- very good
He’s annoyed by the media coverage that A-Kid has gotten in his native Spain. He says that if they want to talk to a fighter, they should take to him.

“FLASH” MORGAN WEBSTER’S INTERVIEW IS INTERRUPTED BY STEVIE TURNER- bad
Turner is a clown. Webster thinks he’ll break through to the next level due to tonight’s loss. Whatever. Dani Luna stood up to turner.

ILJA DRAGUNOV PROMO- not good
Ilja was too over the top here. The first chunk of the promo also felt like it should have come right after he won the title rather than after his first defense.
Rampage Brown came out and asked for a title shot. Ilja accepted and offered a handshake… and Brown responded with a clothesline and told Ilja “I don’t need your respect, I just need your title, son.

BLAIR DAVENPORT TELLS JINNY AND MEIKO THAT SHE WILL BE THE NEXT CHALLENGER- fine
I’m not a fan of random confrontations in hallways where a camera just happens to be there.

TEOMAN & ROHAN RAJA VIDEO- meh

NATHAN FRASIER IS WATCHING MARK ANDREWS TAPES WHEN SUBCULTURE WALKS IN- Andrews was fine with this. They’ll wind up having a match.

NXT UK WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH: Meiko Satomura(c) (w/Emilia McKenzie) vs. Jinny (w/Joseph Connors)- 7/10
Two straight weeks of disappointing title matches for NXT UK. This was certainly better and less disappointing than last week’s match, but it was still disappointing, given the build and the star-power and working ability involved.


A passable episode of NXT UK. If the main event had delivered, it would have gotten up to “good,” but alas that didn’t happen. I am, however, really liking the pacing of the shows. Each week feels like it has at least one story starting and at least one story wrapping up.