BRM Reviews the 4/28/2022 NXT UK (bad)

[Big Red Machine]

WILD BOAR & MARK ANDREWS vs. SYMBIOSIS (w/Eddie Dennis)- 6.75/10
The babyfaces won a match that was great for the time it got, overcoming Dennis’ interference and beating the more experienced team. Boar chased Dennis to the back after the match.

ROBERT STONE PROMO ON BEHALF ON VON WAGNER- decent

EARLIER THIS WEEK, MOUSTACHE MOUNTAIN ARE INTERVIEWS AS THEY ARRIVE AT THE UK PC- TREMENDOUS!
Tyler agrees with the interviewer’s assertion that there was some foul play on the finish last week. Trent jumps in and says that they have talked about it, and then takes a shot at the rest of the tag division… but he does everything in such an “relax, I’m just joshing you” kind of way that you can understand why the Zen and seemingly confrontation-averse Tyler doesn’t want to push back too hard. It’s a truly brilliant use of the established goofy elements of Trent’s character to make the turn even more cutting.

DURING THE BREAK, EDDIE DENNIS INTERRUPTED SID SCALA HYPING UP THE CONTRACT SIGNING- okay
Eddie begged Sid to do something about Wild Boar, so Sid booked Eddie against Boar in a Dog Collar match, with Symbiosis barred from ringside. This makes sense, but it felt like a little too rushed of a way to get there. It makes Mark Andrews’ addition to this feud on Boar’s side feel mostly inconsequential, as it only took one extra confrontation to get to the Dog Collar match (compared to if they just had Boar get the win to earn it a few weeks ago and not do the post-match beat-down leading to Mandrews’ return).

ANGEL HAYZE vs. XIA BROOKSIDE (w/Eliza Alexander)- 3.75/10
Xia wins with interference. Can she really not beat a jobber cleanly?

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- meh
Xia and Eliza attacked Hayze until Amele came out to make the save. I would normally talk about how this attack felt like something that happened because the booker directed it in order to set up Amele making the save rather than feeling particularly organic, but at the moment all I can talk about is the horrible green bodysuit Amele came out in. Was she in the middle of putting on some sort of frog costume before running out to make the save?

EARLIER THIS WEEK, A-KID APPROACHED CHARLIE DEMPSEY IN THE PERFORMANCE CENTER ASKING HIM TO TALK FOR A FEW MINUTES OFF CAMERA- intriguing

SID SCALA INTRODUCES THE NEWEST SIGNING TO NXT UK, DAMON KEMP- fine
Kemp (or however they spell it) is a total babyface. He is an amateur standout eager to learn about the British style. He is Gable Steveston’s brother, which makes him so important that Johnny Saint actually showed up to work to say hello to him.

VON WAGNER vs. SAXON HUXLEY- 4/10
They ran into each other a lot. Wagner won clean, then cut a meh promo saying that he would beat everyone.

GALLUS PRESS CONFERENCE- meh
They insist that everything is fine.

TIGER TURAN DEBUTS NEXT WEEK- I’m not sure who this is.

ISLA DAWN VS. MEIKO SATOMURA VIDEO PACKAGE- snore
More vapid crap from Isla about her “world of darkness,” and still no word on what a “World of Darkness” match even is.

LASH LEGEND VIDEO PACKAGE- snore
She’ll be on Supernova Sessions next week. That sounds like pure torture.

ILJA DRAGUNOV VS. JORDAN DEVLIN CONTRACT SIGNING- TERRIBLE!
They got Ilja some much-needed new music that is much less stereotypical “I AM A RUSSIAN!” That was the best part of this.
Ilja talked about how Devlin’s attitude was some kind of existential threat to NXT UK and suggested that they raise the stakes by also making this a Loser Leaves Town match. This all came completely out of nowhere, so Ilja’s comments about Devlin felt in authentic at best and at worst made Ilja seem like a deluded, self-important heel. And no one should ever be adding in a Loser Leaves Town stipulation just on a whim.
And, of course, they had to fight at the end. Ilja was getting the better of it util Devin grabbed Scala to use him as a human shield. Based on what happened with Blair Davenport, there need to be some consequences for that.


This was a bad episode of NXT UK. All of a sudden, things feel rushed, like there is some sort of outside force forcing a change (for example, I assume the reason for the Loser Leaves Town stip is that one of them is being sent to NXT 2.0 or the main roster). Hopefully the big matches over the next few weeks can at least deliver to make up for the NXT 2.0 talent coming in and watering the work-rate down.

[Thelone]

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- meh
Xia and Eliza attacked Hayze until Amele came out to make the save. I would normally talk about how this attack felt like something that happened because the booker directed it in order to set up Amele making the save rather than feeling particularly organic, but at the moment all I can talk about is the horrible green bodysuit Amele came out in. Was she in the middle of putting on some sort of frog costume before running out to make the save?

I mean, I'd have a totally different opinion on frog legs if they looked like hers.