BRM Reviews the 4/14/2022 NXT UK

[Big Red Machine]

THE COFFEY BROTHERS vs. DAVE MASTIFF & JACK STARZ- 6/10
Joe Coffey was the… um… loud, annoying turd in peril. Mark got the hot tag and was running wild, but was derailed when Joe made a blind tag. They argued, resulting in Joe getting pinned by Jack Starz. The announcers did the right thing and pushed this like a big win for Starz, as opposed to on the main roster, where they would push this as a humiliating loss for Coffey… although I must admit that to me, it feels more like the latter than the former.

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- good
The Coffeys argued afterwards. Wolfgang came out to keep the peace.

ILJA DRAGUNOV & RODERICK STRONG MEET BACKSTAGE AFTER LAST WEEK’S MATCH- awesome
Ilja and Roddy show each other respect, with Roddy promising that Ilja hasn’t seen the last of him. Then Jordan Devlin showed up to make fun of him, and to tell Ilja that when he said he wants and Empty Arena match, he doesn’t mean a weapons match. He wants a straight wrestling match, but without the fans there to give Ilja support. He wants it “one on one.”

KENNY WILLIAMS VS. SAM GRADWELL VIDEO PACKAGE- awesome!
They’re having a Back-Alley Brawl next week, and this built to that well, but it also gave us some insight into Gradwell’s character (he grew up poor and had to fight for a living).

MEIKO SATOMURA DEMANDS THAT ISLA DAWN RETURN THE STOLEN NXT UK WOMEN’S TITLE TO HER- Isla comes out… and there is now music playing and goofy camerawork going on, even though this is supposed to be live. Why must we do this?
Anyway, Isla says she’ll give the belt back if she is given a rematch under her own rules. Why would management or Meiko reward her for this misbehavior?
Well, Meiko accepts the challenge… and is immediately misted in the face. Isla says that the challenge will take place in her “domain.” Her “world of darkness.” Oh G-d. I like NXT UK so much. Why do they have to do this sort of sh*t?

AMELE PROMO- good (shocking, I know)
She will get her revenge on Xia Brookside and Eliza Alexander, and doesn’t want anyone to mistake her recently showing us her “sweet side” (read as: face turn) for no longer being capable of the vicious anger she was previously known for.

DURING THE BREAK, OUR CAMERAS CAUGHT MORE ARGUING FROM GALLUS’ LOCKER ROOM, AND ONE OF THEM STORMING OFF- good

MARK ANDREWS & WILD BOAR PROMO- good
They reminded us of their friendship and the fact that Eddie Dennis was the one who broke it up, so they’re going to work together to get revenge on him

ANGEL HAYZE vs. ELIZA ALEXANDER (w/Xia Brookside)- squash
Xia was entertainingly annoying as a cheerleader on the outside. The crowd was very into booing Eliza and Xia.

EMILIA MCKENZIE’S INTERVIEW IS INTERRUPTED BY STEVIE TURNER- great
Stevie plants seeds in Millie’s mind that Meiko took her on as a protégé because she doesn’t think she will be a real threat, and asks Millie why she is happy settling for being #2.

MOUSTACHE MOUNTAIN VS. ASHTON SMITH & OLIVER CARTER VIDEO PACKAGE- great

A-KID vs. TEOMAN (w/Die Familie)- 7/10
Teoman wins a little less cleanly than I would have hoped.


This was a fine episode of NXT UK. It was definitely more of a set-up show than an action and resolution show, but it did its job well and gave us a worthy-enough main event. Certainly towards the low end of acceptable for a main event, but worth enough.