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NXT UK invaded the Skydome in Coventry last night for another action-filled night of entertainment from WWE's British-based wrestling stars.
The night included some intense buildup as the brand pushes towards NXT UK Takeover: Dublin on April 26th, after what was an impressive start to the year back at TakeOver: Blackpool II in January.
There have been some hints regarding matchups for the company's trip over to Ireland, but following tonight's taping's there's an obvious direction that the brand is going in when it comes to their main Championships.
There could also be a hint for one of the matches that will take place tonight when NXT UK returns to the Skydome for its second consecutive night and boasts the return of NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin.
#5. A new NXT UK announce team
NXT UK kicked off the night with some interesting news as regular ring announcer Andy Shepherd stepped into the ring to reveal that he was now stepping aside and newcomer Francesca Brown would be taking his place.
This then allowed Shepherd to step into the commentary booth alongside Nigel McGuinness as a replacement for former star Aiden English. There has been no update on what this means for English, who was added to the brand back in January alongside Todd Phillips, but it could be a sign that the company is looking to have English moved back to the main roster.
Francesca's new role means that she joins the likes of Lillian Garcia, Jojo Offerman and Eden Stiles (Brandi Rhodes) as memorable female announcers and will now hope that she can continue to push forward and make her way up onto the main roster in the coming years, much like the aforementioned women once did.
#4. Who will challenge Gallus?
Gallus have dominated the NXT Tag Team Division over the past few months, dating all the way back to October 2019 when they were able to dethrone Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster to become just the third Champions in the brand's history.
Gallus have proved their worth in that time as the team of Mark Coffey and Wolfgang have stood at the top of the Tag Team pyramid, but given the strength and depth in the division at current, there are many stars who could step up to challenge them in Dublin.
Last night Pretty Deadly put on quite the show against Man Like Dereiss and Dan Moloney whilst Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith defeated Tyson T-Bone and Saxon Huxley, but the real challenge for Gallus came when they stepped into six-man tag action against Flash Morgan Webster, Dave Mastiff, and Trent Seven.
It's interesting to note Mark Andrews' absence from the match, but once again it was Gallus who were able to pin Morgan Webster to pick up the victory and continue to dominate the Tag Team Division.
#3. Ilja Dragunov steals the show once again
Ilja Dragunov arrived on the scene back in 2019 and it's easy to see why the whole world is talking about the NXT UK star. He already stole the show in a match against Cesaro back at TakeOver: Cardiff back in August 2019 and last night in Coventry he proved that he can do it on a cold Friday night as well.
Dragunov may have answered Cesaro's open challenge and lost last year in Wales, but last night he and A-Kid managed to steal the show despite Finn Balor being the man that the WWE Universe paid to see.
The Russian star was the next man to step up to A-Kid after he fought off the likes of Brian Kendrick and Kassius Ohno. Kid seems to be looking to make a name for himself on the brand, but even though he was unable to defeat Dragunov, the two men proved that they have perfect in-ring chemistry.
This match won't be screened for another week or so, but it's definitely worth tuning in for the episode if only to see these two youngsters blow the entire roster out of the water.
#2. Kay Lee Ray has a new challenger for the NXT Women's Championship
Toni Storm is no longer allowed to challenge for the NXT Women's Championship whilst Kay Lee Ray holds the belt after losing that I Quit match a few weeks ago, which means that the Scottish star needs to look for a new challenger heading into Dublin.
Last night there was a match taking place between Dani Luna and Amale that ended in a no-contest when the Women's Champion made her way out to the ring, attacked the two women and then cut a promo about her dominance in the Division. Luna then looked to fight back but was hit with a Gory Bomb.
Later in the taping on a different episode of the show, Luna was given the opportunity to exact some revenge on Lee Ray but was defeated by the Champion and then beatdown after the match.
Interestingly it was Piper Niven, the same woman who looked to save Toni Storm from Kay Lee Ray a few weeks ago that made the save and made it clear that she's coming for that title. Niven came up short in Cardiff last year but her first one-on-one Championship match with Kay Lee Ray could have a very different outcome.
#1. Finn Balor vs Walter is heating up
Finn Balor made his way to Coventry and was hoping to exact some revenge on Imperium after they targeted the former Universal Champion on NXT. Balor kicked off the show by calling out Walter, but instead, he ended up with all of Imperium surrounding the ring.
Balor fought back and was able to escape before it was later revealed that he would take on Alexander Wolfe in the main event of a separate episode of the show. Balor and Wolfe had fantastic chemistry in the ring, but Imperium made their presence known at ringside and were ejected by referee Joel.
This then allowed Balor to pick up the victory before going on to name-drop the likes of Matt Riddle, Johnny Gargano, Walter, and even Ilja Dragunov after the taping ended when it came to who would step up to him next. Interestingly it was Tyler Bate who came out and attacked Balor, which could lead to a match between the two men tonight at the Skydome.
