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I am ready for a Pete Dunne versus Walter match. It is already time, in my opinion, for another NXT UK Takeover. If this is what the quality we are going to expect going forward is then we are in for some amazing NXT UK Takeovers in the future.
I feel the NXT UK brand has been the forgotten part of the WWE so far. Having so many episodes at a time to watch and being on in the middle of the day has prevented a lot of people from watching the developing brand. I think that will change after the excellent show in Blackpool.
The debut Takeover for NXT UK was an exciting show from start to finish. We had a tag team classic, a good hoss fight, some great surprises and a classic main event. We had a lot of stars created on Saturday. I am excited to see the rest of NXT UK going forward.
With all of this in mind after another fun and thrilling wrestling night, I present my list of the top five most surprising moments of NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool:
#5 Dave Mastiff is an Impressive Big Guy
Dave Mastiff lives up to his name. He isn’t the tallest man but at over 300 pounds he is quite a massive figure. NXT UK has spent the early months of the brand pushing Dave Mastiff as a monster. But I was surprised at how agile he looked against the much taller Eddie Dennis.
It was certainly your fun hoss fight. Dennis did a good job of doing his power moves on the much bigger Mastiff but Dave was the star of the show. His move off the top rope is something a cruiserweight usually does, not a 300-pound man. Both competitors look good going forward but Mastiff looks like a serious title contender as he stands out from the rest of the UK roster.
#4 Moustache Mountain Loses
How is Tyler Bate that strong? He only weighs 175 pounds and can still pick up two wrestlers to perform that spin. I don’t know how he does it. I am constantly impressed by this 21 year old wrestler all the time. He is a future WWE star for sure.
The tag team title match between Moustache Mountain and the team of James Drake/Zach Gibson was a fantastic tag match to open the show. It contained many believable near falls and the pace picked up dramatically in the last ten minutes.
The bump that Tyler Bate took outside the ring near the end looked quite painful and sold the finish well. I also love that British fans really hate the heels. I am sure they will enjoy booing Zach Gibson and showing him their shoes in the months to come.
#3 Toni Storm wins the NXT UK Women’s Championship
It was funny that Toni Storm was the veteran of the NXT UK Women’s Championship match at twenty-three years old. She played the role of the underdog babyface in her Takeover match with Rhea Ripley. She took a majority of the offense as she struggled against the much taller Ripley.
Ripley plays the cocky heel well and has been a worthy champion. I am also worried they gave Toni Storm the title too soon. I think the chase would have been a great storyline for Toni Storm. But seeing her celebrate after winning the title was great. Storm has put on wonderful work at the two Mae Young Classics, WWE Evolution and on NXT UK television. She is a worthy champion and with the new talent coming, the women’s division looks strong.
#2 Finn Balor wrestles
I knew once Jordan Devlin mentioned he was the “best Irish Wrestler” that it was a set up for a major surprise. It was still great to hear the crowd pop when Finn Balor showed up. It was a wonderful surprise to see a main roster wrestler against his former student. I am just concerned that they look way too similar. I guess that is what Finn looks for in his students.
The other surprise is that Jordan Devlin got in a lot of offense against Finn Balor in their ten minute match. He certainly looks like the young star that almost got the decorated veteran. It just didn’t happen on Saturday in Blackpool. But having a former Universal Champion appear on the first Takeover was one of the best surprises. Devlin will be one of the top heels of the brand going forward.
#1 Pete Dunne retains the NXT UK Title and Walter debuts
Pete Dunne is only twenty five years old. That fact is still amazing to me. He has already had classic matches with the likes of Tyler Bate, Ricochet and now Joe Coffey. Where will he be in terms of match quality in a few years? It will be very exciting to follow his WWE career for sure.
The main event between Pete Dunne and Joe Coffey was a thirty-five minute classic. It was filled with painful submissions, risky top rope moves and many great near falls. The intense pace by both competitors for that lengthy of a bout was quite impressive. I knew Pete Dunne could put on a fantastic match but to see Coffey at that level sets up the brand well for the future. Coffey looks like a credible champion of the future.
Much like a movie with an after-credit scene, NXT UK saved a great surprise for the end. Walter, the famous Austrian independent wrestler, made his debut. The crowd was excited and it sets up a fantastic main event for the future. NXT UK it seems is always looking forward to the next feud.
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