Top 3 Performers of NXT UK (November 6, 2018)

NXT Kicked off with a squash and finished with a title fight
NXT Kicked off with a squash and finished with a title fight

NXT UK kicked off with a match between Bomber Dave Mastiff and Damien Weir. Weir received a jobber's entrance, with the episode starting with the smaller wrestler already in the ring. Unsurprisingly, the match didn't last long. Weir went for a crossbody and bounced off the bigger Mastiff. The giant wrestler would hit a senton, a deadlift stalled suplex before dragging his opponent into the corner and hitting him with the Bomber's unique Cannonball for the pinfall victory.

Following a series of short videos, the action returned to the ring for Ligero going up against James Drake. After a back and forth bout, with Ligero's style of Lucha Libre crossed with British strong style against Drake's aggressive style of wrestling. Ligero won with the springboard swinging DDT. The match was followed by a backstage segment with Toni Storm and NXT superstar Dakota Kai. They were set to meet up in next week's episode, with both of them looking to be the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion.

Next, Ashton Smith was about to make his way down to the ring but was cut off by the Coffeys and Wolfgang. The new stable hit the ring, and have effectively reached Zack Gibson levels of heat. They derided the other teams in the division, included British Strong Style. Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews were backstage outside Johnny Saint's office to ask for a match against the Coffey brothers and Wolfgang, and they were joined by the man that the trio had recently attacked in Ashton Smith.

After weeks of video packages, promoting his arrival, and his relationship with Pete Dunne, Eddie Dennis made his televised debut for NXT UK against Sid Scala. Dennis dominated for most of the fight with his size and reach. However, when Scala started to use his pace against the bigger man, he seemed to be getting the other hand. However, Eddie Dennis and his size advantage won in the end, delivering a vicious buckle bomb and a Next Stop Driver.

Finally, the main event of the evening saw Danny Burch challenge the WWE UK title holder Pete Dunne. Unsurprisingly, after Burch started the stronger, the master manipulator started going to work on Burch's hand, fingers and wrist. While Burch came back with a series of stiff strikes. The work of both men had the crowd on their feet and applauding loudly. It seemed like Burch might have had the title won after hitting Dunne with a top rope draping DDT. Dunne turned Burch's Crossface submission into a Bitter End. Burch would kick out of Dunne's finisher at 2, but Dunne quickly went on the offensive again, locking in the triangle on Burch's left hand and forcing the veteran to tap out.

#3 Ligero

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Ligero is one of the most unique wrestlers on the NXT UK roster. Most of the other wrestlers are stock standard powerhouses or British Strong Style wrestlers that have honed their crafts on the British Independent scenes. Ligero has the British Strong Style wrestling in his veins, but he combines it with a fast paces luchador style that makes his matches so unique.

While there are others on the roster that is able to perform with the same speed of transitions, Ligero is the only one to do so while combining it with the British Strong style that has become famous in the growing UK Independent scene. The fact that Ligero is the only person on the roster doing this means that all of his matches are stand out matches, and are often completely different from any other match on the card.

While it would be interesting to see Ligero go up against the stars at the top of the card, such as Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and co. He is currently leading up a strong group that forms NXT UK's Midcard.

#2 The Coffey Brothers (and Wolfgang)

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Few wrestlers on the NXT UK roster have garnered heat on themselves. Zack Gibson stands out as the crowd's least favourite wrestler. However, the Coffey brothers and now Wolfgang has joined Gibson at the most hated pile. After consecutive weeks of jumping other wrestlers, either in the ring or in the backstage area of the venue, the three have acted like bullies and have established themselves as the foremost heel stable running around in NXT UK.

Their vicious assaults, despite not having competed together, have shown their true nature and the fans seem to enjoy booing them. Joe Coffey did most of the talking as he outlined how the three were going to run the show, and ran down some of the other stables, like British Strong Style, and put themselves as the top heels of the roster.

Their first targets, Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster have already aligned with Ashton Smith to challenge the three in the ring, so we can see whether or not the trio gets their comeuppance or not. However, it is undeniable that at the moment, the trio is running roughshod over some of the other competitors and are establishing themselves at the top of the UK Tag Team division as the top heels.

#1 Pete Dunne

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The second ever WWE UK Title holder maintained his grip on the title, this time after a great bout against Danny Burch. Burch's strong strikes went up against Dunne's joint manipulation. While Burch would look to pummel Dunne, Dunne would try and bend Burch's hand, finger, wrist, should and elbow into directions those body parts are not meant to go in.

This was another great performance by Dunne, and it seemed in a few different instances that this could be the fight that cost him the title. From the fantastic missile dropkick to the top rope German Suplex and the Top Rope draped DDT to every time Burch seemed to lock Dunne in a Crossface, it genuinely felt like Dunne was a risk of losing his title.

This was heightened further after Dunne hit the Bitter End, only for Burch to kick out at 2. However, after working on Burch's left arm for the majority of the fight, Dunne was able to work this into the finish, trapping Burch's left arm in a triangle and bending his fingers, forcing Danny Burch with no option but to tap out to the Bruiserweight.


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