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WWE launches new U.K. series - NXT UK


wordsfromlee

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I think it was almost the opposite of a "forced epic". It wasn't a Kenny Omega finisher-fest, it all built logically and the big moves escalated rationally. It went almost an hour and felt like it deserved to.

It's easily in my top five, maybe top three, favourite matches of the year, and definitely my favourite WWE match of the year. It's astonishing how good Tyler Bate is, and how perfectly he fit that big match main event role after feeling like an afterthought for a long time, and WALTER is as believable as they come. I like that he doesn't really have a defined "finisher", just a selection of moves he does well enough that they could conceivably put you away. It fits his throwback style, and adds to the drama of the match when it genuinely feels like any one of these moves can end it, rather than having the audience not really buy into a near-fall because, "well, he hasn't hit the Powerbomb yet".

The show as a whole massively overdelivered, considered what a non-starter the brand has been for the most part. There were pacing issues - too many identical suicide dives, repeated spots, Crossfaces being used in at least three matches, and I'm not a fan of Gallus' two matches being back-to-back - but the individual matches where mostly good to great, with the exception of Dar/Banks, which I found pretty forgettable and lacking in drama.

The tag team match was slow to get going, and became a bit of a spotfest at times, but was good fun in stretches, with some fantastic spots from the Gallus lads, particularly Wolfgang. The crowd being so hot for Webster and Andrews helped tremendously.

Last Man Standing match was fantastic. Wasn't expecting much more than human conkers and some typical WWE "hardcore" spots, but it was really creative. My main criticism of WWE hardcore stuff is that they have a small selection of WWE Approved Weapons - chairs, tables, kendo sticks - that all feel a bit boring, and make it hard to buy into two guys as wanting to seriously hurt each other, as they're doing it within the confines of how it's normally done. The range of weapons used in this match, and the straightforward manner most of them were used in (i.e., just clubbing each other with stuff, rather than elaborate set-ups), was really refreshing to see.

Women's match was great, finish caught me off-guard. Kay Lee Ray is a fantastic, incredibly under-rated worker who's consistently been in some of my favourite matches live over the past couple of years. The one thing I think she's been lacking is a compelling personality, and this heel run could give her that. Hopefully she gets a good range of challengers, rather than just endless rematches with Toni.

Edited by BomberPat
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I've watched the main event  twice now. Bate/Walter was phenomenal. As others have said the pacing was outstanding. Proper back and forth action but timed well to allow Tyler to actually put on reasonable comebacks and he always felt like he could win at any moment when he did have a second wind, despite the dominance of Walter. It felt believable as well, something that these kinds of matches often don't have. A definite MOTY candidate for me and he has a very bright future ahead of him. A rare case of the match length going long and yet not feeling so because there wasn't 20,000 near falls during it. 

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I was there live and my only criticism is that the match was a little long, that might have had something to do with them coming out at 9.10pm though and knowing the show finished at 10 so i always knew it was gonna be a long match, takes something out of it for me. As mentioned here though, the 1 count spot was tremendous, genuine shock reaction around the building.

Tag match was MOTN for me, mainly down to the audience going banana for the near falls for Webster and Andrews. Might have been overcooked a bit but being there it was fucking great fun.

Excellent show.

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Sorry. I see I’m in the minority here, but just really didn’t enjoy the match. Just felt like it plodded along. Near-falls for the sake of, it’s a main event match and we’ve come to expect a billion near-falls, rather than believing it could be the match-winning fall. Bate kicking out of a power bomb at one as though he was about to start Hulking up, to then straight after take the fall after a clothesline. Like, what on earth?

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Rewatched the main event back yesterday as I have no recollection of it from the arena on the night. I did find it a little long but it was pretty engrossing and I managed to watch it all which is something I don't normally do with these marathon main events. Tyler Bate is such a good babyface in peril, team that up with his ridiculous feats of strength.. It's an easy combination to get behind. 

Highlight of the night was watching Chris Roberts ref Flash and Andrews and get to put the titles on them afterwards. Smiling like I slept with a coat hanger in my mouth. Crowd was wild all night long. 

Good stuff. 

Edited by Silky Kisser
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22 minutes ago, Your Fight Site said:

Sorry. I see I’m in the minority here, but just really didn’t enjoy the match. Just felt like it plodded along. Near-falls for the sake of, it’s a main event match and we’ve come to expect a billion near-falls, rather than believing it could be the match-winning fall. Bate kicking out of a power bomb at one as though he was about to start Hulking up, to then straight after take the fall after a clothesline. Like, what on earth?

Have you watched any high end Japanese wrestling ever?

Very common spot with a totally different psychology to 'Hulking up'. The idea is that you've absorbed the big move and make a brief desperate adrenaline fuelled comeback...usually just to return to being absolutely fucked again due to the damage you've taken.

When that spot is timed right, it gets over huge.

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