WWE NXT UK Results
February 4, 2021
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Ilja Dragunov def. Sam Gradwell
Gradwell was all trash talk from the start and Dragunov completely ignored it, taking him to the mat over and over. Dragunov connected with knee strikes and heavy elbows, and when Gradwell continued to taunt him, a stiff boot to the face. Gradwell caught him in the ropes and set in with kicks to the back of the neck and side of the head. Double underhook suplex. Clubbing blows to the back. Dragunov roared back, literally, with wild elbow strikes and slaps upside the head while maintaining wrist control. Gradwell gave them right back, but got caught with two German suplexes. Dragunov hit a sky high diving senton for a nearfall. He started pummelling the man with nasty elbows until the referee called for the bell.
Dragunov completely snapped after the match, putting Gradwell back in a submission and continuing to beat the hell out of him. Referees pulled him off, but he backed one into the corner and tore at his shirt, screaming in his face until “snapping out of it”. Dragunov tried to apologize to the refs and left freaking out while Gradwell looked on smiling and laughing.
Teoman is coming next week:
Supernova Sessions
Noam Dar read “reviews” from fans talking about how great he is. He invited Tyler Bate onto the show as his special guest, leading to an awkward conversation about zen. Bate discussed his vegetarian lifestyle and Dar dumped a bunch of broccoli and spinach on him, which he thought was hilarious for some reason. I think the intention was to do some kind of Tim & Eric or Between Two Ferns ironic comedy sort of thing, but it didn’t connect for me at all.
Ben Carter vignette talking about his career starting in the U.S. and having to learn the British style.
Isla Dawn vignette, doing some neat occult stuff.
Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams def. Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter
Great fast-paced exchange between Williams and Carter trading pinning combinations and looking for submissions. Smith tagged in and tossed Williams around the ring with ease. Jordan came in and caught him with a few dropkicks, and took the big man down with a flying crossbody from the second rope. He slapped on a side headlock, but Smith easily tossed him into the corner and took turns with his partner clobbering him with clotheslines and heavy body shots. Williams eventually got the hot tag and cleaned house, sending them both to the floor. Jordan and Williams hit stereo suicide dives and a wheelbarrow facebuster/diving senton combo for a very close nearfall. Both teams traded offense but Jordan ended up getting a pin on Oliver Carter with an assist from his partner at ringside.
NXT UK Women’s Championship Match
Kay Lee Ray (c) def. Meiko Satomura
Kay Lee tried to lock up right away and Meiko easily out-grappled her and sent the champion out to the floor. Kay Lee took it personally and went after her with stiff kicks and elbows in the corner. Meiko fired back with body kicks and a spin kick, catching her under the jaw, before locking in an STF. Kay Lee dragged them both across the ring to get to the ropes, and Meiko continued pelting her with kicks all over the body. The champion caught her with a Koji Clutch out of nowhere to turn the tide. Kay Lee transitioned into a body stretch and slowed things down for a beat. She made the mistake of trying to trade kicks with the Japanese legend and got destroyed by a spinning wheel kick and a half dozen more kicks in the corner. Kay Lee rolled out to the floor and baited the challenger into a Hangman’s DDT from the apron. She broke the ref’s count in order to set up for a Gory Bomb on the apron, but Meiko struggled free and hit a Death Valley Driver! This time it was Kay Lee barely making it back into the ring on time. Meiko drilled her in the head with a running knee and walked circles around her, looking for the killing blow. Brainbuster for 1… 2… no. Meiko put her on the second turnbuckle, but Kay Lee surprised her with a Tornado DDT and immediately reapplied the Koji Clutch. Meiko nearly faded but started flailing around with her legs until reaching the bottom rope. Kay Lee climbed to the top rope but Meiko hit her with a bicycle kick to knock her down! Death Valley Driver for 1… 2… still no. This time Meiko climbed the ropes, dropped the champion with a kick to the head, but Kay Lee got her knees up to block a diving splash. Superkick. Gory Bomb. 1… 2… no. A frustrated Kay Lee tried and failed to lift the dead weight of her opponent for another Gory Bomb, so she instead climbed the ropes, taking far too long. Meiko dodges a Swanton Bomb, tried for the Scorpion Kick, Kay Lee blocked it, went for the Gory Bomb, but Meiko countered with Code Blue! Superkick from the champion! Bicycle kick from the challenger! Both women down. Kay Lee definitely pulls her up and delivers one final Gory Bomb to get the job done.
This was a tremendous match, maybe ****1/4 that I can only imagine would have been one of the better WWE matches in many, many years with a building full of rowdy UK fans.
