WWE NXT UK Review - February 27, 2020

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Grizzled Young Veterans def. The Hunt

Grizzled Young Veterans took a shot at The Hunt during their promo on the show. The outcome may have seemed obvious on paper, but considering Grizzled Young Veterans having been making a handful of appearances on NXT TV lately, The Hunt pulling out an upset was definitely a possibility. Grizzled Young Veterans went over in the end, but only after The Hunt took them to their limit. This was a very fun opener and I'd argue The Hunt gained some credibility even in defeat. I love the variety of talent in NXT UK's tag team division.

Kassius Ohno def. Jack Starz

This match was made official after Ohno was shown bullying Starz at the UK Performance Center earlier this week. Starz has been NXT UK's resident jobber since the launch of the brand two years ago, so while the end result was never in doubt, I thought this was a pretty good little match with Starz scoring some offense and getting the crowd behind him before eating defeat. Ohno continues to shine in his heel role.

A-Kid def. The Brian Kendrick

A-Kid hasn't had a lot of luck lately on NXT UK between his losses to Tyler Bate, Joseph Conners and Jordan Devlin, so a win here was necessary. Kendrick is very similar to Ohno in that he's established and can endure a few losses without losing much in defeat, so this was the right call. I liked the story they told with A-Kid looking up to Kendrick and beating his "hero," making it mean more in the process. This was well wrestled while it lasted.

NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray def. Toni Storm in an "I Quit" Match

Ray and Storm have been feuding for close to a year, so the "I Quit" stipulation was fitting. Storm has been desperate to get her title back and be champion again, but it ended up costing her the victory. They beat the holy hell out of each other, and although they should have been given more time, this was great for what it was. Ray's aggressive edge was excellent and Storm played the role of sympathetic babyface remarkably well. The commentators clarified that Storm only quit because Piper Niven convinced her to, so based off the finish, it looks like Ray vs. Niven is the direction they're going in for the NXT UK Women's Championship.

Overall Show

NXT UK has been delivering some kickass main events for a while now and this was no exception. Ray vs. Storm was TakeOver-worthy and it helped that the undercard on this episode was enjoyable as well. A-Kid's win over Kendrick gave him a much-needed momentum boost, Grizzled Young Veterans and The Hunt had a quality opener, and Ohno vs. Starz was what it needed to be. Throw in the well-done video package promoting WALTER vs. "Bomber" Dave Mastiff for the NXT UK Championship next week and you have another strong edition of NXT UK.