WWE NXT UK Review - January 23, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

WALTER Joined the Confrontation Between WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne and Gallus

Dunne discussed his long reign as WWE United Kingdom Champion before being interrupted by Gallus, with Joe Coffey claiming he deserves another opportunity at the title. WALTER then emerged and helped Dunne rid them from the ring. If it wasn't already apparent at TakeOver: Blackpool, WALTER is next in line for a shot at the strap, and WALTER vs. Dunne is the main event of the next TakeOver special, just take my money right now. This was a solid segment all around and that played off the events from TakeOver.

Nina Samuels def. Lana Austin

Samuels scored an upset victory a few weeks ago, and I thought there was a chance she was only being built up so she could lose to somebody else. That could still end up being the case, but it definitely looks like she's on the ascent if this squash match was any indication. She seems like a perfectly competent wrestler, but viewers have been given zero reason to care about her thus far. Nothing she did in this match was terribly impressive, either.

Eddie Dennis def. Jamie Ahmed

This was the exact opposite of the previous squash with Samuels. Granted, it wasn't all that exciting, but that's because Dennis' in-ring style isn't too flashy. He had a strong showing against "Bomber" Dave Mastiff at TakeOver: Blackpool, so I'm glad he's already bouncing back. This was a fine showcase for him and it didn't overstay its welcome. I'm curious who his next feud will be with.

Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin Ended in a Double Count-out

These two were originally scheduled to go one-on-one at TakeOver: Blackpool before Banks was ambushed by Devlin backstage earlier that evening. I loved that Banks wasted no time in taking the fight to Devlin, giving this a much more personal feel in the process. It turned into a very entertaining affair with the crowd hot for everything they did. I didn't mind the double count-out, if only because NXT UK doesn't do non-finishes often and, better yet, this should keep the rivalry alive. Based off how excellent this was, I'm looking forward to more matches between them in the near future.

Overall Show

NXT UK wasted no time in establishing what the likely main event is for the next TakeOver special, and next week's show should be fun with WALTER wrestling for the first time and Moustache Mountain taking on Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel. As for this edition of NXT UK, it was decent on the whole with the squashes showcasing two talents, the opening segment introducing WALTER, and the main event simply being a blast.