WWE NXT UK Review - May 15, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Piper Niven def. Jamie Hayter

I was slightly disappointed that Niven didn't look as dominant as she should have the last time we saw her on NXT UK when the show was taped during WrestleMania Axxess. Thankfully, this was much better with Niven completely decimating Hayter and winning quickly and decisively. There was no indication here that her feud with Rhea Ripley will be continuing, but that might have been put on hold for right now due Ripley recently suffering an injury.

Jordan Devlin def. Ligero to Qualify for the WWE United Kingdom Championship No. 1 Contender's Fatal 4-Way Match

Ligero had a strong showing against WWE Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese on this week's 205 Live in case you missed it. This wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, at least early on, but they built to a fun final stretch with the right person going over. Devlin always delivers in the ring, but on the mic is where he really shines, so I was glad he was given the time afterward to cut a promo about how he feels he should already be the number one contender to the title.

Ilja Dragunov def. Jack Starz

Dragunov's debut has been hyped up through vignettes for weeks, but I hadn't seen him in action prior to this point. The dude is incredibly intense, and although some may argue the red eyes look goofy, I think they look cool. Similar to Niven's squash earlier in the evening, this was exactly what it needed to be with Dragunov defeating Starz in a matter of minutes. He definitely has a presence about him, that's for sure.

Killer Kelly vs. Xia Brookside Ended in a No Contest

I was really hoping this was going to be a showcase for Kelly since she has been a complete afterthought on NXT UK up to this point, but unfortunately not. Rather, the match was merely a backdrop for Jazzy Gabert's NXT UK debut. Gabert was accompanied by Jinny and made quick work of Brookside. For those unfamiliar with Gabert, she broke out during the inaugural Mae Young Classic two years ago but was denied a contract because of a lingering health issue. I'm happy she had that cleared up and is finally where she belongs in NXT UK.

"Bomber" Dave Mastiff def. Wolfgang to Qualify for the WWE United Kingdom Championship No. 1 Contender's Fatal 4-Way Match

Don't let the crowd reactions fool you. Mastiff is a beloved babyface, but because this was taped in Wolfgang's native Glasgow, the crowd was very much behind Wolfgang throughout and was not happy with the result. This was a good hoss battle that probably benefited from being on the shorter side. Following Mastiff's victory, he was attacked by Gallus, so I could see Mastiff feuding with the faction coming out of this.

Overall Show

This was an above-average edition of NXT UK that featured two notable debuts, one enjoyable outing, and build for the next few weeks of NXT UK TV (specially for the upcoming Fatal 4-Way match). Between Mark Andrews and Noam Dar facing off in a rematch and WALTER vs. Pete Dunne Part 2 for the WWE United Kingdom Championship, next week's show should be fantastic, and then we have Toni Stom vs. Nina Samuels for the NXT UK Women's Championship the week after that. This seems to be a great time for the brand and I'm looking forward to everything on tap.