WWE NXT UK Review - May 6, 2021

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Ilja Dragunov def. "Bomber" Dave Mastiff by Referee Stoppage

I was really looking forward to this match as their hard-hitting styles were bound to mesh extremely well. The commentators referenced Mastiff's recent losses, so hopefully that leads somewhere and he isn't serving as a stepping stone because there aren't any other plans for him. Unfortunately, this had to be cut short relatively quickly because Dragunov injured Mastiff's nose early on and Mastiff couldn't continue. I liked how they took a legitimate injury and put a storyline spin on it with Dragunov saying he lost control again. He probably has the best character arc of anyone in NXT UK.

Noam Dar Challenged Nathan Frazer to a Heritage Cup Rules Match on Supernova Sessions

Supernova Sessions tends to be very hit or miss, but this installment was more enjoyable than most. Dar thinking Frazer was someone else because he was still Ben Carter the last time he had him on was funny. Speaking of which, Frazer had a chance to explain his name change here and he came across as being very likable. Dar challenging Frazer to a match instead of the other way around was strange, but hopefully it's another way for Frazer to build momentum.

Trent Seven def. Saxon Huxley

In the last few months alone, Seven has unsuccessfully challenged for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, reunited with Tyler Bate and now he's transitioning in to a rivalry with Sam Gradwell. Gradwell has grown on me since coming back to NXT UK and has had some really fun matches, so I'm sure his eventual encounter with Gradwell will be no different. Despite Gradwell attempting to distract Seven from the Titantron, Seven scored the win as he should have. Huxley does nothing for me.

Kenny Williams def. Amir Jordan in a No Disqualification Loser Leaves NXT UK Match

Williams previously beat Jordan following their split a few months ago, but if this time around, the loser would have to leave NXT UK. I don't know how they'll work around it or if Jordan will now have to go to another brand, but I suppose time will tell. They made the most of the stipulation by brawling all over the arena, and although it dragged at points, I thought they did a good job of incorporating drama and making it feel like the payoff to a big feud (even though they've been undercard talent for most of their time in NXT UK).

Overall Show

It felt like there were more video packages on this show than there was wrestling, but I'm not complaining because all of them were effective and served a purpose. The hype for Tyler Bate vs. A-Kid was terrific and the mini vignettes for the women built toward next week's number one contender's match. Williams vs. Jordan was the focal point of the show and it was a quality main event. Not on the level of other NXT UK main events we've seen recently, but the stipulation helped a lot. This was another rock solid effort from NXT UK, but I hope they slow things down a tad because sometimes it feels like they try to cry way too much into the hour.