WWE NXT UK Review - November 14, 2018 (Part 2)

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Dakota Kai def. Nina Samuels in an NXT UK Women's Championship Tournament Quarterfinal Match

I know virtually nothing about Samuels, and although she had a decent showing in this match, she didn't do anything that overly impressed me. Kai, on the other hand, is an absolute star on the rise and is such a blast to watch in the ring. She was largely responsible for this being as fun as it was, and needless to say, Kai advancing was the right result. I'm happy we'll be seeing more of her on both NXT and NXT UK going forward.

Tyson T-Bone def. Jake Constantinou

I liked what I saw from T-Bone during the first WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, so I'm glad he's being brought back as a regular for the NXT UK brand. He has a unique look and charisma about him that I think can take him far if he's built up the right way, so I was happy he came across as dominant here. Dave Mastiff made his entrance just as T-Bone was leaving, so it looks like those two will be on a collision course eventually.

"Bomber" Dave Mastiff def.Dan Moloney

Similar to T-Bone, Mastiff is being booked like a one-man wrecking crew right now, so it was hardly a surprise that he made short work of Moloney here. I love that he hits the ring, squashes his opponent with ease, and gets out. It didn't take long for Mastiff to settle into his first feud on the show and I'm looking forward to the hoss battle Mastiff and T-Bone are going to have before long.

Jinny def. Millie McKenzie in an NXT UK Women's Championship Tournament Quarterfinal Match

Jinny is a pretty good wrestler from what I've seen, but she is far from my No. 1 pick to become the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion. I'm sure she'll be a solid heel for the division, but so far, she's bored me to tears. This match didn't do much to change my perception of her, and if anything, McKenzie did more to stand out in my eyes. I'd be shocked if Jinny made it past the semifinals.

Zack Gibson def. Trent Seven

Gibson and Seven are two of the more established competitors on this show and will help carry the brand going forward with their star power. Gibson never ceases to get under the skin of the audience whereas Seven is just fantastic. They told a strong story here with Gibson inflicting punishment on Seven throughout only for Seven to battle back with the crowd fully behind him. Seven had an out for losing because of James Drake's interference (who, in his defense, was merely trying to get Tyler Bate away from ringside). I noted in my review of last week's episode how generic Drake seemed to me, so maybe having him align with Gibson will be the best thing for him. Seven and Bate were beat down afterward by Wolfgang and The Coffey Brothers, which feels like the perfect program to hold over the pending NXT UK Tag Team Championship.

Overall Show

Is WWE trying to get all of the NXT UK episodes they have in the can out of the way? Otherwise, I don't know why they continue to air two shows back-to-back each week. Nevertheless, this was an entertaining episode on the whole with the NXT UK Women's Championship Tournament kicking off, T-Bone and Mastiff teasing tension, and Seven and Gibson contesting a quality main event followed by a post-match angle that will likely lead to a new feud in the tag team division.