WWE NXT UK Review - November 21, 2018 (Part 2)

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Rhea Ripley def. Dakota Kai in an NXT UK Women's Championship Tournament Semifinal Match

Ripley is such a star with plenty of potential to go far in not only NXT UK but WWE in general, and Kai is right there with her. Unsurprisingly, they had a great match with Ripley bullying Kai on her way to victory but Kai looking credible in defeat following a strong showing. They worked really well together and I'd love to see them engage in a full-fledged feud eventually.

Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster def. Saxton Huxley and Joseph Conners

Andrews and Webster are the perfect pairing because they compliment each other nicely and they should be a welcome addition to the upcoming tag team division in NXT UK. They had a very fun match with Huxley and Conners, who weren't doing much for me as a tandem but they fared well for themselves here. That said, I'm not at all opposed to them already going their separate ways with Conners turning on Huxley afterward. Neither of them are natural babyfaces I believe, so here's hoping they have a one-off outing before moving on in different directions.

"Bomber" Dave Mastiff def. Tyson T-Bone

Mastiff and T-Bone teased waging war two weeks ago on NXT UK, so this was only inevitable. They're both dominant athletes and have similar in-ring styles, so I was looking forward to this and they did not disappoint. It was a total hoss battle with the two trading offense and keeping the crowd engaged throughout. Mastiff's clean victory establishes him as the most destructive force on the brand at the moment.

Toni Storm def. Jinny in an NXT UK Women's Championship Tournament Quarterfinal Match

I liked the way this bout was built up with Jinny and Storm being portrayed as total opposites and obviously having history coming in this contest. Those factors helped make this an enjoyable affair, even if the outcome was hardly in doubt once Ripley advanced to the finals earlier in the evening. They were given a ton of time and they definitely made the most of it. The post-match face-off between Storm and Ripley was effective in generating excitement for the finals of the tournament taking place in two weeks and I can't wait to see what they bring to the table.

Overall Show

The semifinals of the NXT Women's Championship Tournament were held on this show, and once again, both bouts were a blast. Storm vs. Jinny was especially excellent, but everything else was entertaining as well. Ripley vs. Kai was above-average, Mastiff and T-Bone had a solid match and Conners turning on Huxley was somewhat notable. All in all, the hour flew by per usual. Next week, Pete Dunne will defend the WWE United Kingdom Championship against Jordan Devlin coming off his big victory on the previous episode.