WWE NXT UK Review - October 31, 2018 (Part 1)

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Trent Seven def. Saxon Huxley

Seven is an established talent, whereas I know nothing about Huxley. However, this wasn't meant to be anything more than a glorified squash for Seven. The match lasted a little longer than I thought it would, but it was well-wrestled and Seven was able to showcase his skills. Plus, the crowd was super into Seven throughout. I could see Seven and Tyler Bate doing their own thing in singles competition until tag team titles are created and they chase those.

Flash Morgan Webster def. Mark Coffey

Morgan came to the aid of Mark Andrews last week against the Coffey brothers, so this was a logical next step in the feud. Morgan and Coffey had nice chemistry together and contested a real fun match for the time they were allotted. Although Webster was able to eek out the victory, the Coffey brothers attempted to attack him afterward, only for Andrews and Travis Banks to make the save.

Danny Burch def. Sam Gradwell

I don't see Burch ever being focused on as a singles star in NXT, so it's cool he's getting some shine in NXT UK. I remember Gradwell from the first WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, and although he didn't do anything here that particularly impressed me, this was a hard-hitting affair that had the right result. Burch made it clear during his post-match promo that he has his sights set on becoming the UK Champion.

Zack Gibson def. Noam Dar

Damn, these guys were given a ton of time (way more than I originally expected) and they definitely made the most of it. This was a hell of a main event with an excellent effort from both men. I may not be sold on why Gibson is as hated of a heel as he is, but there's no denying that the guy gives it his all every time he competes. Dar is just as talented and was a fantastic foil for Gibson. The crowd was invested in the action throughout and Gibson's clean win cements him as the top heel on this show.

Overall Show

I'm sure multiple shows were taped in front of this audience for these tapings, yet they've been hot for every show up to this point. Their excitement certainly adds to my enjoyment of the episodes, and this was another entertaining installment. The first three matches were good and succeeded in setting up a few different things, while the main event was absolutely exceptional and closed out the evening on a high note.