WWE NXT UK Review - September 2, 2021

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Blair Davenport Attacked Nina Samuels and NXT UK Assistant General Manager Sid Scala

Davenport and Samuels were supposed to go one-on-one, but Davenport ambushed Samuels before the bell before laying out Scala as well. I honestly thought Davenport was going babyface for a second because there's nothing likable about Samuels, but her attack on Scala established her as a heel. This was a nice change of pace compared to the usual match we get to kick off NXT UK every week. I'm interested to see where this angle goes and I like how it makes Davenport look like a badass from the get-go.

"Bomber" Dave Mastiff and Jack Starz def. Dan Moloney and Andy Wild

Mastiff and Starz didn't show much chemistry in their last match as a team, but they're getting there. This wasn't exactly a "squash," but I understand that it was because Mastiff and Starz are still trying to find their footing together. Moloney and Wild sold well for their offense and it was a fine showcase for Mastiff and Starz. An eventual match between them and Pretty Deadly, if they get that far and don't break up before then, could be fun.

Emila McKenzie def. Amale

Amale complained beforehand about wanting another shot at Meiko Satomura's NXT UK Women's Championship when McKenzie, who is a noted friend of Satomura, stepped up. They had a nice little match with both women having good showings. McKenzie hasn't shown anything that has made her stand out so far aside from being associated with Satomura, but maybe that will change over time as NXT UK clearly builds to her getting a title shot sooner rather than later.

Teoman def. Nathan Frazer in an NXT UK Heritage Cup Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal Match

I thought a Teoman vs. Frazer feud was being teased a few weeks ago, but it actually led to Teoman recruiting Rohan Raju (following his loss to Frazer) instead. This wasn't among the more exciting Heritage Cup matches I've seen recently, but it was still solid with the opening segment being the best part. Frazer is a blast to watch, though the clash of styles here resulted in a slightly slower pace than I was anticipating. Nonetheless, this was well worked and Teoman kept his undefeated streak intact. 

Overall Show

With no timetable for when new NXT United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov will be back on the brand, it feels like NXT UK is in a holding pattern at the moment. They're using the Heritage Cup number one contender's tournament to kill some time and the matches have been decent, but the rest of the show is lacking compelling storylines. The build from week to week is always well done and the big matches tend to deliver, but the undercard could use some work.

SEE MORE: NXT UK Reviews