WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool Review - January 12, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Zack Gibson and James Drake def. Moustache Mountain to Become the Inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions

Moustache Mountain earned the reputation for being one of the best tag teams in the world last summer during their stellar series of matches with Undisputed Era, and every match of theirs I've seen since then has been nothing short of spectacular. Meanwhile, Gibson and Drake have emerged as a strong addition to the NXT UK tag team scene and have wonderful chemistry together. This set the bar for everything else on the show in being as brilliant and just flat-out fun. The atmosphere was electric throughout and that only added to my enjoyment of this. Gibson and Drake taking the twin titles may not have been what the crowd wanted, but it prolongs the feud between these two tandems and should see Moustache Mountain chasing the gold going forward, a position they have always thrived in.

Finn Balor def. Jordan Devlin

Devlin was originally scheduled to go one-on-one with Travis Banks on this show, but Devlin attacking Banks backstage earlier in the evening as well as before the bout could begin caused the contest to be changed. Johnny Saint and Sid Scala then announced that Balor would serve as Banks' replacement, which led to the crowd coming unglued. Of course, Balor trained Devlin years ago, so they had that built-in history and fans recognized that immediately. They worked well together and produced an exciting affair. Although the outcome was never once in doubt, Devlin looked strong in defeat and gained a ton from getting so much offense in against his mentor.

"Bomber" Dave Mastiff def. Eddie Dennis in a No Disqualification Match

While this was easily the weakest match on the entire show, it was still solid for what it was and exactly what it needed to be. I've enjoyed their feud over the past month or so and the matches have been well-wrestled. They took full advantage of the stipulation and gradually got the fans in attendance engaged in the action as the bout progressed. Dennis has a decent character, but I believe Mastiff has the potential to be a real dominant force on this brand and can go far. The things he can do for a guy his size are unreal.

Toni Storm def. Rhea Ripley to Win the NXT UK Women's Championship

The first match Storm and Ripley had for the NXT UK Women's Championship late last year was above-average, but Storm suffering an injury during that matchup prevented it from being better. This, on other hand, met my expectations as an excellent encounter. Both ladies put forth a commendable effort and the crowd was behind Storm every step of the way. I wouldn't have minded seeing Storm in chase mode for a little while longer, but the title win happening here was a cool moment as well.

WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne def. Joe Coffey

Dunne never ceases to deliver when it matters most and this occasion was no exception. As for Coffey, I think there was a portion of the audience that wasn't sold on him prior to this show, but he more than proved his worth with his outstanding outing here. I also appreciated how the rest of Gallus never once interfered and allowed Dunne and Coffey to take center stage. They were given a ton of time, and although it started out slow, they drew fans in with the suspenseful nearfalls, fantastic drama and breathtaking spots. Although Coffey has grown on me since the launch of NXT UK, I didn't think he was the right person to take the title from Dunne after all this time, so I was happy with the result. That said, WALTER's debut and face-off with Dunne afterward was an incredible ending to the show and was enough to convince me that he's the guy to dethrone Dunne as WWE United Kingdom Champion sooner rather than later.

Overall Show

If you haven't been paying close attention to NXT UK since its launch late last year, you're really missing out on a great product. This was a chance for the guys and girls of NXT UK to show that they are worth checking out and they knocked it out of the park. All five matches on this show ranged from good to tremendous, the crowd was hot all night long, and there were enough memorable moments to make it a newsworthy night. This was on par with every TakeOver special I've seen from NXT and I'm looking forward to future installments, whenever WWE decides to hold them.