The master versus the student, unleashed!
Notification: I am an avid wrestling fan, especially WWE and I've been meaning to get back to review them one by one. I want to try to cover each episode ever since the turn of the year, recapping quickly every episode so here we are... let's see if I can keep going, shall we?
wrestling 021 & tv review 062
WWE
NXT UK
January 02nd, 2020
Giving a talent-in-training a screen and in-ring time is always good in my book and while I can't see how far he will go in the future (he is just like No Way Jose, destined to be languishing in the lower mid card unfortunately), he is always an effective heel on the mic and of course a good fodder for Dave to munch through to keep the Bomber's momentum up. The match was quick but effective, a good way to start the day so to speak.
Positive + Quick & effective | kudos for allowing the developing talents to go abroad and gain experience | actually carrying out storyline from previous episodes instead of dropping them just like that.
Variable ? Where will Kona's eventual place be? When will Mastiff get into a title push?
Negative - Reeves would not get anywhere anytime soon, huh? The roster is too pack and too talented now!
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While the Women's Division on the UK could not come close to the predecessor, I would always appreciate a good slow buildup for the main players for the top title. Playing to their history together is always a sure bet to elicit a genuine reaction from the wrestlers themselves and in turns the fans. From a returning former champion to a rising star finally about to get his due, a former friend now turned enemy for the coveted title. The whole baby face now have to face the apparently former babyface and the Champion Kay Lee Ray would benefit from this.
Positive + Giving some depth to this intriguing Triple Threat.
Variable ? Now I want to see them going at each other in a single match!
Negative - That shockingly short match Ray won the title would still hover over her reign for me... she is a solid heel champion though and has been going from strength to strength ever since so kudos to her!
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Continuing on from their previous match together, there is a little more heightened tension here after Ohno tried to rip off Ligero's mask before. A change up a gear really keep the pace up a notch and make this matchup even more entertaining the second time around, a beautiful gift of wrestling between the technical superiority of the aptly-named Wrestling Genius and the aerial mastery of the Masked Horn one.
Positive + A treat for the eyes for (technical) wrestling fans | Ohno is entertaining doing anything on any show.
Variable ? Mask tampering is always a sure-fire way to gain instant heat but I wonder what Ligero's ceiling is.
Negative - Kassius deserves a title run for his technical abilities alone but this isn't likely in Stateside so going abroad might be the way to go.
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Aston Smith & Oliver Carter vs the Outliers
Their Tag Teams Division is the best currently across the company and after the surprisingly effective pairing of James Drake and Zack Gibson for the Grizzled Young Veterans, I would never doubt their abilities again and seeing how well the Aston and Oliver work together through this match against the musclebound Outliers, I would not be surprised to see them following in the steps of the first Welsh Champions, Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews. Smith would never get a proper push as a single competitor but in a team, it might be a different story altogether.
Positive + A solid match of a traditional pairing between strength against speed.
Variable ? Would the babyfaces go anywhere further after this?
Negative - The Outliers might never get a title push but they are a solid tag team to put over other tag teams.
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Alexander Wolfe vs Ilya Dragunov
[No Disqualification]
A stable is an effective storytelling mechanism if used properly and after Undisputed Era, Imperium follows suit without any concern at all. The buildup is perfect with Wolfe joining last to complete the dominant wrestling purists roster and the layer keeps on adding on top of the A storyline of the show, with Dragunov joining in the fray alongside Gallus to face his former teacher. It came to blow in this Takeover-worthy match with both of them not letting up on each other from the start, building up the intensity from one moment to next, between pure technical wrestling to power moves to devastating kendo shots among other now legal implementations. An underdog story in the student overcoming his master was told perfectly after that brutal chair-throat combo but of course the rest of the Imperium came in to save face, making sure the roster does not forget who is in charge here. With that being said, Joe Coffey got the last laugh though after giving Walter a taste of his own medicine to close the show.
Positive + What a brutal match you can't take your eyes off of! | What a treat for free for the fans!
Variable ? Ilya is poised to be in title contention in the near future, sooner rather than later in my opinion.
Negative - Someone have to lose and I don't think Alexander is hurt by it all after the strong showing, and putting over his student as well at the same time.
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Execution = around 90% with that barnburner of a main event!
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