WWE NXT UK 7/28/2022

WWE NXT UK 7/28/2022

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2022/07/wwe-nxt-uk-7212022.html

We've got a big one tonight with Ilja Dragunov vs Wolfgang for the NXT UK Title and a tag title match.

NXT UK Tag Titles - Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen (c) vs Wild Boar and Mark Andrews

Jensen legit is over a foot taller than Boar. Boar slaps on a wristlock and Mark double stomps the arm off the top. Boar dragon screws Jensen then Briggs and Jensen run over Boar with double shoulders. They then baseball slide out and punch him. Mark springboard crossbodies Briggs and is caught. Mark then dropkicks Briggs then Mark is thrown by Briggs into a Jensen powerslam.

Mark chinbreakers Jensen but is put in the corner then takes a Briggs chinlock. Jensen forearms Mark hard in the back then chinlocks him. Briggs throws Mark and he flips into a cutter on Jensen then slides through Briggs legs for the tag. Boar makes a nice hot tag in and hits lariats on Briggs. Briggs then hits a stiff back elbow. Boar hits a nice jumping legdrop and a nice jumping senton. Jensen then takes a dropkick into a german.

Boar top rope frogsplashes Jensen for 2. Boar corner spears him then takes a sick lariat when he charges him again. Briggs kicks Boar in the chest and makes him fly. Briggs goes for a delayed suplex but Mark reverses it into a cutter. Mark jumps off of Briggs' back and dropkicks Jensen then misses an SSP off the top. Briggs and Jensen then hit the high low on Mark and win it.

Putting Boar in this match was a mistake. He was good, but he looked like a toddler against the guys and it really buried the gimmick bad. The match was solid with real stiff stuff but it was tough with both teams being faces and the crowd being unsure of what to do here.

Ilja warms up in the back and we see Tyler Bate. He grabs the cameraman. He says Trent broke his heart and he loved him like a brother. He said he's coming for him forever.

Meiko and Sarray talk in front of a podium ahead of their match. Sarray says she will be the NXT Women's champion.

Meiko says everyone tries to beat her but can't. She says Sarray has the ability to challenge her but Meiko will win. Sarray has a smiley pose for the photo then Meiko gives her a serious pose and Sarray turns around to give her a serious pose.

Amale vs Blair Davenport

The announcers make it seem like this will be an unofficial #1 Contender's match. Blair armdrags her and Amale hits a stiff back elbow. Amale pump kicks her then dropkicks her. Blair gets her out of the ring then is whipped into the rails. Amale gets hung up on the rails after a missed kick and is pulled down. Blair shoulders her.

Amale running lariats her and back elbows her. Blair avoids her bulldog and hurts her ankle off a missed double stomp move. Amale then bulldogs her off of it. Amale facewash kicks her for 2. Blair rolls her up for 2 then knees her in the face. Blair then falcon arrows her to win.

The crowd had zero interest in this one and it was real start and stop. They just couldn't get any momentum going and that's a real concern since they are probably two of the most featured girls on the brand outside of Meiko.

Oliver Carter writes a note to Die Familie and seems to mess up a dinner table that they were supposed to meet at. He turns down their invitation to join. This was a weird segment.

Sha Samuels is outside of the Performance Center and has to pay out on another bet. He says he is tapped out and the guy wants his shoes. Sha then throws his socks at him and screams. Sha tries to sleep and someone gives him another betting slip and he offers up his jacket. He sits on the stairs and someone else wants another jacket and takes his hat for the betting slip. Shai s then interviewed. He is asked how he is doing and he says he lost all his money. He said he lost the cup and everyone is upset with him. Someone then comes to cash in a slip and makes him give up his last jacket. Sha then screams in a fun segment.

We see photos from Chase U in the UK and it says they will be back next week in NXT UK. We will also see Rohan Raja vs Oliver Carter.

WWE NXT UK Title - Ilja Dragunov (c) vs Wolfgang

They lock up early and Ilja headlock takeovers him. Wolf runs him over then Ilja kicks him from the mat. Ilja side throws him. Ilja blocks a hiptoss and does a nice armdrag. Ilja goes to lift him but his back give sout and he drops him. Ilja's elbow is also bleeding and it looks like Wolf is bleeding under the nose too.

They trade forearms then Ilja jumping front kicks him. Ilja is a caught in one corner then thrown into the other. Wolf chinlocks him and Ilja tries to matrix out of a lariat but falls down. Wolf then side sentons him for 2. They trade forearms and Ilja tries to run the ropes but his sore back brings him down. Wolf then throws him into it and Ilja goes down again. Wolf throws him into the buckles hard. Ilj tries to slam him but falls over due to the pain.

Ilj spinning chops him. Wolf hits a hard back elbow and Ilja saves himself from falling over. Ilja hits a back enzugiri then jumping knees him. Ilja top rope knee drops Wolf then elbow flurries him. Ilja sentons him. Ilja hits clotheslines to the front and back and takes a stiff clothesline that flips him.

Wolf reverse fireman's carries him and pops him up with a knee to the back. Ilja rolls him up off a suplex attempt then dives down with a forearm. Ilja goes up top then top rope sentons him and goes wild selling his back. Ilja runs at him and takes a euro then Wolf does a nice suplex into a cutter for 2 for a close nearfall.

They fight up top and Ilja goes down. Wolf goes for a buckshot move and runs into a knee. Ilja northern lights bombs him and follows it with a torpedo headbutt to win it.

This was yet another classic from Ilja Dragunov. There was a lot going on here with Ilja's injured back being the focus of this, Wolf trying to get the big win and Ilja having to fight off the bigger man. The match made sense from start to finish, they sold really well and it was a dramatic, smart man. The crowd was not totally there for whatever reason, but this was a match of the year caliber match and is a must see.

Overall thoughts: The main is a must see and is possibly the MOTY for 2022. Absolute classic. Briggs and Jensen's tag match was good but did expose Wild Boar's height and Blair/Amale wasn't that good. The crowd was very odd all night and did bring some of the stuff down.