NXT TakeOver: Cardiff Results (8/31/19) - New Champions crowned, British Strong Style reunites
NXT UK has built up an incredible card for the brand's second-ever TakeOver event. Tonight, we'll get six hard-hitting matches featuring the best superstars the UK has to offer. In fact, that also includes WWE Superstar Cesaro, who issued an open challenge on the TakeOver Pre-Show.
All three championships are on the line tonight. The Grizzled Young Vets will be defending their NXT UK Tag Team Titles in a triple threat tag team match. Last month, Gallus's own Mark Coffey & Wolfgang challenged the champions. However, as the two kicked off their bitter feud, Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews inserted themselves into the title picture. Webster & Andrews had to beat both Coffey & Wolfgang in singles competition to punch their ticket to Cardiff. Tonight, the undersized duo hoped to pull off an upset in their hometown.
Toni Storm's NXT UK Women's Championship is on the line tonight as she battles her former friend Kay Lee Ray. Ray quickly ended her friendship with Storm in order to get to the front of the line for the title, even bringing up Storm's troubled past. Ray has dished out some incredible mind games over the past few months, but will it be enough to shake the stellar young superstar?
At NXT TakeOver: New York, Walter ended Pete Dunne's incredible 685 day reign as UK Champion. Since then, he's aligned himself with Fabian Aichner, Marcell Barthell, and Alexander Wolfe, forming Imperium, a deadly stable Hell bent on dominating NXT UK by any means necessary. Over the summer, Walter injured Trent Seven after four brutal powerbombs. Tonight, former UK Champion Tyler Bate gets the chance to get revenge for his fellow British Strong Style members when he challenges Walter for his title.
Along with all of that, we also have a one-on-one bout between Travis Banks and Noam Dar as well as a Hoss Fight in the Last Man Standing match featuring Joe Coffey and Dave Mastiff.
Noam Dar vs Travis Banks
Banks and Dar locked up, with both men jockeying for position. Dar brought Banks in with a wrist lock, but the vet was able to escape, counting with a hold of his own. Dar pushed towards the ropes, breaking up the hold cand catching Banks with a leg hook. Banks escaped an ankle lock attempt, leading to a point where both men tried to take each other's head off with stiff kicks. It ended with a stalemate and Dar offering a handshake.
It was only a ploy, but Banks saw through it, taking out the left leg of Dar repeatedly. Dar was sent outside hobbling on his leg, but couldn't escape Banks as he leapt onto the apron for a penalty kick. Back inside, though, Dar was able to bait Banks in and hang him up on the top rope for a leaping clothesline. Banks kicked out at two.
Dar talked some trash while slapping the face of Banks, who attempted to fight back with a few punches. Dar quickly put an end to that, sending him into the ropes with a snapmare. Dar then started working over the left shoulder. Banks made it back to his feet but was left kneeling over in pain after a shoulder breaker. He managed to counter Dar eventually, sending him face first into the second turnbuckle and connecting with a running dropkick. A German suplex set up for a leaping double stomp, but Dar rolled away.
The two attempted to get around each other with a waist lock. Dar dropped to the ground and began kicking the head and shoulders of Banks, eventually bringing him down for an attempt at the LeBell Lock. Banks countered with a crucifix pin then trapped him in an arm trapped crossface. Dar fought to the ropes and saved the matchup for himself.
Dar slapped the taste out of Banks' mouth, leading him to go for a running kick but getting trapped in the ropes. Dar pelted him with kicks then brought him down with a spin out fisherman suplex. Banks kicked out. The Nova Roller was attempted, but a kick to the jaw stopped Dar in his tracks. Banks set up for the springboard kick only to be trapped in a kneebar.
Banks tried to fight out, leading to a spot where he was trapped in an Indian death lock while the two men traded punches. Banks then found himself outside on the apron where Dar knocked him off with a dropkick to the legs. Dar sent him into the steel steps, then sent him back inside for a basement lariat to the back of the Kiwi Buzzsaw's head. Banks kicked out.
Dar was sent into the corner with a shotgun dropkick and hit a second rope double stomp. He kicked out of a pinfall and rolled outside only to be driven to the floor by a suicide dive. As he was sent into the ring, he bounced out and rocked Dar with an elbow. Banks was sent into the barricade but leapt onto the top and countered with a Slice of Heaven.
Inside the ring, a top rope double stomp from Banks led to a two count. Both men leaned on each other to get back to their feet and traded forearm strikes. Dar hit a few uppercuts, sending Banks into the ropes where he bounced back with a clothesline. Dar avoided a shot in the corner and caught Banks with a running pump kick. Banks set up for the Slice of Heaven but Dar kicked his legs out from under him, leading to the Nova Roller and the pinfall.
Results: Noam Dar defeated Travis Banks via pinfall.