NXT UK Results: Two title bouts; Championship press conference
This week's NXT UK was a special event, as two titles were on the line. Tyler Bate would defend the NXT UK Heritage Cup against Gallus's Mark Coffey. We'd also see Meiko Satomura's first defense of the NXT UK Women's Championship. She'd go toe-to-toe with the French Hope, Amale.
All of that, plus a tag team match featuring Teoman and Rohan Raja. Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter had revenge on their mind, as the they had felt the wrath of Teoman in recent months. Tonight was their chance, and all four men shined in an awesome tag team bout.
NXT UK kicked off with a message from "Papa H" himself, Triple H. The Game highlighted the great match between NXT UK Champion WALTER and Ilja Dragunov last year. Next week, Dragunov/WALTER II will take place.
Dragunov/WALTER NXT UK Championship Press Conference
We started the show off with a press conference highlighting the bout. Alex McCarthy's TALKSport asked WALTER if he felt his 800+ day reign with the NXT UK Title was under threat. WALTER was not phased by his contender, saying that he was in this for the greater good of this sport.
It has been an honor for WALTER and Imperium to step in the ring and represent wrestling the way it should be. Ilja Dragunov is a great competitor, but he didn't have WALTER's mental fortitude.
Ace from BBC1Xtra asked Dragunov what he had learned since his loss to WALTER the previous year. Dragunov said that it had been a very rough year for him. Losses are a part of the sport, but that loss followed Dragunov throughout the year. He learned a lot, and is now prepared to face the NXT UK Champion.
Alistair McGeorge of Metro.co.uk said the previous match had been praised highly since it took place, and wanted to know what we could all expect. Dragunov and WALTER laid it down pretty simply. It's going to be a violent affair. Though Dragunov wanted to redefine violence, WALTER wanted to redefine this sport. WALTER said he was tired of Dragunov feeling sorry for himself, and that's why he knew he wasn't on his level.
Dragunov has been putting on a show with the emotions and problems he's been going through to get this shot. WALTER believed that, truly, Dragunov was a fraud. Dragunov said that the respect he once had for WALTER is now gone, and has been replaced with pure hatred.
Subculture earned a shot at the NXT UK Tag Championships last week thanks to Mark Andrews' win over Lewis Holey. We'll see them face Pretty Deadly for the gold next week. The NXT UK Championship and Tag Championships will be on the line in what's to be a phenomenal episode.