NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool - Ranking the matches
NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool had a lot to prove. Could the upstart brand possibly live up to its older brother and the critically acclaimed NXT: TakeOver series? Well, not quite, but the first ever event under the NXT UK banner performed admirably, delivering more than was expected given a card that some people referred to as weak. There was also a huge surprise at the end that showed us what the future has in store for the brand.
Given everything that happened, I would say that NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool was a success, but not a smashing one. It was still some solid hours of content, though, which was a nice way to spend a cold January afternoon over here in the US.
Five matches were on the card, as per usual with a TakeOver. If you didn't catch the event live, which ones should you watch later? I'll answer that question for you.
#5 Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis
No TakeOver match is ever bad. This one just happened to be the weakest on the night. It was a battle of monsters between Dave Mastiff and Eddie Dennis, with a no disqualification stipulation. Dennis had his undefeated streak broken by Mastiff, so he vowed that he was going to do the same in Blackpool.
However, the match didn't quite live up to some of the no DQ matches that we've seen elsewhere. Mastiff and Dennis worked the match a bit slow, and while there were some big spots, such as the former's cannonball through a table in order to put away his opponent, there wasn't anything special or innovative about this match today. It never got into higher gear, in other words.
It was solid but unspectacular.