WRESTLING WITH TAKEOVER: CARDIFF

NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff - 8/31/19

Quick Results:

• Noam Dar defeated Travis Banks

• Cesaro defeated Ilja Dragunov

• NXT UK Tag Team Championship: Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews defeated Grizzled Young Veterans and Gallus; New Champions

• Last Man Standing Match: Joe Coffey defeated Dave Mastiff

• NXT UK Women's Championship: Kay Lee Ray defeated Toni Storm; New Champion

• WWE UK Championship: Walter defeated Tyler Bate

Highlights:

• The Cesaro match was a reminder of just how good of a wrestler he is. One of the major highlights of the match was a 40 second big swing, which he soon followed up with a gorilla press into a GTS-style gutbuster. I think this was just a one off appearance but if Cesaro were to become a permanent member of the NXT UK roster, that would only build up this brand. Dragunov looked stronger in defeat, as he kept up with Cesaro through the whole match, much like his loss to Kassius Ohno a few weeks ago.

• The crowd was very loud and animated throughout the night but the Triple Threat tag match for the titles was by far their peak. Both for the heat that Zack Gibson gets and the love of the two Welsh boys of Andrews and Webster, the crowd didn't die down once. Although the match started slow, the pace and excitement picked up with multiple double team and aerial moves. The emotion the crowd felt when Andrews and Webster won the titles was pretty enjoyable to watch.

• I am a big fan of both Toni Storm and Kay Lee Ray and I was very excited to see Ray win the Women's Title. This match was pretty intense throughout and I'd like to see them do it again and raise the bar. I think this is a feud that could continue for some time, while building up new contenders to take on Ray down the road, like Piper Niven or Xia Brookside.

• The story for the UK Title match was all about the strength of the challenger. Was Tyler Bate going to be able to overcome the massively imposing Walter? I think they played this story out well. They sold it to the point that a simple body slam was a huge accomplishment that made the crowd erupt. Even in defeat, Tyler Bate was made to look like a huge star who can be a legitimate contender for any title he sets after.

Overall, this show was a 4 out of 5. The crowd was on their feet for the majority of the show and the in-ring action was very good, with only a few minor setbacks.