NXT UK recap for June 12, 2019: A Wolf in Wolfe’s Clothing

Where to next?

So. Circling back to the end of the show, which was the first thing we talked about in this post, where does NXT UK go from here? With Imperium standing tall again, it’s clear the brand is entering into a new era that expands the scope of what “UK” even means.

Taking just this episode into account, every match was won by a highly-touted talent from outside the United Kingdom. Fabian Aichner is Italian, Ilja Dragunov is Russian, WALTER is Austrian and both Marcel Barthel and Jazzy Gabert are German, as is non-competing difference-maker Alexander Wolfe.

All that considered, it seems like, going forward, NXT UK will also not necessarily center on Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven. All three are undeniably stars who have been cornerstones of the brand and delivered time and time again, but yet, NXT UK remains an almost fringe-like component of WWE in-ring programming.

The fact is, on a given week, NXT UK is on the fourth or fifth rung — dependent on if people decide to post about 205 Live on r/squaredcircle or not — of WWE programming in terms of notoriety. It’s certainly better on a week-to-week basis than Raw or SmackDown, though that’s not too hard of a bar to clear when the criteria are “has wrestling matches,” and “doesn’t feature Shane McMahon.”

Dunne, Bate and Seven are obviously fantastic, but maybe they really have shouldered NXT UK as far as they can alone. Does an NXT UK headlined by a visually striking figure like WALTER necessarily push the needle towards greater relevance for the brand? Realistically, probably not. There honestly is too much content to watch, wrestling or otherwise.

But, it’s worth the shot. WALTER could be like the Brock Lesnar of NXT UK, except he actually shows up on a regular basis and is good. A final boss capable of putting on excellent matches that it’s going to be so satisfying to see fall, whether it be against Travis Banks or 700 days from now.

There’s also TakeOver: Cardiff on the horizon, which has the potential to be huge for the brand should they even approach the standard set by American NXT. All the talent is there to make it happen. Whatever happens next, rest assured we’ll be here to remark on it in ways some of you surely find to be long-winded and insufferable.

Hopefully that wasn’t too bad! Where do you think NXT UK is headed now that Imperium reigns supreme? Is Ilja Dragunov goofy or actually scary? What’s the over/under on months before Jazzy Gabert turns on Jinny? Let us know your thoughts on those and anything else from the world of NXT UK in the comments below.