NXT UK recap, September 11: South Wales Squashculture

Your recap of all the action worth recapping from the September 11, 2019 edition of NXT UK, featuring a TakeOver rematch for the NXT UK Tag Team Championships.

Having wrapped the biggest show in their history and completed the customary airing of matches taped as a pre-show, NXT UK moves on to whatever is next. Of course, for now what’s next is more episodes taped in that same arena in Cardiff, but you understand. It’s more of a moving on in spirit than it is physically moving on to a different city or — god forbid — Axxess event.

The women’s and tag team divisions both have new champions, but WALTER has only strengthened his grip on the United Kingdom Championship. So, now what? Who looks like they will be making a big splash on WWE’s black-and-gold-and-British brand as the final quarter of 2019 approaches? Who came out looking the best in their match against a jobber? And which tag team proved to us all that they are in fact not a fluke? Let’s try to sort it out as we dive into the September 11 edition of NXT UK: South Wales Squashculture.

Ain’t that a kick in the face?

For whatever reason, it has become customary in WWE for Superstars to lose matches in their hometowns. Nothing makes a crowd appreciate your product more than deliberately sending them home unhappy. In NXT UK however, home court/ring advantage is alive and well. Once more in front of the Welsh faithful, Welshmen Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster pin Grizzled Young Veterans, this time to retain the NXT UK Tag Team Championship.

Despite only deciding they wanted to be a devoted tag team with championship aspirations like four weeks ago, Andrews and Webster are one hell of a tag team. Seems like yesterday that they were only a team when it was needed booking-wise. A “we need a team who will make their opponents look good but won’t be hurt by a loss, get Andrews and Webster in there!” kind of deal. But now — at least in two matches in front of hometown crowds — they look great.

Flash Morgan Webster in particular has been showing out, proving just how talented he is. Previously, he seemed like a competent wrestler with fun entrance attire and for some reason three names. Now, we’re learning he can hit 630 sentons and does a sit-out version of The Pedigree! He’s got a move that almost half-way looks like Tetsuya Naito’s Destino, a Destin-eh if you will. Though he may wear a cravat down to the ring, he’ll knee your damn face off.

Goes without saying that Mark Andrews has proven to be great, but want to drop in that he hits a sick reverse rana off the top rope in this match. Oh look there it is below:

On the other side, man, was the Grizzled Young Veterans title run basically a fluke? Only three successful defenses in a 231 day reign, one of which was against a slapdash Kenny Williams/Noam Dar team and one that probably would have been a loss to Moustache Mountain if it didn’t end in a no contest. For all the constant screaming about how there were no tag teams on their level and how the NXT UK tag titles were “sssssoon” to be recognized as the most prestigious in all of WWE, they never did much to further either point. And be honest, were you convinced at all by GYV to kick back and listen to a bit of Ben Howard? Now, capping off their nightmare, two straight losses to the same team due to their own poor judgement and communication.

At TakeOver, it was James Drake leaving Zack Gibson wide open to be hit with Andrews’ shooting star press. Last night, it was Drake literally kicking Gibson in the face. Inadvertent to be sure, but a kick in the face nonetheless. Ain’t that a kick in the face? Then it was Drake’s turn to be flattened by a shooting star press, as the champs retained. Back to square one for Grizzled Young Veterans, as Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster ride high and will never have to pay for drinks in Wales ever again.