‘It was like watching a boxing match inside a car crash’ - The expression used by Triple H to describe the main even fight between Pete Dunne and Joe Coffey stands true for the entire NXT UK Takeover show. The Blackpool crowd was completely immersed in the experience and the UK roster did not disappoint as they pulled off a brilliant show with Toni Storm and Grizzly Young Veterans winning big.

Pete Dunne was able to retain the UK Championship after a gritty match against Coffee while Toni Storm added another accolade to her name with a victory over Rhea Ripley to claim her first UK Women’s Championship. The night was capped off perfectly with WWE’s new signing - Walter - making his first appearance after the main even as he stared down Dunne to set up a program.

The show started with the Grizzly Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) facing Mustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) in a tag team match for the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Championship. The two teams produced an absolute classic with a number of near falls but the team of Gibson and Drake were able to hit the Ticket to Mayhem to become the inaugural tag champions.

With the night off a brilliant start, WWE produced a major surprise as Finn Balor came out to face his former pupil - Josh Devlin - after the later injured Travis Banks ahead of their scheduled match. Devlin fought well but Finn proved to be too much for the youngster as he won the match quite easily.

“I haven’t had an adrenaline rush like that in a long time. I’ve been in a lot of big shows, obviously SummerSlams, Royal Rumbles, WrestleManias. The last two years has been an absolute whirlwind, but there’s something very special about wrestling here in the UK,” Balor said after the show.

The last two matches of the night were quite impressive as both the big belts were on the line. Toni Storm, who won the Mae Young Classic last year, prevailed over her compatriot Rhea Ripley in a match that was be a strong contender for the ‘Match of the Night’. Triple H was all praise for the new champion and he lauded her effort in the match despite facing challenges both in her professional and personal life.

“Toni Storm fighting through an injury, coming back at the Mae Young Classic. Just having an incredible year and then meeting with a lot of unfortunate circumstances. Not just injury, but personal. You know that’s a sign of strength in somebody. It’s not how hard you get knocked down, it’s not what gets you down in life it’s the ability to get up and just keep going,” he said.

With the crowd completely captivated by the action, a lot was expected of the main event and it did not disappoint. While it was around 35 minutes long and did lose steam midway, Dunne and Coffey produced a hard-fought encounter and with Walter making his appearance after the match, the storyline is set perfectly for the NXT taping that will take place at the Empress Ballroom on Sunday.

First Published: Jan 13, 2019 18:18 IST