Preview: NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff (8/31/19)

Following on from the huge success that was TakeOver: Blackpool this past January, NXT UK are back at it again as they head to the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales for the brand’s second installment into the TakeOver series. This will mark their first time stepping into Welsh territory, but it will be a welcome sight for a few members of the roster, two of whom are set to challenge for the doubles gold. Going by the currently announced card, as well as the fact that Cesaro has also stated he’ll be in attendance, we’re in for another unforgettable evening. But will it be able to top TakeOver: Blackpool?

Travis Banks vs Noam Dar

For weeks, Noam Dar was adamant he would be competing at TakeOver: Cardiff, but there was no clear opponent in sight for him to face. He wasn’t part of any major storylines at that time and didn’t really have beef with anyone else on the roster, so it was a pure mystery as to who The Scottish Supernova would be facing if he was indeed on the card. Two weeks ago on the weekly NXT UK show, however, Dar would sarcastically congratulate Travis Banks after The Kiwi Buzzsaw had been victorious over Kenny Williams. Although this is perhaps the least anticipated match on the card (in the sense that it’s the only one without a stipulation or a title on the line), it has all the potential to steal the entire show. A win here would do wonders for either man right now but since Banks has recently had a highly-competitive United Kingdom Championship match with WALTER, it’s Dar who needs it that extra bit more.

Prediction: Noam Dar

Last Man Standing Match: Joe Coffey vs Dave Mastiff

When you think of the ideal competitors for a Last Man Standing Match, it doesn’t get much better than Joe Coffey and Dave Mastiff. These two have been going back and forth for a few weeks now, which included a six-man tag team match where Coffey teamed with his Gallus pals Mark Coffey and Wolfgang as they defeated Mastiff and The Hunt (Wild Boar and The Primate). Tensions would only rise from there, with a singles match between the duo going to a double count-out as the two powerhouses couldn’t keep their fight confined between the ropes. As a result, general manager Johnny Saint and his assistant Sid Scala declared that the only way to decide a winner once and for all was to throw the two into a match where the only way you can win is by incapacitating your opponent so that they can’t stand before the referee’s ten count. Two possible future United Kingdom Champions going head to head.

Prediction: Dave Mastiff

NXT UK Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs Kay Lee Ray

The first match confirmed for TakeOver: Cardiff was the NXT UK Women’s Championship match between defending champion Toni Storm and challenger Kay Lee Ray. Since capturing the title from Rhea Ripley this past January in Blackpool, Toni has run through every challenger who’s come her way. No matter if it was Jinny, Nina Samuels, or even against Viper on an Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) show, the New Zealand native has proven herself to be quite the champion. Despite her best efforts though, Kay Lee Ray has been there to knock her down a notch, winning a battle royal two months ago to earn this title opportunity. The Queen of Insanity has made it her mission to make Toni’s life hell leading up to this bout, which included some rather harsh comments regarding the champ’s personal life. You could cut the tension with a knife when those words came out of KLR’s mouth, but it’s done nothing more than ensure Toni Storm is coming into this one even more motivated than normal.

Prediction: Toni Storm

.@Kay_Lee_Ray took things too far last week on #NXTUK! @tonistorm_ pic.twitter.com/eNxZ6QX0q2

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) August 28, 2019

NXT UK Tag Team Championships – Triple Threat Match: The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) (c) vs Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) vs Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster

The second of three championship matches sees The Grizzled Young Veterans pairing of “Liverpool’s No.1” Zack Gibson and “Mr Mayhem” James Drake putting their Tag Team Championships up for grabs in what is sure to be a colossal triple threat tag team match. On one side of the ring, we’ve got Gallus representatives Mark Coffey and Wolfgang. These two brutes, alongside Joe Coffey, have been running roughshod over NXT UK essentially since NXT UK became a thing. Just with these two though, they’ve racked up victory after victory, defeating the likes of The Hunt and Team WhiteWolf (A-Kid and Carlos Romo) en-route to inserting themselves into the tag titles picture. While it looked as if it would be a straight two on two match between The GYV and Gallus, Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster emerged from backstage, fresh off of Webster’s return from injury. Johnny Saint would let the Welsh team know that they’d have to earn their way into the match at TakeOver, which they were successful in doing as Andrews defeated James Drake while Webster defeated Mark Coffey. There are three very different teams coming into this one, with the excellent tag teamwork of The Grizzled Young Veterans, the brute strength of Gallus, and the quickness of Andrews and Webster. It’s anyone’s game to win, but what’s better than a good old fashioned hometown victory?

Prediction: Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster

WWE United Kingdom Championship: WALTER (c) vs Tyler Bate

In a rematch from their epic collision at PROGRESS Wrestling‘s Wembley Arena show last September, WALTER and Tyler Bate will once again face-off, this time with the WWE United Kingdom Championship on the line. Ever since he dethroned Tyler’s British Strong Style pal Pete Dunne of the United Kingdom Championship this past April, WALTER has become the most dominant force in NXT UK, and has since aligned himself with Alexander Wolfe, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel to form Imperium. The quartet has made their presence felt within NXT UK, mainly at the expense of Moustache Mountain. WALTER has decimated both Tyler and Trent Seven in recent weeks with numerous powerbombs to each but following a return to take out Imperium, Tyler Bate was granted the title match that he was after. Although there is a considerable size advantage in this one, there’s nothing that can stop The Big Strong Boi from becoming a two-time United Kingdom Champion. But will he?

Prediction: WALTER