Preview: WWE NXT UK (10/22/20)

The opening round of NXT UK‘s Heritage Cup Tournament reaches its conclusion this week, just one week before one of the biggest NXT UK episodes thus far, where WALTER will defend his NXT UK Championship against a man who has waited six months for his title opportunity, Ilja Dragunov!

NXT UK Heritage Cup Tournament – Quarterfinals: Kenny Williams vs. Trent Seven

The final quarterfinal bout in the NXT UK Heritage Cup Tournament will see two tag team performers battle it out for the final semifinal spot, as Kenny Williams battles Trent Seven to determine who will go on to face Dave Mastiff for a chance at the finals. ‘The Lucky Yin’ earned his place in the tournament by defeating both Ashton Smith and tag partner Amir Jordan in a Wild Card Triple Threat Match a couple of weeks ago, with the Moustache Mountain man waiting for him in the opening round. While he’s typically found been found in the doubles division, even being a former NXT Tag Team Champion, Seven is no stranger to a huge singles opportunity in NXT UK. His battles with Eddie Dennis earlier this year, both at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II and in their Steel Corners Street Fight, were superb. It’s not exactly going to be an easy task for either man in the semifinals, with ‘The Bomber’ awaiting the winner of this contest after he knocked out Joseph Conners last week, however, this is sure to be a sensational contest regardless.

Oliver Carter vs. Eddie Dennis

Having been out on the sidelines with a separated shoulder since January, Eddie Dennis will finally make his in-ring return to NXT UK as he takes on Oliver Carter. The former PROGRESS Wrestling World Champion suffered the injury in the aforementioned Steel Corners Street Fight against Trent Seven, an injury that forced him to relinquish his title that saw Cara Noir leave the Electric Ballroom as champion. Of course, we have actually seen ‘The Pride of Wales’ in NXT UK since the injury, as he’s been in discussions with Pretty Deadly (Sam Stoker and Lewis Howley) as of late with regards to a potential alliance between the three of them. Having Dennis return to action against a tag team performer like Carter creates that opportunity for Stoker and Howley to officially align with the teacher-turned-wrestler by taking out not only Oliver, but also his tag partner in Ashton Smith. Granted, Carter and Smith aren’t exactly the highest-ranked tandem in NXT UK right now, but every step towards championship glory is a step worth taking.

WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov’s Contract Signing

Ahead of their huge NXT UK Championship next Thursday evening, WALTER and Ilja Dragunov will meet in the ring this week to officially sign the contract for their championship affair. It was last week where Dragunov became the first man to pin ‘The Ring General’ since he arrived in NXT UK almost two years ago, gaining the three count over the Austrian behemoth after a Torpedo Moscow in a star-studded tag team match also involving Pete Dunne and Alexander Wolfe. Contract signings rarely ever go to plan in wrestling, as we know, so if general manager Johnny Saint is wise enough, he won’t stick around these two for too long.

The Real Cruiserweight Champion

Having not been seen in months, Jordan Devlin resurfaced last week, proclaiming himself to be the real NXT Cruiserweight Championship. The Irishman had won the title from Angel Garza back at Worlds Collide in January, the night before the Royal Rumble, but due to the ongoing pandemic, he’s been unable to travel to defend the title since March. As a result, a tournament was held over spring that determined Santos Escobar as the interim champion following his win over Drake Maverick in the finals, although many had assumed he was now the official champion given the accusations made against Devlin a few months ago. Nonetheless, it looks we’re now set for a championship unification bout further down the line between ‘The Irish Ace’ and the Legado del Fantasma leader.

Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Be sure to catch all of the NXT UK action via the WWE Network. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the LWOS Boards to engage in conversation with fellow fans!