NXT UK has been making major headlines recently, firing strong shots on the last weekend of August against major WWE competitors. One method used to hype up the event and deliver, has been to import big-name WWE Raw and SmackDown wrestlers for appearances at Takeover shows.
At Takeover: Blackpool, Finn Balor made a surprise appearance to the joy of the audience and proceeded to put on a fast-paced and intense match with Jordan Devlin. Both men came out of that match looking tremendous, and the crowd lapped it up.
At Takeover: Cardiff, it was Cesaro’s turn. He was challenged by Ilja Dragunov, and the two put on a similarly upbeat performance.
According to Triple H, many more stars of WWE are hoping to jump across and join in on some of the fun. Drew McIntyre, for example, has stated his intention publicly to come across the pond and face some of the UK brand’s best and brightest. We could see much more of that in the future.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
Sources indicate that one of the major factors in the decision making of both NXT UK management and the wrestlers themselves is the amount of freedom the wrestlers in question would have. Details are emerging that both Balor and Cesaro had major input in the selection of their opponents; suggesting that they selected someone to put over by stepping in the ring with them.
Triple H has suggested that we will continue to see WWE stars appearing in NXT UK, as well as a much greater fluidity between the rosters of NXT, 205 Live and NXT UK moving forward as NXT becomes a more high profile brand with the move to the USA Network. With star names continuing to bang his door down with pitches for matches and opponents, it really shows the work ethic and intent to support their fellows.
I go into more detail on NXT UK, my discussion with Triple H and more in a podcast with Korey Gunz and Gary Cassidy. If you’d like to hear more, check out the below video:
NOTE: Be sure to backlink this article, if you choose to carry it on your website!