Csonka’s NXT UK Rise of Imperium Review

Csonka’s NXT UK Rise of Imperium Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– From NXT UK TV 1.30.19: WALTER defeated Jack Starz @ 2:25 via pin [NR]
– From NXT UK TV 5.22.19: WALTER defeated Pete Dunne @ 16:45 via pin [****]
– From NXT UK TV 6.12.19: Imperium defeated British Strong Style @ 14:50 via pin [***¾]
– From WWE Worlds Collide 2020: Imperium defeated Undisputed Era @ 30:00 via pin [****]

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– Today’s show is a special on Imperium..

– We open with clips of WALTER’s debut in January 2019.

WALTER vs. Jack Starz: This was the in-ring debut of WALTER. Starz takes the fight to WALTER, and is quickly mowed down with chops. To the floor, more chops, an apron suplex and the crowd is singing WALTER’s theme as he murders a man. Back in and Starz keeps fighting back, John Woooooooooo by WALTER and the powerbomb follows for the win. WALTER defeated Jack Starz @ 2:25 via pin [NR] HE’S FUCKING DEAD, JIM!

– Jack Starz comments on his death at the hands of WALTER.

– We see clips of WALTER Beating Dunne to win the NXT UK Championship, and now the rematch on TV.

Champion WALTER vs. Pete Dunne: They lock up and work to the ropes for the clean break. Dunne now attacks the arm, but WALTER counters out and they break. Dunne grounds things again, but WALTER escapes and teases a big chop. They lock up and WALTER grounds things, but Dunne escapes and attacks the arm. The dragon screw then follows and WALTER spills to the floor. Dunne follows, but WALTER fires away with chops. WALTER then misses and hits the post, allowing Dunne to attack the hand, using the steps. WALTER fires back with a big boot, uppercuts, and John Wooooooo into the barricade. WALTER then stomps away at him on the steps, and back in, follows with a big boot. Dunne catches the arm and attacks the fingers until WALTER hits chops. He grounds the action, but Dunne fires up and levels him with strikes. The enziguri follows, and then a dropkick to the knee of WALTER. He rolls into a knee bar, but WALTER fights out and eats kicks from Dunne. The octopus hold follows, Dunne then attacks the fingers, and hits a crucifix bomb for 2. Dunne stomps on the hands, but WALTER cuts him off with a lariat. The urange follows for 2. WALTER locks on the crab, but Dunne kicks his way out and hits a PK. He stomps away on WALTER, and rolls into an arm bar. WALTER fights and makes the ropes. WALTER hits a clothesline, heads up top but Dunne hits a dropkick and follows him up top. Dunne locks on a triangle, and hits a RANA for a great near fall. He follows with leg kicks, WALTER fires back with chops, and they trade. Dunne follows with a German but WALTER kills him with a lariat for 2. WALTER heads up top and flies into the forearm strike and Dunne hits bitter end, and transitions into a triangle. He snaps the fingers, but Fabian Aichner arrives and takes the ref. Barthel attacks Dunne and WALTER hits the powerbomb to retain. WALTER defeated Pete Dunne @ 16:45 via pin [****] While not on the level of their Takeover epic, this was still a great match that played well off of the theme of that match well. The finish worked to protect Dunne, set up a potential third bout (which we never got), as well as gave us a new dominant faction in NXT UK, while also showing that WALTER has some fear in facing Dunne again.

– Fabian Aichner, Marcel Barthel, & WALTER stand tall as WWE’s non-union, NXT UK equivalent of RINGKAMPF, later named Imperium.

– Aichner & Barthel comment on Imperium’s relationship, and how they came together as a team.

Imperium (WALTER, Aichner, & Barthel) vs. British Strong Style (Dunne, Bate, & Seven): Dunne attacks at the bell, but Aichner cuts him off with a lariat. Dunne fights back, tags in Bate and double teams follow. Barthel tags in and cuts him off with a shot to the throat, and then lays the boots to him. Bate battles back, tagging in Seven and double teams follow. Barthel cuts off Seven, follows with uppercuts and WALTER tags in. They lock up and WALTER backs him off and to the corner. Seven lays in chops, just pissing WALTER off but he continues to throw. Seven runs wild until WALTER drops him with a single chop. He lays in knee strikes, and hits a slam, covering for 2. Aichner tags back in and he lays the boots to Seven. The belly to back suplex follows for 2. WALTER now tags back in and Seven fires back with chops, but WALTER cuts him off and starts working the arm. The uranage follows for 2. WALTER lays in grounded knee strikes, Barthel tags in and continues to ground Seven. Aichner in and double teams follow, and the cover gets 2. Seven hits a desperation jawbreaker, an enziguri and we get wholesale changes to Dunne & WALTER. Dunne runs wild on the champion until WALTER hits a chop and the choke. Dunne counters out, follows with kicks and a snap German and WALTER rebounds and he now hits a German. Bate and Aichner tag in and Bate hits a RANA. He follows with uppercuts, knee strikes, and a flying uppercut. XPLODER on Barthel onto Aichner. The airplane spin follows, but WALTER is in and Bate hits bop and bang. Aichner in and the numbers get to Bate and the brainbuster gets 2 as Dunne makes the save. Double teams follow on Bate, but he manages to kick out. Bate battles back with strikes and chops, and the double lariat follows. Seven hits the seven star lariat, a suicide dive and Dunne hits bitter end as Bate it’s the spiral tap for 2. It breaks down as a masked figure heads to the ring and the ref is taken out. The masked man is Alexander Wolfe, who Liger bombs Bate. The ref is back and Bate is done. Imperium defeated British Strong Style @ 14:50 via pin [***¾] Imperium bolsters their ranks by one, and takes out British Strong Style in their first official clash. This was a very good and tremendously fun tag match, that worked very well for their first meeting and also continues things. The question was, could British Strong Style find an ally to counter the addition of Wolfe? No, they didn’t.

– Wolfe says joining Imperium was the best move of his career, and they had to eliminate BSS.

Imperium vs. Undisputed Era: Aichner and Kyle begin, with Aichner overpowering him with ease. Kyle pulls guard and looks for an arm bar, but Aichner makes the ropes and follows with uppercuts they trade chops and strikes. Aichner hits a powerslam, Barthel joins in for double teams and that gets 2. Kyle fights back, Roddy tags in and takes control over Barthel. Wolfe tags in and they double team Roddy, covering for 2. Wolfe works him over in the corner, Roddy fires back and Fish tags in as double teams follow for 2. Wolfe is down, being checked on and he looks to be hurt, likely concussed. Good work by referee Drake to see that and get help right away. They take him away as WALTER tags in and starts working over Cole. Cole counters the chops, follows with kicks and TUE attacks, Roddy tags in and WALTER cuts him off with the big boot. Aichner tags in and follows with a suplex on Roddy. Barthel tags in and isolates Roddy in the corner. Cole sneaks in and cuts him off. Fish tags in and they isolate Barthel in the corner, working quick tags and double teams. Fish hits a senton atomico, Cole follows with a neck breaker and that gets 2. He grounds things, Barthel fights to his feet but Cole hits the backstabber for 2. Kyle back in, follows with knee strikes and keeps Barthel grounded. Kyle mocks WALTER, and Barthel attacks and cuts him off. WALTER tags in and he runs wild, Germans Kyle. He follows with slaps but Kyle pulls a guillotine until WALTER counters and Roddy tries to help and WALTER Germans them both. Aichner in and he and Barthel hit the double team deep impact for 2. Barthel hits a back elbow and that gets 2 on Kyle. Aichner tags back in, and the suplex gets 2. He grounds things, follows with knee strikes and WALTER tags in. The slam and sit down splash connects, he delivers strikes and Kyle battles back until WALTER takes his soul with a chop and covers for 2. Kyle fights off Aichner and is quickly cut off in the Imperium corner. Barthel gets an ankle lock, Kyle escapes, Roddy and Cole tag in, Roddy runs wild and trades with WALTER, delivering chops and running forearms until WALTER kills him with a lariat. Roddy follows with a knee strike, sick kick, powerbombs Aichner and transitions to the Stronghold. Barthel & Fish tag in, Imperium double teams Fish and the air raid crash follows for 2. The European bomb is countered, Fish tosses them into each other and Cole tags in hits an enziguri on Barthel. The ushigoroshi follows for 2 as WALTER makes the save. TUE swarms WALTER, dump him and they dismantle an announce table. WALTER fires back with chops, Kyle saves Roddy but WALTER keeps fighting, post Fish and he dismantles another table. He and Kyle onto the table, Fish attacks and Roddy hits the Angle slam through the announce table! Back in and Barthel suplexes Cole, hits the flying uppercut and then takes out Kyle. Aichner and Barthel runs wild until Cole hits superkicks and the OG last shot for 2. Roddy tags in and double teams follow for 2 on Barthel. Fish in and Aichner makes the save, he’s cut off with double teams, Barthel is beaten down an Kyle hits bombs away to the knee, follows with a heel hook but Barthel makes the ropes. Ropewalk moonsault by Aichner to Kyle, but TUE attacks, using the numbers game but WALTER is alive and Barthel fights and tags him on. GET TO THE CHOPPA MOTHERFUCKERS! Cole cuts him off, but WALTER kills him with chops, he dumps the others and powerbombs Roddy, the top rope splash follows, last shot by Cole and Imperium makes the save. They regroup and then brawl! High low to WALTER, Barthel takes out Cole, then Kyle and Roddy then follows with a dive. Aichner then follows with a run up aces high to the floor Fish misses a moonsault, John Woooooo by WALTER and the powerbomb finishes it! Imperium defeated Undisputed Era @ 30:00 via pin [****] First things first, it absolutely sucks that Wolfe got hurt, but credit to the other seven men as they overcame the handicap, ad carried on like complete pros, didn’t miss a beat, and delivered in the main event spot. I thought all of the interactions played will, they did some Dole vs. WALTER, but also didn’t over do it. Everyone got time to shine, WALTR looked like a beast and the crowd treated him like a big deal. Again, I can’t praise the work of the seven men that carried on and delivered after an unfortunate injury.

– Next week is another favorite matches episode.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 113. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka & Steve Cook discuss the news of the week, breakdown this week’s AEW vs. NXT (5.06.20), and then preview WWE MITB 2020. The show is approximately 131-minutes long.

* Intro
* News Roundup: 2:10
* AEW Dynamite (5.06.20) Review: 38:05
* NXT (5.06.20) Review: 1:08:00
* The Head to Head Comparison: 1:32:55
* WWE MITB 2020 Preview: 1:37:20

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* Stitcher
* Google Play

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

This week’s episode of NXT UK was a feature on Imperium, and was an overall great watch.