5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE NXT UK (Oct 31)
1. Second Chances
Two weeks ago, Nina Samuels was permitted to go move-for-move with Toni Storm before the newest Mae Young Classic winner beat her with relative ease. Her second appearance on the show was much the same - she gobbled up Isla Dawn before falling to Dawn's gutwrench suplex in just over three minutes.
What's going on here?
Samuels is currently one of two things to NXT UK, neither of them good. She's either being pushed as a plucky loser with the hope that her eventual win draws Bayley-like reactions, or she's been considered a good hand worth more staring at the lights than she is reaching for the stars.
Regardless, the strategy is thus far failing because she's not actually been out-worked in her matches, nor has she helped those she's laying down for.
The jury remains out for now, but a guilty verdict isn't too many weeks away if these tepid losses ultimately amount to nothing.