Aping a story between Baron Corbin and Bull Dempsey that worked quite well in the original NXT, Dave Mastiff and Tyson T-Bone's squashes went back to back in week two in order to force a comparison of the two bruisers between the crowd.
WWE even shot a near-scene backstage as the two almost came to blows in what should be one of the more intriguing programmes on the whole show. After weeks and weeks and weeks of mid-sized guys with mid-sized skills, it's nice to see something different to give the dry and drab steak some sizzle.
As NXT UK attempts to grow into a serviceable weekly product, it'll need characters like this more than the rank-and-files that fill time in meaningless midcard matches - Mastiff's a superior all-rounder than T-Bone but they both offer a lot as threats to Pete Dunne et al once their auras have been established. This feud between the two should position one (likely Mastiff) as the the brand's biggest threat.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
