4 Ups And 4 Downs From NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff

2. A Swiss Superhero

Cesaro Ilja Dragunov NXT UK TakeOver Cardiff
WWE.com

As could reasonably have been predicted ahead of time, the Swiss Superman's cameo in Cardiff stole the show. Despite nominally playing heel, the migrating Cesaro was always going to inspire an absolutely electric response from the Welsh crowd, and so it transpired when he emerged as Ilja Dragunov's opponent for the night's second match.

The fan fervour wasn't predicated simply on the Raw star slumming it for a night, however. The Swiss and the Czar shared an absolutely superb singles contest, which saw a superman swing for the ages of over 40 rotations (prompting Nigel McGuinness to quip that he didn't know the Welsh could count so high), and a vicious GTS from Cesaro, instigating the now customary "Are you watching Vince McMahon?" chants.

Obviously, the main roster man got the victory, catching Dragunov with his patented European Uppercut/Neutraliser combo. The young German lost nothing in defeat, and was given the natural leg-up from his opponent with a respectful post-match handshake. Cesaro came off like an absolutely superstar here - though he would within such a setting.

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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.