5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE NXT UK (Oct 31)
3. Coffey Break
Marginally better than the Episode One opener because fans had at this point been given the makings of a feud between the two, Flash Morgan Webster's victory over Mark Coffey was carried more by the story arc than the match itself.
Webster's a strange outlier on these shows thus far. His work between the ropes doesn't quite match the best the brand has to offer, and the gimmick, whilst over, is entirely detached from his action when the bell rings. Better to be over than 'just' a good wrestler of course, but the lack of connective tissue between any of it makes emotional investment tougher without WWE going all in on vignettes and over-production for him.
So little thrilled in this match, and considering these were still the very first tapings, shouldn't that have been the point of every segment? The post-match antics between the Coffeys, Webster, Travis Banks and Mark Andrews were better than the match itself, sowing the seeds for a decent angle in the second hour, but what if viewers had already clicked off by then?