7 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT UK (Oct 24)

6. Smith Shines Versus Tucker

Tucker Ashton Smith
WWE.com

Unless you're Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg competing in front of 75,000 people at WrestleMania 33, the ceiling for the average 4-5 minute match tends to sit somewhere between "fine" and "solid." We got three of them last night. Get used to it, because NXT UK's 60-minute runtime means it's almost certainly going to be the norm, with the company cutting and slicing taped bouts to fit the schedule.

There's nothing wrong with that, because all of last night's matches delivered, and while Ashton Smith vs. Tucker was the least enjoyable of them all, it still sat towards the upper end of the ceiling.

With Smith established as the face and Tucker the villain, the duo showcased some impressive athleticism in a textbook momentum seesaw, rife with cut-offs and near-falls. A somewhat muted crowd takes it down a notch, but Ashton's victory should help in that regard. Although he's one of the brand's lesser names, the people know who he is now, and he looked mightily impressive against the Northern Irishman.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.