Three Ways NXT UK dominates the US NXT brand

NXT UK is the best-kept secret in the US

There are not a lot of wrestling fans who can geek out about British Strong Style wrestling, but I believe it is the most underrated gem. The fact that you can watch the best UK wrestling brands on Peacock is no excuse. NXT UK is on its 4th season and it’s the only WWE brand that you have to purchase the $5 premium subscription to watch. Why would anyone want to watch the UK NXT when we have a perfectly good and free NXT? There are three reasons.

Nigel McGuinness

Everyone complains about a color commentator that is too corny, boring, or just annoying. The WWE has its fair share of duds. I can safely say that NXT UK does not suffer from that problem. Nigel McGuinness is equal parts humor, light teasing, and intelligence. He does not overplay his comedic support of the heels, but at the same time, he can analyze the match like a pro. Nigel was once the ROH champion and notable heel in TNA under the name Desmond Wolfe. He is no slouch.

To boot, he barely tweets on Twitter so he is less likely to get fired for an off comment.

Nearfall excitement

Nothing stinks more in a wrestling show when you can guess the ending before the match even starts. Usually, when the wrestler hits their finisher you can guess what will happen in the next three seconds. NXT UK is rich with close calls and near falls. At least one match per episode has a bout where the combatants battle for ten minutes and you have no idea who is going to win. If you have Peacock exclusive you owe it to yourself to watch July 22nd’s main event. The tag team Subculture fights Pretty Deadly to one of the greatest main events on a small stage I have seen in a while.

The NXT UK Locker Room (with less Raw and Smackdown interference)

When WWE wanted a UK presence they emptied the locker rooms of WXW, Progress, and ICW. The NXT UK locker room is the best of the WWE brand, but without any of the silly filler, you get from NXT US. Wrestlers are expected to perform hard-hitting matches, but still, keep the seriousness of the sport. The British Strong Style is rich with strike and submission wrestling matches and not one ounce of it feels like a drag.

Noam Dar is picking up steam as AJ Styles did in TNA. He is the former ICW World Champ and a very charismatic fighter. Ilja Dragunov is the best combination of Bryan Danielson and Brock Lesnar, being a dominant world champion. A-Kid is the UK’s luchador, carrying the energy of Rey Misterio Jr. The female division still has a way to go before they are as notable as Shayna Baszler or Asuka, but Nina Samuels, Kay Lee Ray, and Meiko Satomura are making a splash.

The best part of NXT UK, the roster is less likely to “graduate” to Raw and get buried under a junky storyline (though I am sure they would jump at the chance).

You should definitely check out NXT UK. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, you can at least appreciate that the logo does not look like someone threw up Skittles.