When Blair Davenport appeared on NXT 2.0, she quickly made the same claims she has made on NXT UK: it is her birthright to be a champion.
In recent weeks on the UK brand, we’ve seen several women make their claims to be next in line for a title shot. Davenport stood atop that list after taking out both Sarray and the champion, Meiko Satomura, before their planned title match several weeks ago.
After several brawls, promos and debates, the natural decision to hold a No.1 Contenders match was made and it would serve as the final NXT UK Women’s Division match. But who will be next in line?
Blair Davenport has arguably the biggest claim to the title. Not only was her last attempt at the title disrupted only by a freak injury but weeks ago she took out not only the champion but also her challenger, Sarray, in a backstage assault. Davenport comes into this match with all the confidence in the world.
In her time in NXT UK, we’ve seen Amale grew from being an aggressive and confrontational woman with a chip on her shoulder to the French Hope we see today, the WWE Universe firmly in her corner week after week. Amale has had several attempts at the title before but this version of Amale is stronger and more ready than ever.
The potential darkhorse of this Fatal Four Way, Eliza Alexander is new to the NXT UK brand and has mostly served as part of a tag team with Xia Brookside. She may not have as much experience as the other women in title matches but she enters the match having never been pinned on NXT UK.
The longest tenured woman in this match, Isla Dawn was there when the first champion was crowned, having competed in not only that tournament but also the first UK branded match to feature women back in 2019. She knows Meiko Satomura very well and would relish another opportunity at the title.
As chants of ‘French Hope’ fill the arena, Dawn is singled out by her opponents one by one and swiftly makes her exit to the floor. It would be Amale who is next taken out by Davenport and Alexander before they turn their attentions to each other.
Davenport strikes Alexander with a stiff shot but it seems to only spur the Scouser on as she delivers a receipt right back before being thrown hard to the mat and out the ring. As Dawn makes her presence known by targeting Alexander, Amale sends Davenport to join them before she climbs the top rope and dives down to the arena floor, taking out all of her competitors.
The four pair off with Dawn and Davenport finishing what they started weeks ago while Alexander draws the ire of Amale’s fan base by striking her down in front of them. The women strike each other in opposite corners of the ringside area with Amale taking out Alexander with a running neckbreaker and Dawn launching Davenport into the steel ringpost.
It would be Dawn going for the first elimination of the match as she slides Davenport into the ring, earning only a two count. Dawn delivers vicious roundhouse kicks to Davenport and hits a back suplex before Amale re-enters the ring and successfully hits a bicycle kick.
Things begin to get chaotic as all four women get back in the ring with Dawn now tangling with Alexander and taking her to the corner, climbing to the top until Davenport stuns her with a strike. Attempting a superplex, Davenport joins Dawn atop the ring corner with Alexander climbing up next to them as the pair attempt to take out Dawn permanently. Amale would then rush to the corner and complete the tower of doom and take out all three of her opponents for the second time in this match.
A passionate Amale follows up with repeated running kicks in the corner to both Davenport and Alexander but is struck from behind by Dawn and all four woman collide once more until Amale hits the Hopebreaker on Dawn. Alexander and Davenport would dive atop the pinfall and ensure that Dawn is the first casualty of the match.
Isla Dawn is eliminated.
The remaining three retreat to their own corners as the crowd applauds the match so far, all of them already showing the effects of the hard hitting match. At first it is every woman for themselves in a fast-paced sequence but Amale once again falls victim to a two on one attack that she valiantly turns around and takes out Davenport and Alexander with a dropkick/headlock takedown combo.
Alexander would get in control however after throwing Amale into the middle rope. She would turn her attentions to Davenport and throw her into the corner but Davenport would throw on the breaks and go to deliver a diving dropkick. In an impressive act of ring savviness, Alexander would pull a still stunned Amale into the path of the diving Davenport. Following up by throwing Davenport shoulder first into the ring post, Alexander would capitalise on her quick thinking and delivering a brutal running knee to Amale and crush the hopes of Amale and her fans.
Amale is eliminated.
We are down to our final two. Eliza Alexander and Blair Davenport. In a comment on how behind Amale the crowd was, they begin to chant in favor of Davenport who misses an enzuiguri and is caught a german suplex but kicks out of the pin.
Davenport would remain on the backpedal with Alexander remaining in control and continuing with her vicious strikes she has come to be known for. Davenport would favor her shoulder as she collides face first with the turnbuckle and be choked by Alexander’s boot. But she would dodge a shoulder tackle and manage to hit a diving foot stomp to a prone Alexander.
The crowd is now behind Davenport who nets only a nearfall off her pin and follows up with some short arm clotheslines but receives yet another german suplex. Alexander attempts to hit a second running knee but Davenport moves at the last second and rolls Alexander up and into the Falcon Arrow but she wriggles free!
Alexander attempts a high risk manouver, stumbling on the climb as her battle wounds slow her down allowing Davenport the chance to pounce up and bring Alexander down in a brutal landing.
A fired up Davenport would connect with her own knee strike on Alexander and finish her off with the Falcon Arrow. The fans give the ladies a standing ovation for an incredible match as we see the earlier eliminations.
Davenports signature green lighting and insignia would fill the arena as she stands tall and confident, momentum in her corner as she heads to Worlds Collide.
Authors Take –
What a journey this has been! I truly have so much respect for the entire NXT UK roster, as a former trainee and small-time referee I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some of these wrestlers live before their times in NXT UK. My biggest claim to fame being manage one of Noam Dar’s earliest matches!
I do feel emotional at the end of this brand as I truly hoped to one day get to be at a show live but the future is bright for all of the competitors.
The match was an incredible for the women with Alexander looking so strong even in defeat and seeing the crowd’s faith in Amale is a sign of big things for her future.
WWE also released the above video as a send-off, please do check it out and until next time! #ThankYouNXTUK
