Top Moments of NXT UK: Number One – State of the Union Address Brawl

On 17th September 2020, NXT UK returned with new episodes after a hiatus of over five months. During this time, the reigning NXT UK Women’s Champion days as champion continued to rack up and she dubbed herself The Forever Champion.

As NXT UK returned, all eyes were on the women’s division and what would be next for them as the entire division was hungry for competition and so, being the leader of the locker room as champion, Kay Lee Ray decided to host a State of the Union Address.

The first thing on her agenda was to remind the NXT Universe and locker room of who she is and calling out the doubters for believing she could not overcome Piper Niven two weeks prior.

She acknowledges her record breaking reign that she keeps getting longer and even despite an injury, she declares that nobody in the division is capable of stopping her.

Cue the NXT UK Women’s Division.

We see Isla Dawn, Dani Luna, Xia Brookside and Nina Samuels march out just as Kay Lee Ray welcomes someone to step up to her. The four surround the ring as Ray wonders if they had grouped together to stand up to her.

Earlier in the night, Brookside and Luna had defeated Samuels and the still fairly new, Amale. The match had ended with Samuels, feeling Amale was stealing her spotlight, walked out on her tag partner. Deciding to confront her adversary, Amale now enters the arena and begins to argue with Samuels as Ray discusses the ‘Queens and Bosses’ of the WWE while around the ring, she sees only pretenders.

Making direct digs, Ray mocks Isla Dawn, Aoife Valkyrie and the growing argument between Samuels and Amale. Having heard enough, Ray’s most recent challenger joins the address and shoves Samuels and Amale aside to enter the ring.

Getting back on the same page even for a second, Samuels and Amale join forces to pull Niven off the ring apron and attack her. This proves a distraction for Ray who is too busy relishing in the growing chaos to notice that Valkyrie has entered the ring.

And all hell breaks loose. After a springboard attack from Valkyrie, Ray is put upon by the then babyfaces of the division within the ring until she hits a brutal kick on Brookside and knocks Dawn into Niven. As Amale and Samuels once again turn on each other, Valkyrie and Luna try to calm down Dawn and Niven but tempers have flared and the four begin to brawl while Brookside and Ray tangle outside the ring.

Satisfied with the chaos she has wrought, Ray dispatches of Brookside and attempts to walk out of the arena and backs right into the final member of the roster: Jinny.

The Fashionista wastes no time in striking Ray and they brawl in the tech area, with Ray striking Jinny with a laptop. (Does Jinny hold the record for being hit with the most laptops in her career?)

Jinny forces the Forever Champion back to the warring women of the division and tosses her back into the brawl she had instigated. The women all find themselves in the entrance way exchanging blows except for Valkyrie who takes to the skies and takes out the entire division.

At least, the entire division minus Kay Lee Ray who had slithered free and she limps her way, a smirk planted on her face as the NXT UK Women’s Division seethes at their champion and we wonder: Who will rise up next to challenge Kay Lee Ray?

This had to be my top moment for the NXT UK Brand. Was it perfect? No. If it had happened in front of a crowd, I imagine it would have received a great reception but the division was struck hard by the pandemic.

Despite this, it delivered in a way that truly put the NXT UK Women’s division back on track after such a lengthy hiatus. We saw each member of the division come and get a moment to shine.

From Amale and Samuels newly started rivalry to the way Niven, Jinny and Valkyrie made their appearances every women felt important and a part of a division that, due to this hiatus, were all desperate to prove themselves. It set Ray up as a villain overseeing her kingdom and a wealth of competitors ready to take her down, heel or face.

It is undoubtedly my favourite moment of the NXT UK Women’s Division and one I look back on fondly and now with nostalgia. To the babyface versions of Brookside and Dawn that have evolved into the characters, they are now. Niven and Ray are now being Doudrop and Alba Fyre on RAW and NXT 2.0 respectively. I think of Luna and Valkyrie who were both taken out by injuries before NXT UK came to an end and also the growth of Amale who became one of the leading ladies (don’t tell Nina) of the division by the end.

And of course, Jinny, for who I am considering sending a search party out for. It was a well-produced segment that delivered in many aspects and had me, as a viewer, excited for the division once more.

Watch the segment below and share your memories of it in the comments!