Torneo del R.U. 2018, Día 1: Zack Gibson vence a Travis Banks en la épica final

LONDRES — Caballero Jack Gallagher frustró a Zack Gibson con su magia a ras de lona y maniobras aéreas. No obstante, el alto Gibson no de desesperó y respondió de la mejor manera que pudo, lanzando a su oponente hacia el poste del ring. Luego, con un Shankly Gates, el No. 1 de Liverpool se llevó la victoria por sometimiento y obtuvo el pase a la siguiente ronda del torneo. 

"Iron King" Joe Coffey derriba a Dave Mastiff con una serie de maniobras impresionantes.

Like bulls locking horns, the tournament’s two biggest competitors, Scotland’s Joe Coffey and the Black Country’s Dave Mastiff, tested each other’s strength in the early goings. They pulverized each other with big suplexes, headbutts and even a few stunning feats of agility. After Mastiff missed his favored move, a Cannonball splash in the corner, Coffey scored passage to the next round by dropping the 300-pounder with a discus lariat that Coffey calls Aw the Best for the Bells. Afterward, The Iron King told Cathy Kelley that he would show “no mercy” and win “by any means necessary” as the tournament progresses.

Wales’ Flash Morgan Webster showed incredible resilience (and more than a couple eye-popping aerial stunts) against aggressive Irishman Jordan Devlin. Devlin complemented his viciousness with high-risk offense, including a top-rope Spanish Fly that garnered a two-count. Devlin’s attempt at a moonsault missed, however, and Webster, the crowd favorite, took advantage by nailing Devlin with the Eton Rifle for the win.

The Kiwi Buzzsaw takes Ashton Smith to school in the last Quarterfinal Match of the explosive WWE U.K. Championship Tournament.

Ashton Smith has been extolled by no less than 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick as a Superstar to keep your eye on. Unfortunately for the raw-boned Smith, “Kiwi Buzzsaw” Travis Banks had his number and cut him down with a variety of hard strikes. Smith didn’t back down, yelling “hit me” at Banks, but his hubris was misplaced. The New Zealander granted Smith’s wish, drilling him with a Slice of Heaven springboard enzuigiri and the Kiwi Crusher fisherman buster for the pin. Banks now looks ahead to a Semifinal showdown with Joe Coffey.

The highly-touted Toni Storm emerges to take on two other competitors for the right to challenge NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler on the second night of the special U.K. event at Royal Albert Hall.

With an NXT Women’s Title Match against Shayna Baszler tomorrow at the Royal Albert Hall at stake, Australia’s Toni Storm, Portugal’s Killer Kelly and Scotland’s Isla Dawn tore into each other in a fast-and-furious, every-woman-for-herself Triple Threat Match. They traded a bevy of snap suplexes and kicks, but Storm — who made an unforgettable impression when she made it to the Semifinals of last year’s Mae Young Classic — came out on top when she booted Kelly off the apron and downed Dawn with Storm Zero. Afterward, The Queen of Spades began playing head games with her next challenger, appearing among the U.K. faithful at ringside and staring down Storm from afar.

Will Storm follow up today’s impressive performance with a title win against one of the world’s most feared Superstars?

In a historic moment, Triple H joins Johnny Saint to announce that the groundbreaking WWE NXT UK brand will feature Men's, Women's and Tag Team divisions.

Acompañado por Triple H, la leyenda de la lucha británica y Gerente General Johnny Saint anunció la creación de la nueva marca de WWE, NXT UK. Como parte de la iniciativa, WWE tendrá filmaciones por todo el Reino Unido a lo largo del año, además de que habrá divisiones de parejas y de mujeres.

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Zack Gibson refuses to give Flash Morgan Webster any breathing room in a Semifinal showdown in the WWE U.K. Championship Tournament.

Flash Morgan Webster got off to a fiery start against Zack Gibson, putting the Liverpool loudmouth on his heels with a highlight-reel-worthy hurricanrana. Webster also nailed one suicide dive, but when he tried the move a second time, Gibson caught him and deposited him in the entranceway with a corkscrew brainbuster called Helter Skelter. Webster barely beat the count back into the ring, but upon re-entering, Gibson caught him in the Shankly Gates and forced him to tap. As Royal Albert Hall came unglued with jeers, Gibson blew kisses to the fans, stoking their hostility toward him.

Pitting Travis Banks, one of the world’s most gifted strikers, against Joe Coffey, one of the steeliest sluggers going, resulted in a predictably brutal and hard-hitting affair. Banks and Coffey wailed on each other with strikes, forearm smashes and chops, but Coffey eventually gained the advantage, using his size and power to inflict damage on Banks’ lower back. Even though he absorbed tremendous punishment, The Kiwi Buzzsaw stayed in the fight, and amid a rapid exchange of big hits, Banks deftly rolled up Coffey to score a sudden pinfall.

Making good on his promise to “show no mercy,” Coffey was anything but gracious in defeat, as he ambushed Banks after the bell. Coffey demolished Banks with a discus lariat and ravaged his shoulder by smashing it into the steel ring post. As referees tended to Banks, Mauro Ranallo and Nigel McGuinness speculated about how the attack might diminish Banks’ chances against Zack Gibson in the tournament Final.

En el legendario Royal Albert Hall, los ocho finalistas del Torneo por el Campeonato WWE del Reino Unido 2018 compiten por una oportunidad titular.

After enduring Undisputed ERA’s insults and mockery of England for weeks on end, British Strong Style refused to be beaten on their own turf by the bombastic, gold-clad faction.

NXT North American Adam Cole and NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong employed quick tags to isolate Trent Seven and, later, WWE U.K. Champion Pete Dunne from their teammates. Nonetheless, Dunne, Seven & Tyler Bate forged ahead, fighting both for national pride and the intense desire to knock the pompous Undisputed ERA down a peg.

The action was nonstop, and the fans inside Royal Albert Hall hung on every exchange as the battle grew into an instant classic. Seven regained control for his team after drilling Strong with the Seven Stars Lariat late in the match. Cole’s attempt to weaponize his NXT North American Title provided a costly distraction (allowing Strong to blindside Seven), and a pier-six brawl broke out from there. The BruiserWeight wiped out Cole & Strong with a moonsault to the floor, allowing Moustache Mountain to earn the cathartic victory after decimating O’Reilly with a rebound clothesline/dragon suplex combination.

Following their big triumph, Moustache Mountain now look ahead to challenging Strong & O’Reilly for the NXT Tag Team Titles tomorrow at Royal Albert Hall.

Among the many milestones in Shawn Michaels’ WWE Hall of Fame career, this one sometimes gets overlooked: In 1991, HBK participated in the first WWE match to ever be held at the vaunted Royal Albert Hall. Today, Mr. WrestleMania took part in another important moment inside the hallowed Hall, as WWE announced the launch of NXT UK.

Admitting he was nervous to try to follow the jaw-dropping Six-Man Tag Team Match that transpired moments before, HBK entered the ring to thank the fans in the region for their continued support of WWE, saying the NXT UK brand is WWE’s opportunity to show love in return.