Welcome to another edition of WWE Heat Index, wherein we discuss the interest level for the various feuds heading into the pay-per-view events. This time around, we’re focusing on NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff coming this Saturday afternoon.
The way this works is a pretty simple three-way breakdown of Hot, Lukewarm and Cold. If you like something and you’re very interested in how WWE is setting up the program, it’s Hot (aka Good). If you’re a bit on the fence about it and see some problems, but it’s not awful, then it’s just Okay or Lukewarm. The ones that are the most problematic that you have no interest in are Cold (aka Bad).
Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section to let everyone know what your thermometer reads for each feud as I tell you what my thoughts are below!
Without further ado, let’s get started!
United Kingdom Championship Match: WALTER (c) vs. Tyler Bate = Cold
If WALTER beat Pete Dunne and he’s taken down everyone else, why would I think Tyler Bate has any real shot at winning? This feels underwhelming to me.
Bate is a former United Kingdom champion and a bigger star on the brand, but I feel absolutely no momentum in his direction to be able to topple someone so much bigger than him like this. Instead, it just feels like it’s “the next best option” and a somewhat lazy way to book things.
I would have preferred them to build up Dave Mastiff and have him face WALTER here. Instead, I think I’ll mostly just be waiting for the inevitable to happen, rather than being actually invested in this. It could be good, but I don’t think it’ll be great.
Prediction: WALTER wins.
NXT UK Women’s Championship Match: Toni Storm (c) vs. Kay Lee Ray = Cold
Ehhh…I see that they’re trying, but I just don’t care. Hearing Kay Lee Ray’s most recent promo about how everyone abandoned Toni Storm was so rough to get through and it totally killed this for me.
The “former friends and now bitter enemies” angle is simple, but it doesn’t always work like a guarantee. Sometimes, it feels too much like bad soap opera storyline content even more than normal WWE, and this is one example.
I’m not so impressed enough with Kay Lee Ray to be anticipating this match, either. It’s just a thing that’s happening.
Prediction: Toni Storm wins.
NXT UK Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match: Grizzled Young Veterans (c) vs. Gallus vs. Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster = Lukewarm
I think this has potential to be the best match of the night in a sense that it could open the show and be surprisingly fun from start to finish. That’s not to say that I’m super invested in any of these teams, though, as NXT UK is overall just a blah show to me, but I’ll still give credit where it’s due.
More than anything, I’m curious about a possible title change. I can see these belts moving to a new home more than the women’s title or UK title, so if that’s the case, does it go to Gallus or to Webster/Andrews? That’s the hook for me.
I’m leaning toward Gallus getting the championship, as I think they haven’t really accomplished enough yet, and they need to do something to make them feel like they aren’t just a discount Imperium.
Prediction: Gallus wins.
Travis Banks vs. Noam Dar = Hot / Lukewarm
I’m a fan of Dar, and feel like he has a lot more to offer than what he’s necessarily ever given the ability to show. Now that he has more of a spotlight on him, that’s a good thing.
Banks is someone who I’m a little more indifferent on. He doesn’t strike me as anything super special, but he’s proven himself a good hand, for sure. Basically, I look at him as a stock player for 205 Live and not someone to build a brand/show around.
This match has no real substance to it, but it should still be a fun 15 minutes or so.
Prediction: Noam Dar wins.
Last Man Standing Match: Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey = Hot / Lukewarm
Last Man Standing matches can be annoying if they’re booked to be slow and revolve around 9-counts between each move, but they can be a lot of fun if they are full-force brutality.
There’s certainly a chance Mastiff and Coffey will go out of their way to beat the hell out of each other and steal the show, and I’m really hoping they do that.
Mastiff has to win this. By coming out on top, he’ll be the next best person in line to challenge WALTER for the United Kingdom Championship, once he takes out Tyler Bate. This is the next step toward making The Bomber a title contender.
Prediction: Dave Mastiff wins.
Those are my thoughts, but how do you feel about these particular feuds? What’s hot and what’s cold in your mind? Fill us in on your point of view in the comments below!
