PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

TITLE CHANGES, AN UNDISPUTED ENDING, THE BEST WWE MATCH OF 2021 & MORE: COMPLETE WWE NXT TAKEOVER 36 COVERAGE

WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER vs. Ilja Dragonuv

Dragonuv has a bandage over his eye.  

Ilja immediately took it to WALTER with some hard chops.  WALTER wasn't happy about that!

WALTER and Ilja locked up and WALTER rode him down to the mat and trapped him in a front facelock.  Some really nice back and forth wrestling here with Ilja fighting to escape WALTER's grasp, then locking on a side headlock.  WALTER caught him in the corner and worked over the challenger with strikes and chops.

Dragonuv went after the arm and locked on a short arm scissors on the mat, with the idea being he was trying to neutralize the chops.    WALTER powered him up and placed the challenger on the top rope.  He SLAPPED the hell out of Ilja, sending him crashing off the top to the floor.  Dear Lord!

WALTER followed him to the floor and powerbombed him to the apron.  He kicked Dragonuv's back and went for a sleeper but the challenger blocked his arm and fought to escape the move.  WALTER nailed a German suplex and then cinched in a scary-looking Boston Crab.  Ilja escaped and fought to escape another powerbomb attempt, backdropping WALTER.

Dragonuv nailed several big chops but was caught with an exploder for a two count.   WALTER continued to stomp away.  He KILLED Ilja with a stiff kick to the face.  WALTER killed him with more clotheslines but Dragonuv kept kicking up at the last second.  Dragonuv came back with some brutal shots of his own.  His neck and chest were bursting with color.

Dragonuv muscled over WALTER with another suplex for a near fall.  This is fantastic.  Dragonuv nailed a big missile dropkick.  WALTER nailed a big suplex, turning him inside out but Dragonuv somehow rebounded with a lariat to the back of his head and shoulders.  Dragonuv slammed him again for another two count.  Ilva chopping him in the chest, back and legs.  WALTER chopped him down and covered him for a near fall.  Ilja came back with a big superplex and then nailed a missile dropkick.  

They kept fighting back and forth.  WALTER dropkicked Dragonuv's will to live outside of his body then slapped the crap out of him for good measure.  WALTER went to the top for a big splash but somehow only garnered a two count.  This is SO GOOD.   WALTER escaped a suplex attempt and booted him in the face but Dragonuv rebounded and rocked him with more and more strikes and elbows.  Dragonuv rode his back and cinched in a sleeper but the champion rose like a monster in a movie.  He climbed the ropes and tried to dive backwards but Dragonuv escaped and beat the crap out of him with elbow strikes.

Dragonuv locked on the sleeper again but WALTER rose again and dropped backwards.  Dragonuv was stunned but grabbed it again.   He began raining down with strikes on WALTER.  Dragonuv snapped on another sleeper and yanked WALTER off his feat, pulling all the way back.  WALTER tapped.

Your winner and new NXT UK Champion, Ilja Dragonuv!

This was FAR AND AWAY the best WWE match broadcast this weekend and it was just an insanely brutal All Japan Pro Wrestling Royal Road 1990s style bout.  I loved the hell out of this!  It was far and away the best bell to bell match of the year (thus far) inside a WWE ring.

McKenzie Mitchell interviewed new Million Dollar Champion Cameron Grimes and Ted DiBiase.  Grimes said his dad is looking down and knows he's a champion - a Million Dollar Champion.  DiBiase said Grimes is his man carrying on his legacy and they are going to party tonight.  Grimes said the party isn't going to stop.  They are going to have a Million Dollar Celebration on Tuesday.

Backstage. William Regal told Samoa Joe he was thankful for everything Joe has done since returning but as the WWE NXT GM, he has to stay unbiased and hope the match will entertain the fans, but between them, kick Karrion Kross' ass.

Due to the nature of the length of the next match, coverage continues on Page 3!

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

• Tweet