So we already knew the outcome of the biggest match from WWE’s recent two-night U.K. division event in Norwich, England. We also knew that said U.K. event or events would be called by Jim Ross and Nigel McGuinness when they finally made it to the Network. And now it’s time to celebrate — or just nod imperceptibly in recognition, either way — because we now know when this U.K. special will air.
WWE announced on Monday that there will be one (1) special to come out of the two-night event, and the special will actually air this week on WWE Network! Friday, in fact, at 3 p.m. ET, with a replay at 8 p.m. ET. Just in time to watch the No. 1 contender match before the WWE U.K. Championship is defended on Saturday night at NXT TakeOver: Chicago.
The full press release:
WWE® NETWORK SPOTLIGHTS U.K. SUPERSTARS WITH NEW SPECIAL
STAMFORD, Conn., May 15, 2017 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) announced today that WWE Network will stream the WWE United Kingdom Championship Special this Friday, May 19 at 3 p.m. ET, with a re-air in primetime at 8 p.m. ET. The action will be called by WWE Hall-of-Fame announcer Jim Ross, who will be joined by color analyst Nigel McGuinness.
Emanating from Norwich, UK, WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate defends his title against the high-flying Mark Andrews; Pete Dunne and Trent Seven battle to become the number one contender to face the UK Champion at NXT TakeOver: Chicago this Saturday; Wolfgang faces Joseph Conners; and Rich Swann and Dan Moloney take on TJP and The Brian Kendrick in a tag team match.
“The WWE United Kingdom Championship Special will showcase some of the best talent from the U.K.,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative. “This is an opportunity to super-serve our fans in the U.K. as well as fans anywhere who appreciate the U.K. style.”
The reaction to the U.K. division has been varied so far, but I’ve gathered that the majority of people who have seen it, enjoy it. It honestly seems like the biggest knock on it at this point is that there isn’t a regular show dedicated to it as of yet. This is a good first step, though, and I’ve personally been enjoying the antics of these Brits (and Irish, to be inclusive) a great deal. Here’s looking forward to Friday!
