00:00Samuels looks to reposition the spotlight on herself as she takes on a competitor that helped fill this brand's women's
00:07division.
00:07The Nightmare, Rhea Ripley. That match coming up next.
00:17One week from Sunday, Rhea Ripley will face off against Io Shirai and the Queen Charlotte Flair for the NXT
00:23Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver in your house.
00:27But right now we go back to October 2019, where Ripley entered Brentwood for her last match in NXT UK.
00:34And meanwhile, the former West End leading lady, Nina Samuel, stepped up to the challenge.
00:39Was the Australian Nightmare about to become a pit part player in another Nina Samuel's performance.
00:49And Tom, there's been so much attention on Rhea Ripley, and rightfully so.
00:53Of course, she's the first ever NXT UK Women's Champion, but someone like Nina Samuels, who feels the attention should
00:59always be on her.
01:00Big opportunity for Samuels to steal some of that spotlight tonight.
01:03Now, remember Nina Samuel's success early on in the beginnings of NXT UK, had opportunities that the United Kingdom Women's
01:10Championship obviously came up empty,
01:12and has tried to fight her way back to that point ever since.
01:15The one thing, Andy, that's been great about seeing the maturation of Rhea Ripley is how much she has changed
01:21since she came to NXT UK.
01:23How she's evolved as a competitor and as a person, and ultimately wound up as the first ever United Kingdom
01:29Women's Champion.
01:30And Tom, you've seen countless superstars come through NXT and WWE.
01:34What makes Rhea Ripley such a standout competitor?
01:37I think because Rhea Ripley is unabashedly herself, Rhea Ripley discovered what it meant to just be herself.
01:44She initially came to WWE from Australia, wasn't quite sure who Rhea Ripley was, was trying to find her place
01:51in the world.
01:52A lot of people compared her to Charlotte Flair, who was at the time bursting onto the scene in WWE.
01:58Ripley didn't want to be that.
02:00She wanted to be her own person, and that's who you see before you.
02:04And of course Rhea Ripley had a pretty powerful athlete, and Nina Samuels just finding out exactly how strong the
02:11nightmare is.
02:11But Nina Samuels, Tom, she prides herself for being versatile, and she's going to have to use all that versatility
02:16and indeed some cunningness to try and get past Ripley tonight.
02:20Well, you do need the versatility in the theater, Mr. Shepard.
02:23It's very important.
02:24But no, Nina Samuels is cunning and crafty inside the ring.
02:29That's why I have to be careful with Samuels.
02:31Come on, let's go. Come on.
02:35Well, that's going to do nothing for the ego of Nina Samuels, but Ripley catches a mid-air.
02:41Look at the power, the strength of the nightmare.
02:45And down goes Samuels.
02:49And very wisely, Nina Samuels just rolls to the outside, trying to stop the momentum of Rhea Ripley.
02:55Nina, let's get back in this ring.
02:56Now, Rhea Ripley talking trash with Nina Samuels to get back inside the ring, but Samuels needs five minutes in
03:01her trailer right now.
03:03She needs to go back and just craft services in her personal makeup.
03:07Here comes Ripley.
03:09Get back in the ring.
03:10Come on, what are you doing here?
03:12Back in the ring.
03:13Let's go.
03:18One, two.
03:24Now, you don't have to like it necessarily from Nina Samuels, but she's very, very good at manipulating opponent inside
03:31the ring.
03:31I mean, Rhea Ripley obviously wanted to bring the fight to Nina Samuels.
03:35Samuels used that against the nightmare.
03:38Well, quick into the cover, hooks the leg once again, kick out from Rhea Ripley.
03:43Look, Nina Samuels pried herself, as you said, Tom, on all her theatrical art.
03:46I'm not sure how much fire-breeding and stilt-walking will help her against the nightmare,
03:49but it's that reincroft and that experience that Nina Samuels had that could be the difference making it.
03:55I agree with you, Andy, and granted those things might not come into play,
03:58but Nina Samuels' ego, her mind is what drives her, is her craving for the spotlight.
04:05Boom!
04:08But the feet of Ripley just driven through the sternum of Nina Samuels.
04:15And this is where Rhea Ripley can be dominant.
04:19Samuels being manhandled by the nightmare.
04:25Rhea Ripley non-stop forward momentum.
04:29Cover to put away Samuels, kick out.
04:32Samuels still in this.
04:35And again, Nina Samuels is someone who's very difficult to put away,
04:39finds different ways to keep herself in competition in matches like this.
04:43And Ripley's got to be careful.
04:46Samuels just using the ropes there to try and gain the advantage,
04:49and Samuels with the momentum over the ropes, hooks the leg to put away Ripley.
04:55Kick out.
04:56Frustration etched on the face.
04:58What a victory this would be for Nina Samuels if she could take out Rhea Ripley tonight.
05:03What the heck? Come on, what?
05:04Tom, and that's exactly what Nina wants to do.
05:06It would put the spotlight on her.
05:08It would, in some ways, help make this the Nina Samuels show,
05:11to take a scalp like Ripley.
05:13But, oh, watch out.
05:14Ripley looking for the riptide.
05:17And she connects cover.
05:21And tonight, it's the Rhea Ripley show.
05:27Top 8 dominant, brutal performance by the Nightmare.
05:32And a great showing by Nina Samuels for Rhea Ripley showing why she has meant so much to the NXT
05:39UK universe.
05:43Well, what a women's division.
05:46Rhea Ripley has helped build here in NXT UK.
05:49And no doubt, the Nightmare will continue for any superstar in any brand in WWE.
06:02There's plenty more actions to come tonight here on NXT UK.
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