Yesterday WWE announced a number of stars being released from NXT UK. This was due to the opening of the brand new NXT Europe, with the UK branch of the WWE being the casualty of this. Mark Andrews and his partner Flash Morgan Webster were two of the latest WWE releases and will have to navigate their away on the UK independent scene again.
Both men were top stars on the UK indies prior to NXT UK and Mark Andrews in particular will prove himself to be WWE’s biggest loss in the mass NXT UK releases. He has a lot to prove to the world after a mixed spell in WWE but the former TNA star has all the talent in the world to help make wrestling in Britain great again.
He had many incredible moments in NXT UK. Teaming with fellow Welshman Flash Morgan Webster as the iconic South Wales Subculture, the duo provided some exciting in-ring moments with their high-flying moves and insatiable chemistry that kept the UK fans on the edge of their seats.
They won one of the best matches in WWE ever during the NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff event. In his hometown, Mark Andrews and his partner defeated Gallus and Grizzled Young Vets to win the NXT UK Tag Team Championships. They became the first Welshman to taste gold in WWE, making history in the way the football team did during their incredible EURO 2016 run.
Prior to WWE, Mark Andrews (also known as Mandrews) wrestled all over the world, showcasing his incredible aerial ability. He was one of the hottest young free agents in wrestling and there were huge hopes for the young lad from Cardiff when he signed his WWE deal.
He had wrestled in the UK for all the top promotions. He is a former champion in Progress, winning the Progress World Championship and the Progress Tag Team Championships during his run there and was considered a main event talent in the promotion. Now his WWE run is over, he is sure to return there to claim his throne and establish himself as a top talent again.
He also became known Stateside, most notably wrestling for both TNA and PWG. He competed in the Battle of Los Angeles (BOLA), getting to the semi-finals of the famous tournament in 2016, defeating Pete Dunne and Chris Hero before falling to Trevor Lee (NXT’s Cameron Grimes). He was booked strongly in PWG and could have made a career for himself in the promotion if he had resisted the call of WWE.
His run in TNA was a bit different. He entered – and won – the infamous TNA British Bootcamp competition, earning himself a contract with the promotion and became the second ever Welsh wrestler in the company, after Rob Terry. He beat out a number of current WWE stars, like Doudrop, Nikki Ash and Alba Fyre, in earning the deal, although he would only last two years in the company before his contract expired.
In all the companies he has wrestled for, Mark Andrews has showcased an infectious personality and fantastic in-ring ability that helped him stand out from the crowd. His release from the company is WWE’s loss and he will certainly be the man to break out after the sad news of his deal expiring.
It’s a huge shame that, as a local lad from Cardiff, he wont be there to make an appearance at WWE’s Clash at the Castle event. However, if he utilises the talent he has, there is no doubt that Mark Andrews can make it to the top of the wrestling world. He is one of the most talented British wrestlers currently wrestling as has everything to prove as he heads out on the independent circuit once again.