The last couple of years have been exciting for professional wrestling fans in Great Britain and that looks set to continue with the upcoming WWE tournament to crown the inaugural United Kingdom champion.
The UK fans have long been recognised as some of the best in the world and are now set to be rewarded for their passion. The aforementioned tournament is expected to be just the beginning of more WWE-produced content that will air from the British Isles.
Triple H announced at a recent press conference that WWE plans to do no less than 30 shows in the United Kingdom in 2017 and outlined a four-year plan that they hope will ultimately lead to a weekly UK show.
However, the long-term success of WWE in the British market depends heavily on the upcoming United Kingdom Championship tournament that will take place live on the WWE Network on the 14th & 15th January.
The 16 men that will compete to become UK Champion may not be that well known to the WWE’s global audience, so with that being said, let’s take a closer look at five guys that you should be looking out for in the UK Championship Tournament.
#1 Mark Andrews
First up is someone that fans may be familiar from his time in TNA, and that’s Mark Andrews.
Despite being just 24-years old, Andrews is one of the most experienced competitors in this tournament, having been performing for the past ten years. His biggest claim to fame thus far in his career is when he fought off competition from the likes of Noam Dar and Grado to win the second season of TNA’s British Boot Camp.
The influences of his idol Shawn Michaels are evident in Andrews’ high-flying style of wrestling, and it is this exciting move-set that has captured the attention of fans during his career. This is also what Andrews will be hoping will set him apart from the technical, hard-hitting opponents he will face in the UK Championship tournament.
#2 Joseph Conners
Joseph Conners is another man with plenty of experience behind him, although it is only recently that he has really come into his own, with 2016 arguably being the best year of his career to date.
Conners’ recent change of attitude has seen him develop into his ‘righteous killer’ persona and it is this new gimmick that has seen him blossom on the UK independent scene. His in-ring skills have never been questioned but having been a soft-spoken performer for much of his career, his new and believable ‘psycho’ gimmick has both shocked and captivated audiences.
He has been a mainstay on the up-and-coming WCPW promotion and is a former WCPW Champion. It is here that Conners has become a main event talent and defended his Title against the likes of Joe Hendry and Cody Rhodes before eventually losing his championship to Drew Galloway.
2016 was a breakout a year for Joseph Conners and he now has his eyes set on becoming the first ever United Kingdom Champion in WWE.
#3 Tyler Bate
Despite being just 19 years of age, Tyler Bate has already been earmarked as a future star of British wrestling. He is certainly one to watch, not just in the United Kingdom Championship tournament, but in general over the next few years.
After being trained by British wrestling star Dave Mastiff, Bate has worked the independent wrestling circuit and become one of the most popular talents on the British scene by working for promotions such as Progress Wrestling.
Whether he has worked as a singles competitor or tag team talent, Tyler Bate has showcased his natural charisma and solid in-ring ability and looks set for a very bright future in the wrestling industry. Particularly if he continues to learn from his mentor and current tag team partner from Moustache Mountain, which leads me to…
#4 Trent Seven
Tyler Bate’s partner in Moustache Mountain is the ultra-charismatic Trent Seven.
Seven, who is 35, was a latecomer to professional wrestling having only become a full-time performer in the last couple of years. However, it is over these last couple of years that he broke out into one of British wrestling’s top talents.
He has established himself as a fan favourite in promotions such as Progress Wrestling and ICW due to his comedic timing and infectious personality, but that does not mean he should be taken lightly.
Seven’s reputation for absorbing a beating has earned him the nickname ‘the man without fear’, and he is no stranger to dishing out punishment by reaching into his hard-hitting arsenal of moves. Trent Seven is always one to watch, whether he is working alone, as one-half of Moustache Mountain, or as part of the ‘British Strong Style’ stable, along with the final name on this list…
#5 Pete Dunne
Pete Dunne started competing at the age of 12 and now, at 23 years old with over a decade of experience behind him, he looks set to make his mark in the world of professional wrestling.
After being trained all over the world, including in Japanese dojos, Dunne is well versed in a variety of different wrestling styles. However, it is since he transitioned away from his high-flying move-set and into his hard-hitting ‘Bruiserweight’ persona, that Dunne has really found his groove.
He is no stranger to winning Championship gold and has done so in multiple wrestling promotions, although he arguably reached a new level in 2016 after winning the Progress Wrestling World Title. It is since winning this Championship that Dunne has established himself amongst the elite talents on the British independent wrestling circuit.
After dedicating the majority of his young life to professional wrestling, Dunne would certainly be a worthy winner of the inaugural United Kingdom championship and has to be put down as a heavy favourite to win this tournament.
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