NXT TakeOver 36 - Ranking the buildup to every match

#3 WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Championship (NXT TakeOver 36)

Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov for the WWE NXT UK Championship!BIG. FIGHT. FEEL.@WalterAUT@UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR#NXTUK pic.twitter.com/Cl3FpKbjHf

— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) October 30, 2020

WALTER will defend the NXT UK Championship against Ilja Dragunov at NXT TakeOver 36. This show will mark only the third time the NXT UK brand's top prize has been on the line for the black-and-gold brand's premier show.

WALTER will have reigned as NXT UK Champion for 870 days on the date of NXT TakeOver 36. He is the longest-reigning champion of the modern era, and he has been undefeated in the singles competition since he signed with WWE. Last year, the Ring General faced Dragunov in one of the most brutal WWE matches in company history. It was a fierce battle that was arguably the best WWE match of 2020.

pic.twitter.com/alatlODbSU

— WALTER (@WalterAUT) August 18, 2021

Dragunov has gone through a remarkable transformation since that crushing loss to WALTER. His psychological battle has seen him find a new edge so he could find the level of ruthlessness needed to withstand WALTER's attack. This rematch is a bout that is 10 months in the making, but Dragunov's first appearance on the NXT proper brand has lessened the buildup.

On the August 10th episode, Pete Dunne defeated Dragunov in what could be considered a baffling outcome. Just two weeks before he faces the most dominant superstar in WWE since Brock Lesnar, Dragunov shouldn't have lost. This direction was very confusing, and it didn't give him any credibility heading into this clash. With that being said, WALTER-Dragunov II has all the potential to be the match of the night at NXT TakeOver 36.