What’s the story?
The United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate and number one contender, Pete Dunne put each other through a hellacious battle at their encounter for the title at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. The two men went to war with the title on the line. Dunne brutalized the champion and managed to secure the victory sending out a strong message to the U.K. competitors.
In case you didn’t know...
The U.K. Championship was instituted in January after a lengthy tournament amongst the best wrestlers in the United Kingdom to crown the first ever U.K. Champion. Tyler Bate emerged victorious in the tournament beating out 15 other men to win the title. His final encounter with Pete Dunne was an instant classic.
The heart of the matter
Dunne started off in vicious fashion as he hit his patented X-Plex on Bate at the edge of the apron. Bate continued to fight on with explosive power and agility as he connected with a standing shooting star press followed by a deadlift suplex. Bate’s momentum came to a screeching halt when Dunne locked him in a triangle choke. Bate showed great skill and strength to power out of the hold by lifting Dunne off the mat and then slamming him down.
The deciding moment of the match came when Bate took a risky dive to the outside, but was caught by Dunne and ended up getting planted into the arena floor. Dunne took the proceedings inside the ring and hit the Bitter End on Bate to claim the WWE United Kingdom Title.
The Bruiserweight sent out a tweet after the win to celebrate his victory in the very same Allstate Arena where he watched Monday Night RAW back in the day.
What’s Next
Pete Dunne’s victory has now become etched as another chapter in the lengthy rivalry between him and Tyler Bate. The former champion, bruised and battered will still look for a rematch against Dunne. Whether the rematch happens on NXT television or at another TakeOver is still a point of speculation.
Author's Take
The two men managed to enthrall the crowd with their unique style of wrestling. The match went on to be one of the very best of the night and the crowd looked to be invested in the rivalry. At one point, the crowd chanted “U.K.! U.K.!” as the two men exchanged lefts and rights in the middle of the ring. This match is definitely a sign of better things to come for the division.
