What’s the story?
WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne was recently on Sam Roberts’ Wrestling Podcast and spoke about a number of topics, including Triple H’s response to him using the Pedigree on the independent circuit.
A video of British Strong Style (Trent Seven, Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) paying tribute to Triple H by doing his entrance and finishing moves (the incident in question) can be seen below:
In case you didn’t know...
The 23-year-old Pete Dunne is the current WWE United Kingdom Champion. Dunne became the champion by defeating the first-ever WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate at WWE NXT’s TakeOver: Chicago event in a singles match.
Dunne is an experienced wrestler in the United Kingdom independent circuit and has performed on almost all of UK’s notable promotions such as Progress Wrestling and Revolution Wrestling.
The heart of the matter
During his appearance on Sam Roberts’ podcast, Dunne addressed a number of topics. He spoke about having the “best of both worlds” due to being able to work with the WWE while simultaneously managing his indie dates as well.
He went on to speak about how grateful he was that the WWE gave him opportunities, as well as for the access to the performance centre. Dunne said that he viewed the Independent Wrestling circuit as a developmental phase in itself and stated that he was constantly learning.
Also read: 5 Superstars who can be the fourth member of Triple H’s “New Evolution”
Dunne then spoke about his unique look and stated that he had worked hard on being able to “stand out from the pack” by introducing unique elements to his character and by wrestling all over the world. He also thanked the WWE for letting him have his character. He stated:
"In the last 11 years, I've almost self-trained myself by wrestling people who are better than me and travelling the world and sort of making my own mind up and creating my own character. And again, speaks to how great WWE is. They've let me be that person, that character that I've created on the independents.”
Upon being asked by Sam Roberts about Triple H’s reaction to him, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven performing Triple H’s signature taunts and moves on the independent circuit, Dunne responded by stating that Triple H took it all in good humour and was quoted as saying:
"I don't think I've ever been more intimidated than the first time he brought it up. I thought we were getting away with it scot-free. I didn't think he would be paying any attention to what we were doing whatsoever, but he has seen it and it seems like he appreciates it. He was laughing along with us, so that's cool. He's taking it all in good humor."
What’s next?
Now that Pete Dunne is the WWE United Kingdom Champion, fans can expect more appearances from him on the NXT brand.
Dunne had defeated Trent Seven to become the #1 Contender for the WWE UK Championship and in case Dunne and Bate don’t continue with a feud, Seven might end up being the one that locks horns with Dunne for a shot at the championship instead.
Author’s take
Even though Dunne is not exclusively signed to the WWE yet, it is becoming increasingly apparent that WWE places a lot of value in him and it might not be long before he is not only a full-timer on the WWE roster but maybe even an integral part of a major storyline on one of the main brands.
It has been rumoured in the past that Dunne might very well end up becoming a part of the much-discussed “New Evolution” stable with his mentor Triple H at the helm. I for one would love to see that happen!
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