WWE NXT Takeover from Barclays Centre, Brooklyn, New York – review
For the first time since the title was created on January 15, 2017, World Wrestling Entertainment’s UK Title is held by somebody from outside the West Midlands.
At the Barclays Centre in New York City, over ten thousand people saw Austria’s Walter defeat Birmingham’s Pete Dunne.
This was a clash of the two biggest superstars in British and European pro-wrestling.
Over the course of his 685-day reign as WWE UK Champion, Dunne has become the face of British pro-wrestling for many fans, whilst Walter is the most celebrated European pro-wrestler of his generation, with his hard-hitting style winning critical acclaim across the world.
Broadcast to a worldwide audience through the WWE’s online subscription service, this was a hard-hitting match.
Whilst there was a significant size difference between the two men, this was a very even contest, with both men laying in hard shots. Much of the match was built around the clash between Walter’s habit of chopping his opponent’s chests with his hands, and Dunne’s signature working over his opponent’s fingers.
And whilst Dunne would often square up to his gigantic opponent, he look to negate his opponent’s size advantage by either taking the match to the ground, or looking to dive off the top rope.
Downfall
That would be Dunne’s downfall, with Walter countering an attempted super-suplex into a gigantic powerbomb, which he would follow up with a splash.
On the biggest stage that either man has ever performed on, this match never quite hit the heights either man has reached in the past, perhaps because they never quite cut loose in the ring.
However it was still a very good match that showcased the physicality of both men.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Pete Dunne, as he’s someone who due to his popularity with American fans, has long been tipped to become a full-time fixture on WWE’s American programming.
However on Thursday, he returned to his roots, with him, Dudley’s Tyler Bate and Wolverhampton’s Trent Seven all acting as hosts for Fight for Destiny.
Organised by Wolverhampton’s Fight Club: PRO in association with Canada’s Destiny pro-wrestling promotion, this was one of the many shows being held in New York City as part of the large programme of activities leading to the biggest pro-wrestling show of the year; WWE’s Wrestlemania. At Fight for Destiny, Wolverhampton resident Mark Davis retained his Fight Club: PRO World Title against Rickey Shane Page whilst the tag team champions Davey Vegas and Matt Fitchett booked their place into the Dream Tag Team Invitational tournament that will take place in Wolverhampton and Manchester over Easter weekend.
Pete Dunne vs Walter can be watched on video on demand through wwenetwork.com, whilst Fight for Destiny will shortly be available on video on demand through vimeo.com/ondemand/fightclubprounlimited
