WALTER, one of Europe’s most destructive heavyweights, has arrived in NXT UK, and he has wasted no time setting his sights on the brand’s top crown.

The Austrian bruiser made his surprise debut at the end of today’s historic TakeOver: Blackpool event, laying out Joe Coffey with a big boot and coming nose-to-nose with WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne after The BruiserWeight’s successful title defense against The Iron King.

WALTER’s arrival not only garnered a loud reaction inside the Empress Ballroom — with NXT UK fans chanting his name and singing along as Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 ushered him to the ring — but it also immediately sent shock waves throughout the NXT UK Universe, and for good reason.

WALTER arrives unannounced at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool and sends a message to WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne by making an example of Joe Coffey. Courtesy of WWE Network.

An active competitor for more than a decade, WALTER became a breakout star on the independent circuit in Europe and abroad in recent years. He’s feared around the world for his pulverizing in-ring style, including brutal knife-edge chops that leave opponents’ chests sunken and discolored. WALTER stands 6-foot-4 and tips the scales at around 300 pounds.

Over the course of his career, he has captured titles in Germany, England, Ireland and the United States. Now that he appears to have Dunne’s WWE U.K. Championship in his crosshairs, will it be long before WALTER gets a chance to add another accolade?