In the words of MF Doom, “Just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the man’s name.” WALTER, who wasted no time setting his sights on NXT UK’s top crown at TakeOver: Blackpool, pulled the rug out from under Pete Dunne’s 685-day reign to become the new WWE United Kingdom Champion, marking the first time in nearly two years that the championship changed hands.
The Austrian Anomaly outlasted The BrusierWeight in a classic heavy-hitting clash that left the Barclays Center in awe. The epic proportions of this match were immediately felt once Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 ushered WALTER to the ring, all as the whispers of whether Dunne could overcome his greatest in-ring test to date fluttered throughout the arena. It wasn’t long before this instant classic revved into high gear, as the title fight began with a grappling fest that saw Dunne indulge in his joint-manipulating tendencies and WALTER unload his armored tank-like offense.
The rivals spent most of the first half feeling each other out with their respective in-ring styles, including Dunne’s sophisticated mat game and WALTER’s grueling strength. When The BruiserWeight locked in a painstaking leg lock, the moving Austrian tank answered with a vicious Boston crab. Moments after, as WALTER attempted to thrust Dunne across the ring with a superplex from the turnbuckle, The BrusierWeight slipped away and dropped the walking freight train with a powerbomb. Both Superstars showed off explosive power, demonstrating why their respective paths collided here at TakeOver.
WALTER was undone by his decision to ensure that Dunne recognize he was facing his biggest threat. He pulled out all stops and attempted a body splash from the top rope, before The BrusierWeight trapped him in with a triangle submission hold. The Brooklyn crowd responded with a gallant roar, as the champion’s tenacity and resilience combated the challenger’s overbearing power. Dunne looked to be closing in on victory when he delivered a Bitter End, but Walter responded with a miraculous kickout. After savagely exchanging blows, the two once again found each other at the top of the turnbuckle, where WALTER drove Dunne across the ring with a larger-than-life powerbomb that could have shaken the Barclays pavement to its core.
The deciding moment came within seconds when WALTER wasted no time and returned to the turnbuckle, where he flattened Dunne with a mega-sized body splash to claim the WWE United Kingdom Title.
It was far from easy, but as the dust cleared on this epic collision, there stood the newest king to the NXT UK throne and the most destructive force to spar with Dunne.
