WWE crowned their first ever United Kingdom champion in Blackpool tonight – after a hectic, but fun show.
Going in, the big story was behind Pete Dunne, whose attack on his scheduled quarter-final opponent Sam Gradwell left question marks over whether he’d be kicked out of the tournament. Well, just before the show started, WWE confirmed that there’d be no action, and that Dunne/Gradwell would open the show.
The live crowd were treated to Dan Moloney and Nathan Cruz vs. Tucker and Saxon Huxley as a dark match (yep, Jesus was over tonight by all accounts), but on the Network, we started with a video package recapping the first night’s action. Yes, they showed the screwy finish with Jordan Devlin, and edited out 99.9% of the Gradwell/Huxley match too. We also got the replay of the end-of-the-night angle as well…
Michael Cole gives the “Greetings, Grapple fans” intro again as a blank nameplate welcomes him and Nigel McGuinness to the new UK title belt.
Recaps from Dunne and Gradwell’s matches last night follow, as do their tales of the tape – and we’re now into the matches!
Quarter-Final: Pete Dunne vs. Sam Gradwell
Dunne gets a mixed reaction – veering towards a cheer, whilst the “hometown hero” Gradwell got a lot of boos. Yep, the “hometown hero” stuff doesn’t work when you’ve got a crowd of fans from across the country.
Dunne mockingly offers a handshake, and he starts by taking a forearm from Gradwell, who is all over the Bruiserweight in the opening exchanges. A diving clothesline from Gradwell knocks Dunne down and to the outside, where he followed up with a massive tope to Dunne, who bumped off of the ramp on impact. After throwing Dunne in, Peter goes back outside and grabs the nose before he tries for a release suplex on the ramp… but it’s reversed as Dunne’s leg smashes into one of the lights on there.
Gradwell comes back in with a missile dropkick – but he landed hard on his back in doing so, meaning that both guys are left laying. Dunne comes back with a snap German suplex off the ropes, but Gradwell lands a Michinoku driver straight away for a near-fall! Dunne rolls to the outside as Gradwell tries for a swandive headbutt, but the Blackpool native dives to the floor with a crossbody instead.
Back inside, Dunne immediately shoves Gradwell to the outside after lifting him up to the top rope – a spot that really needs to be used in the Royal Rumble. They tease a count-out, but Gradwell rolls back into the ring just in time for Dunne to slam him into the turnbuckles and that’s the win. Short and sweet, as Dunne took some offence, but won the match by picking apart Gradwell’s bad back. **½
After the match, Dunne picks up Gradwell for the Bitter End – and there’s an exclamation mark on things. Peter’s facing Mark Andrews or Joseph Conners in the semi-finals. Dunne’s promo afterwards notes that “Triple H didn’t (think the way he wins was controversial)”, and that he’s just making a name for himself. Two down, two to go for Peter!
Mark Andrews vs. Joseph Conners is next! Cue recap packages and tales of the tape – and we’re back!
Quarter-Final: Mark Andrews vs. Joseph Conners
Andrews starts with a near-fall from a sunset flip, then a series of armdrags as he tries to end things early… at least until Conners lands an elbow on the Welshman. A sunset flip from Conners is countered with a backflip then a stomp for a two-count, before Andrews counters a throw-outside by 619’ing Conners.
Conners gets thrown out instead, before a moonsault from Andrews misses as he lands on his feet on the floor, before he’s sent into the ring steps with a drop toe-hold. After throwing Andrews chest-first into the apron, Conners comes back in to club away on the Welshman’s back, before shoving him into the ropes for a snap back suplex for another two-count.
Conners drags Andrews to the outside, and towards the ring steps as he looked to charge at him – but Andrews moves away as Conners missed a big boot. Andrews walks the crowd barriers and hits a cannonball senton off the barricade onto Conners, before returning with a slingshot cross-body for a near-fall.
Andrews lands a Northern Lights suplex, but Conners gets the feet up to block the moonsault attempt. Conners keeps insisting that Andrews won’t take his spot away, and a reverse hotshot in the ropes would help make sure of that, as would a slingshot into the Don’t Look Down (hammerlock flatliner) for a near-fall.
The push-down stomp in the corner is blocked by Andrews, who goes up for a ‘rana, and from there it’s another trip up top… but this time Conners gets the block in and brings Andrews down. A suplex is countered into a Stundog Millionaire as Conners took too long, and that just leaves the Shooting Star Press as we get a Flips n Forearms reunion in the semi-final! That was a decent match, but the short times really limited both men once more. **¾
So, former ATTACK! tag team partners Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews form one half of our semi-finals. Will Moustache Mountain be the other?
Wolfgang and Trent Seven are next – and Fit Finlay is in the crowd too!
Quarter-Final: Trent Seven vs. Wolfgang
No universal hand-shaking from Trent – there’s not enough time!
They start with a tie-up, with Wolfgang being taken into the ropes… and then they reverse it. They pie face each-other, before Trent slaps Wolfie, but the Scotsman sends Trent to the outside, where he dishes out a back elbow. A moonsault off the barricade sees Wolfgang come down hard with his knees across Trent – but Seven recovers and lands a low-pe as Wolfgang was sent into the barricades.
Trent goes up top as Wolfgang’s back in the ring, but he takes too long as Wolfie recovers and goes for a superplex, but Trent tries to reverse it. Eventually, Wolfgang superplexes him into the ring, before he boots away a lariat attempt… and a Wasteland gives way to a moonsault attempt, but Trent gets the knees up this time.
A lariat misses for Wolfgang, who’s dropped with a Dragon suplex for a near-fall, and that’s almost it as Trent goes for the Seven Stars (Rainmaker)… but Wolfgang avoids it and tries for the Wasteland again. Trent blocks it, then gets the Seven Stars for a near-fall! Seven goes for deadlift superplex off the apron, but then changes it to a piledriver attempt off the top rope.
Wolfgang shoves Trent down, and then goes for a senton bomb onto a kneeling Trent as the busted-open Wolfgang gets the win! That’s gotta be classed as an upset over the pre-tournament favourite – a decent match, but again the time limit hurt both guys from showing their full potential here. **¾
Wolfgang will face Tyler Bate or Jordan Devlin in the next round – and I sense a showing from each country left. Speaking of, after a Blue Peter presenter had some face-time, we get replays from last night and the tale of the tape for our final quarter-final match.
Quarter-Final: Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin
Jordan Devlin was pretty much over as a heel, thanks in no small part to what happened against Danny Burch last night. Tyler doesn’t shake the hand, and he pays for taking care of his moustache instead as Devlin stomps on him in the corner.
Devlin’s tossed to the outside as the crowd call him a “shit Finn Balor”, and that leaves Bate open to drop Jordan with a tope into the aisle! Back in the ring, Devlin pokes Bate in the eye and slams him down as he went in with some windmill grounded punches on the 19 year old. From a knuckle-lock, Devlin pushes Bate’s shoulders down for some near-falls as Bate bridges free before he monkey flips the Irishman away.
Bate flies in with an European uppercut out of the corner, and it’s time for Devlin to go for an airplane spin… well, it would if he hadn’t elbowed free. Bate catches a cross body and goes for the spin anyway! Devlin spills out of the ring, but he replies by springing the top rope into Bate’s face, before missing a moonsault off the top rope.
A knee strike from Devlin sends Bate down, then he spends too long going for another moonsault, as he misses and goes for the Tyler Driver, but it’s turned into a ‘rana for a near-fall from Devlin. An enziguiri knocks Bate down, and this time it doesn’t draw blood. After asking the referee to check on his foe, a blood-less Bate rocks Devlin with a punch, then lands the Tyler Driver ‘97 – and we’ll be hearing fake-Sledgehammer again as Tyler takes on Wolfgang in the semis! A good quarter-final match – usual time-limit complaints, but a hell of a finishing run here. **¾
Michael Cole pitches to a video package on the final four, and it looks like Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews in our ATTACK!-flavoured semi-final is next!
Semi-Final: Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne
More new gear for Andrews, which is a really nice bit of attention to detail here.
These two had their first match together – this will be at least their 73rd in some form together – and Dunne started with a huge chinlock as he tries to wear down Andrews, but the Welshman came back with a satellite armdrag to take Dunne outside, followed by a somersault plancha! Dunne tries to stamp Andrews’ hand on the ring step, but Mark counters with a ‘rana to send Peter flying to the floor.
Back inside, Dunne sends Andrews into the bottom turnbuckle for a near-fall, and we’re back to another chinlock variant as Dunne makes a point of working over Andrews’ neck. Andrews blocks a slam into the corner, and instead lands on the apron for a slingshot into a wheelbarrow rollup, then gets a double-stomp – what Nigel McGuinness called the Stomp 182!
Andrews lands the Northern Lights… then lands a moonsault-into-a-senton for a near-fall. A running shooting star press gets a two-count, but Dunne rolls to the outside, and this is where Andrews flies – only for his moonsault to be caught and turned into a release suplex on the apron! Dunne drops Andrews with a release suplex on the ramp, and that seems to be Dunne’s way of trying for a count-out win.
Andrews just about beats the count back in, but Dunne grabs his arm and stomps on his head by the ropes. Another release suplex is turned into the Stundog Millionaire for a near-fall, before eventually going up top… but Dunne cuts him off and goes for a superplex. Andrews fights free, but the slugfest on the top rope ends with Dunne crashing down as Andrews gets a shooting star press into the knees as Dunne rolls him into a small package for a two-count.
Dunne looks to end it with the Bitter End, but Andrews counters with an armdrag, only to leapfrog into a forearm. Another Bitter End is countered into a ‘rana for another really-near-fall as this match hots up, and Andrews again goes up top! Shooting Star? He lands on his feet and gets German suplexed into the corner, and now it’s another release suplex before the Bitter End books Peter’s ticket to the final. What. A. Match. The best thing on this tournament so far – and it should be no surprise given these two! ****¼
Semi-Final: Tyler Bate vs. Wolfgang
The match started with a good proportion of the crowd cheering for Tyler Bate, but he got shoved into the corner from the opening tie-up, before Bate’s thrown across the ring with a biel throw.
Bate fires back with some punches, but Wolfgang takes him into the corner, only for Bate to get free and hit a diving elbow off the middle rope. Tyler struggles to lift up Wolfgang for an airplane spin, and Wolfie replies with a big body slam before he goes up top for a moonsault – but Bate cuts him off with a dropkick to the knee!
A boot to the nose rocks Wolfgang, before Bate turns a press slam into a sunset flip roll-up for a near-fall. Wolfgang nails a pop-up powerslam for a near-fall, and again he goes up top for the Howling (senton bomb)… but the Scotsman takes too long and that senton misses completely. Wolfgang gets up first and flips Bate around with a spear for a near-fall, before a fireman’s carry is turned into the Tyler Driver ‘97 – and Tyler makes the finals! A good semi-final, built around Bate outlasting Wolfgang before surprising him at the end. ***¼
Pete Dunne rushes into the ring as Bate celebrated, throwing him into the ringpost twice. William Regal storms out and shoves Dunne to the back, and this seems to be exciting some people into thinking that’s going to be a match down the road.
We’ve got some non-tournament action as Neville gets a monstrous pop on his return to the UK. Neville takes the mic, and he’s mad at having been left out of the Cruiserweight Classic and the UK Championship Tournament. Did Maffew of Botchamania give them this idea? Neville reckons he should be the champion by default – but he realises that he wasn’t in because they wanted a competitive tournament. The crowd somewhat agrees, and Neville keeps on talking until he’s interrupted by the debuting Tommy End!
Yes, they used Tommy End – not his WWE name of Aleister Black – having wrestled for PROGRESS in Birmingham a few hours earlier…
Neville vs. Tommy End
They start with a tie-up, but Neville takes End down with an armdrag after Michael Cole rattled off a list of companies that End has turned out for before.
Neville flips out of a wristlock, but End just sits down to confuse Neville. A kick’s grabbed, and End returns with a kick to the chest for a count of one, before another series of leapfrogs and avoidances leads to another kick by End, eventually forcing Neville to the outside.
Someone in the crowd sparked off a chant of “Sunderland” to troll Neville, as Charly Caruso’s “trainer’s update” briefly went over the PA system. The crowd told the unfortunate director “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, which detracted from the match as Neville looked to take down End, only to leap into another kick to the head from the Dutchman.
End leaps flies into Neville with forearms and back elbows, before a big knee to the gut sends Neville rolling to the floor. A moonsault off the middle turnbuckle sends Neville down, and End keeps on top of him with some more kicks and a knee strike for a near-fall. Tommy goes up top for his double stomp, but instead he boots Neville away before faking out a kick.
A roundhouse follows, as does a bridging German for a near-fall. That double stomp is attempted again, but Neville cuts him off and crotches the Dutchman on the top rope, before a snap ‘rana off the top rope sets up for the Red Arrow as Neville gets the win. A bizarre match that I wasn’t expecting to see; a great outing for both guys – and here’s hoping End gets showcased like this on NXT in the very near future! ***¼
We’ve got “breaking news” from backstage as Charly Caruso tells us that Tyler Bate’s separated his shoulder… but he’s been cleared to compete. So there’s the obvious weak point for Tyler going in.
Finn Balor interrupts the show with his heartbeat and music – this time, he’s not here to play musical chairs! (He played musical chairs at PROGRESS earlier, in case you’re wondering why that random reference was made) Balor tells the crowd that he’s proud of what’s happened over the weekend, before he put over the crowd… and it’s time for our main event!
They show replays of how Dunne and Bate made it to the finals… and now, it’s time!
WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate
Tyler’s taped up, of course, and William Regal – in the ring with the belt – is staring a hole through Dunne.
Dunne starts by going for Bate’s shoulder in the lock-up, but they go to the corner for a clean break. They circle around each other, but Dunne goes for the shoulder again, before he slaps Tyler in the corner. Bate comes back with a wristlock takedown, torquing away at Dunne’s hand, until the Bruiserweight trips Tyler and starts to work on that left shoulder.
A heavily-torqued wristlock keeps Tyler down for a bit, but he fights back and gets a dropkick to send Dunne scurrying into the corner. Bate scores a takedown and grabs a toe hold, before Dunne’s roll out sees Bate cartwheel free and into the corner as we sail past the advertised 10pm finish time.
A tie-up sees both men roll to the outside, where Dunne and Bate trade forearms on the floor, before Bate returns to the ring to get caught in an armbar. Dunne throws Bate shoulder-first into the turnbuckle, and the match turns back in the Bruiserweight’s favour, especially as he stomps away on the injured left arm.
Bate scurries away like Ali-Inoki, but he recovers to throw Dunne shoulder-first into the ringpost to even things up! Tyler gets a diving uppercut off the middle rope, and he looks to try for the Tyler Driver – only for the shoulder to give way. A Koppo Kick misses as Dunne takes over again with a double stomp, then goes for the Bitter End, but its turned into an inside cradle for a near fall!
Bate comes back with an airplane spin going one way, then the other, before he squats and goes back around a third time! That gets Bate a two-count, but he walks into the path of a triangle armbar from Dunne on the mat… but somehow Tyler powers out with a powerbomb to free himself!
Dunne’s gone to the outside for a breather, but Tyler catches him with a Space Flying Tiger Drop! Bate goes up top and lands a 450 knee drop, but Dunne barely kicks out in time! This is getting great… but Dunne grabs the left wrist and removes the mouthguard for a major pop as he teases some finger biting, before landing the Bitter End… for another two count! From the kick-out, Dunne grabs the Kimura, before rolling Bate into the middle of the ring… before he leaps into some body scissors, but Tyler works free into a brainbuster!
That gets Bate a two-count, but he pops his shoulder back in to try for a German suplex, only for Peter to land on his feet. This descends into a striking battle until the Koppo kick succeeds, as does a second, before Bate goes for the Tyler Driver… AND TYLER BATE WINS! ****½
That. Was. Incredible. I did not have Bate down in any of my fantasy booking to win this, but this was a final masterstroke of booking an effective babyface. Dunne as the bully played the part well – and these two put on one of the best matches in recent memory to get us to the destination. Tyler – as WWE’s youngest ever singles champion – gets a tickertape celebration, and he’s left celebrating in awe as the show goes off the air!
What Worked: Tyler Bate as the young babyface (in both senses!) champion… Pete Dunne’s character as bully throughout the tournament. Classic babyface and heel booking and story-telling – the basics still work in 2017!
What Didn’t: The sound mixing – but it’s a minor niggle as the backstage audio came through twice over the PA. Nothing too bad, but it did kinda bring down the End/Neville surprise match. I’d also have preferred some of the undercard to have gone a little longer, but given the story that was being told, it’s just my own personal preference.
Thumbs: Up. No surprise – the whole tournament was an unabashed success in my eyes. Congratulations Tyler Bate – here’s to whatever the future WWE-UK brings!