After two days of fantastic competition in Blackpool, England, Tyler Bate has been crowned the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion, defeating tournament favorite Pete Dunne in the final.

Bate, who is only 19-years-old, won the crowd over early on day one with a dazzling performance against Tucker

He took his momentum into day two and knocked off another tournament favorite, Jordan Devlin, in the quarterfinals before beating ICW Heavyweight Champion, Wolfgang in the semi-finals. 

Following his win over Wolfgang, Bate was blindsided by Dunne who looked to inflict damage to another injured shoulder before their final match-up.  

Dunne, who had done his best to ruin proceedings on day one by attacking Sam Gradwell as the show went off the air, was almost certain to pick up the win and become champion. 

After a special match that saw WWE superstar Neville take on one of NXT’s newest signings, Tommy End, Bate and Dunne stepped into the squared circle to do battle for the championship. Dunne quite clearly focused on the beaten up Bate and hit his Bitter End finisher but was unable to get the three count. 

Bate battled back and was able to muster all his strength to hit his Tyler Driver 97 finisher and claim the victory over his Progress Wrestling ally. 

Recap of the tournament

Michael Cole and new WWE commentator Nigel McGuiness called the action from the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool as 16 of the best UK stars looked to claim the WWE United Kingdom Championship.

Competitors included Mark Andrews, Tyler Bate - the eventual winner, Danny Burch, Joseph Conners, Jordan Devlin, Pete Dunne, James Drake, H.C. Dyer, Saxon Huxley, Dan Moloney, Roy Johnson, Sam Gradwell, Trent Seven, Tucker, Tyson T-Bone and Wolfgang. 

It showcased some of the best UK talent on the market and allowed the world to get a better look at the British Wrestling scene. 

In the end, it looks to be a huge success for both the WWE and the British wrestling scene that should now receive a boost from the wider Wrestling universe. 

The lineup for the WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament. Photo: WWE.Com 

What is the future of the United Kingdom Championship?

As for the future of the United Kingdom Championship, that is up in the air as nobody knows any solid plans going forward. WWE Executive Triple H and NXT General Manager William Regal both made comments towards a potential weekly British show from the WWE but nothing is definitive.  

All tournament participants reportedly signed one-year contracts with the WWE, so it’s quite possible that the WWE finds a use for them, potentially with a WWE Network exclusive show similar to the Cruiserweight Division and 205 Live.  

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About the author
Connor Bennett
Everton editor for VAVEL UK - contributing since 2015. Premier League accredited journalist. Journalism graduate from Liverpool. Writing about Football, eSports and the NFL. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: ConnorBennett14