WWE UK Live Adds Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne to NXT TakeOver: Chicago
NXT TakeOver: Chicago just received a British battle, which got confirmed at Sunday’s WWE UK live event in Norwich, England.
For the past two days, WWE has run two shows with its United Kingdom talent in Norwich, England. Multiple cruiserweights have also been featured, including TJP, Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa and Brian Kendrick.
The biggest match of the weekend came on Day 2. This saw Pete Dunne vs. Trent Seven, with the winner facing Tyler Bate at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. The show takes place on Saturday, May 20 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL.
Well, we have our match for TakeOver confirmed — after defeating Seven, it will be Dunne vs. Bate for the UK Championship. This is the first time this belt has been defended at a TakeOver live special. WWE’s Twitter confirmed it below:
It is OFFICIAL! @PeteDunneYxB will take on @WWEUK Champion @Tyler_Bate for the @WWE #UKChampionship at #NXTTakeOver: Chicago! pic.twitter.com/RdLUQGhLJ3
— WWE (@WWE) May 7, 2017
It looks like Dunne standing up Charly Caruso before this show paid off.
As an add-on, Triple H confirmed these two shows will be airing on the WWE Network, later this month. With this show featuring a match with TakeOver implications, one would think it airs before May 20.
Thank you for two amazing nights #WWENorwich. If you couldn't be here to see it live...you can watch it later this month on @WWENetwork!
— Triple H (@TripleH) May 7, 2017
Bate vs. Dunne is a rematch of the WWE UK Championship Tournament Finals from January. This saw the then-19-year-old become the first-ever WWE UK Champion. He has since defended the belt twice on NXT TV, defeating Seven and Jack Gallagher, respectively. The Gallagher win came on the Apr. 26 episode of WWE NXT.
Bate vs. Dunne joins the already confirmed NXT Women’s Championship Match, which will see Asuka defend against Ember Moon, Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot. The NXT Championship Match will be decided on Wednesday’s show, pitting Hideo Itami against Roderick Strong, with the winner getting Bobby Roode in Chicago.
Will this be when WWE takes the title off Bate? There’s been a knack for belt changes throughout 2017, although mostly on the main roster. We’ve seen the NXT Tag Team and NXT Championships switched around once each this year, with the NXT Women’s Championship remaining on Asuka since April 2016.
Next: All 26 Champions in NXT History, Ranked
We’re in for an exciting next few weeks of British wrestling in the WWE. It’s unchartered territory that continues to grow, with the weekly show still on the way, too. Are you looking forward to this, Bate vs. Dunne II and everything else the UK events are about to bring?