WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool Highlights, Grades, and Analysis

Credit: WWE.com

WWE United Kingdom Championship Match: Pete Dunne (c) vs. Joe Coffey

It was finally time for the main event of the evening as “The Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne defended his WWE United Kingdom Championship against the leader of Gallus, “The Iron King” Joe Coffey.

The crowd was behind Dunne a thousand percent, but Coffey is looking to take control of NXT UK. Things started with a stare-down and a lockup in the center of the ring, but Coffey used the ropes to break things up.

Pete Dunne took an early advantage and showed Coffey some of his trademark joint manipulation. Dunne simply outmaneuvered him at each step, even isolating and damaging the fingers of Coffey.

Coffey kept looking for an opening, but Pete Dunne was simply outwrestling him at every turn. The champion even got him locked in a painful looking Regal Stretch, but Coffey refused to tap out.

Dunne kept control with a wristlock that kept Coffey from executing a stalling suplex. Coffey held on and hit a few stiff strikes to finally hoist Dunne into the air, but a string of knees let Dunne slip out and slap on the wristlock yet again.

Joe Coffey just can’t find any sort of momentum at this point, and the champion looks dominant. The fight spills to the outside when Coffey suddenly slams Dunne hard into the ramp. Suddenly there’s a target on the back of Dunne, and “The Iron King” has an opening.

Back in the ring, Coffey followed that slam on the ramp with a stiff backbreaker and sidewalk slam. He followed it with a bearhug, and finally it looks like “The Iron King” can taste victory. Dunne is feeling the damage more than ever.

Pete Dunne fights out of it, but the damage has been done. Joe Coffey proceeded to take control with a huge flying cross body and a series of splashes sandwiching “The Bruiserweight” in the corner.

Despite the damage, Pete Dunne fought through and somehow planted Coffey with The Bitter End. It looked like the match was over, but Coffey still kicked out. Dunne heads to the apron, but Coffey manages to plant him back-first with a sitout powerbomb on the apron!

The referee starts to count, and amazingly both men slide into the ring just before the count of ten rings out. Dunne gets another wind and hits a series of stiff strikes, but Coffey hits a huge discus lariat that somehow only gives him a two count!

Coffey goes to finish him, but Dunne locks in a triangle. Coffey slams him into the turnbuckle, but Dunne refuses to release. Coffey climbs all the way to the top and comes flailing off the top, sending the champion crashing into the mat.

Both men slowly got to their feet with the ropes as help, and they’re fired up once again swinging wildly at one another. Coffey plants a huge Mount Everest german suplex, but Dunne just refuses to die.

Coffey follows it up with stray strikes on the downed champion, clearly frustrated he still hasn’t been able to put down “The Bruiserweight.” Coffey tries to hit Dunne with his own finisher, but Dunne counters it into a DDT and plants Coffey with The Bitter End.

Feeling the damage dealt throughout the match, Coffey manages to roll away before Dunne can cover him. Coffey tried to drag Dunne to the top rope to end things, but a struggle on the turnbuckle caused Coffey to fall hard to the outside.

Coffey went to the top again shortly after, but Dunne climbed to the top and suddenly both men crashed down towards the barricade on the outside. It wasn’t clear what they were heading for, but the exhaustion was clear from both parties.

Back in the ring, Dunne finally hits The Bitter End again but Coffey kicks out. Dunne follows it with an armbar and starts wrenching on the fingers to a near breaking point, and Coffey has no choice but to finally tap out. Your winner, after a brutal quest, is Pete Dunne who is still the WWE United Kingdom Champion.

Grade: A+, I wasn’t a big supporter of Coffey going into this match. I would’ve happily told you someone else deserved this title shot, but Coffey proved me wrong in one of the hardest fought matches I’ve seen in recent memory. These two went to war, and this was a main event truly worthy of headlining NXT UK’s first TakeOver. 

After the match, Dunne’s celebration was cut short by the familiar classical power tune of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9. One of the biggest and most powerful names on the independent scene in Europe has finally arrived in NXT UK, and Walter has his eyes on the champion!

Coffey tried to interrupt the stare down between Walter and Dunne and ate a kick by Walter for his troubles. After a respectful face to face, Walter left Dunne to finish his celebration, but a statement has been made.