WWE NXT TakeOver New York Results, Grades, and Review

Pete Dunne (c) vs. WALTER for the United Kingdom Championship

Result: WALTER is the new UK Champion

Grade: A, one of the most emotionally draining matches this year

Pete Dunne is the longest-reigning champion of WWE’s modern era for a reason, and he’s called out WALTER for this WWE NXT TakeOver New York match for a reason. For years, Dunne has proven to be the cream of the crop in the UK scene, but in order to prove that he’s the best, he must continue to beat the best. And right now, there is no greater challenger for Dunne’s championship than WALTER, whose mere presence commands the utmost attention.

This match has a chance to be one of the most brutal singles matches without a stipulation that we’ve seen in WWE. Both of these men are incredibly physical, incredibly resilient, and, again, command so much respect when they enter the ring.

WALTER started throwing around Dunne to show off his strength, and, for the first time, Dunne didn’t have the strength advantage. Clearly shocked by this, Dunne realized he had to change his gameplan, and he needed to use his quickness to avoid absorbing serious damage via WALTER’s deadly chops.

Of course, it didn’t take long for WALTER to hit a pair of chops on Dunne, as he continued to impose his will on the record-setting United Kingdom Champion.

Zeroing in on the lower-body, WALTER started to ground Dunne, but it was countered into a Heel Hook by the champion. The two men started trading heavy strikes, and WALTER got out of the hold with an especially vicious chop before placing Dunne in a Boston Crab.

The X-Factor in all of Dunne’s matches, though, is his joint manipulation, but his lock on WALTER’s fingers lasted only momentarily as WALTER simply threw him out of the ring. Enraged at how the match has gone for him, Dunne found a flurry of energy, striking the bigger man and using his agility to counter some attempted big moves from WALTER.

Dunne sent his challenger to the outside and hit a moonsault afterwards! And on the top rope, Dunne manipulated WALTER’s fingers again, attempting to soften him up for a powerbomb. And he was able to hit it for a nearfall! With that move, Dunne inflicted serious damage on WALTER, but the bigger impact was psychological; he proved to himself that he has the strength to throw around WALTER.

It didn’t take long for WALTER to reassume the advantage, throwing Dunne viciously across the ring with a suplex before folding him up after a nasty powerbomb. But Dunne still kicked out to save his record-breaking championship reign!

Barely with it, Dunne started getting lit up by WALTER’s strikes. Dunne valiantly fought back, but his knees betrayed him. That said, the fire had yet to be extinguished from Dunne’s eyes. He feebly fought back with some strikes, but, alas, WALTER remained unfazed.

WALTER plopped Dunne on the top rope and tried to lift him up for a HUGE, game-changing move. But Dunne smashed WALTER’s hand on the post to buy some time before the Austrian superstar rag-dolled him off the top rope. Dunne, with the heart of a lion, kicked out of an avalanche sleeper suplex!

Dunne snapped WALTER’s fingers more viciously than ever back-to-back, and he nearly stole the match with a picture-perfect crucifix pin that would have made Sasha Banks proud. Stomping on WALTER’s head, Dunne tried to ready himself for a big win, and he responded to WALTER’s kicks back with more stomps. WALTER tried to submit Dunne again, but Dunne went back to the kicks to the head before locking in on the hands again with a brutal submission. With every last bit of energy, WALTER got his foot on the rope to break the hold.

At this point in the match, Dunne was fully back in it, and it looked like a 50/50 call for who would pick up the championship victory.

WALTER saved himself from having his fingers snapped again after being in a triangle, and following a counter, he started stomping on Dunne yet again.As much as WALTER stomped, Dunne wouldn’t let go of WALTER’s left hand. He went for the Bitter End for the first time in the match, but he paid for it dearly by being turned inside out with a lariat. Dunne, however, hit a pair of big strikes before hitting the Bitter End.

BUT WALTER KICKED OUT!

Visibly demoralized, Dunne needed some time to collect himself after WALTER somehow kicked out of one of WWE’s best finishers, absorbing Dunne’s absolute best shot in a match where many wondered if Dunne would have the strength to even hit his finish. Dunne went right to WALTEr with a forearm, but the challenger came back with chops that were ten times harder. He begged Dunne to come at him with harder strikes, but he just wasn’t game.

But then, Dunne found renewed vigor, hitting faster and harder strikes…only to get knocked out cold by WALTER, who unwisely flopped over to the top rope instead of covering Dunne. His own arrogance to make sure he beat Dunne was likely his downfall, as Dunne met WALTER up on the top rope.

Dunne, however, made his own mistake, attempting to lock in WALTER’s arm on the top rope. WALTER countered into a vicious powerbomb, ascended the top rope, hit a splash, and won the United Kingdom Championship.

We have a new UK Champion! And if there was a way for Pete Dunne’s legendary, record-breaking reign to end, then this was it – on NXT’s grandest stage against an incredible opponent and after a grueling, emotional match. He made this title prestigious with amazing matches like this almost every single month, and it was jarring watching him in the corner of the ring without the title, simply wondering what’s next.

That said, I’m excited for the WALTER era in NXT UK. He truly is that good.