WWE NXT UK: Tyler Bate vs. WALTER stands out in a crowded weekend of wrestling

In a weekend full of great wrestling, Tyler Bate vs. WALTER for the WWE United Kingdom Championship became a contender for match of the year.

WALTER’s uncontested ascent to the top on WWE NXT UK has been both awe-inspiring and terrifying. He and his stable, Imperium, are primed to finish the second half of the year as one of the hottest acts in wrestling. Their feud with British Strong Style has been the most engrossing aspect of WWE’s UK-based developmental brand.

The latest chapter focuses on a David vs. Goliath style clash between Tyler Bate and WALTER. These two tore the house down this weekend at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff in a 42-minute match that hit all the right notes.

On the July 3 episode of WWE NXT UK, WALTER and Imperium interfered in Moustache Mountain’s tag team match.  Subsequently, “The Ring General” brutally targeted and injured Bate while his stablemates forced Trent Seven to watch helplessly. In the following weeks, Tyler Bate returned and claimed his spot as champion’s next challenger.

It feels clichéd to say at this point but from the very beginning, this bout had a big match feel. You could just tell this was going to special.

Bate surprised the champion early. However, he responded with a nasty powerbomb onto the apron and another onto the ring post. Back in the ring, Bate wasn’t deterred as he attempted a fireman’s carry but collapsed under the weight of his Austrian opponent.

WALTER went on to use his substantial size advantage and strength to punish and wear him down. But the challenger showed incredible resilience as he fought back every step of the way. Every time he did, WALTER would become increasingly vicious and brutal.

After about ten minutes, Bate stormed back with a flurry of leg drops. He went for a European uppercut from the top rope, but WALTER caught him with a thunderous chop to the back. Then “The Ring General” went back to work with an array of holds.

Tyler wouldn’t back down though. He tried to lift WALTER again but this time he managed to get him up for a suplex as the crowd erupted. Then, he quickly followed it up with a barrage of clothes, attempting to chop the champion down to no avail.

Instead, Bate pulled off an exploder suplex, a defiant kip-up, and a standing shooting star press to force one of many thrilling near falls. He tried the Tyler Driver ’97 but WALTER powered out of it. The leader of Imperium went for a powerbomb of his own, but Tyler countered it into a sunset flip for another near fall.

Later, Bate snapped WALTER’s fingers like his rival and British Strong Style stablemate, Pete Dunne, and nailed him with an avalanche exploder suplex. This pivotal moment is part of what made the storytelling in this match so compelling.

Yes, Tyler Bate looked like a tenacious babyface that stood toe to toe with a giant. On the other hand, it also illustrated his drastic transformation from a clean-cut waving babyface in the years since he debuted in the United Kingdom Championship Tournament in 2017. He proved just how valiant and gritty he has become as he rallied in the second half of this fight.

In a crazy feat of strength, the “Big Strong Boi” finally got WALTER up for a fireman’s carry and executed an Airplane spin. The champion tried to hug the ropes to escape but Tyler put him in a torture rack and planted him with a burning hammer. Unfortunately, he couldn’t muster up enough energy to cover him for the pin.

Afterward, Bate threw all the offense he could at WALTER, but the big man survived. He secured a sleeper hold on Tyler, who slowly rose to his feet with the nearly 300-pounder on his back and slammed him back first.

It looked like the match was over when WALTER hit Bate with the flying crossbody he used to end Dunne’s historic reign as champion. However, he kicked out! So, he tried a powerbomb, but he kicked out again. Tyler fought on to the very last minute when WALTER unceremoniously wiped him out with a devastating clothesline.

One could argue ending the match with a strike is anticlimactic, but it felt kind of poetic. Tyler had nothing left and the WALTER silenced him with one last fit of rage.

This was a memorable performance that will easily be one of Tyler Bate’s career highlights when all is said and done. WALTER looked every bit as dominant as ever but Bate pushed him to the limit in what could be an instant classic.