5 UK Wrestlers Who Could Dethrone Pete Dunne

pete dunne
Source: WWE

In a truly unfortunate turn of events, the WWE United Kingdom Champion, Pete Dunne, has been pulled from two weekend shows due to ‘serious’ injury. The Bruiserweight has yet to provide much insight into his current status, although he was quick to let everyone know via his Instagram that he’s “n o t d e a d”. Cheers, Peter.

WWE have also yet to comment on the situation, however news suggests that they are in talks regarding the UK Champion and plans for the belt going forward. Depending on how serious this injury is, it might be that Pete Dunne’s 500+ day reign comes to a very anti-climactic and devastating conclusion. This begs the question: should Pete Dunne be forced to relinquish the championship, who could possibly follow suit?

Here are five potential candidates for the helm of the UK division – I’ve cheated just a tad and included a couple names outside of WWE contracts, but hey, who says no to a bit of fantasy?

 

1. Nick Aldis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ2qW4tMGQs

The former NWA and Impact World Champion and also the guy that bested my former primary school teacher on the UK edition of Gladiators. Nick Aldis has really formed an aura of superstardom around himself over the past few years, becoming one of the few consistent bastions of the independent scene in the US.

Aldis has ties to the WWE through his wife, Mickie James, and has on occasion been in talks with officials regarding a contract, however that has never came to fruition. Perhaps now is a better time than any for Aldis to make the jump into the mainstream. Recently losing the NWA Championship to Cody Rhodes at All In, Aldis is set to collide in a 2 out of 3 Falls rematch with Rhodes at an upcoming NWA event, but after that, the future could hold a place in the burgeoning NXT UK division.

Outside of Pete Dunne and his British Strong Style chums, the UK division is somewhat lacking in star power. Nick Aldis could provide a dire shot of marquee quality should he choose to make the jump. Even to the more casual audience, Nick Aldis should command attention and status upon his debut.

Personally, I think he’s the most suitable name outside of the NXT UK roster who could follow Pete Dunne’s legendary reign as UK Champ.

 

2. Travis Banks

The Kiwi Buzzsaw is also out with injury at the time of writing. Failing to defeat Zack Gibson in the finals of this year’s WWE UK Championship Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall, Banks hasn’t quite had the chance to break out in a starring role in the NXT UK promotion. Trav, however, has the undying respect of the BritWres fandom and has what it takes to take the ball and run with it when given the chance.

Banks was a sure-fire pick to win the tournament, which only goes to suggest that fans wouldn’t be upset if he were to take the championship off of Dunne. History shows that Travis has bested Dunne for titles in the past, defeating him for the Progress World Championship after a similar reign of terror.

Judging by the NXT UK tapings, it seems that Banks was set to be involved in a tag feud alongside Flash Morgan Webster against The Coffey Brothers, but I think this is merely a placeholder feud for him to be elevated into the main event scene within a year. With that in mind, I don’t see any issue with The Kiwi Buzzsaw nabbing the vacant UK title once he’s fit to return.

 

3. Trent Seven

Out of the three BSS lads, Trent is the last member of the trio to hold the WWE UK title. The former NXT Tag Champ and current Progress Atlas Champion has the prestige behind him to make him a credible contender for the belt. Even if it’s just for the interim period while Pete recovers and Triple H figures out who exactly should succeed The Bruiserweight as the face of the UK division, Seven certainly deserves a run to solidify himself as more than just a tag team guy.

Not that I want or expect WWE to break up Moustache Mountain any time soon, but it would be interesting to see Seven and Bate collide over the chance to capture the vacant championship – remembering their match from NXT TV last year, their chemistry against each other is just as fun to watch as it is when they team.

 

4. Jordan Devlin

My dark horse in the UK division is Jordan Devlin, someone that is on the verge of becoming a superstar on NXT UK and on the global scene. Best known for being budget Finn Balor, Devlin already has the crowd in the palm of his hands when competing on WWE television. The fans despise him, which only adds to the quality of a match, and potentially a fantastic heel title reign.

Devlin recently challenged Dunne as part of the NXT UK tapings, which apparently went down a treat for all those in attendance, with many MOTN comments thrown its way. So if that’s anything to go by, I’d say Devlin is one of the first in line to claim the right to the UK title if Pete’s dropping it due to injury.

Jordan Devlin has the look, ability and attitude to really make a name for himself as UK Champion, with plenty of talent for him to bounce off of during the interim period before Pete returns to reclaim his title.

Again, a dark horse, but definitely someone you shouldn’t sleep on.

 

5. Marty Scurll

This is not going to happen, but if there’s any British wrestler on the planet right now that would be a worthy success to Pete Dunne, then it would be the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Marty Scurll.

The Villain is making waves across the globe as part of New Japan Pro Wrestling, and the Bullet Club. Good for him, he’s a phenomenal talent that continues to grow as a wrestler and a star. Do I see him joining WWE any time soon? Not really, the man would be silly to leave behind the ridiculous amount of success he’s finding elsewhere on the indies. Along with the likes of Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr, these Brit stars should be kept far away from NXT UK for the time being.

But imagine the headlines if WWE were to forge a working relationship with Marty, New Japan and The Bullet Club and allow the UK title to be defended elsewhere?

It would mean huge things for professional wrestling. The NXT UK stars are under flexible contracts which allow them to compete on various indie shows, so long as they aren’t broadcasted on any international networks – aside from Progress, which recently released Hello Wembley on their demand service. Should Vince and Trips be willing to stretch their profound exclusivity, then the WWE UK Championship could mean more than just an assimilation of the British territory. It could be a branch to all independent and global wrestling promotions, allowing the biggest names from ‘the other brands’ to make a name for themselves on the big shows, while maintaining the freedom to compete wherever they please.

In short, Marty Scurll could be the face of a new era for wrestling if he were to be given the chance to compete and win the WWE UK Championship. But that’s probably not going to happen, so I’ll shut up before I get anyone’s hopes too high.

Who would you want to see succeed Pete Dunne as WWE UK Champion? Let us know in the comments down below.

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