This coming weekend, WWE branches out into truly unique territory for the company, when they host a two-day tournament on the WWE Network to crown their inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion. Historically, WWE has managed to incorporate international stars with some success on a case-by-case basis, however, their attempts to focus on a specific region exclusively have been lackluster. A simple look back at some of the “illustrious” holders of the now-defunct European Championship shows that while WWE will get behind an international champion or title for a short burst, a long-time vision is rarely employed. However, the immense success of the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, and continued effort and focus on the new cruiserweight division gives hope to fans of the British wrestling scene that this time, we may be setup for something truly special, and that begins this weekend on the WWE Network.
Now, while diehard fans are familiar with some, or even all of these names from following popular independent companies such as PROGRESS, Revolution Pro and ICW, many fans will be exposed to this amazing talent and unique style for the first time this weekend. To help fans prepare and get pumped for the WWE UK Tournament, scroll through our rundown of all 16 participants.
Tyler Bate
Notable Championships:
ATTACK! 24:7 Championship (3x)
CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas Championship
Kamikaze Pro Tag Team Championship
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship
Relentless Division Championship
VII Pro British Lions Championship
wXw Shotgun Championship
The youngest of the participants in the tournament also comes into this weekend’s action as one of the most hyped and known competitors. Nineteen year old Tyler Bate has spent five years learning his craft in companies such as Rev Pro, PROGRESS, CHIKARA, and has even competed against Tetsuya Naito and Los Ingobernables de Japon in six-man tag action with NJPW. When asked who his wrestling inspirations were, you may be surprised on his answer, as while he names legendary talents like Steve Grey and Johnny Saint, he also credits the Big Red Machine, Kane as a major influence in his career, which surprises not due to Kane being unworthy, but simply because it’s not every day you have a 5’7″ technician styling his work after a monster like Kane. However, this only goes to illustrate Bate’s all-around view of the squared circle and how to operate inside those ropes, and his willingness to wrestle in almost any style imaginable will allow him to adapt quickly should he advance deep into this tournament. However, will his partnership with Trent Seven as Moustache Mountain become an issue if they meet in the tournament?
Tucker
Notable Championships:
PWU Championship (2x)
PWU All-Ulster Championship
Irish Junior Heavyweight Championship
Trained by WWE Superstar Finn Balor, Tucker could be poised to explode onto the worldwide scene in this tournament, and make a name for himself worldwide. Wrestling for over ten years, Tucker brings a wealth of experience and knowledge into the UK Tournament, and is prepared to display all of his skills on the worldwide stage. Tucker’s worked mainly within the UK scene, mainly under the banner of Pro Wrestling Ulstor, where he is also a trainer. Recently returning from a knee injury which cost him ten months of his career, Tucker’s likely to do everything within his power to capitalize on this monumental opportunity.
Jordan Devlin
Notable Championships
BCW Tag Team Championship
NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship
NWA Ireland Tag Team Championship
PBW Tag Team Championship
Jordan Devlin is another disciple of Finn Balor, beginning his training at age 12 with Balor and Paul Tracey. Devling originally wanted to pursue a career in the world of amateur wrestling, however he wasn’t able to resist the draw of the squared circle, and soon traveled to Japan, training in the dojos and implementing much of the famed Japanese “Strong-Style” into his repertoire. Pairing that knowledge with the high-flying and technical skills learned from his trainers and UK experience, Devlin is expected to be a major headache for anyone in the WWE UK Tournament.
Danny Burch
Notable Championships:
1PW Openweight Championship
1PW World Heavyweight Championship
FIP Florida Heritage Championship
FWA World Heavyweight Championship
GSW Tag Team Championship
GWC Championship
IPW:UK World Championship (3x)
LDN British Heavyweight Championship
NWA FUW Flash Championship
PW101 Championship
RevPro British Tag Team Championship
RQW Heavyweight Championship
Wrestling League Heavyweight Championship
WXW Tag Team Championship
wXw World Tag Team Championship
XWA British Tag Team Championship
Those in the WWE Universe who may be familiar with Danny Burch from his brief appearances in NXT may be surprised by the lengthy list of achievements above, but make no mistake: while Burch has yet to make a major impact under the WWE umbrella, his resume speaks for itself. An extremely accomplished wrestler overseas, Burch has been bruising opponents with his rough, brawling style for over fourteen years. Besides NXT, Burch has also competed in Rev Pro, ICW, and even TNA briefly. The question now becomes, will his past experience with NXT help to ease the nerves that the other tournament participants are undoubtedly feeling, and therefore give Burch an advantage over his opponents this weekend?
Trent Seven
Notable Championships:
ATTACK! 24:7 Championship
CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas Championship
FCP Championship
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship
A popular pick among UK wrestling experts to win the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Championship, Trent Seven has taken among himself to introduce and promote “British Strong Style”, a marketable way of describing his tendency to thoroughly pummel his opponents. He often teams with fellow tournament competitor Tyler Bate as one half of Moustache Mountain, which may become troublesome, as both occupy the same side of the bracket, and therefore are positioned to potentially meet in the tournament. While he’s only been competing for eight years, Seven has competed across the world with PROGRESS, Rev Pro, and even competing against the legendary Yuji Nagata in New Japan Pro Wrestling. That experience will prove crucial in this tournament, and Seven will need to draw on all of that knowledge if he is to fulfill expectations and emerge victorious this weekend.
H.C. Dyer
Notable Championships:
LCW Young Guns Championship
SWE Tag Team Championship
A young, up-and-coming striker, twenty year old H.C. Dyer has been building his reputation in Southside Wrestling Entertainment and Leicester Championship Wrestling over the past three years. Claiming that he “rarely needs to put any effort” into his wins, every competitor in this weekend’s tournament needs to be weary of Dyer’s incredible striking and power. Dyer’s outlook will remind many of WWE’s resident Beast Incarnate, as Dyer makes no claims about being in this tournament, or this business, for his love or passion of the industry. He’s doing this for the payoff, simple as that, and becoming the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion would be the largest payday of this young man’s life.
Wolfgang
Notable Championships:
BCW Heavyweight Championship
BCW Openweight Championship (2x)
BCW Tag Team Championship (5x)
ICW World Heavyweight Championship
ICW Zero-G Championship
PBW Heavyweight Championship
PBW Tag Team Championship
Scottish Heavyweight Championship
SPW British Heavyweight Championship
SWA Laird Of The Ring Championship
SWA Tag Team Championship (2x)
W3L Heavyweight Championship
W3L Tag Team Championship
wZw Interpromotional Championship
Take one look at Wolfgang, and you likely won’t be surprised to hear that his family owns and operates a pub in Glasgow, where Wolfgang himself helps out, especially with any “unruly” patrons. A mainstay in ICW, Wolfgang held their World Championship for 165 days, and has competed against elite talent such as Noam Dar, Mikey Whiplash, Finn Balor and Rhyno. While his style is as bruising and punishing as you’d expect, Wolfgang blends that style with a deceptively agile repertoire which may be extremely difficult for many of the smaller participants to handle. Opponents would be unwise to judge Wolfgang based solely on his appearance, otherwise they may find themselves lying on the mat, feeling as if they just got tossed into the streets of Glasgow with a massive hangover, and a serious dose of regret.
Tyson T-Bone
Notable Championships:
ATTACK! 24:7 Championship
CW Heavyweight Championship
FSW Championship
GPW British Championship
GPW Heavyweight Championship
PCW Championship
PCW Tag Team Championship
Pro Evolution Heavyweight Championship (2x)
SWE Heavyweight Championship
Target Wrestling Championship
With T-Bone’s bare-knuckle background, WWE fans may find themselves making comparisons between T-Bone and Wade Barrett, and while Tyson’s size may not resemble Barrett, his style certainly will. While many of the participants in this weekend’s tournament walk in with the intention to prove their the best wrestler, Tyson simply wants to win, and will likely be willing to break any rule necessary to do just that. When asked, Tyson aptly states “My style is to win”.
Mark Andrews
Notable Championships:
ATTACK! 24:7 Championship (5x)
ATTACK! Tag Team Trophy Championship
CW Tag Team Championship
FNW British Championship
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship
PROGRESS World Championship
Likely the most known participant in this tournament among American fans due to his time with TNA, Mark Andrews will likely remind many of the action seen during the CWC this weekend, and will also be a heavy favorite to walk away the victor. In a career which has seen him compete in a vast array of companies, from CZW to PROGRESS to PWG, Andrews has created quite a name for himself on the independent scene, and will look to increase his notoriety under the WWE banner. Andrews names Rey Mysterio and Shawn Michaels as major influences on his career, and his in-ring style show that their impact has been great. Unfamiliar fans will certainly be impressed by Andrews’ skill, and there’s speculation whether a solid performance may lead to an inclusion in WWE’s cruiserweight division, but can Andrews find the grittiness and toughness that will be needed to win four matches in two nights to become the first WWE United Kingdom Champion?
Dan Moloney
Notable Championships:
ATTACK! 24:7 Championship
ATTACK! Tag Team Trophy Championship
Kamikaze Pro Tag Team Championship
Relentless Division Championship
Nineteen year old Dan Moloney certainly has his work cut out for him, drawing favorite Mark Andrews in the opening round of the WWE UK Tournament, but don’t try and tell him that. A skilled technician who has been training since he was twelve years old, Moloney has worked with companies such as ICW and CHIKARA. Moloney’s aggressiveness could cause problems for opponents who may be a bit hesitant in their first matches under the WWE banner, and Moloney’s youth may allow him to brush off any nerves that would normally come with an opportunity as huge as this one. In other words, Moloney has everything to win, and nothing to lose.
James Drake
Notable Championships:
BWP Tag Team Championship
FSW Adrenaline Championship
FSW Tag Team Championship
GPW Heavyweight Championship
Drake followed in the UK trend of getting into the business early, beginning his training at age 13, and therefore building over ten years of experience, despite still being in his twenties. Working with FutureShock Wrestling, AllStar Wrestling, and recently PROGRESS, Drake has been steadily building his resume and reputation in the UK scene, and has a major opportunity to burst to the head of the line in the British scene if he’s able to come away as the first WWE United Kingdom Champion. Much was made of Cedric Alexander’s dramatic weight cut before the CWC, and Daniel Bryan made a point to mention how much he believed that helped Alexander. WWE.com has noted that Drake has made a similar change, dropping his body fat from 22% to only 11% in preparation for this tournament.
Joseph Conners
Notable Championships:
LCW Championship
LCW Tag Team Championship (2x)
SWE Heavyweight Championship (2x)
SWE Tag Team Championship (2x)
WCPW World Championship
A Southside Wrestling Entertainment mainstay, Conners has shown an affinity for putting his body on the line time and time again, even inadvertently doing his best Mick Foley impersonation when he lost part of his left ear. Conners has a knack for captivating audiences whenever he’s in the ring, and his passion is so great that in addition to his in-ring schedule, Conners has moved into a trainer role as well. With his in-ring style, willingness to risk his body in hardcore and grueling matches, and undying will to live, will anyone in the tournament be able to hold him back from his goal?
Pete Dunne
Notable Championships:
4FW Junior Heavyweight Championship
ATTACK! 24:7 Championship (5x)
AWW British Tag Team Championship
FCP Championship
OTT No Limits Championship (2x)
Pro Wrestling Kingdom Championship
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship
PROGRESS World Championship
Relentless Division Championship
RevPro British Cruiserweight Championship
VII Pro Championship
wXw Shotgun Championship
Pete Dunne comes into this weekend’s tournament with a major amount of hype, and it’s all deserved. Having wrestled in 14 different countries, it will be difficult for anyone in the tournament to rival Dunne’s experience, even though Dunne is only 23 years old. Dunne has wrestled all over the world, and taken on amazing talents such as Sonjay Dutt, Tomohiro Ishii, and Yuji Nagata. Many may look at Dunne and immediately assume they’re looking at a cruiserweight-type high flyer, and while Dunne does have that skill, his experiences and, quite frankly, his failings in the past turned him towards a more aggressive style, where the win is all that matters. Dunne has been clear that his intensity causes him to place an enormous amount of pressure on himself heading into this tournament, but he doesn’t see that as an issue. Rather, he’s adamant that pressure only means that he needs to win this tournament, and he fully intends to get exactly what he needs.
Roy Johnson
Perhaps the greatest unknown in the tournament, Roy Johnson is truly looking to shock the world. Self-described as “the most wavy guy in sports entertainment”, Johnson has been impressing fans in PROGRESS Wrestling for the past two years, and is looking to explode onto the worldwide scene with a huge performance in the UK Tournament. Johnson is a European and British Open champion in powerlifting, and therefore understandably relies on his strength to carry him in his matches. “Why tie someone up,” he explains, “when you can pick them up and slam them to the ground?”
Saxon Huxley
Trained by Marty Jones, Lance Storm and current 205 Live superstar Brian Kendrick, Saxon Huxley has all of the tools to be a major player in this tournament. The tallest competitor in this tournament, Huxley will be wise to utilize this advantage throughout the tournament in an effort to neutralize the styles of his opponents. His finished, Shattered Illusions, is a mix of a Canadian back-breaker and a Boston Crab, which will be serious trouble for anyone who finds themselves caught by it.
Sam Gradwell
Notable Championships:
GPW Heavyweight Championship
GPW Tag Team Championship
Sam Gradwell may be a relative unknown to the average WWE fan, however, he has a very familiar finishing maneuver, a diving headbutt which conjures up images of British great The Dynamite Kid. Grand Pro Wrestling, Alpha Omega Wrestling, and True Grit Wrestling all have hosted Gradwell punishing opponents, and he’s built a reputation of terrifying and victimizing wrestlers across the independent scene. Now, he makes his way to the WWE UK Tournament, with an eye towards casting an intimidating shadow over the event, and mauling his way to the top.
Who do you see coming out of this weekend as the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments!