United Kingdom Championship Match: Walter v Pete Dunne (C)
Pete Dunne defends his NXT UK Title at NXT TakeOver New York against Walter. Photos courtesy of the WWE.
03/30/19
By (mostly) Michael Klink and (kind of) Matt Klink
@michael_klink
The river’s been navigated, the mountain ascended, the end of the NXT year is upon us: Takeover New York is mere days away, and the Brothers of Discussion are here to prime you for every match on the card. Without further adieu, here come our predictions for who should win, who will win, and the moments that will make the matchups stand out in the history of NXT.
NXT Takeover: New York Preview - Pete Dunne vs Walter
Mike’s Pick: Dunne’s Reign Continues, but Should Walter Take Over?
Who Will Win: Pete Dunne
Who Should Win: Walter
What to watch for: Knife edge chops that turn pectoral muscles into hamburger meat.
Walter gets his first Takeover match against the longest running champion in modern day WWE/NXT history. Dunne, the total embodiment of British wrestling, should be credited with the legitimacy of the NXT UK brand.
Much like the teeth marks, he leaves in his championship belt, Pete’s opponents leave the ring feeling like their limbs had been constricted by a Kraken, that their phalanges had been snapped liked boiled crab claws, and that their dilated pupils will never recover from Dunne’s running knees.
Dunne’s had credible opponents in the past (like Tyler Bate, Jordan Devlin, and Joe Coffey, amongst others), so what makes Walter any different? If you like old school monster heels, then Walter is your man.
Walter will remind you of JBL, Bruiser Brody, and even Andre the Giant. His stiff strikes an imposing figure could belittle a grizzly bear, and this coming Friday we’ll see if he can match the hyperbole by defeating a guy with a bear on his tights.
Not to say that those other challengers didn’t have impressive resumes, but if you’re going to topple the face of the franchise, you need to stand out. Because we know that a company owned by Vince McMahon is going to favor “the beef”, (and that Walter has an affinity for tenderizing the chests of his opponents into ground chuck).
The Austrian Ring General should be the pick here, and Dunne’s streak should come to a close. But I don’t think it’s gonna happen.
Matt’s Pick: The NXT UK Title Changes Hands, but Should It?
Who Will Win: Walter
Who Should Win:Pete Dunne
I’m going to flip the picks for this match. Walter is winning this match, but should he? He’s definitely an intimidating force, he’s been wrestling for years, and the NXT UK crowd shows more than the regularly demanded level of excitement for the Austrian Axel Thrower.
Walter is burdened by being so over. I think he’ll add excitement to this brand, no matter who he faces just because of his size. Why? For some reason Walter puts us all in awe, even during squash matches with enhancement talents, because of that chop. An entire theater waiting for a chance to see one of the most devastating strikes in the business, right now. Its must-see TV.
Strategy wise, I think that puts NXT UK in a spot where Walter might be better served as a worker, much like the Undertaker, who brings story to the ring, just by his presence. While the NXT UK Title could surely use the shake-up, would Pete Dunne’s passing of the torch go to someone in need of a push? I think so.
Like I said, Walter is taking this one, but I’m not sure that’s the best move for a brand still trying to grow and establish itself. Dunne has had the title for a while, but NXT UK programming is pretty fresh.
Let Walter continue to establish himself with the WWE Network viewer, give a new face a shot at proving themselves, and shoot Pete Dunne to a whole other stratosphere.
The Rest of NXT TakeOver New York:
NXT TakeOVer New York
NXT Championship 2-out-of-3 Falls Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole
NXT Women’s Championship Fatal 4-Way Match
Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Kairi Sane vs. Io Shirai vs. Bianca Belair
WWE United Kingdom Championship Match
Pete Dunne (c) vs. WALTER
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
The War Raiders (c) vs. Aleister Black & Ricochet
NXT North American Championship Match
Velveteen Dream (c) vs. Matt Riddle
Friday, April 5, at 7 ET/4 PT. Coverage begins with the Pre-Show at 6 ET/3 PT, streaming on WWE Network, WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Full Brothers of Discussion Coverage for WrestleMania Weekend continues with Episode 73 of the Podcast! And Don’t forget to check out the BOD, WrestleMania 35 Drinking Game!
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