NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne, who is slated to make his next title defense against Joe Coffey at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England on January 12, 2019, recently made an appearance on E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness to talk about a wide range of topics.
This includes why he thinks his victory over Tyler Bate to win the title at NXT TakeOver: Chicago event on May 20, 2017 put him on the map. Here is what he had to say:
“The springboard as in the big platform for wrestling fans around the world to see us was myself and Tyler at TakeOver Chicago because before that we’d done the UK Tournament and there was buzz in the UK about us getting our own show, but I felt there needed to be something to expose us to the whole world of wrestling fans. Moreso than that the feeling of being in TakeOver is completely different even though we got a lot of response and a lot of praise from the first tournament and then being able to do NXT weekly TV obviously you get a huge response compared to anything we’ve ever done before. Another step up is TakeOver. It’s a completely different feeling. I’d even argue more so than when I got the opportunity to do RAW. There’s just so many eyes on you and passionate fans that it really was a massive springboard for us.
The other answer to that question is when Regal first saw me wrestle and that’s what put me into the position to be featured as heavily as I’ve been. That was on a show in Mansfield that I was getting paid 50 pounds for in front of about 40 people. I was sitting at home and it was just routine. It was just another show for me and I got a call from Regal. I never spoke to him. I never met him. I missed the call a few times and he started emailing me. After about the third or fourth time, it said Stamford, CT. I picked up an it was him and he wanted to come see me wrestle that night, so I got the chance to wrestle pretty much just in front of him….I wrestled my heart out and I guess that was the match that really got me into that position. After that he offered me the tryout and now here we are.”
H/T to WrestleZone for the transcript
