Pete Dunne has made his return to WWE NXT after being associated with the NXT UK brand for the majority of his time with WWE.
The former NXT UK Champion had been sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down not only the NXT UK brand but also prevented him from working in the United States for the NXT brand.
He spoke with SI.com about his return to the NXT brand.
“I couldn’t leave the U.K. because of the travel ban, so it became a chance to reset my goals. I’ve done this since I was 12 years old and this was the most time off I’ve ever had. When it’s your job and it’s day–in and day–out, you’re so close to it that you can lose focus of the bigger picture. I was able to get in the best shape of my life and completely focus on what I wanted. The NXT title is atop that list.”
He noted that he never had the time to just focus on training as his previous focus was about the performance in order to put on better matches in the ring and stay injury-free.
Dunne continued that mindset was something he could control and now feels better for it as he kept his muscle mass.
“I can carry a brand. I did it in the UK with an entire brand basically built around me, and my in-ring work speaks for itself. Now I’m with Pat McAfee, who is incredibly charismatic. It’s a winning combination.”
Dunne is aligned with the faction led by Pat McAfee.
Pete Dunne Says Travel Restrictions Impacting WWE Stars Could Be ‘Trial’ For Off-Season
