Quarterfinals: Pete Dunne vs Sam Gradwell
Gradwell had his back taped due to the attack from Dunne last night. Gradwell started out the match in control and connected with several elbows to the head of Dunne. Gradwell leveled Dunne with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Suicide Dive. Gradwell got some revenge for the attack yesterday by Suplexing Dunne on the entrance ramp. Back in the ring, Gradwell connected with a Dropkick off the top rope. However, Gradwell landed on his back and in was in a lot of pain.
Dunne noticed that Gradwell was injured and kicked him in the face. Dunne hit a German Suplex but Gradwell responded by planting Dunne with a Michinoku Drive. Gradwell climbed to the top rope and hit Dunne with a Crossbody outside the ring. Gradwell was perched up on the top rope and Dunne shoved him off and Gradwell once again landed on his back. Gradwell got back into the ring but Dunne Body Slammed him into the turnbuckle for the pinfall victory. After the match, Pete Dunne hit the Bitter End on Gradwell for good measure.
Winner & Advancing To The Semifinals: Pete Dunne
Reaction:Â This match was short but intense. Gradwell really brought it and was flying all over the place. In the end, the attack by Dunne last night was just too much to overcome for Gradwell. Dunne reminds me a lot of Owen Hart with his facial expressions. When Owen Hart was a heel, he had a way of just making the audience loath him and I mean that with all the respect in the world and in a storyline sense. Dunne has that same ability and the crowd clearly respects him. Dunne has been compared to Fit Finlay several times during the tournament by Michael Cole.
"The damage was done before this match even started…" – @McGuinnessNigel@PeteDunneYxB defeats @sam_gradwell to advance! #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/hEVhNv8vJJ
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
@ringfox1 @THEdavidfinlay #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/4cOfQZlssf
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubItal) January 15, 2017
Quarterfinals: Mark Andrews vs Joseph Conners
The match started out back and forth. Andrews launched Conners out of the ring and went for a Moonsault from the ring apron but missed. Conners then tripped up Andrews and he smashed his head off of the steel steps. Conners controlled the next few minutes of the match. The action spilled outside the ring and Andrews connected with a Cannonball off of the barricade. Back in the ring, Andrews hit a springboard Crossbody and followed it up with the Double Knees in the corner. Andrews then hit a Northern Lights Suplex and went for a standing Moonsault but Conners got his knees up.
Conners once again captured momentum in the match. Conners hit the DLD (Don’t Look Down) but Andrews kicked out at two. The crowd started to chant “this is wrestling!”. Andrews battled back and landed a Hurricanrana off the top rope. Conners retaliated with an elbow to the face of Andrews. Conners went for a Suplex but Andrews countered into a Stunner. Andrews then hit the Shooting Star Press for the pinfall victory.
Winner & Advancing To The Semifinals: Mark Andrews
Reaction: Back to back great matches to kick off the finals of the UK Tournament. Both Conners and Andrews are very talented. I thought Conners had a much better showing in terms of match quality tonight than he did last night. Andrews is clearly a crowd favorite but has a tough test in store as he faces Pete Dunne in the next round.
.@MandrewsJunior hits the SHOOTING STAR PRESS!!
ONE TWO THREE for the victory and the ticket to the semis!! #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/LNOlPWjYnj— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Quarterfinals:Trent Seven vs Wolfgang
Seven slapped Wolfgang in the face to kick off the match and Wolfgang responded by hitting a Suplex. The action quickly spilled outside the ring and Wolfgang hit an amazing Moonsault off the barricade. Wolfgang got the worst of the move and grabbed his knee in pain after hitting the move. Seven noticed this and connected with a Suicide Dive onto Wolfgang.
Back in the ring, Wolfgang connected with a Superplex off the top rope. Both Superstars got back to the feet and traded punches and chops. Wolfgang hit the Wasteland and went for a Moonsault but Seven got his knees up. Seven connected with a Dragon Suplex and Wolfgang’s face bounced off the mat. Trent hit the Seven Stars Lariat but Wolfgang kicked out at two. Wolfgang then hit a Swanton Bomb to the back of Trent Seven for the pinfall victory.
Winner & Advancing To The Semifinals: Wolfgang
Reaction:Â All three quarterfinal matches have been very good. This one was the most physical of the three. Wolfgang was bleeding all over the place when this match was through. Trent Seven seemed to be one of the favorites to win the tournament so a lot of people were shocked at the conclusion of this match.
#TheHOWLING by @WolfgangYoung!!
ONE TWO THREE!!
Wolfgang topples @TrentSeven in the #WWEUKCT's biggest upset yet!! pic.twitter.com/iLTRbXe90p— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Quarterfinals: Tyler Bate vs Jordan Devlin
The crowd was all over Devlin to begin the match. Bate connected with a Suicide Dive outside the ring and then tossed Devlin back into the ring. Devlin quickly went back on the attack and connected with several forearms to Bate’s head. Bate fought back and hit a flying uppercut off the second rope. Bate then put Devlin in the Airplane Spin after impressively catching him in midair. At the conclusion of the movie, both men were dizzy and stumbled around the ring.
Devlin once again went on the attack and kicked Bate in the face. Devlin went for a Moonsault off the top rope but Bate got out of the way. Bate went for the Tyler Driver but Devlin reversed it into a roll up. Bate kicked out but Devlin kicked Bate in the back of his head. Bate recovered and planted Devlin with the Tyler Driver for the pinfall victory.
Winner & Advancing To The Semifinals: Tyler Bate
Reaction:Â The quarterfinals closed on a high note with yet another solid match. It is unbelievable to me that Tyler Bate is 19 years old. His gimmick makes him look like he is in his mid 30s. Thus far, Bate has gotten the strongest reaction from the crowd at the Empress Ballroom.
#TylerDriver97!!! @Tyler_Bate advances to the semifinals to face @WolfgangYoung!! @jordan_devlin1 #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/dx9wLdx3KJ
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Semifinals: Mark Andrews vs Pete Dunne
Dunne started off in control of the match and applied a Chinlock to Andrews. Mark Andrews responded by hitting a Moonsault onto Dunne who was outside the ring at the time. Dunne stomped on Andrews hand and went to do it again on the steel steps but Andrews had a different idea in mind. Andrews hit a Hurricanrana on Dunne off the steps. Andrews also whacked his head off the steps on the way down.
Back in the ring, Dunne stomped on the back of Andrew’s head. Andrews responded by hitting a stomp of his own onto the stomach of Dunne. Andrews hit the Double Kneews in the corner and followed it up with the Northern Lights Suplex. Andrews hit a ridiculous standing Moonsault onto Dunne in the middle of the ring. Andrews followed it up a springboard Hurricanrana and a standing Shooting Star Press. Dunne rolled out of the ring. Andrews went for a Moonsault off the apron but Dunne caught him and Suplexed him into the ropes (with no regard for human life).
.@PeteDunneYxB counters @MandrewsJunior's moonsault, and hurls him into the apron edge!! #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/ed9wZYzMRA
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Dunne hit Andrews with another Suplex but this time on the entrance ramp. Back in the ring, Dunne stomped Andrew’s head several times. Dunne went for another Suplex but Andrews reversed it into a Stunner. Both men battled on the turnbuckle. Andrews knocked Dunne to the mat and went for the Shooting Star Press but Dunne got his knees up. Dunne went for a pinfall but Andrews kicked out. Dunne went for the Bitter End but Andrews countered into a Hurricanrana for a two count. Andrews went for the Shooting Star Press but Dunne moved and hit a German Suplex into the top turnbuckle. Dunne then hit the Bitter End for the pinfall victory.
Winner & Advancing To The Finals: Pete Dunne
Reaction: Best match of the night so far. If you didn’t watch the tournament live, this is definitely one you should go out of your way to check out on the WWE Network.
The X-Plex, and #TheBitterEnd!! @PeteDunneYxB advances to the #WWEUKCT FINAL, defeating @MandrewsJunior!! pic.twitter.com/cty2AePqly
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Semifinals: Wolfgang vs Tyler Bate
The atmosphere was incredible to start off this match. Both men locked up to start off the match. Wolfgang shoved Bate to the mat and the two locked up again. Once again, Wolfgang launched Bate across the ring. Michael Cole said that he was informed that Wolfgang broke his nose in the last match. Bate hit an elbow off the second rope that sent Wolfgang to the mat. Wolfgang responded by Body Slamming Bate to the mat.
Wolfgang went to the second turnbuckle and Bate knocked him off. Wolfgang grabbed his knee in pain and Cole referenced that he did the same in his match earlier with Trent Seven. Wolfgang battled back and once again went to the top turnbuckle. Wolfgang went for the Swanton Bomb but Bate got out of the way and Wolfgang slammed into the mat. Wolfgang got back to his feet and his a massive shoulder tackle that resulted in Bate spinning in the air and falling hard to the mat. The crowd was all on their feet and Bate hit the Tyler Driver to advance to the finals to face Pete Dunne.
Winner & Advancing To The Finals: Tyler Bate
#TylerDriver97 out of nowhere!!!
ONE TWO THREE!! @Tyler_Bate defeats @WolfgangYoung to advance to the #WWEUKCT FINAL! pic.twitter.com/MrUesSRyaX— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Pete Dunne rushed the ring after the match and attacked Bate. William Regal came out and shoved Dunne to the backstage area.
Fellow #WWEUKCT finalist @PeteDunneYxB just ASSAULTED @Tyler_Bate from behind!! pic.twitter.com/tRtOhT7JIc
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Neville came down to the ring and stated that he should be the UK Champion by default. The crowd agreed and started to chant his name.
Neville vs Tommy End
Tommy took down Neville and then sat down in the ring. End than hit a massive kick to Neville than sent him falling to the mat. The crowd started to chant “Tommy’s gonna kill you” as End hit a series of kicks to Neville. The match slowed down as Neville applied a Chinlock to End. Neville leaped off the top turnbuckle but was greeted with a kick to the head by Tommy End. The action spilled outside the ring and End hit a Moonsault off the second rope onto Neville.
#TommyEnd (@WWEAleister) launches into a moonsault to take down @WWENeville! #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/6QujHAGLYl
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Back in the ring, End connected with a boot to the face and followed it up with a German Suplex. Neville responded by hitting a Hurricanrana off the top rope. Neville then hit the Red Arrow for the pinfall victory.
RED ARROW!! @WWENeville defeats @WWEAleister! #WWEUKCT #TommyEnd pic.twitter.com/QUjj018lEZ
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Winner: Neville
Charly Caruso provided an update on Tyler Bate’s condition and said he had a separated AC joint but was cleared to compete. There was a big time blooper and this accidentally played for a moment over the speakers of the arena in the middle of the Neville and Tommy End match.
Finn Balor came down to the ring to a great response from the crowd. Balor thanked the fans and stated that their passion has made this happen. A “we deserve it” chant broke out in the crowd and Balor smiled and agreed with the crowd. Michael Cole then agreed with Balor and said that the crowd in Blackpool has been incredible over the weekend.
"You people, the UK fans, have made this happen!" – @FinnBalor#WeDeserveIt #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/sTdouPxyGG
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 15, 2017
Finals: Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bate
Dunne came to the ring with tape on his shoulder. Regal was in the ring holding a title and was looking at Dunne with a disgusted look on his face. Dunne slapped Bate in the face in the corner. Bate laughed it off as the two circled each other in the ring. Dunne targeted the injured shoulder of Bate in the beginning of the match. Bate battled back and connected with a Dropkick that sent Dunne to the mat.
The action spilled outside the ring and Bate and Dunne traded punches. Back in the ring, Dunne slammed Bate’s shoulder into the top turnbuckle. Dunne followed it up by stomping on the injured shoulder of Bate. Tyler battled back and slammed Dunne’s shoulder into the ring post. Bate hit a Suplex on Dunne in the middle of the ring for a two count.
Bate went for the Tyler Driver but his injured shoulder prevented it. This allowed Dunne to capture momentum in the match and once again focus on Bate’s shoulder. Bate fought through and put Dunne in the Airplane Spin. Bate hit a Spinebuster on Dunne and the crowd erupted. Bate lifted Dunne from the mat with his injured the shoulder. Dunne rolled out of the ring as the entire crowd got to it’s feet. Bate flipped onto Dunne outside the ring and then brought Dunne back in the ring.
Bate hit a 450 Stomp (?) it looked like he was going for the 450 Splash but he landed feet first onto Dunne. Pete Dunne hit the Bitter End and Tyler Dunne powered out at two. Dunne applied the Kimura Lock on Bate in the middle of the ring. Bate reversed it into a Brainbuster for a two count. Bate went for a German Suplex but Dunne landed on his feet. Bate then connected with a kick to the face of Dunne. Bate hit the Tyler Driver for the pinfall victory to become the first ever United Kingdom Champion.
Winner & United Kingdom Champion: Tyler Bate
#TylerDriver97!!!!
ONE TWO THREE!! @Tyler_Bate is the first-ever UNITED KINGDOM CHAMPION!!!#WWEUKCT @PeteDunneYxB pic.twitter.com/gFKUI2F5e1— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
The @WGEmpress EXPLODES as @Tyler_Bate becomes the NEW @WWE UK Champion!!! @PeteDunneYxB #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/ZnaImKd2aN
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Wear it proudly @Tyler_Bate!! #UKChampion #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/vMlLm6VWb3
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
Reaction:Â The entire United Kingdom Championship Tournament was excellent in my opinion. The atmosphere was electric and the crowd added so much energy to every single match. The wrestling was awesome but that added energy from the crowd put it over the top. I hope that there are more events like this in the near future and I also hope that we get to see more of the talent we saw in this tournament on a regular basis. I’d love to see a weekly or monthly show that broadcasts from the UK. The crowd chanted that they deserve it and they are right. In my opinion, the WWE hit a home run with this tournament.
What did you think of the United Kingdom Championship Tournament? Let us know in the comments below.
