As noted this morning, WWE has announced a new UK Championship tournament for the WWE Network this January. Wrestlers for the 16-man tournament include Joseph Conners, Roy Johnson, Jordan Devlin, Tyson T-Bone, Tucker, HC Dyer, Tyler Bate, Wolfgang, Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, Chris Tyler, Dan Moloney, Jack Starz, James Drake, Sam Gradwell, Ringo Ryan, Saxon Huxley and Tiger Ali. Two will serve as alternates.
Here’s WWE’s official announcement regarding the UK Championship Tournament competitors:
WWE® to Crown U.K. Champion
LONDON & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE® (NYSE:WWE) announced today that it will crown the first-ever WWE United Kingdom Champion live on WWE Network during a special, two-night tournament on Saturday, January 14 and Sunday, January 15, 2017 beginning at 8:00 PM GMT. Fans can watch the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament by signing up at WWENetwork.com.
Tickets for the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, emanating from the historic Empress Ballroom in Blackpool,go on sale today at 12:00 PM GMT and can be purchased online at livenation.co.uk.
“Our passionate U.K. fans deserve to have their own Champion,” said WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events & Creative Paul “Triple H®” Levesque. “The tournament is the next step in our ongoing strategy to create localized content for our global WWE Network, develop another brand that engages our passionate fans, and add a new dimension to our on-going storylines.”
This unprecedented event will feature a single-elimination tournament and showcase competitors from all four Home Nations and Ireland including: charismatic Trent Seven, from Wolverhampton; hard-hitting Pete Dunne, from Birmingham; Tyler Bate, the bright young 19-year-old star from Dudley, West Midlands; big brawler Wolfgang, from Glasgow; tough Tyson T-Bone, from Malvern; the aggressive Northern Irish grappler Tucker; Irish high-flyer Jordan Devlin, who hails from Bray, in County Wicklow, the same home town as WWE Superstar Finn Bálor®; and Londoner Roy Johnson, a former champion powerlifter.
William Regal®, Head Scout, WWE Talent Development, and Robbie Brookside, WWE trainer, participated in the scouting process for the tournament competitors, using their unrivalled knowledge and experience of the UK scene, developed over careers of more than 20 years in the ring.
The WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament on WWE Network will be called by WWE lead announcer Michael Cole, who will be joined by color analyst Nigel McGuinness, a mainstay of the UK independent scene.
