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New NXT UK Champion Crowned At NXT TakeOver 36

Wrestling WWE
Robert DeFelice Aug 22, 2021 9:40PM

870 days is long enough and there is a new NXT UK Champion in town.

Ilja Dragunov has done the impossible and dethroned WALTER at NXT TakeOver 36 in a highly intense match in front of the Capitol Wrestling Center. WALTER, who has the distinction of having captured and lost the NXT UK Championship on American soil, threw everything he could at Dragunov, but in the end, did the unthinkable and tapped out to relinquish his championship.

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Here's how it all went down:

NXT United Kingdom Championship Match
WALTER (c) vs Ilja Dragunov

WALTER hip tosses Ilja before backing him into the ropes before Ilja turns it around and chops WALTER before WALTER cuts him off briefly and Ilja escapes as WALTER kicks the bottom rope in frustration before stuffing a takedown and locking in a front facelock before driving his knee into the ribs of Ilja. WALTER hits Ilja with uppercuts and forearms before Ilja takes WALTER down and goes for a single leg before WALTER gets up and Ilja hits a front slam before WALTER gets to the ropes when Ilja grabs his leg before Ilja takes WALTER down with a side headlock take over. WALTER gets to his feet and backs Ilja into the corner before the two exchange forearms and Ilja catches a chop by WALTER before taking him back down and locking in a short arm scissors before WALTER counters and sets Ilja on the top turnbuckle. WALTER chops Ilja off of the top and down onto the floor before powerbombing Ilja onto the edge of the apron and tossing him back into the ring before locking in a sleeper and Ilja gets to the ropes before WALTER hits a release German. WALTER locks in a Boston crab before transitioning into an STF and a bulldog choke before chopping Ilja across the chest and reapplying the sleeper before Ilja counters a powerbomb into a back drop and the two exchange strikes until WALTER hits a half and half suplex for two. WALTER stomps Ilja and yells at him to come on before dropping him with a chop and playing to the crowd before booting him and Ilja nearly face plants before they exchange until Ilja takes WALTER down and knees him in the face before chopping him across the back of the neck. Ilja slaps WALTER and elbows him in the side of the head before dropping WALTER with a ripcord knee before WALTER chops him out of the air and hits a lariat for a near fall before Ilja hits a missile dropkick into a diving senton before WALTER counters Torpedo Moscow into a sleeper and hits a suplex. Ilja hits WALTER with Torpedo Moscow from behind before hitting the normal Torpedo Moscow for a near fall before chopping WALTER and WALTER drops him with a chop for a near fall before going up top and Ilja meets him before hitting a superplex. Ilja goes up top and hits a coast to coast dropkick before WALTER hits a shotgun dropkick into a powerbomb for a near fall when Ilja teases another Torpedo Moscow before rocking Ilja with slaps across the face and a running knee into a powerbomb before going up top and hitting a diving splash for a near fall. WALTER beats on Ilja in mount before taking his back and locking in another sleeper that Ilja counters and WALTER boots him before Ilja hits a dive that drops WALTER before raining down elbows to WALTER on the mat before locking in a sleeper on WALTER. WALTER gets to his feet and climbs the second turnbuckle before falling back and sending Ilja off of his back before Ilja locks in a sleeper and brutalizes WALTER before chopping him across the back of the neck and reapplying the sleeper for the tap and the win.

Winner: Ilja Dragunov defeats WALTER via submission to become the new NXT United Kingdom champion.

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